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
BEACH SAND
- mars (Gedas)
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Or better to stick with the gravel?
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- ger310 (Ger .)
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Ger
What do you call a three legged Donkey?
A Wonkey....duh ha

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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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Given that aquarium gravel and tested sand is not very scarce and not overly expensive, maybe it is not worth risking it.
That added 'uncertainty' is the last thing you want if your tank goes pear-shaped.
ian
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
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- davey_c (dave clarke)
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i wouldn't bother using anything apart from silica sand (and yes i do use it) its only 4e a 20kg bag from where i get it and its a mix grain from sand grain to about 5mm sized grain... can sorta look the same and very natural

Below tank is for sale
my plywood tank build.
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...k-build-diary#137768
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- mars (Gedas)
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Any solution???
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- anglecichlid (ciaran hogan)
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Anyone with a aquarium can keep fish,
But it takes real skill to be a fish keeper,
And it's spongeBob,
SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea
BLANCHARDSTOWN
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- newbejkjimk (damien kelly)
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- JohnH (John)
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But as has been pointed out play sand is pretty cheap, but does (despite the 'ready washed' claim) need an awful lot of cleaning!
Silica sand might be worth looking at - if you can find a source for it.
John
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N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- JustinK (Justin Kelly)
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Silica sand is a better option. Try local builders merchant/providers.
You could also try Glenview paving sand, but it really does need a good wash.
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- stretnik (stretnik)
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Kev.
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- JohnH (John)
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John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- m4r10 (m4r10)
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I tried to get this over here, but drew a huge blank, perhaps I was looking in the wrong places?
John
Here you go John:
swimmingpoolireland.com/filter_sand__silica_sand.html
swimmingpoolireland.com/miscellaneous_pool.html
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- JohnH (John)
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Thanks,
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- sebcity (Ronan Healy)
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- mars (Gedas)
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