What not to do from experience
- Thread starter Dalmatia
- Start date
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DSP
Valuable Member
I'll start it off and I'm sure many have done this starting out, But starting a tank with tap water when I first started this hobby was a huge mistake and that's something I would never ever do again, And the must have in this hobby is a Rodi unit for sure.
TriggerThis
Well-Known Member
Was in a pinch one day and didn't want to mess with mixing water.
Bought 30 gallons of salt water from the local fish store.
Didn't dream of testing it before putting it in my tank. Turns out it was mixed at 1.033. Next morning I wake up and half my corals are melting.
Not doing that again.
Bought 30 gallons of salt water from the local fish store.
Didn't dream of testing it before putting it in my tank. Turns out it was mixed at 1.033. Next morning I wake up and half my corals are melting.
Not doing that again.
TriggerThis
Well-Known Member
Well thankfully it didn't hurt the main display that much but it wiped the nano clean out.
OP
OP
Dalmatia
Valuable Member
I've tried to make some fish food, I used clam juice, tuna and pacific shrimp, blended it than tried it out! Omg,,,, was that a disaster! My water went cloudy ASAP, all corals started spitting out slime, my ammonia spiked up to what ever the test kit read, 8.0!!!! Luckily I saved the 55g reef with one casualty, poor skunk shrimp 
WhoKnew
Well-Known Member
My disaster was just not reading up on SWT's. I tried to find a LFS, but found one that would sell me anything and everything, including a big bio filter. First 6mths was a tank of death. Now that I have found this site. I listen to expertise.
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Oh, man...I'm a study in what not to do...this is all my own mistakes.
1. Do not dose lanthanum chloride in the DT. Use the filter sock.
2. Do not add two denitrifying bacteria products at once, or dose over the recommended amount. If you do by accident, do an immediate partial water change and add an airstone or two until the water unclouds after the bloom the product(s) will create.
3. Do not add water without testing it first, especially if it's store-bought or if it's been sitting for a while.
4. Don't take a nap while making RO unless you have a good float switch.
5. Make sure you have a siphon break in place on your return line (I seriously flooded three rooms before I figured out why my sump was overflowing!!)
6. Do not put three electric blue damsels in a 29g tank.
7. Have a good lid on your QT, and in some cases even on your acclimation bucket!
8. Tuck some cash away for new RODI filters BEFORE you need them.
9. Don't leave someone inexperienced to watch your tank.
10. Don't start with anything less than a 29g tank. 40 is even better.
11. Don't touch a power strip you just got water in, or get too close with wet hands.
12. Don't leave a power strip where it can get water in it.
13. Use a GFCI, even if you have to have someone install one.
14. Try not to drop your light fixture in the tank...and if you do, pull the plug before attempting to fish it out.
15. Don't dump extra water from a fish bag over the kitchen sink when the fish is still in it.
16. Don't buy ANY animal without intensive research. And while you're at it, research the equipment too.
17. Always assume you are eventually going to upgrade. Size your equipment accordingly.
18. Don't buy dry goods from physical stores (unless there's a particular store you want to support.) Just about everything that's not live or frozen is cheaper on the 'net. Amazon.com, Bulkreefsupply.com, and drsfostersmith.com are great places to look for steep discounts.
That's all I'm recalling right off. I'll come back if there's more.
1. Do not dose lanthanum chloride in the DT. Use the filter sock.
2. Do not add two denitrifying bacteria products at once, or dose over the recommended amount. If you do by accident, do an immediate partial water change and add an airstone or two until the water unclouds after the bloom the product(s) will create.
3. Do not add water without testing it first, especially if it's store-bought or if it's been sitting for a while.
4. Don't take a nap while making RO unless you have a good float switch.
5. Make sure you have a siphon break in place on your return line (I seriously flooded three rooms before I figured out why my sump was overflowing!!)
6. Do not put three electric blue damsels in a 29g tank.
7. Have a good lid on your QT, and in some cases even on your acclimation bucket!
8. Tuck some cash away for new RODI filters BEFORE you need them.
9. Don't leave someone inexperienced to watch your tank.
10. Don't start with anything less than a 29g tank. 40 is even better.
11. Don't touch a power strip you just got water in, or get too close with wet hands.
12. Don't leave a power strip where it can get water in it.
13. Use a GFCI, even if you have to have someone install one.
14. Try not to drop your light fixture in the tank...and if you do, pull the plug before attempting to fish it out.
15. Don't dump extra water from a fish bag over the kitchen sink when the fish is still in it.
16. Don't buy ANY animal without intensive research. And while you're at it, research the equipment too.
17. Always assume you are eventually going to upgrade. Size your equipment accordingly.
18. Don't buy dry goods from physical stores (unless there's a particular store you want to support.) Just about everything that's not live or frozen is cheaper on the 'net. Amazon.com, Bulkreefsupply.com, and drsfostersmith.com are great places to look for steep discounts.
That's all I'm recalling right off. I'll come back if there's more.
StikHedRon
Well-Known Member
I will never build a tank without a proper strategy on when and which kind of fish to add to my tank. Adding the wrong fish at the wrong time can mess your whole strategy up.
diamondreef
Valuable Member
Lol these are great... We've done a few including almost flooding our apt bc we were waiting for ro water.
-Don't assume anyone's coral does not need to be dipped first before adding to your tank and even better to have a qt tank.
-When ordering only buy wysiwyg and make sure they explain their doa policy to you. They assume you know sometimes apparently.
I'll keep thinking lol
-Don't assume anyone's coral does not need to be dipped first before adding to your tank and even better to have a qt tank.
-When ordering only buy wysiwyg and make sure they explain their doa policy to you. They assume you know sometimes apparently.
I'll keep thinking lol
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Do not hurry to put too many fish and inverts in a brand new tank!
