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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

tanganyikan sand set up

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23 Jun 2010 10:18 #1 by stan (stan)
im about to make the change to tanganyikan cichlids from malawis.as part of this change i have bought a back to nature white limestone background www.backtonature.se/english/slimline.html
(cheers to the lads in aquapaws)
the tank is going to be based around a colony of tropheus ikola and possibly a few others depending on what i can get my hands on.
i went and bought a large bag of play sand from b&q and last night while washing it have become unsure if its the right colour sand(turns out like a dark brown similar to this sand)

to tie in with the tropheus and the background.im know leaning towards silica sand as i think it will look better in the overall scheme of fish. compared to playsand how easy is it to clean because b&q washed play sand aint fecking washed.
The rocks i will be using are simliar to this rock but more darker and with less white streaks running through it and river rocks.

there will also be some vallis scattered throughout the tank.
just trying to gauge peoples opnion on this set up,

cheers

stan

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23 Jun 2010 10:44 #2 by mickdeja (Mick Whelan)
Sounds great Stan, lookin forward to seein the background, what size tank is it and what colour sand are u lookin for.

Follow me up to Carlow

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23 Jun 2010 10:50 #3 by stan (stan)
cheers mick,
the tank is a jewel rio 400 and to be honest im not sure what colour sand im looking for. its one of those i'll know it when i see it ones.

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23 Jun 2010 10:53 #4 by mickdeja (Mick Whelan)
Loads of research on the sand then, as u dont want to throw it in and then nah i dont like that, lookin forward to seein those pics and vids man, keep us posted.

Follow me up to Carlow

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23 Jun 2010 10:58 #5 by stan (stan)
unfortunately this weekend is the only weekend i have the house to myself to run amok with work on the tank so its something will be going in this weeknd. i reckon its gonna be a toss the coin scenario:)

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  • 2poc (2poc)
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23 Jun 2010 11:49 #6 by 2poc (2poc)
Replied by 2poc (2poc) on topic Re:tanganyikan sand set up
I like the rocks! Wouldn't be gone on sand that dark though. Silica sand is nice!

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23 Jun 2010 11:53 #7 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
stan the vallis wont last tropheus are herbivores and will eat it in mins, try waxier plants anubis, java fern, crypts and to get a really natural look put your rocks in old aquarium water ,leave in the sun to grow algae, then put in the tank tropheus will love grazing on them.
ps Peter is getting you a price re pm and will be onto you asap

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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23 Jun 2010 12:22 #8 by stan (stan)
@ 2poc, im leaning towards the silica sand myself at this stage, i think the lighter colour sand will work better with the ikolas and the background
@ sheag,it will be a few more weeks before the ikolas go in and where the tank is positioned in the house it faces a window that get suns most of the day, i normally have the curtains pulled to stop to much algae growing but a week or so before hand im gonna leave the curtain up to get the growth on the rocks. im gonna be getting the vallis for free as my mate has a jungle of it but i might see what anubis and ferns he has goin a begging,
thanks for organising peter re the pm

the plan is to have the tank done and dusted by sunday afternoon and put the the shoal of petricola that i have and some other syndontis that i have in the tank in with some Cyprichromis leptosoma im picking up on sunday and then in a few weeks move the tropheus,
ive read elsewhere that it this mix of the leptosma and tropheus might not mix but im willing to give it a try and if it fails then ill move the leptosma on.
if anyone has any other suggestions on any other tank mates for the tropheus then feel free to suggest,
cheers to all for the help and advice

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24 Jun 2010 11:31 #9 by stan (stan)
had another look at the playsand and not a hope is it going in the tank, its silica all the way

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24 Jun 2010 11:34 - 24 Jun 2010 12:37 #10 by mickdeja (Mick Whelan)
.......defo go with the lighter colour sand Stan...lookin forward to seein the new setup, loads of pics now ye hear...........:)

Follow me up to Carlow
Last edit: 24 Jun 2010 12:37 by mickdeja (Mick Whelan).

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24 Jun 2010 12:28 #11 by stan (stan)
why ? its a picture related to the topic or have i missed something

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24 Jun 2010 12:33 #12 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Hi Stan,

Sounds like you have really done your work here man, and defo go with the silica, looks so much better. Cant wait to see the setup progress and the end result ;) .

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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24 Jun 2010 13:52 #13 by Gavin (Gavin)
I'd be carefull not to put too lighta substrate in..the tropheus can look "washed out". A mid tone would be best.

dont make me come over there.

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24 Jun 2010 14:02 #14 by stan (stan)
cheers gav,
i might try mixing a small amount of each together and see how that works???

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24 Jun 2010 14:04 #15 by dar (darren curry)
stan sent you an oul pm there

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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24 Jun 2010 16:17 #16 by Gavin (Gavin)
I know I sound like a git but I'd test that too..mixing two kinds of sand can leave you with something looking a bit crazy..if you do it use one tone down from the next..don't mix contasting colours.

dont make me come over there.

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24 Jun 2010 20:51 #17 by stan (stan)
well silica sand fell through but picked play sand in almost the colour i wanted so its happy days.
tank is stripped and all the filters and fish are in a 60 gallon water tank parked in the living room.
tomorrow night its fit the back ground.

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24 Jun 2010 21:05 #18 by dar (darren curry)
pics pics pics as mick would say...,.PICS

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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25 Jun 2010 09:16 #19 by stan (stan)
to keep the punters happy heres a pic of a water tank in a living room beside a empty fish tank:)

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25 Jun 2010 10:08 #20 by dar (darren curry)
ohhh yeah if mick was still wit us do you know wat he'd say? SAVAGE PIC MATE CHEERS FOR SHARING

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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02 Jul 2010 12:11 #21 by stan (stan)
forgot to bring the camera into work but heres a few taken on the phone,
think overall its turned out along teh lines of what i wanted but gonna add more rocks as i think its needed,.my main worry is its a bit bright overall.





all comments appreciated

stan

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02 Jul 2010 12:15 #22 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Looking good Stan, plenty of swimming space there too. I dont think its too bright at all, but if it bothers you, try a couple of different light combinations to get the desired effect. Gonna be a cracking setup...

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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02 Jul 2010 12:36 #23 by stan (stan)
cheers jay,

im hoping once the algae starts to uild up on the background and the rocks it might tone it down a bit,
can anyone give me and id on this fella, cant remember the id,

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  • stretnik (stretnik)
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02 Jul 2010 12:58 - 02 Jul 2010 13:01 #24 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:tanganyikan sand set up
Think these are your boys.

aquaworld.netfirms.com/Cichlidae/Neolamp...ologus_ocellatus.htm

P.S. You'll have a happier Occie if you get some Escargot Shells.



Kev.
Last edit: 02 Jul 2010 13:01 by stretnik (stretnik).

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02 Jul 2010 13:33 - 02 Jul 2010 14:00 #25 by stan (stan)
they do look similar but i dont think its them, i do remember the name being longer than ocellatus. i think they might actually be to bid for escargot shells as i threw a handful from my shellies tank in and they didnt go near them, that might change but ill try and get bigger shells and see how that goes.

rang maidenhead where i got them and they gave me the id as neolamprologus ornatipinnis
Last edit: 02 Jul 2010 14:00 by stan (stan).

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03 Jul 2010 10:42 #26 by stan (stan)

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09 Jul 2010 14:43 - 09 Jul 2010 14:44 #27 by stan (stan)
just two quick videos of the tank
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