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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

What type of sand do I need?

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10 Sep 2008 15:38 #1 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Ive been trying to get my hands on sand for my fish tank but struggling! I want a sand that is light in colour,almost white if possible ?
I went and rang a few pet shops but they have the following . Playsand (I think its probably too dark and will hard to clean,also I could get it cheaper in Woodies!).
And the second sand is Coral sand. Im setting up a tropical freshwater tank,is coral sand ideal for this ? Also its a tad expensive at €35 a bag?! Im not sure how much is in the bag but Im told Ill have plenty for a 160 litre tank. Is the coral sand going to be too sharp for corys etc? I dont know what type of sand to get. Im based in Cork so its a struggle to get good fishshops at times. (Not all but some arent great down this part of the world).
Fins n' things in the sponsor section are GOOD!
Gavin

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10 Sep 2008 19:25 #2 by mickeywallace (Michael Wallace Cath Woods)
coral sand will effect your Ph. i used silver

Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods

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10 Sep 2008 21:22 #3 by umm (karen baker)
the one i got is called aquarium sand 25kg bag by B.D Trading . got it in AV. worth the money . reckon 1 bag would be LOADS. maybe one of your local shops could get it in for you?

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10 Sep 2008 23:56 #4 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
another option from garden stores is called silver sand, light in colour and inert so better for your fish as it doesnt mess with ph..
What ever you go with just make sure you rinse it well before adding to the tank
Seamus

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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11 Sep 2008 00:00 #5 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Westwood Playsand from Woodies is very light coloured and does not cloud the water at all once washed. The secret is to wash smaal amouts at time. I wash about two cups fuls in a bucket with the hose swirling it around and keep pouring off the water, all the lighter material will run away, you are left with the heavier particles. Each batch takes about 60 seconds to wash so you will get through enough for you tank quite quickly.

Daragh

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11 Sep 2008 14:59 #6 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Darragh,
I went looking for that playsand and struggled to find it all! Then rang Woodies who said they had it only to arrive up and realise they had a different type of playsand! Not that white to be honest but it will do the job. Its Glenview Playsand. Im just in the middle of washing it off and Im abit surprised at how compact it gets,but having said that when there is water all around it I guess it wont be able to compact so easily.
Also my Tetratec Ex700 arrived today! I was like a child at xmas! Looking forward now to putting this tank project in motion! Anyhow better get back to putting the sand in the tank.
Gavin

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11 Sep 2008 17:30 - 11 Sep 2008 17:31 #7 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Fishowner wrote:

Darragh,
... Im abit surprised at how compact it gets,but having said that when there is water all around it I guess it wont be able to compact so easily.
...
Gavin


I have not used Glenview, I am sure it is ok, but test a small amount by some in a container of water and testing the pH a coupl eof days later. Ideally have a separate container with no sand and water from the same source to test as a comparison. It would also be a good ida to test the hardness of each to make sure that it is not going to alter your water.

Also I only use a thin layer of sand, just about covering the botton, but if you plan to make it a bit deeper remember to stir it regularly to stop dead areas developing in which gas can build up that is poisonous to fish.

With the summer we are having I am sure there is more sand sold for fish tanks than sand pits!! That might be why it is hard to find at the moment :(


Daragh
Last edit: 11 Sep 2008 17:31 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens).

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11 Sep 2008 18:35 #8 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Think you could be right! The amount of looks I got when going in to buy playsand!haha!
Anyhow Ive put just over an inch in the tank and have just put together the Tetratec ex700. I must fill the tank now and then begin the cycle and will test it regularly as the weeks go along. No fish for another spell so will be using that time to source what ones I want!
Very exciting indeed! Plenty of pics taken also but will wait until the finished product before showing them all!
Gavin

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11 Sep 2008 21:05 #9 by umm (karen baker)
best of luck with it. i hated waiting for the tank to cycle but alas its necessary. the weeks will fly by and you will be buying those fish before you know it.

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11 Sep 2008 21:26 #10 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Ah buying the fish is the fun part! Im going with the tetras but seening it set up now Im so tempted to go with chilids! Ill stick with my guns on it I think. I dont mind waiting,I waiting nearly 7 months to get the room painted and actually finally make a start on the tank!haha! Im thinking some Neons,maybe some rummy nose,possibly a few harlequin rasboras or mountain minnows. And Im certainly getting a good few corys and maybe a few shrimp.
Should look well once its set up fully.Keep an eye out for my photo log of it which I hope to detail each section as I go along.
Gavin

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11 Sep 2008 21:34 #11 by umm (karen baker)
looking forward to seeing the pics. must put up a few of mine . my camera is fairly basic though and as for my photography skills!!! we wont go there.

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