The "I can't believe I did that" thread...

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This thread is to gather all the ridiculous, funny things we've done over the years of reef keeping.

Let's focus at least tangentially on things relating to reef chemistry.

I have many to add and will scatter them through the thread, but I'll start off with one from yesterday...


I was about to change the GAC in my BRS reactor. The ROX carbon had been in about a month, and it was time to swap out.

On looking at it, I thought, "that's odd, why is the valve on the flow shut off? Did I shut it off for some reason I've forgotten and forget to turn it back on?"

Without thinking it through, I went ahead and began to unscrew the chamber, which required both hands in my setup.

Whoa, water starts spraying out as it unscrews! I quickly tried to screw it back on, hoping that the Iwaki pump and its electrical plugs down below were not getting showered in salt water. Luckily, it just missed the pump and plug.

Turns out, the valve was open as it should have been, and I just got confused about which position was open and which closed. Duh!

Lesson 1: When something looks unexpected, try to figure out why it is the way it is before acting on it (or not acting on it) as the case may be.

Got any good stories of goofs?

 

[Rob Top1]

Oh there are so many to chose from, leaving coral on the cutting board, trying to catch a falling tank full of water, cutting a live electric cord but to stay with chemistry...
How about assuming my vat of saltwater had salt in the water. I store 65 gal of ro and 65 salt. Well it was late and I decided to do a quick water change and didn't check to confirm the salinity. Next morning everything was wicked poed as soon as I saw the tank I knew. Fortunitly I didn't loose anything but time with this "I can't believe I just did that"

 

[Rob.D]

When I first added a WP-25 to my 30 cube, I totally underestimated how hard it pushed water. I placed the pump on the back glass of the 12" tall tank, with the pump pointed towards the surface, as soon as I plugged the pump in it sprayed water clear out of the tank, buy the time I got it unplugged I was soaked from chest down and had about a half gallon of water on the floor....

 

[Spinner]

I used to put on a full wet suit, boots, and head gear to get in and clean my 750 gallon reef. I always had a friend or family help me and to act as backup if needed. One day I had no one to help so I thought piece of cake.....got in started cleaning and suck water into my snorkel raised up to spit the water out and slammed my head into the bottom of the top to my DT.....HARD......suck in more water now while seeing stars and panicking I **** near drown I cleaned my aquarium every Saturday for close to 4 years and that was the only time that happened........never by myself againlol

 

[Cory]

:lol: I'm still laughing!

I once put a piece of very small cement rock I made thinking it was so small it wouldn't do anything, just to test it. Next morning everything was dead. I should have known better!

Trying to carry a tank with my dad that was full of water, it's amazing how much water weighs. While carrying it I started laughing, and lost my grip, my poor dad was getting upset telling me to hold it. A few farts and I think I even peed myself lol. I was only 13 at the time, now I'm 33, and have got the bladder under control now so all is good. I can't beleive I farted while carrying a tank full of water.

 

[NanaReefer]

^^^^OMG ROFLLMBO!!! Nothing funnier to a 13yr old boy than a fart...wait even 23yr olds think it funny....just ask my son

 

[UK_Pete]

I try to forget them! But one which immediately came to mind was the time I was siphoning water from a DT into a largeish container through a filter sock. I had a pump in the container pumping the water back to the DT so I could siphon for ages without having to pour the water back. I pulled the siphon out so I could go clean the sock in the garden, turned off the pump, and went to the garden with the sock. 5 minutes later I went back in to see the container overflowing all over the floor. I know it sounds obvious now and everyone can tell what the problem was, but at he time it took me several seconds to work out that the water was siphoning back from the tank through the pump tube - panic scrambles the mind I think!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

HA! Randy I have done almost the same exact thing!

 

[rppvt]

topping off

I had a small salt tank in my son's bedroom which lost about a quart of water per night to evaporation. We use RO/DI as drinking water in the house so I assumed the left over water by his nightstand was just that and tossed it in the tank. 5 minutes later the skimmer was going nuts. Turns out it was Sprite.
Water changes went on for the next few days...

 

[DrBoxedWine]

When i first set up my tank i was messing around with the sump and without noticing, I opened the return valve too far and started pumping more water up to the tank than my overflow can handle. All of a sudden i noticed that my sump water level was low and I looked up at the display tank, my 75g tank was about 1mm away from overflowing. I immediately reached down and turned the valve all the way closed and things leveled back out. I looked back at my wife who was watching TV, she sweetly blew a kiss at me and continued watching TV, clearly unaware of what i had almost just done, lol. I got everything leveled back out and then went to the bedroom to change my pants. I figure at the 2 or 3 year mark i'll let her in on this (once she's confident in my abilities not to do it again) lol.

 

[arnel0387]

I asked my then-girlfriend to help me during a large water change (50%!) We haven't done a water change in probably 4-5 months! Glass was scraped, rocks were blasted, and sand bed was stirred up.. So all poop, detritus, and algae now settled on the sand ready to be sucked up. I told her to start the siphon but she was worried that she would accidentally swallow some poop water. I said, "you're fine! I do it all the time!"

She sucked hard and next thing you know she started gagging! I couldn't help it but I littlerally started laughing my butt off on the floor! Hahahhha

After that, she broke up with me

 

[arnel0387]

Lol just kidding! We got married last summer

Still funny everytime I picture it! Lol

 

[Rasengan]

who hasn't left their RODI units on and forgotten about it? i left it running all night long which was approximately 7-8 hours...let's just say my floorboards were all ruined and carpet smelled like and some parts STILL smells like wet rags...and yet on occasion i still forget

 

[kidtango]

haha. funny stuff. Keep them coming! I can't think of any atm... I find that amazing actually lol. I know I did a punch of dumb **** with my reef. Can't think of one right now. I did enjoy the read.

 

[Reef12]

when i first set up my 30 gallon aio my auto topoff container was under my stand i got it all setup. siting there look at the water level and i kept hearing the pump turn on and off. i could not figure out why went to unplug only to see my to off container just about to overflow all over the floor. turns out i forgot to keep the end of the supply line above the full mark and was siphon back to the container. oops

 

[pirate2876]

I went to feed my fish and I put a glass of red wine on the canopy. I had the fish food in a small container and without thinking opened the canopy, spilling red wine over the back of the tank and wall. I cleaned up as best as I could but, the wall still has red streaks where I couldn't reach it.

Side note, red wine in small doses doesnt harm reefs.

 

[phillrodrigo]

Last year I started buying my dosing pumps. One day I tested my alk it was low. I was off that day just watching tv and messing with the tank no plans to go any were. I figured I would switch the dosing pump on and let it bring it up slow while I was hanging out. I went about my day went to dinner with my brother and was them going to a reefers house to pick up this huge torch. I was just coming off the exit and it hit me I left the dosing pump running. It was on for about 7 hours.

 

[eagle]

Before I had a float switch installed on my last tank I had opened the valve to top off the tank from my RODI unit. My brother and I were testing a motor driver with a arduino to control my dc pumps when I opened the valve to let the water run. He plugged in the power supply to the controller and it fired off like a cannon in his hand. Blew a couple capacitors. Boom! It was late and we were scratching our heads to why the capacitors just blew up and I completely forgot the water running. He went home and I went to bed. The next morning I had to get up early as my wife was having a Hysterectomy surgery that day. We were due to be at the Hospital bright and early. I get out of bed and step in wet carpet. HOLY CRAP. I run to the tank and the sump is overflowing, fish gasping. I yell for the wife and she comes to help. She turns off the main pump which makes the sump really start overflowing. To make a long story short I was very busy while her mom took her into the hospital. I got it all straight, salinity right, water vacummed up from the tank to my bedroom, kids off to school, and was at the hospital in time to see her before she went in for surgery. It was a crazy morning and she wasn't very impressed lol. We still laugh about it. It was her first experience with a tank disaster and of course terrible timing as always.

 

[Mike J.]

Lol just kidding! We got married last summer

Still funny everytime I picture it! Lol

You had me for minute. I was feeling sorry for you. LOL

 

[saltyphish]

Ahh, you got me on that one! Done it so many times. Luckily never for 8 hrs. where it could do damage. Most was an hr. wood floors survived. Now I make mine with the bucket in the bath tub and RO/DI unit hooked up to the faucet. Now in the tub I left it for 8hrs once.

who hasn't left their RODI units on and forgotten about it? i left it running all night long which was approximately 7-8 hours...let's just say my floorboards were all ruined and carpet smelled like and some parts STILL smells like wet rags...and yet on occasion i still forget