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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

Blue Acara

  • Alex (Alex)
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10 Feb 2010 18:30 #1 by Alex (Alex)
Blue Acara was created by Alex (Alex)
Iv got quite a bit of space in the tank for a large Cichlid (my severum recently died),,, so im thinking blue Acara? Iv never kept large more agressive Cichlids so im just wondering if an Acara would work in my tank...?

The cichlids i have at moment are 2 firemouth cichlids and 5 african butterfly cichlids...

Its an 800L tanks so im thinkin territory wont be a problem?
Is keeping one on its won ok?

thanks.

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  • stretnik (stretnik)
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10 Feb 2010 18:40 #2 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Blue Acara
Yes it's possible but is it fair:(

Petstop in Blanchardstown have a few.

Kev.

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10 Feb 2010 18:41 #3 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
You have plenty of room in there for a Blue Acara. Just make sure the fish you are sold is indeed a Blue Acara and not a Green Terror as the two look very similar, especially when young. Although, in a tank that size you could probably get away with a terror in it anyway.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

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10 Feb 2010 18:56 #4 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara

Yes it's possible but is it fair

erm.. is what fair?

I also have barbs loaches fire eel ropefish catfish n few other fish (tank is still fairly empty) would i be better off getting one or two...? Id prefer one if they r happy enough on there own!!

ill try make sure its not a green terror,

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10 Feb 2010 19:05 #5 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
I think what Kev meant is that the Acaras would be happier in a group. Also, they would probably show more colour if they were kept this way.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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10 Feb 2010 19:32 #6 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
ah ok.. ill get two first n see how they get on! :) maybe get more if they work out

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10 Feb 2010 19:42 #7 by convict84 (sean farrell)
you could do a hole lot more with 800 litres,you could get some real big cichlids in that tank,b,acara is not big cichlids,whats your water parameters,mixing africans and americans is not recommended because they need different water parameters,what size is your tank,

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10 Feb 2010 19:59 #8 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
I wish i could start over.... but im stuck with the fish i have, iv had em for years! Acara get around 8" right? bigger cichlids just wudnt work i dont think. mmm yeah My PH is around 6.6-8 i think its ok for both?

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10 Feb 2010 20:17 #9 by convict84 (sean farrell)
they get around 5 to 6 inchs,very fussy eaters at times,that ph is not recommenend for any of the fish you have afaik,but if there in there years its working for you,what size is your tank,cant see why you think that big cichlids wont work in a 800 litre,thats perfect for most large cichlids

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10 Feb 2010 20:17 #10 by pkearney (Phil Kearney)
i think your ph is too low for firemouth cichlids!
phil

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10 Feb 2010 20:21 #11 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
That ph is fine for them. You could always try selling or swaping your current stock. Seriously, you could keep big cichlids in there. Oscars, Terrors, and some dithers would be awesome in a tank like that ;) . Im biased though coz I keep them :P.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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10 Feb 2010 20:33 #12 by convict84 (sean farrell)
should it not be around the 8.0 for africans,i know nothing about africans but while the ph for the firemouths is low the will do ok,the ideal ph is around 7.2 to 7.4

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  • Alex (Alex)
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10 Feb 2010 20:45 #13 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
Iv thought of it but decided against it... Im in first year college and broke. I have plenty off time in the future to have a tank full of oscars... or snakeheads,, id need a couple of tanks for what i really want ha! :)

Here is my current stock anyways, im gonna leave it at Acara's.
2 Bala sharks
Black skirt tetra
red tailed shark
3 flying fox's
4 denison barbs
2 firemouth cichlids
5 African butterfly Cichlids
4 Clown loaches
Common pleco
candy striped pleco
L142 ( i think)
2 cory's
2 Ropefish
Fire Eel
2 african Butterfly fish

Most of the fish are pretty old, iv only bought a couple of fish in the last year.

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10 Feb 2010 21:01 #14 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Wow, thats a bit of a mad mix mate. Are they all getting along? How big are your Butterfly Fish? Saw some big ones in the lfs the other day...cool fish.

@ Convict84. Dead right man, 8.0 is perfect for African Cichlids. I thought he was wondering if his ph was ok for the Acaras.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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10 Feb 2010 21:12 - 10 Feb 2010 21:13 #15 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
is the PH ok for Acara's? They prefer around 7.0 right? ah yeah I love making mad mixs, iv no problems, they all get along! ye the butterfly fish are pretty big! one of my fav fish.. only thing is everytime sum1 looks in the tank they say "oh there's a dead fish up there" im sick of explaining! now i just say "tragic stuff"!!
Last edit: 10 Feb 2010 21:13 by Alex (Alex).

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10 Feb 2010 22:08 #16 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Yep your ph is fine for them. They should do well with a ph range from 6.5 to 7.5. Lol, "tragic stuff". Glad to hear they are all doing well. Definateley helps having such a big tank. Good luck with the Acaras.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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14 Feb 2010 12:08 #17 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
well i ended up getting a Green Terror,, :).

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14 Feb 2010 12:59 #18 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Good stuff ;) . What sex and how big?

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

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are here we might as well dance.

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14 Feb 2010 13:21 #19 by Alex (Alex)
Replied by Alex (Alex) on topic Re:Blue Acara
its quite small.. about 3.5". how do i tell if its male or female when its so small.?

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14 Feb 2010 13:43 - 14 Feb 2010 13:45 #20 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
It may be difficult at that size but generally the males are the lookers in this species. He will develope a pointed dorsal fin that will trail behind him and will, if its a gold saum develope a fantastic colouration to its tail and a beautiful metallic green body. He will, with time develope a hump on his forehead. Though I have seen some fantastic females, they are usually a bit drap, at least when compared to the males and their dorsal fin will be rounded as opposed to pointed.

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.
Last edit: 14 Feb 2010 13:45 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes). Reason: Ommision

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