Worst Things Ever

[SeymourDuncan]

I was hoping other people would mention this so I didn't have to

TAPWATER CONDITIONER!!!!!! How many of us were bamboozled into using this crap!? My first tank was TAPWATER, conditioner, and salt. No wonder my snails lived for hours not years.

I would also like to add Tempered glass to the list. Ever try to drill out one of these? I can say from experience these aquariums really screw our dreams of reef readifying our existing tanks, and most of them are 55g that are everywhere!

Another one is acrylic. At first you cannot beat the look, but a year later you just want to smash it from all the scratches. What a waste of expensive material. Give me glass or give me death. Acrylic should only be used on equipment and sumps.

I still can't believe someone thought magnets filter water...no wonder my powerheads get so dirty. Which brings me to yet another reef tank fail:

Open overflows!!!! Light is not picky where it points and will illuminate a thing in its path. The right spectrum (the ones we reef with) WILL cause mass algae to grow. Over time our overflows get disgusting!!! Ahh and another one coming:

Siphon overflows. Boy do those things cause issues. Most require an aqualifter to be partially reliable. Snails can flood them, fish can get stuck in the pipes...and during power outages these can lose siphon and without a reliable pump will not kick back on. Thanks for the mess! Next:

 

[Poseidon]

Nitrate removers that were constructed from 10 Bio Balls and a gravel vac with a hose connection on both ends. $59.99 for $3 worth of plastic, and absolutely ZERO effectiveness.

 

[bjledbetter]

Open overflows!!!! Light is not picky where it points and will illuminate a thing in its path. The right spectrum (the ones we reef with) WILL cause mass algae to grow. Over time our overflows get disgusting!!! Ahh and another one coming:

Siphon overflows. Boy do those things cause issues. Most require an aqualifter to be partially reliable. Snails can flood them, fish can get stuck in the pipes...and during power outages these can lose siphon and without a reliable pump will not kick back on. Thanks for the mess! Next:

I have a open siphon overflow from when I first started my tank and didnt know any better but I still use it on my 90g everything thats been said about them is true. But it works well if kept clean. I clean my intake box out monthly of the alage build up. When I built my sump/fuge i built it big enought to be able to handle the water that would come out of my dt into the sump in the event of a power outage so I've never had a flood. When the power comes back on my pump takes about 30 seconds to have my tank full again and flowing back to normal.

 

[CoryC]

did someone really say mp pumps are the worst things ever? hahahahha. im gonna go with tapwater conditioners. my lfs sells and reccommneds it to everyone. along with their trickle filter reef sumps.

 

[KoleTang]

Brine shrimp.

Tempered aquariums.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Garlic sold as ich medication!

Rice sold as a filter.

LFS that don't inform

Brackish puffers and gobies sold as freshwater fish.

"Assorted shark egg"

 

[newreefer2]

reef gloves?

I have to disagree. Many of you will remember the photos I posted of my hand after the cone snail sent a barb into my hand. I was in the hospital for four days on IV antibotics. They were talking about cutting off my right hand to save my life. If the surgeon had not found and removed the barb they would have had to cut off my hand. I posted photos on most sites ... this occurred in Nov of 2011. It took 6 months to heal and the skin on my hand and arm nearly burst from the swelling. NO YOU SHOULD WEAR GLOVES. They may save your life.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Yeah! Wear gloves everyone. At the very least it keeps your oils off what you are touching. Some of us are much greasier.

 

[Eienna]

I. HATE. GLOVES.
Seems I may have to get over it, though :/

 

[SeymourDuncan]

I have plastic tongs for grabbing stuff, ya know so I don't need gloves...well if I squeeze just hard enough they twist up and drop whatever I am grabbing. Sometimes I'll drop frags on other corals and they no likey. I'll add these to the list.

 

[o2manyfish]

Years ago I when I had 1000+ g of sps frag tanks strewn across my yard I was handling SPS corals on a daily basis.

You know the pruning you get on your fingers after playing with your tank too long. Well I had that condition on my finger tips constantly. Eventually the tips of my fingers turned into open sores, raw meat.

I went to the dermatologist. And it was determined that the contant stinging of the corals had infected my finger tips.

I started wearing latex gloves for everything - Tank, washing the car, cleaning the house, doing the dishes. My fingers healed back and look normal, but the tips of my fingers are still numb.

This numbness has lasted over 8 years now.

So I am a preacher of going to Costco or Sams Club and buying the boxes of surgical gloves. It will be safer for your reef and much safer for you.

Dave B


PS - Have you ever been mounting frags and get a globule of Gel glue stuck to your finger, not realize it and then use the restroom..... Gloves will save you
PSS - Have you ever been working with Palythoas and then touched a piece of food or rubbed your eyes after not properly cleaning your hands -- Gloves will save you