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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

using cobbles from my garden

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30 Aug 2008 01:09 #1 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
hi all

i believe you can use garden cobbles in your tank
I have a bunch of perfect cobbles in raised beds in my garden

Could I use a few of them,
most are there a few years, some are there two months,
would i scrub and/or boil?

thanks

4

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30 Aug 2008 11:13 #2 by karlo (karlo kennedy)
hi
i used garden rocks in my tank befor i just gave then a good rinse and never had any prob
but i could be so wrong and this could be so bad. but it looked good lol

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30 Aug 2008 11:47 #3 by Loggser (Loggser)
Replied by Loggser (Loggser) on topic Re:using cobbles from my garden
Scrub the hell outta them and them boil them in a pot with some salt added.
Should be grand to use then!

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30 Aug 2008 12:44 #4 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Others experience of them may be fine but you need to think about it first. Have you previously scrubbed these cobbles or perhaps had chemicals on them be it chemicals for the garden or indeed just to clean the cobbles up?
If you are intent on using them,Id recommending scrubbing the hell outta them and lots of boiling hot water. Personally Id be slow to use them but Im certainly no expert.
Gavin

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31 Aug 2008 10:59 #5 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
I would have to say I am with Gavin on this one, I would not personally use them!

first: may i suggest the vinegar test! wash dirt off then on the different areas and colours put a drop of vinegar if it bubbles fizzes then they will effect your water

Second: half or break 0ne or two and look at the structure within and compare to pictures on the net. i did this with some rocks i had and there were visible rings close to the surface which to me was enough to discourage their use!



consider the time they have been in the garden etc and what chemicals have been used now consider the amount of time these chemicals have had to permeate this rock. boiling will remove some possibly not all. then you risk over time these chemicals leaching in to the tank.

Water changes will keep the levels below the harmful level but will not change the long term effects these chemicals could have on your stock. Thus why I would not use them.

others may or may not agree with this! Or may have some better suggestions.

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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31 Aug 2008 11:18 #6 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
thanks all

they are in now, i scrubbed and boiled them, fingers crossed

rgds

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31 Aug 2008 13:19 #7 by john kelly (John Kelly)
i wouldnt use them !!!!best off spending few quid on sand /coral and some java rock

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31 Aug 2008 14:12 #8 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
I would agree with John, unless you know EXACTLY what they are \"made off\" eg. they could have a mineral stripe etc. that is toxic... Had a customer from Wexford, kept f/w rays but they were always getting ulcers... he kept treating them and it would clear up, then come back??? So turned out he got some \"lovely big rocks\" from his local river...so i told him to take them out-he did and his fish no longer get ulcers!!!!???? That was 2 years ago all still well!!!

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31 Aug 2008 15:56 - 31 Aug 2008 15:57 #9 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
hi all

i'm getting paranoid now......
damn internet, i have read on lots of places that they're fine to use!
including good old itfs
www.irishfishkeepers.com/cms/component/o...w/catid,19/id,28874/

they are exactly what i want though...
they are scottish beach cobbles and are perfect
in shape size and colour, i only have about five in

they are also weighing down the roots i got in aquatic village yesterday

I assume its not possible to get these type in the lfs

mmm what to do, decisions

rgds

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Last edit: 31 Aug 2008 15:57 by fourmations (NIall SMyth).

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31 Aug 2008 16:46 #10 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
You can buy cobbles for pebble pools/ponds in most Garden/Aquatic centres...just make sure they are for ponds, these will be fine, just,as i said above, IMO a bit risky to put them in from other sources, could always \"seal\" them with a clear silglaze used to seal ponds, would \"lock in\" any harmful minerals/metals etc!!!!

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31 Aug 2008 17:49 #11 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
serratus wrote:

could always \"seal\" them with a clear silglaze used to seal ponds, would \"lock in\" any harmful minerals/metals etc!!!!


A very good option:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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05 Sep 2008 22:22 #12 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
hi drew

where would i get siliglaze?
(south dublin preferably)

rgds

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05 Sep 2008 22:43 #13 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
Think we have some left...phone me tmw to confirm!!!

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05 Sep 2008 23:04 #14 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
cheers, will do

rgds

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