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
Pictures of yourself
- JohnH (John)
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We must all go to the Fish Shops from time to time and on these occasions quite regularly see other people there, either buying fish - or asking advice. I have often wondered if any other of these customers are actually Forum members, as I would guess you have too.
So, with this in mind I thought it would be a handy thing if everyone could post a picture of themselves here - does anyone agree?
John
As ever, if anyone is having trouble getting their picture published here they can send it to me at the competition address:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Clearly marking that it is a 'MEMBER PHOTO' and giving your Forum user-name (so I don't get it confused with the huge amount of Competition entries



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Maybe we'll set up a 'rogue's gallery' - that should be interesting...
John
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"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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Edit: I can't leave a 'thank you' for this picture as I posted it - so please take it as read - John
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ian
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@ski dont feel so bad we all had to make some choices liks yours I had to sell my motorbike to buy all the essentials for my first daughter
to everyone else keep them mugshots coming
Something fishie going on here
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- LemonJelly (Johnny Cowley)
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Great idea John I was in athlone same time as another forum member and didnt relise for few weeks later.
@ski dont feel so bad we all had to make some choices liks yours I had to sell my motorbike with my first daughter
to everyone else keep them mugshots coming
You sold your bike AND your first daughter?
Wow! That's dedication to the hobby

"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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Here's a pic of me and our new arrival - the reason why I have to get rid of my 7' tank but trying not to hold it against him
Have a tank set aside for him already
Most people use cots for their children...
(Sorry, I just thought I'd try to make a joke)
John
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Great idea John I was in athlone same time as another forum member and didnt relise for few weeks later.
@ski dont feel so bad we all had to make some choices liks yours I had to sell my motorbike with my first daughter
to everyone else keep them mugshots coming
You sold your bike AND your first daughter?
Wow! That's dedication to the hobby
That was a typo error lol I wouldn't sell or swap the kids anymore
Lmao good one John a 4x2 tank with nice mattress would make a perfect crib for young baby

Something fishie going on here
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- LemonJelly (Johnny Cowley)
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Great idea John I was in athlone same time as another forum member and didnt relise for few weeks later.
@ski dont feel so bad we all had to make some choices liks yours I had to sell my motorbike with my first daughter
to everyone else keep them mugshots coming
You sold your bike AND your first daughter?
Wow! That's dedication to the hobby
That was a typo error lol I wouldn't sell or swap the kids anymore
Lmao good one John a 4x2 tank with nice mattress would make a perfect crib for young baby
It'd be a handy, sneaky way of constantly upgrading to a bigger tank over time.
"Looks like little Jimmy is getting too big for his old 180L. We'd better set him up in a 450L soon!"

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**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker**
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Ian I saw you like one month ago or so at dunnes stores with your lady (Justine? don't remember)..told my husband hey this guy is from the forum!
That's me and my fish face

Lydia
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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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You should have popped over to say "Hi" then.
Yep..Justine is my lady.
ian
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You should have popped over to say "Hi" then.
Yep..Justine is my lady.
ian
Beard or not, the sexual dimorphism is still very clear

"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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- JohnH (John)
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I don't have a picture to hand but i presume its safe to say if you see an Asian guy speaking with a thick Dublin accent then its me
![]()
I'm sure a few of the forum members were caught out when they first saw and heard me!
Sorry, not good enough - now c'mon Swai - I bet you have one somewhere - a description just doesn't 'cut it'.
John
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You should have popped over to say "Hi" then.
Yep..Justine is my lady.
ian
Yeah I probably should, anyway we'll meet some other day since we live pretty close and I go to Cabinteely frequently!
About what James says it happened to me at seahorse with Santi, was looking at him but wasn't sure, and then the same day or the next I meet him.
First time I walked into SH I thought mostly everybody were forum users so I asked to a guy in the queue 'hey are you from the forum too?' And the guy looked at me with a face something alike weird-scared and told me 'no'...so I haven't asked anybody since. In fact now I think thats pretty rare to be at the same time with one or two members in a lfs.
Darren apart from being a facking sensei regarding almost everything also is the mastah o faces, (you should have this tittle under your name)he knows about most of us!
Lydia
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