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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

Overpopulated

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06 Jun 2008 19:25 #1 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Hi Folks,
My molly is gone into overdrive this time and has produced lots of fry. Ive tryed to let nature takes it course.there arent too many places for them to hide but the other fish in the tank arent too bothered...what can I do with all these fry. the lfs wont take them until they are big enough and I cant wait that long I mean Ive 20 of them spinning around the tank at present,also I dont have the heart to kill them myself. Can anyone suggest something. My other tank mates are 2 male mollies and 1 female mollies,tetras,guppy and bronze cats. So really the only fish that may be capable of eating them are the mollies and they are too interesting in making babies again if you know what I mean!

I cant keep having this dilema every month! The obvious solution is remove the female but I dont want to do that either right now. Its the 20 fry Im having the problem with now.
Gavin

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07 Jun 2008 08:43 #2 by oog1111 (Orlagh O Grady)
You'll have to either leave the female back to shop or find someone who wants a female molly. It's the only way to stop having this problem every month. I had same problem with guppies only I had two females! As for fry???

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07 Jun 2008 10:25 #3 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
there is a simple rule to follow

over feed
over breed

add an extra foodless day will have an end to it. some will survive they will be the strongest.

a slight reduction in temp will help.

try mimic nature as much as possible fish will adapt they have done for thousands of years. fish will produce when there is a feast so there is enough to survive a famine

Mickey

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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07 Jun 2008 10:42 #4 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Im not going to feed them for a day or two. Ive not fed them yesterday and I wont feed them today or tomorrow either I dont think. I hate having to do it this way but at present the mollies (who are the only ones who are likely to eat the fry are not too interested in eating but are just chasing the female molly instead.Also a few of them are still getting sucked up the filter but surviving despite placing a net over the bottom of th filter. Im guessing the fry are only 3 days old at present. I guess keeping the food away from them will make them abit more hungry anyhow and maybe they will as you say \"Survival of the fittest at that point\". I wouldnt of considered to have overfed them but I guess they wouldnt be breeding otherwise.

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07 Jun 2008 15:31 #5 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
this time of year nature will do its thing and we some times forget this. I would safely say you have not been over feeding but we forgot in the wild fish may not be able to feed every day yet we give food daily.

this is good it means they get everything they need and helps to keep them in tip top condition add the temp rise and this will drigger breeding cycles so reducing food and temp will reduce the urge for nature to take its course.



i have 5 small tanks (11-20 liters) with no heater since the year begai there is little or no action of this type but in the last few week away they go but i cut back the food and regular small water changes/ top ups, thus far no thing i am not prepared for. Endlers and guppies at that.

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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08 Jun 2008 17:11 #6 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Well day 2 and a half of no feeding and I do find the activity in the tank is less with one or two fry struggling on the gravel and I would expect some of them to pass away in the next day or so.The big fish are fine,no adverse effect so far but the fry are struggling alright. Hate doing it but its nature so there you go.
Gavin

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08 Jun 2008 19:58 #7 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
I would have expected that the other fish would have stared to eat them but then they never do what you expect when you expect it!

Keep an eye on your ammonia level!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if any deceased go on noticed they will become ammonia engines very quickly.

just keep the temp down and food schedule reconsidered. this should help keep things under control for you.

Mickey

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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08 Jun 2008 20:57 #8 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Fishowner wrote:

Well day 2 and a half of no feeding and I do find the activity in the tank is less with one or two fry struggling on the gravel and I would expect some of them to pass away in the next day or so.The big fish are fine,no adverse effect so far but the fry are struggling alright. Hate doing it but its nature so there you go.
Gavin


In a mature tank, two days without food would not be causing molly fry to be struggling for life, there would be plenty to sustain them.

If you really don't want them, catch them and destroy them humanely, straving them to death and putting the rest of the fish on a crash diet is not the best way to go.

I am sure that you don't want to kill them, but if you don't have the space for them, dont want them and you cant give them away it is the responsible thing to do.

A population explosion of livebearers has happened to most fish keepers at some stage - including myself. I moved on about 400+ guppies and endlers this weekend, some became livefood while the rest will live out the summer in a pond.

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09 Jun 2008 08:29 #9 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
I guess that is true Darragh,added to the fact that they are going up the filter and seem to most probably thrive on the sponge media for food. I do have a 180 litre tank upstairs that I havent yet set up but am toying with the idea of using this as a quick fix solution over the coming weeks. Im aware it will need to cycle but I could add some drops to start the process over. I think the LFS will take some of them off me. Ive already promised them 6 (presently 1 month old)and with the others Im sure they would accept them also.
If I was to destroy them humanely how would you suggest I do it. ( i have a horrible vision of flushing them down the toilet).Would Ice cold water be a quicker way to do it? (Gesh I hate this part of fishkeeping :( !).
Gavin

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09 Jun 2008 11:03 - 09 Jun 2008 11:09 #10 by umm (karen baker)
Replied by umm (karen baker) on topic Re:Overpopulated
hi. I read that a few drops of clove oil in some water puts them to sleep. never tried it myself but with fry there are not too many options i suppose.

just found some more info about the oil of cloves on the pfk website. sorry dont know how to put up a link, but if you type in \"euthanasia of small fish\" you'll find it.
Last edit: 09 Jun 2008 11:09 by umm (karen baker).

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09 Jun 2008 11:04 #11 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Also heard Baking soda does something along those lines also. Gesh the more I think of it the more I reckon I'll put them into the 180 litre!!Hate having to do it.
Gavin

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09 Jun 2008 11:23 #12 by umm (karen baker)
Replied by umm (karen baker) on topic Re:Overpopulated
how many are there? maybe it would be worth raising them if you have loads and then giving them away?

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09 Jun 2008 11:30 #13 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
I have about 20 if not more. I also have 6 one month old mollies that I can give to the lfs. I might raise them I dont know! I need to get a heater and a filter if I am to go about doing this.

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09 Jun 2008 11:39 #14 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
a quick start to cycling a tank is to remove some strata, medium and water from another tank. so you are well under way there

and would be the preferred method in this case.


if you want to cull a fish i would suggest \"oil of cloves\"

[u]wash hands after use[/u] and before going near any fish related equipment

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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09 Jun 2008 11:44 #15 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
I could take some of the water from the 90litre tank this week when Im doing a 20% water change.I was thinking a squeeze of the sponge filter would also help and perhaps some pea gravel also altho I think I would run the tank upstairs without pea gravel maybe as it would only be a holding tank for 2 months until the fish get bigger. I may also put the female molly in the tank upstairs to prevent another batch of fry altho I am aware she can store the males sperm for several months. Any out there got a filter and heater for sale?

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09 Jun 2008 12:25 #16 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
i would suggest you only need a filter at the moment once the tank reach the correct temp in this weather.

an air powered filter could be used similar to this

cgi.ebay.ie/AQUARIUM-Fish-Biochemical-Ai...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and temporary one can be made just to grow out the fry

you need air line, air stone a length of pipe that excepts the air stone and a sponge the type for washing cars and either a clip to hold in place or a weight.

place the sponge in boiling water and clean carefully allow to dry then cut a slit which pipe can be but in the pipe dill some small holes in this remove any lose shavings place in the hole cut in the sponge and fix in place. either with tank sealant or in a hurry in the past i used fishing line. connect air stone to line and place in the pipe this will now act like an up lift pulling water through the sponge which will now act as a filter.

It will work till either the fry have grown out or you find a filter which will work best with your plans for the tank.

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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09 Jun 2008 13:26 #17 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
You reckon Id be alright without a heater so then?

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09 Jun 2008 14:24 #18 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
house are warm enough this time of year of course if you think the room temp will drop to much at night.

i have five tanks with out a heater with guppys endlers etc at the moment if the tank stays around 21deg with out a heater you will be fine but if you don't feel it can then add the heater.

this is were knowing your house comes in. this is something our summers some times affords us but i would keep an eye on the temp at all times

but if you are not sure use a heater better to be safe than sorry.

please remember small variation in temp is acceptable, large are not if you thing that they will vary a lot then you need a heather. if they will fall below 21deg again you need a heater

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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09 Jun 2008 14:32 #19 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Thanks, I think I would use a heater alright but guess I could start the cycle asap without the heater initially anyhow. I think I need to get to a shop today so and perhaps get a filter for myself. I think I will stick to the sponge heaters,I find them good.

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09 Jun 2008 19:25 #20 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Well bourght a 200watt heater there on ebay so should have that in a week or so. Any suggestions on what type filter I should be on the lookout for a tank of 180 litre. Id prefer an internal one. I presently have a vitatech (Ehneim) and it has one large sponge that I find very good. Id be interested in something similar as I dont want to have to buy different media every few weeks as the Jewels often seem to need.
Oh and Ive fed the fish again!
Gavin

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