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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

Ammonia

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21 Feb 2007 08:48 #1 by essjay (S Jackson)
Ammonia was created by essjay (S Jackson)
Anyone know where to get ammonia in Dublin?

Basically I have a few bottles of SafeStart but I'm not going to add that until I can build the ammonia up in the tank to 5ppm and once that broken down add a further 5ppm. Keep doing this until the 5ppm is broken down to 0ppm in 24 hours. Only problem is that I need to get the ammonia first.

Tried the local chemist and they said they'd be surprised if I could get it in a chemist.

I would prefer not to go down the rotten prawns route if possible.

Cheers....

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21 Feb 2007 08:59 #2 by ChrisM (ChrisM)
Replied by ChrisM (ChrisM) on topic Re: Ammonia
There is a place on the Naas road that supplies chemicals wholesale and I think you can buy stuff from them,I cant remember the name but it was mentioned on another thread on this forum!!I used it in small amounts myself and had no problems but I had a huge volume of water to play around with which is recommended if trying to cycle ammonia.In fact I probably put so little in it may not have had an effect,who knows.
If you want to hold off I could give you a few litres of filter squeezings which is just as good!

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21 Feb 2007 11:38 #3 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re: Ammonia
lennox chemical nais road, I would not use it, except outside the tank to get rid of impossible smooches, its too dangerous if you spill in your house it will smell like a old Dublin pub gents toilets or a dart station toilet in the rare old times.

Whats wrong of getting some filter wool out of the LFS SAME tank as the first introductory fish if its got white spot the fish are going to have white spot to. Sane water same tank, same risk, plus you are adding a greater diversity/strain of bacteria for your bio filter.

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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21 Feb 2007 17:52 #4 by zig (zig)
Replied by zig (zig) on topic Re: Ammonia
"Jeyes Kleen Off" is the one people in the UK/Ireland usually use as a source of ammonia, should be able to get it in the supermarket in the household cleaning section, its basically a type of general purpose surface cleaner, not sure how they use it though for fishless cycling never tried it before, seems straighforeward enough though and the product of choice by those that do fishless cycles. Look up the Jeyes website and see if there is a picture of it in the product list might make it easier to find it in the supermarket.

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21 Feb 2007 19:04 #5 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re: Ammonia

"Jeyes Kleen Off" is the one people in the UK/Ireland usually use as a source of ammonia, should be able to get it in the supermarket in the household cleaning section, its basically a type of general purpose surface cleaner, not sure how they use it though for fishless cycling never tried it before, seems straighforeward enough though and the product of choice by those that do fishless cycles. Look up the Jeyes website and see if there is a picture of it in the product list might make it easier to find it in the supermarket.


This is the most dangerous information I have ever heard. It is much safer to piss into the tank. Never use cleaning substances in any tank, they contain a lot more than ammonia.
Spend a few quid a buy safe water and use this,€7 for peace and mind is nothing to pay.

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21 Feb 2007 20:11 #6 by zig (zig)
Replied by zig (zig) on topic Re: Ammonia

"Jeyes Kleen Off" is the one people in the UK/Ireland usually use as a source of ammonia, should be able to get it in the supermarket in the household cleaning section, its basically a type of general purpose surface cleaner, not sure how they use it though for fishless cycling never tried it before, seems straighforeward enough though and the product of choice by those that do fishless cycles. Look up the Jeyes website and see if there is a picture of it in the product list might make it easier to find it in the supermarket.


This is the most dangerous information I have ever heard. It is much safer to piss into the tank. Never use cleaning substances in any tank, they contain a lot more than ammonia.
Spend a few quid a buy safe water and use this,€7 for peace and mind is nothing to pay.


Well then delete the post then if its the "most dangerous information you have ever heard".

As far as I understand it the reason people use this product is because it contains 9.5% ammonia and water.......nothing else.

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22 Feb 2007 02:29 #7 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re: Ammonia
Lets just keep it simple, its a crazy idea that was common in the 70s, to cycle an aquarium you need more than a food (amomnia) you need the critters (bacteria) the chlorine in the water stops them getting in the in the first place so you should inoculated it with some "REAL BACTERIA" other wise the tank has to wait till some gets in the tank of the plants or some other media?

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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22 Feb 2007 03:39 #8 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re: Ammonia
The post won`t be deleted. Whats the point in having a forum if you cant dibate posts.Wether is contains only water and Ammonia is beside the point. Ammonia levels that would kill bacteria anyway and I doubt its only water and ammonia anyway but I am not familiar with the product.

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22 Feb 2007 04:05 #9 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re: Ammonia
Can you actually get pure ammonia in Ireland? Couple of bags and fertilizer and a few contacts in the north and you can throw more than a couple of stones through Sean's window (see photography link)... :D

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22 Feb 2007 05:31 #10 by tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
Essjay, If you are looking for ammonia I work in a lab and I nicked some a while ago. It is a 15% ammonia/distilled water solution (nothing else).

As my tanks are cycled and I have access to mature media if I'm setting up another tank. You are more than welcome to it, it is in a 100ml anti leak super protective bottle so there will be no problems of a smell of pi$$ in your house if you drop it.

I'm not going to post it though ("might" :wink: be dangerous) so you might have to collect it! or we can organise something.

Plus once you know the concentration, you can work out with a little maths how to calculate how much you need to add to get a part per million ratio.

Regards

Denis

Also, I would agree with Anthony stay away from domestic ammonia. I bought one bottle (will find name later) that was said it was a pure 9.5% ammonia/water solution. Brought it home opened the bottle and the stuff was blue. They say that there is a fizz test, that if you shake the ammonia solution (if it fizzes it has something else other than ammonia and water) (if it doesn't it is a pure solution), I would think this test is completely unreliable and would never use it.

Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!

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22 Feb 2007 05:37 #11 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
Can't find the Jeyes stuff anywhere - tried Superquinn (Sundrive), Dunnes (Ashleaf), Lidl (Greenhills Road), Woodies (Naas Rd) and B&Q (Tallaght) and none of them have it.

Might try Lennox on the Naas Rd if I get a chance later, although their stuff is 88% I think which is fairly lethal. ONly come in 2.5L bottles I think and I reckon I might only need a few ml in total.

Tanks_a_lot - cheers for the offer. I'm quite local to Lennox so I might try them. In a bit of a hurry......

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22 Feb 2007 05:55 #12 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
Also try googling "jeyes kleenoff aquarium". Seems quite a few people use it....

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22 Feb 2007 07:09 #13 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
Update on the Ammonia situation.

Rang Lennox and they sell a 35% ammonia water solution but they won't sell to the general public. The guy in chemicals gave me a few pointers about where to go.

Went to two small hardware shops that are part of the Superquinn complex on Sundrive road and found a product called "Enzo Household Ammonia". The bottle say's 9.5% solution. No other ingredients mentioned so I googled it and another person bought it (in the UK) for a fishless cycle. They email the manufacturers and the other 90.5% is distilled water.

So for anyone interested, it should be found in any small hardware shop. I'll post results as I get them.

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22 Feb 2007 07:30 #14 by tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
Bells are ringing!!!!!! Enzo was the name of the 9.5% solution that I bought, which turned out to be blue!


Its the second from the left!

I think they need to add the blue dye as a type of safety standard!

Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!

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22 Feb 2007 07:54 #15 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
just opened my bottle and it's completely clear

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22 Feb 2007 07:56 #16 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
but it is the same bottle as pictured

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22 Feb 2007 08:02 #17 by essjay (S Jackson)
Replied by essjay (S Jackson) on topic Re: Ammonia
My bottle is the same one as pictured, but clear liquid. Here's a link to the person doing the cycle with this stuff

www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/newbb/view...rder=ASC&start=0

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22 Feb 2007 08:31 #18 by tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
They must have changed their product ingredients within the last year. Sorry for being misleading!

Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!

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22 Feb 2007 08:36 #19 by iffymike (iffymike)
Replied by iffymike (iffymike) on topic Re: Ammonia
I bought some Ammonia says pure ammonia 9.5% for a fast, fish-friendly cycle, available from
aquarama.co.uk/advanced_search_result.ph...rch_in_description=1

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22 Feb 2007 08:37 #20 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re: Ammonia
What's wrong with letting a couple of shrimp decompose to cycle the tank? Marginally slower but a hell lot safer. At least you will not throw stuff in your tank that shouldn't be there. You will have to remember that household chemicals only have to declare the ingridients that could be potentially harmful to humans. Colourants for example do not need to be declared in household cleaners. Should you swallow ammonia, the dye is the least of your problems :D
And you can bet that most ammonia based cleaners have something in them to make them smell a bit more pleasant

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22 Feb 2007 08:42 #21 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re: Ammonia
what's wrong with letting a couple of mussels or shrimop decompose in a tank. I wouldn't use ammonia from cleaning products. As some of you may be aware of is that the manufacturers only have to declare the active ingridients in cleaners, that doesn't include dyes and perfume. That makes sense, when you swallow ammonia the dye is the least of your problems.
And you can bet your 2 cent that they have some sort of perfume added to make ot smell a bit more pleasant.

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22 Feb 2007 08:51 #22 by iffymike (iffymike)
Replied by iffymike (iffymike) on topic Re: Ammonia
i bought some specially for a fishless cycle, from aquarama.co.uk

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22 Feb 2007 08:53 #23 by iffymike (iffymike)
Replied by iffymike (iffymike) on topic Re: Ammonia
I bought some specially for a fishless cycle, from aquarama .co .uk

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22 Feb 2007 08:54 #24 by iffymike (iffymike)
Replied by iffymike (iffymike) on topic Re: Ammonia
i bought some

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22 Feb 2007 11:04 #25 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re: Ammonia
Would you not just buy a bottle of cycle.
Add a few gouramis a few days later and use safewater after that.

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22 Feb 2007 11:05 #26 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re: Ammonia
Would it not be safer to buy a bottle of Cycle then a few days later add a few gouramis, then use safewater each day after that.

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22 Feb 2007 15:31 #27 by Anthony (Anthony)
Replied by Anthony (Anthony) on topic Re: Ammonia
Would it not be safer to just add a bottle of cycle for a week
Then turn add a few gouramis and change over to safe water when you have added the fish.

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22 Feb 2007 16:16 #28 by iffymike (iffymike)
Replied by iffymike (iffymike) on topic Re: Ammonia
I bought some from Aquarama, specifically for fish, and they post it out

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23 Feb 2007 02:26 #29 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re: Ammonia
Why not siphon out 10L of tank water then piss in the bucket with the tank water and then mix it, then add a tea spoon full of the stock solution back to the tank,(so you have diluted your piss 200 times) naturally washing the spoon before you put it back in the cutlery draw.

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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23 Feb 2007 02:42 #30 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re: Ammonia
Would it be easier to siphon off 10 L of tank water then urinate into it and once mixed add back to the tank one tea spoon. (1 tea spoon of 300 times water down urine)

N.B Ammonia is very dangerous commodity to have around the house with kids.

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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