Worst advice ever!

[tyler1503]

We've all seen the threads that go something like this "I'm new, what's some good advice".
That's all well and dandy, but what about the other end of the stick? What's some BAD advice you received that you either regret following, or were lucky enough to never follow in the first place?
I have 2. Both from the same LFS on the same day!
"Sure it'll be fine your little 20litre!" It was a longhorn cowfish that I luckily decided not to get. 20 litres is about 5 gallons or so.
The other bad advice I received was "they're zoas mate. $5 for the 10 polyps. They'll look awesome in your tank." I happily bought some ugly, faded, light starved, ammonia burnt zoas out of the live rock curing tank thinking I could colour them back up and trade them for store credit or something. I was new to the hobby at this time (I was looking for my 1st ever marine fish and 2nd coral) so I didn't actually know what I was buying, I just trusted the guy. He had sold me a bunch of monjanos and it took ages to get them all out. They moved all over my tank and started spreading. 3 years later and I think I still have one in here!
Share your bad advice horror stories. Who knows, someone who was just about to do what you post may read this and not do it after all!

 

[mike007]

That gives you more reason to to do your research on R2R.

 

[mcarroll]

Two part answer:

A) Believing the myth that stony corals couldn't be beginner corals. (They make some of the BEST beginner corals.)
B) Believing that zoanthids and mushrooms WERE good beginner corals. Zoanthids are some of the most finicky corals out there, and mushrooms should really be considered a pest....unless you want a mushroom tank, of course! (I did not.)

One of the most important things you need to have as a beginner is a good idea of what kinds of corals you really like. Don't start off as a blank slate looking for "good beginner corals". (There really are no "good beginner fish" either.....a myth.)

No coral will be happy for long (even if it does survive) if you don't know what you are doing - and once you do, any kind of coral will have an "easy version" you can start with.

I know that I would have loved my tank a lot more if someone had had the good sense to point me at a chip of Orange Montipora or birdsnest instead of the zoanthids and shrooms I ended up starting with.

-Matt

 

[55g]

Life lesson. Do your research...

 

[mcarroll]

Certainly doing your research is important (let me tell ya!), but I don't know any person or reference to this day - aside from myself, I guess - who says SPS can be good beginner corals and that Mushrooms and Zoanthids are not. Let alone someone who also doesn't recommend mixing soft/hard coral. So I'm not sure research was even capable of helping in this case.

In this case, in fact, I think research actually hurt me...tank was running well (but empty) at the beginning and I was being cheap and lacking confidence. Had I followed my gut at the time and not my brain (stupid brain!), I would have started with a pink Hystrix Birdsnest and all would have been well. Come to think of it, I never did get a Hystrix frag even after all this time...dang.

So correction:

Life Lesson: Do your research AND follow your gut! Research is NOT everything - not even close.

-Matt

 

[glb]

"Sure you can put that chalice in your nano! It's very hardy and tolerant of nitrates." Poor thing bleached out within six hours.

 

[capchad03]

Me buying a 1" frag of a green slimer for $60 at the LFS, they told me its a must have in an SPS tank (i do believe it is). Just not for that price but I didnt know at the time. I did my research on all of the info on the coral except the price they should go for. You can easily get a frag of this stuff for $10-$15 from a fellow reefer.

 

[sqcube4me]

you always have to research before you do anything in this hobby ..

 

[kacrocorals581]

"Sure you can put that chalice in your nano! It's very hardy and tolerant of nitrates." Poor thing bleached out within six hours.

Wow that's a bad one

 

[TJ's Reef]

I think the 'Worst Advice' for Marine Aquaria is cycling with so-called 'expendable fish' like Damsels or Clownfish. You used to here this frequently in the past, but unfortunately I still hear of or read where it is a chosen method. Way back when I first got into SW a LFS (not named) was notorious for selling new systems and almost immediately selling high $ livestock to go into... again and again until customer/hobbiest finally realized or learned that a Emperor Angel, Powder Blue or any Tang and Pink Square Anthias should not go into a 45-75g tank especially if it were not cycled yet and starter fish. The owner would always blame the customer for some mistake then try and resell new livestock and or chemicals to fix such mistake. This was not unique to the Marine Aquarium business in the 70's and 80's and fortunately this guy didn't last to long.

All being said, there is so much information available to us at a touch of the keys, mouse or just asking Cirie nowadays that it only takes a little 'Common Sense' to find truthful accurate information or answers to most any questions we may have. This is a great Forum for such information and even friendlier than most but like most other sites you still need to do a little weeding to get real experience answers that have not been regurgitated from someone else and may not or never have been a good or truthful answer to begin with. Mostly people here and elsewhere like to help someone/anyone out and hopefully honestly believe that their advice written is 'Good Advice' and would follow if on the receiving end. As a Mod here now this is one of those 'Threads' that can get out-of-hand quickly and needs to be watched so happy to observe the class of membership here in keeping it positive on a negative subject in not bashing any one person or business.

Cheers, Todd

 

[saltyhog]

Yeah, that Mata tang would do great in your 150. They only get to about 6-7"!

Thankfully I didn't impulse buy (I only do that with corals!:angel. I told him the next time I was in the store that his information was incorrect and that they could get to 50 cm!

 

[AquamanE]

I think the 'Worst Advice' for Marine Aquaria is cycling with so-called 'expendable fish' like Damsels or Clownfish. You used to here this frequently in the past, but unfortunately I still hear of or read where it is a chosen method. Way back when I first got into SW a LFS (not named) was notorious for selling new systems and almost immediately selling high $ livestock to go into... again and again until customer/hobbiest finally realized or learned that a Emperor Angel, Powder Blue or any Tang and Pink Square Anthias should not go into a 45-75g tank especially if it were not cycled yet and starter fish. The owner would always blame the customer for some mistake then try and resell new livestock and or chemicals to fix such mistake. This was not unique to the Marine Aquarium business in the 70's and 80's and fortunately this guy didn't last to long.

All being said, there is so much information available to us at a touch of the keys, mouse or just asking Cirie nowadays that it only takes a little 'Common Sense' to find truthful accurate information or answers to most any questions we may have. This is a great Forum for such information and even friendlier than most but like most other sites you still need to do a little weeding to get real experience answers that have not been regurgitated from someone else and may not or never have been a good or truthful answer to begin with. Mostly people here and elsewhere like to help someone/anyone out and hopefully honestly believe that their advice written is 'Good Advice' and would follow if on the receiving end. As a Mod here now this is one of those 'Threads' that can get out-of-hand quickly and needs to be watched so happy to observe the class of membership here in keeping it positive on a negative subject in not bashing any one person or business.

Cheers, Todd

That bring said, Local Aquarium Clubs are a huge way to dissuade folks from making such mistakes. Cubs build a local network from which hobbyist can draw knowledge from.

 

[Aquarium Sherif]

Using fichlore.com, the total worst site for advice that got my whole tank killed because the high ranked members and mods don't know what they are talking about and they bully lower ranked members that give good advice.
Using that site is just going to get your fish and everything else in your tank killed, they are so childish.