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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 11:57:48 GMT
Any advice ? Thinking of buying my boys one for xmas . Mary berry need not respond , we all know what happened to poor old bingo
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 12:39:19 GMT
Cold, tropical or marine?
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Post by felonious on Oct 27, 2018 12:40:38 GMT
I think we've got one here going free to a good home.
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 12:45:03 GMT
Cold, tropical or marine? Not sure yet , marine are a bit tricky if I remember . Maybe tropical
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Post by onefatcopper on Oct 27, 2018 12:46:09 GMT
He will need one this big, 👉🏿
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 13:09:27 GMT
I think we've got one here going free to a good home. Would have jumped at it if it wasn't for xmas
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 15:55:06 GMT
Hey Felonious, how big is it ?
Fnar, fnar... 😉
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Post by salopstick on Oct 27, 2018 15:56:35 GMT
You will be the fucker cleaning it harry
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Post by felonious on Oct 27, 2018 16:09:37 GMT
Hey Felonious, how big is it ? Fnar, fnar... 😉 It's on a base, 4 foot high and about 30 inches across but in a vaguely triangular shape. Wouldn't know whether it works because I've just had a look and it's got a fair amount of dust on it.
I was getting it confused with a lizard box which is also free to a good home.
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Post by felonious on Oct 27, 2018 16:13:50 GMT
You will be the fucker cleaning it harry The voice of experience
Me, eight and a half years ago:
There's absolutely no way I want another dog.
Why?
Because I'm the only bugger prepared to walk the sod.
You won't have to, we'll all do it.
Eight and a half years of walking the dog later
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Post by bobby1eye on Oct 27, 2018 16:49:30 GMT
Hey Felonious, how big is it ? Fnar, fnar... 😉 It's on a base, 4 foot high and about 30 inches across but in a vaguely triangular shape. Wouldn't know whether it works because I've just had a look and it's got a fair amount of dust on it.
I was getting it confused with a lizard box which is also free to a good home.
What else you got going free? Don't tell me all the fish died because all the water leaked out of your lizard box and the poor lizard drowned in the fish tank. Easy mistake to make mate🤣🤣👍
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 16:53:14 GMT
You will be the fucker cleaning it harry The voice of experience
Me, eight and a half years ago:
There's absolutely no way I want another dog.
Why?
Because I'm the only bugger prepared to walk the sod.
You won't have to, we'll all do it.
Eight and a half years of walking the dog later
Flatly refused a dog and a cat , then the rabbit even the hamster . I've given in to a fish or two
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Post by bobby1eye on Oct 27, 2018 16:54:46 GMT
The voice of experience
Me, eight and a half years ago:
There's absolutely no way I want another dog.
Why?
Because I'm the only bugger prepared to walk the sod.
You won't have to, we'll all do it.
Eight and a half years of walking the dog later
Flatly refused a dog and a cat , then the rabbit even the hamster . I've given in to a fisting or two That explains the funny walk. 😆😆😆
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 17:22:08 GMT
Flatly refused a dog and a cat , then the rabbit even the hamster . I've given in to a fisting or two That explains the funny walk. 😆😆😆 Naughty man 🐒
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 18:11:18 GMT
Any advice ? Thinking of buying my boys one for xmas . Mary berry need not respond , we all know what happened to poor old bingo Buy as big of a tank as practical. They sell these tiny starter tanks for kids but in reality the smallest tanks are much trickier and should be for more experienced hobbyists. If you think about it, anything that could affect the water quality (leftover fish food, decaying organic matter that hasn't been removed, putting too many fish in the tank, putting too many fish in the tank before it's had time to cycle properly, neglecting the water changes) will have a much greater impact in a smaller body of water than a larger body of water. Those smaller tanks require deft, experienced and patient hands. The mistakes I've listed will be more common in young, inexperienced fishkeepers, so buying bigger will at least offer a measure of protection against those issues. If possible pay a bit more money and buy external filtration. They're much easier to clean, free up space in the tank and disrupt the fish less. Fish are extremely susceptible to stress related diseases so anything you can do to alleviate the stress will prevent the spread of disease in your tank. Once a tank has an outbreak of disease it's very hard to get on top of it. Prevention is better than cure. On the subject of disease, when you buy the fish, do all the research possible into your local stores. I won't name names but there's one fairly well known aquatics and reptile centre in the city that used to have the most appalling quality stock. Their tanks were overloaded and full of dead fish, and the ones you purchased often had diseases that infected your other fish. There was another store that started in Stoke and then moved to Joiners Square that was absolutely superb. The guy who ran it obviously had a great deal of experience and care. Unfortunately I think that store closed down a while back. I suspect that the mass-selling to ignorant hobbyists practised by the bad store was a more lucrative than the high standards practised by the owner of the good store. He was probably in the wrong city for such an ethos. It's been a few years now since I've kept a tank but, come to think of it, you can probably buy online nowadays and find out which online stores have great reviews. When your kids do come to buying the fish, once again a great deal of research should go into this as different fish come from different parts of the world so require different parameters and conditions. Also, fish of different sizes and aggression levels won't be compatible. Make sure your tank is well lit and heavily planted. The plants don't have to be real, you can buy some decent looking synthetic plants nowadays, and they serve a great function as the beneficial bacteria will grow on them and help to convert the ammonia in your tank into less harmful substances. Having a heavily planted tank will also make the fish feel more secure by replicating their natural environment and providing hiding spaces when they feel threatened. This all in turn will help to lower the chances of a disease outbreak. Do a bit of research into some good, hardy plant species that aren't fussy about parameters or Co2 injection and whatnot and try to have at least a few into the tank. The plants will act as natural filters and will help regulate the water quality. There's certain species that are basically aquatic weeds that will grow with the minimum of fuss. They'll require trimming from time to time but the advantages of having them are huge. There's nothing worse than a big tank full of fish with just a skull in the middle. It's a recipe for disaster because fish will henpeck the shit out of one another and the weaker fish need places to hide. You obviously don't need to be OTT and if the kids want some silly ornaments in the tank then let them go for it, but just make sure there's plenty of dark spaces and whatnot. There's different theories on water changes. I personally think it's best to do numerous small water changes so the fish are less disturbed. Some people will neglect this aspect of the hobby and then will compensate by doing a 60 or 70% water change once in a blue-moon. The parameters of your tap water will likely be different to the parameters of your tank water, so by doing this you will be subjecting your fish to shock and stress. Not to mention that, unless you allow time for the tap water to adjust to room temperature, there's going to be a huge temperature shock by doing this. It's best IMO to just try to do 5% several times a week whenever you get a free 10 minutes. I could think of more stuff but I'll leave you with that. Hope I haven't overloaded you with info and put you off harry, but it is actually quite a complex hobby.
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Post by felonious on Oct 27, 2018 18:13:17 GMT
It's on a base, 4 foot high and about 30 inches across but in a vaguely triangular shape. Wouldn't know whether it works because I've just had a look and it's got a fair amount of dust on it.
I was getting it confused with a lizard box which is also free to a good home.
What else you got going free? Don't tell me all the fish died because all the water leaked out of your lizard box and the poor lizard drowned in the fish tank. Easy mistake to make mate🤣🤣👍 The fish tank was given to us but never used.
The gecko was a gift to the kids a couple of years back by one of their friends. It died despite doing everything it said on the tin.
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 27, 2018 19:48:31 GMT
Any advice ? Thinking of buying my boys one for xmas . Mary berry need not respond , we all know what happened to poor old bingo Buy as big of a tank as practical. They sell these tiny starter tanks for kids but in reality the smallest tanks are much trickier and should be for more experienced hobbyists. If you think about it, anything that could affect the water quality (leftover fish food, decaying organic matter that hasn't been removed, putting too many fish in the tank, putting too many fish in the tank before it's had time to cycle properly, neglecting the water changes) will have a much greater impact in a smaller body of water than a larger body of water. Those smaller tanks require deft, experienced and patient hands. The mistakes I've listed will be more common in young, inexperienced fishkeepers, so buying bigger will at least offer a measure of protection against those issues. If possible pay a bit more money and buy external filtration. They're much easier to clean, free up space in the tank and disrupt the fish less. Fish are extremely susceptible to stress related diseases so anything you can do to alleviate the stress will prevent the spread of disease in your tank. Once a tank has an outbreak of disease it's very hard to get on top of it. Prevention is better than cure. On the subject of disease, when you buy the fish, do all the research possible into your local stores. I won't name names but there's one fairly well known aquatics and reptile centre in the city that used to have the most appalling quality stock. Their tanks were overloaded and full of dead fish, and the ones you purchased often had diseases that infected your other fish. There was another store that started in Stoke and then moved to Joiners Square that was absolutely superb. The guy who ran it obviously had a great deal of experience and care. Unfortunately I think that store closed down a while back. I suspect that the mass-selling to ignorant hobbyists practised by the bad store was a more lucrative than the high standards practised by the owner of the good store. He was probably in the wrong city for such an ethos. It's been a few years now since I've kept a tank but, come to think of it, you can probably buy online nowadays and find out which online stores have great reviews. When your kids do come to buying the fish, once again a great deal of research should go into this as different fish come from different parts of the world so require different parameters and conditions. Also, fish of different sizes and aggression levels won't be compatible. Make sure your tank is well lit and heavily planted. The plants don't have to be real, you can buy some decent looking synthetic plants nowadays, and they serve a great function as the beneficial bacteria will grow on them and help to convert the ammonia in your tank into less harmful substances. Having a heavily planted tank will also make the fish feel more secure by replicating their natural environment and providing hiding spaces when they feel threatened. This all in turn will help to lower the chances of a disease outbreak. Do a bit of research into some good, hardy plant species that aren't fussy about parameters or Co2 injection and whatnot and try to have at least a few into the tank. The plants will act as natural filters and will help regulate the water quality. There's certain species that are basically aquatic weeds that will grow with the minimum of fuss. They'll require trimming from time to time but the advantages of having them are huge. There's nothing worse than a big tank full of fish with just a skull in the middle. It's a recipe for disaster because fish will henpeck the shit out of one another and the weaker fish need places to hide. You obviously don't need to be OTT and if the kids want some silly ornaments in the tank then let them go for it, but just make sure there's plenty of dark spaces and whatnot. There's different theories on water changes. I personally think it's best to do numerous small water changes so the fish are less disturbed. Some people will neglect this aspect of the hobby and then will compensate by doing a 60 or 70% water change once in a blue-moon. The parameters of your tap water will likely be different to the parameters of your tank water, so by doing this you will be subjecting your fish to shock and stress. Not to mention that, unless you allow time for the tap water to adjust to room temperature, there's going to be a huge temperature shock by doing this. It's best IMO to just try to do 5% several times a week whenever you get a free 10 minutes. I could think of more stuff but I'll leave you with that. Hope I haven't overloaded you with info and put you off harry, but it is actually quite a complex hobby. Thanks stokie that's a great help mate . I appreciate the time you've taken
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 20:25:51 GMT
I'm saying nothing
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 20:30:54 GMT
I can't say nothing.....get a dog, fish take more maintenance than you think Cut corners and they'll be dead or a tank full of algae
Make sure it's sitting in an area where there's no direct light on it or again massive algae bloom Cold water fish always messy dirty bastards and boring
Seriously, if you're not into fishkeeping don't do it Get a cat or dog
Something you can set on the kids
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Post by thequietman on Oct 27, 2018 22:53:13 GMT
Some good advice on here. As big as is practical, plenty of plants, regular small water changes (I tend to do approx 20% once a week depending on water parameters).
A few more I'd add: Don't be tempted to put fish in until the nitrogen cycle is fully in operation. Read up about that, or even better ask whatever shop you intend to buy fish from. It's soul destroying to hear of people putting fish straight into a new tank then hearing all the fish die. You can get chemicals to start the cycle, but most shops will give you some cycled water from their tanks or used filter material to get it going. Put small amounts of food in the tank daily whilst the cycle is getting going. Sounds bizarre putting food in a tank with no fish but the bacteria will multiply much better with something to feed on. Ornaments are tempting as they look great but don't put too many in. More ornaments = less water in the tank and you want as much water as possible for oxygen, reducing variations in temperature etc. Whilst the tank is cycling (probably talking several weeks), add your plants + ornaments early to give the bacteria surfaces to grow on and spend the next few weeks planning which fish to get + how many. Don't be tempted by big, expensive fish. Go for smaller, hardy species to start with. Glowlight tetras, corydoras, phantom tetras etc. Your shop should advise you how many fish, what species etc. depending on tank size. Don't go for aggressive fish. Barbs, sharks, ciclids, Angel fish etc. Look ace but can cause big problems. Don't go for live-bearers like platys or mollies. They're easy to keep but they breed like wildfire. E.g. I have 2 tanks with platys in + we've easily had 200 babies this year!
Tanks - one with a lid is best. Not essential but it cuts down on filter noise, stops the odd energetic jumper escaping + cuts down massively on evaporation.
Lights- spend a few extra Bob if you can + get a colour-changing led unit. You can get superb ones for £80 or so but can also get decent ones for as little as £15. They will enhance the look of your tank + fish so much more than standard tubes. Worth every penny.
Most important of all - don't be put off by all the possible drawbacks, all the technical stuff, all the literature etc. It's such a rewarding hobby! I can get in from work stressed to the eyeballs. Half a hour sat by the tank watching the fish + I feel totally relaxed. My first tank was absolutely the best present Mrs Q's ever bought me.
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Post by murphthesurf on Oct 27, 2018 23:06:45 GMT
Any advice ? Thinking of buying my boys one for xmas . Mary berry need not respond , we all know what happened to poor old bingo Buy as big of a tank as practical. They sell these tiny starter tanks for kids but in reality the smallest tanks are much trickier and should be for more experienced hobbyists. If you think about it, anything that could affect the water quality (leftover fish food, decaying organic matter that hasn't been removed, putting too many fish in the tank, putting too many fish in the tank before it's had time to cycle properly, neglecting the water changes) will have a much greater impact in a smaller body of water than a larger body of water. Those smaller tanks require deft, experienced and patient hands. The mistakes I've listed will be more common in young, inexperienced fishkeepers, so buying bigger will at least offer a measure of protection against those issues. I could think of more stuff but I'll leave you with that. Hope I haven't overloaded you with info and put you off harry, but it is actually quite a complex hobby. WOW! Superb post, stokiepmre89!
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 28, 2018 6:04:44 GMT
Some good advice on here. As big as is practical, plenty of plants, regular small water changes (I tend to do approx 20% once a week depending on water parameters). A few more I'd add: Don't be tempted to put fish in until the nitrogen cycle is fully in operation. Read up about that, or even better ask whatever shop you intend to buy fish from. It's soul destroying to hear of people putting fish straight into a new tank then hearing all the fish die. You can get chemicals to start the cycle, but most shops will give you some cycled water from their tanks or used filter material to get it going. Put small amounts of food in the tank daily whilst the cycle is getting going. Sounds bizarre putting food in a tank with no fish but the bacteria will multiply much better with something to feed on. Ornaments are tempting as they look great but don't put too many in. More ornaments = less water in the tank and you want as much water as possible for oxygen, reducing variations in temperature etc. Whilst the tank is cycling (probably talking several weeks), add your plants + ornaments early to give the bacteria surfaces to grow on and spend the next few weeks planning which fish to get + how many. Don't be tempted by big, expensive fish. Go for smaller, hardy species to start with. Glowlight tetras, corydoras, phantom tetras etc. Your shop should advise you how many fish, what species etc. depending on tank size. Don't go for aggressive fish. Barbs, sharks, ciclids, Angel fish etc. Look ace but can cause big problems. Don't go for live-bearers like platys or mollies. They're easy to keep but they breed like wildfire. E.g. I have 2 tanks with platys in + we've easily had 200 babies this year! Tanks - one with a lid is best. Not essential but it cuts down on filter noise, stops the odd energetic jumper escaping + cuts down massively on evaporation. Lights- spend a few extra Bob if you can + get a colour-changing led unit. You can get superb ones for £80 or so but can also get decent ones for as little as £15. They will enhance the look of your tank + fish so much more than standard tubes. Worth every penny. Most important of all - don't be put off by all the possible drawbacks, all the technical stuff, all the literature etc. It's such a rewarding hobby! I can get in from work stressed to the eyeballs. Half a hour sat by the tank watching the fish + I feel totally relaxed. My first tank was absolutely the best present Mrs Q's ever bought me. Cheers mate thanks for your advice
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 28, 2018 6:09:38 GMT
I can't say nothing.....get a dog fish take more maintenance than you think Cut corners and they'll be dead or a tank full of algae Make sure it's sitting in an area where there's no direct light on it or again massive algae bloom Cold water fish always messy dirty bastards and boring Seriously, if you're not into fishkeeping don't do it Get a catfish or dogfish Something you can set on the kids Thanks buddy always helpful to get good advice
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 6:39:58 GMT
I can't say nothing.....get a dog fish take more maintenance than you think Cut corners and they'll be dead or a tank full of algae Make sure it's sitting in an area where there's no direct light on it or again massive algae bloom Cold water fish always messy dirty bastards and boring Seriously, if you're not into fishkeeping don't do it Get a catfish or dogfish Something you can set on the kids Thanks buddy always helpful to get good advice Your fucking about with my words had me scratching my bald bonce for a minute Current
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Post by felonious on Oct 28, 2018 7:08:55 GMT
Not possible
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Post by murphthesurf on Oct 28, 2018 9:26:40 GMT
I can't say nothing.....get a dog fish take more maintenance than you think Cut corners and they'll be dead or a tank full of algae Make sure it's sitting in an area where there's no direct light on it or again massive algae bloom Cold water fish always messy dirty bastards and boring Seriously, if you're not into fishkeeping don't do it Get a catfish or dogfish Something you can set on the kids Thanks buddy always helpful to get good advice Superb! (Sorry Mares xxx )
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Post by murphthesurf on Oct 28, 2018 9:42:08 GMT
Some good advice on here. As big as is practical, plenty of plants, regular small water changes (I tend to do approx 20% once a week depending on water parameters). A few more I'd add: Don't be tempted to put fish in until the nitrogen cycle is fully in operation. Read up about that, or even better ask whatever shop you intend to buy fish from. It's soul destroying to hear of people putting fish straight into a new tank then hearing all the fish die. Most important of all - don't be put off by all the possible drawbacks, all the technical stuff, all the literature etc. It's such a rewarding hobby! I can get in from work stressed to the eyeballs. Half a hour sat by the tank watching the fish + I feel totally relaxed. My first tank was absolutely the best present Mrs Q's ever bought me. Yaaaay. Go JD. Excellent advice. Yes, they ARE relaxing, aren't they? My dentist has an aquarium in his waiting room. I'd much prefer a licensed bar in place of it, but hey ho, can't have everything, I suppose. (I've been recommending this to him for years but the b*****d keeps taking no notice. Some people (**rolls eyes**) have just got NO imagination.)
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 28, 2018 10:50:47 GMT
Not possible It happens all the time mate 🤔
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Post by felonious on Oct 28, 2018 11:09:06 GMT
Not possible It happens all the time mate 🤔 Long silences? Are you trying to tell me she's finally fully transitioned?
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 28, 2018 15:10:56 GMT
It happens all the time mate 🤔 Long silences? Are you trying to tell me she's finally fully transitioned? No mate he , he often speaks and says nothing 😁
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