Stupid Mistakes You've Made

Beth Villmow · Jan 11, 2020

Changed my water(about50%) and cleaned my canister filter really well. Turned out I cleaned everything too well. Lost all my fish! Couldn't figure out what was happening so recorded my blue tangs deaths. I took it to my lfs, about 3 hrs away, he listened to everything I said and watched my video. He said I had an ammonia spike and now I only change up to 20g at a time and leave my canister alone. That one really hurt!

Nanaue · Jan 11, 2020

The cats wrasse said:
i cycle with clowns and never have the heart to get rid of them...

Me too! Total noob mistake on my end. Worse, I let my mom talk me into getting two tomatoes. I tried introducing an anthias and the female chased it straight into an anemone. I learned my lesson there!

The cats wrasse · Jan 11, 2020

Nanaue said:
Me too! Total noob mistake on my end. Worse, I let my mom talk me into getting two tomatoes. I tried introducing an anthias and the female chased it straight into an anemone. I learned my lesson there!

The media doesn't show the true image of the clownfish people think they are cute little fish. Ut they are really nasty dominant hungry maniacs

kput · Jan 11, 2020

Pulled airline hose off pump for air stone in QT tank for feeding. Forgot to plug airline hose back in. Came back the next morning to a mostly empty QT tank ;(

Should have used a check valve

ScottB · Jan 11, 2020

I failed to update feeding instructions on a newly expanded frag system and left for 10 days. Fish were OK but came back to raging dinoflagellates. Months to clean up.

ZoWhat · Jan 11, 2020

....starting this hobby thinking I'd have a perfect underwater garden

Nanaue · Jan 12, 2020

The cats wrasse said:
The media doesn't show the true image of the clownfish people think they are cute little fish. Ut they are really nasty dominant hungry maniacs

I totally agree! They're feisty little creatures. The female snips at the Banggai Cardinals and Dottyback all the time. I'm thinking of selling my clowns soon to the LFS so I can get some of the other fish I want without them being instantly shoved into anemones!

Pennywise the Clown · Jan 12, 2020

Doing my first water change I managed to suck both of my nosey little clownfish down the tubing and into my bucket.
Luckily they were both fine after their little adventure.
But every time I do a water change I always manage to make some sort of major/minor mistake.

The cats wrasse · Jan 12, 2020

Nanaue said:
I totally agree! They're feisty little creatures. The female snips at the Banggai Cardinals and Dottyback all the time. I'm thinking of selling my clowns soon to the LFS so I can get some of the other fish I want without them being instantly shoved into anemones!

noone tells you this when you 1st start ppl are like omg look at your nemos they are so cute awe .......then omg why is your nemo latched on to another fish viscous shaking it

Daniel@R2R · Jan 13, 2020

Just_Pete said:
Forgot to turn off the pump feeding fresh RODI into my ATO. Not fun cleaning up water everywhere.

Done that a few times

Peach02 · Jan 25, 2020

Context I work as a casual at my LFS and somehow kept my job after this

I was on a ladder cleaning the top tank on a rack and reached slightly too far on a wet ladder, slipped and my hip smashed into the middle tank I landed a few rings down on the ladder looked at the tank and 350+L of saltwater gushing onto my legs and then looked over at my boss and made direct eye contact.

the cleanup took 4 of us about a hour or two

my boss is very forgiving of accidents

lilgrounchuck · Jan 25, 2020

AZMSGT said:
Flooded my kitchen with RODI water because I forgot I was filling a barrel. Fixed that opportunity to be stupid by installing a mechanical shut off float.

I hooked mine up in the bathroom in the basement. I was making RODI one night and started dosing off on the couch so I went to bed. Went to work the next day, came home, and I went down to work out and heard water splashing and I realized what I had done. Luckily I had the foresight to know I’d do something like that and put the can in the bath tub, so I avoided a flood. Running a faucet full bore for about 30 hours did leave me with a larger than usual water bill that month.

Aussiemarine · Jan 25, 2020

First tank I put saltwater in my top off water instead of fresh. Lucky I caught it before the salinity went way too high....

lilgrounchuck · Jan 25, 2020

The cats wrasse said:
The media doesn't show the true image of the clownfish people think they are cute little fish. Ut they are really nasty dominant hungry maniacs

They’re less like finding Nemo characters and more like that unikitty from the lego movie: super cute and not a problem when they’ve got everything going their way, but turn in to total psychos when anything (including my hand) does something they don’t like.

Beachmom · Jan 25, 2020

Ummmmm. There was the most beautiful clown tang. I did this thing. I had to have him. Had to pull him because he beat up everyone. He was so stressed when we put him back in the qt tank that he died . It was my fault. Felt so bad.

pscheel2 · Jan 25, 2020

Putting Anthelia in my first tank in the late 70's

Knpowell1982 · Jan 25, 2020

Just_Pete said:
Forgot to turn off the pump feeding fresh RODI into my ATO. Not fun cleaning up water everywhere.

That happens regularly here in my house lol

I know the displeased feeling of cleaning up all the water lol

ZoWhat · Jan 25, 2020

Mistakes? I gotta Life Mistake.

Not becoming a Ballerina Dancer so I could have dated a TON of Ballerinas....and married the best of the best in looks, personality and heart.

(You think college male cheerleaders are stupid? Ha! I think not. Male cheerleaders are dating the female cheerleaders while the football players are snapping towels at each other in the locker room. Lmbo)

Just like in Marketing...location, location, location.

You young 20smthg guy reefers, wake up! You want a beautiful spouse inside and out? Better get yourself right in middle of where the great-ones are hanging out....

If only life had a Reboot button. (Sigh)

The cats wrasse · Jan 25, 2020

skimjim said:
Mistakes?

Not becoming a Ballerina Dancer so I could have dated a TON of Ballerinas....and married the best of the best

(You think College male cheerleaders are stupid? Ha! I think not)

Only if life had a Reboot button. (Sigh)

Yeah I hard second that one ...I wanted to go to beauty school myself ...woulda been a blast

Wee Mad Arthur · Jan 25, 2020

Using thin polystyrene tiles under a 150G freshwater tank. I guess because they were thin and not a solid sheet that the weight distribution was uneven because I came down the next morning and the tank was empty. Wasn’t sure what had happened until I took the substrate out and found a huge crack.