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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

New set up II

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02 Feb 2016 14:15 #1 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
I am cycling new tank at the moment as well, so interesting topic for me. I have been unable to get any filter squeezings from another fish tank, so have been adding tiny amounts of fish food, with the view to getting some danios to help with the cycle. (If i can find a disease free LFS in Cork!!!) :whistle:

I was eyeballing the API quick start, but instinctively not convinced that is is giving me any real advantage. Is the denitrol a good one? any better?

Also, I am using hardscape that was in a tank that I shut down recently The gravel was laden with tiny snails. The gravel sat in a bin bag for 2 weeks at the back door. I didnt wash or rinse the gravel, just put it in new tank dirty thinking surely there is some good bacteria in there. I was surprised to see that the snails have actually survived, and are ok in the non cycled tank (been running a week now) Im now wondering perhaps I did infact keep the good bacteria on the hardscape, even tho it was stored in cold dark non aerated conditions, there was moisture, could this be possible?

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02 Feb 2016 14:51 #2 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic New set up II
I'm afraid that any beneficial bacteria will have perished hours after the gravel was taken away from the oxygen-rich water.

However, whilst being a pain, your snails will, in fact become handy little workmen on your behalf and when they start eating the small amounts of food you are putting in to the water their droppings will definitely help speed up the process as digested food will more quickly break down than undigested.

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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03 Feb 2016 00:50 #3 by derek (Derek Doyle)
Replied by derek (Derek Doyle) on topic New set up II
hi john
Although I agree that the snails can be useful in helping to keep the water healthy, they have been the bane of my fishkeeping life for 30 years. They are indestructable and I have never succeeded in eliminating them, other than putting suitably hammered tank in a skip lol.

30 tanks specialise in african cichlids, angelfish and various catfish

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03 Feb 2016 10:10 #4 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
John - Do you think snails in the gravel be a problem when I go to breed ancistrus?

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03 Feb 2016 10:26 #5 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
One things for sure...snails will add to the bioload!

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03 Feb 2016 10:30 #6 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic New set up II
Let's just get one fact clear, are these what are now known as by the initials MTS snails?
These live within the gravel and rarely venture out in times when the tanks are illuminated.
Sort of long pointed efforts for want of a better description (check them out on goggle).
They might be a problem with Ancistrus eggs - but in the main the Ancistrus male is pretty attentive of his eggs that I shouldn't think he would let any into his 'domain' - I have watched one fanning out a snail with quite exaggerated fin activity.
But, as Derek points out, snails are quite hard to eradicate from our tanks anyway.
So, personally, I would think snails wouldn't be any problem for your new project. It will be interesting to hear if anyone has had different experiences with snails and - especially Ancistrus - eggs?

I'm going to split this thread as we have rather taken over Deaglan's original post.

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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03 Feb 2016 11:54 #7 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
Yes sorry that was my fault hijacking Deaglan's post. sorry.

Its not the MTS I have. different shape and size. these guys are miniature and round and in my last tank there were literally hundreds of them, in the filter and everything, i never bothered with them. They were a cross infestation from a planted tank i had going, the "family" is easily 5 years old now. When I broke down the tank, I switched the heater off, when the water got cold they all came out of the gravel up the sides of the glass, pretty crazy to see actually.

I dont think the population is anywhere near the same as i didn't reuse all the gravel, a fraction of in in fact, and i think many died during the storage of the gravel, if i see them on the glass now i squish them!

I will try the lettuce in a jam jar trick and see if i can capture them, just dont like the idea of them being in there if they serve no purpose and add to the bio load, and start breeding up to big numbers again... especially with a new project...

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03 Feb 2016 12:47 #8 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
Overfeeding and dirty gravel is a major factor in snail infestations! You wont eliminate them once they get in to your tank but you can control their numbers by proper regular gravel vaccing and a controlled feeding regime...Lettuce leaf trick works well too...Leave it in overnight and remove in the morning....The other thing to use is a school of Loaches....Most species of Loach scoff snails...They do not eat the shells though just the meat inside....They also have to be kinda trained to eat them by crushing a few for them regularly and teaching them they are a tasty treat...Eventually the fish will cop on and start munching on them

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03 Feb 2016 13:23 #9 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
I had 2 adult oscars in the tank before, so you can imagine the mess they make when eating, so yes that would account for a heavy population in terms of left over food. The gravel was vacuumed weekly but again 2 adult oscars... you will never have clean gravel! Love the idea of the loaches, think ill try the lettuce first and see if it warrants getting a loach as thats not currently part of the stocking plan.

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03 Feb 2016 13:57 #10 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
Just be aware JSleator that most Loaches need to be kept in groups as they are a social fish...One on its own will have a lonely secluded life...

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03 Feb 2016 16:56 #11 by robert (robert carter)
hi ,I had just two clown loaches in my tank hardly ever saw them ,now I have 6 and they are out all the time and not a snail in site

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03 Feb 2016 20:28 #12 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
For the record pic attached of said snails :angry:
Attachments:

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03 Feb 2016 22:46 #13 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
Looks like a species of Ramshorn...Do these guys grow at all or do u take them out as soon as you see them and not allow them to grow?

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03 Feb 2016 22:54 #14 by gunnered72 (Eddy Gunnered)
This might be of interest to you JSleator???

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramshorn_snail

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04 Feb 2016 11:26 #15 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
Good article thanks. Yes think Ramshorn sums it up. The snails I have never gets any bigger than the one I showed in the pic, about 1-2mm with others much smaller, almost like sand grains. Didn't get to try the lettuce trick last night due to lack of lettuce, but will do it and update you...

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04 Feb 2016 12:13 #16 by Eric (Eric Corcoran)
Replied by Eric (Eric Corcoran) on topic New set up II
Assassin snails will clear them up no problem

Eric

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04 Feb 2016 13:26 #17 by JSleator (Jason Sleator)
Had assassins before, amazing creatures, and boy can they move fast! (for a snail)

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