×
Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

South American Dwarf cichlids

More
09 Jun 2009 11:50 #1 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Hi all,

Im going for a South American dwarf cichlid setup...

Been looking into it for a few weeks and started to collect a few bits and pieces for it. Ill be getting my RO unit in 3-4weeks time, have some bogwood and Co2 setup comming in 10days time. Have a rio 180 up a running.

Just a few things im unsure of.......

What plants should i be looking at for the S.american setup....?

What substrate is best sand or pea gravel.....?

Ill be renovating the tank more bogwood, caves, flat stone, plants is there anything else which would suit the S.american setup.

Any tips, ideas anything would be a great help

Thanks,

Alan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 14:36 #2 by mrsFishpatrick (Astrid Fitzpatrick)
I have heard leaf litter on the bottom is appreciated

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 17:38 #3 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Sand for sure Alan. These will use it whilst mating, they dig a hollow out on occassions.Will reply more when I get back from football training!
Gavin

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 17:49 #4 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Nice one gavin cheers

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 17:50 - 09 Jun 2009 17:53 #5 by ted30 (Damo Mac an Bhaird)
here is a list of central and south american aquatic plants HERE

Location: Carrickmacross, County Monaghan
Last edit: 09 Jun 2009 17:53 by ted30 (Damo Mac an Bhaird).

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 18:02 #6 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Ted ur a god...........:laugh:

Thats the perfect link thanks so much.......Also finally found food for my rams are doing great now coloured up lovely and great to watch thanks for the help again

Alan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 18:54 #7 by ted30 (Damo Mac an Bhaird)
alkiely wrote:

Ted ur a god...........:laugh:

Thats the perfect link thanks so much.......Also finally found food for my rams are doing great now coloured up lovely and great to watch thanks for the help again

Alan


Nice to hear the Rams are doing well. My favorite fish with great personality. As you well know from experience they don't look great in the pet shops.

Location: Carrickmacross, County Monaghan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
09 Jun 2009 19:03 #8 by alkiely (alan kiely)
True true,

But seen lovely looking blue and gold rams in av last week nearly got some

Alan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
17 Jun 2009 21:04 #9 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Hi all,

Started the job of renovating my tank and turning it into a south american setup.

Its Planted up no all with south american found plants but some i think....;) My girlfriend put names of the plants in the bin so not sure what they are.

Got sandstone, that i cut into 2 bits and used them for making caves

Have 4 big bits of bogwood and pea gravel for substrate, ill be adding sand in a weeks time.

Co2, i have got a 5kg F/E for 40euro charged.....:laugh: :P already have my drop checker, co2 piping, check valve and regulator.

Just waiting for the tank to settle and then ill be posting pics

Alan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
17 Jun 2009 21:38 #10 by duzzy1 (Martin Kennedy)
congrats .... sounds like you have everything in hand ..... can't wait to see the pics of the tank .

gonna be pickin up a few new keyhole cichlids myself in the next week or so , tryin to turn wot was a community tank into a south american set up ( well even more so than it is already )

keep us posted on the progress , and good luck !!

martin

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
17 Jun 2009 21:44 #11 by LimerickBandit (Donal Doran)
What is your PH?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
18 Jun 2009 13:19 #12 by alkiely (alan kiely)
My ph gone up from 7.4 to around 8 in the last 6weeks, my water supply has been changed. Thats why im getting a ro unit and have Co2 which will lover both. So i wont be adding fish till its all sorted.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
18 Jun 2009 13:47 #13 by LimerickBandit (Donal Doran)
You could also add Peat granules to your filter to bring down the ph ;)

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
18 Jun 2009 14:05 #14 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Yeah looked at getting some for my plants before i picked Co2 but i might get some for my filter

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
14 Jul 2009 00:02 #15 by juanyjuans (juan cullen)
What food are you feeding the rams? any tips for keeping them?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
14 Jul 2009 09:31 #16 by alkiely (alan kiely)
Hi,

I feed them on tetra prima skinning pleats, hikari protein wafers that i crush into small bits, frozen brine shrimp, frozen cichlid mix and every 2 weeks or so i feed the peas and sweet corn.


All you do is cook frozen peas and sweet corn and remove the skin cut into little chunks and into the tank.

Once you have a settled and mature tank they are fine my ph is quite high and they are fine once you keep the water conditions right ie no ammonia, nitrites and nitrates around 20ppm they should be fine.

Ps flake food is no good for them.

Alan

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.079 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum