reefornot2reef
Member
Getting married lol just kidding
Mistakes You've Made
- Thread starter Stacef
- Start date
fivel
Member
hahaha... nice...
WatchinFish
Member
leavng the room after i was syphening freshwater to top off my tank. i guess when the jug got lighter, it tipped over and the syphen reversed on me. i came running to the sound of my pumps running dry, 60 gallons of water all over my floor and electrical wires, (that where on the ground at that time (but thats a nother mistake for a nother time)) which impart made all the rest of my tank cunduct electricity for a day. i remember putting my hand in to pick up a snail and getting badly electicuted.
by the way. this happend twice. shame on me. lol. but i garentee thats one mistake i wont do again. 2 times was enough
by the way. this happend twice. shame on me. lol. but i garentee thats one mistake i wont do again. 2 times was enough
lcstorc
Well-Known Member
I recently repeated a mistake I have made before and I know better.
Fell in love with a fish at an LFS I don't usually go to. I had researched the type of fish before and knew my tank and inhabitants were appropriate, but I did not watch the fish eat before bringing him home. Poor guy didn't make it.
Fell in love with a fish at an LFS I don't usually go to. I had researched the type of fish before and knew my tank and inhabitants were appropriate, but I did not watch the fish eat before bringing him home. Poor guy didn't make it.
l3fty999
Member
My worst mistake, was forgetting to unplug the cannister filter I was trying to get the end turned around on, because it was stuck from coraline growth, and having it come apart at the top, with water shooting everywhere, including down over the electrical wires from the skimmer and lights! NOT a fun thing to do!My plugs were crackling, so I had to unplug everything, and clean and dry them all out, before plugging them back in!
Never did that one, since I've had previous experiences with electricity... definitely a hair raising experience! Since my other hobby is ham radio, I've ended up working on equipment that I thought was fully discharged. Of course, there was no bleeding, if you get my drift...
Take care
Aaron
l3fty999
Member
"It's either me or your fish!" Well, I guess I'll miss her...really...:makefun: but the kids love it!
Take care
Aaron
Thinking about this, I guess it's not really a mistake. Anyone that discourages learning is just wrong.
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TylerHaworth
Active Member
Not Quarantining.
Listening to LFS without cross-referencing.
Listening to LFS without cross-referencing.
mikejrice
Well-Known Member
My mistakes are always water on the floor events. Better than dead livestock I guess.
First one: I was drilling what used to be the return chamber of my tank, with return running thus the water level was low. For some dumb reason I needed to unplug the return to continue whatever I was working on at the time. I walked out of the room for a few minutes and came back to find water draining onto my electrical which was crackling and smoking.
Next: I was running a 24 hour cyclopeeze drip by running airline tubing from a 2 liter soda bottle. It fell over during the night once and caught siphon in the tank. Drained about 10 gallons onto the floor and ran my return pump dry. It still works though
First one: I was drilling what used to be the return chamber of my tank, with return running thus the water level was low. For some dumb reason I needed to unplug the return to continue whatever I was working on at the time. I walked out of the room for a few minutes and came back to find water draining onto my electrical which was crackling and smoking.
Next: I was running a 24 hour cyclopeeze drip by running airline tubing from a 2 liter soda bottle. It fell over during the night once and caught siphon in the tank. Drained about 10 gallons onto the floor and ran my return pump dry. It still works though
My most recent mistake was drilling the wrong panel on my 65 hex, I was so focused on the placement of the hole on the panel I didn't even notice I was on the wrong one. It worked out but freaked me out at first
I have had several floods only one that was over a gallon or two and it was about 15 gallons or more. This was due to a 1.5" union valve that was used In the feed line for my closed loop. I didn't realize when I bought the valve that it wasn't one that actually closed, it only slowed the flow of the water and not very much. I closed the valve and unhooked the union to clean the pump thinking I was safe when I broke the seal water flowed like a river and before I got it hooked back up there was at least 15 gallons on the floor lol it drained a 70 tall 1/4 to 1/3 the way in seconds lol
I have others storks but we'll save them for another day
I have had several floods only one that was over a gallon or two and it was about 15 gallons or more. This was due to a 1.5" union valve that was used In the feed line for my closed loop. I didn't realize when I bought the valve that it wasn't one that actually closed, it only slowed the flow of the water and not very much. I closed the valve and unhooked the union to clean the pump thinking I was safe when I broke the seal water flowed like a river and before I got it hooked back up there was at least 15 gallons on the floor lol it drained a 70 tall 1/4 to 1/3 the way in seconds lol
I have others storks but we'll save them for another day
My big mistake was when i set my 150 up i had 2 overflows and i heard it was best tp put some cork board under my tank incase the tank wants to shift it can but the mistake was i never tightened my bulkheads because i thought i would have to take it all apart again before i filled it but forgot to check them and filled the tank lol.Well there was water everywhere when my overflows filled and them bulkheads where a pain to tighten with water dumping on me lol.So always double check everything lol.
snarf
Member
Letting soundreefer start off with a 120 gal sw tank and telling me it would be fun...
We now have added a 125, 300 and 33 frag tank not to mention the two 75's waiting to be hooked up.
Plus when he was on the road working for weeks at a time I would have to take care of everything.. He got a frantic call in New Zealand (Don't know what time it was there) cuz I had water all over the floor and didn't know which valve did what in his plumbing. I am glad we are not using that monster skimmer any more. He started labeling plugs in the outlets for me.
Then there was the time the power went out and I didn't know how to start up the generator...or restart it after it ran out of gas. Only lost one fish that time. And of course it had to be his favorite. Kept all the tanks in house going at bare minimum. Who needs a fridge plugged in when you have fish tanks? I guess when you in vest that much time and money your priorities change.
Then there was the time he drilled the 40 gallon too close to the side and when he tightened the bulkhead...CRACK!
All in all...love the hobby. It is very addictive and I love zoas now. Hate the maintenance that goes with it. I think I need a snorkel and goggles to clean my tank walls to the bottom. My arms just don't reach. LOL
We now have added a 125, 300 and 33 frag tank not to mention the two 75's waiting to be hooked up.
Plus when he was on the road working for weeks at a time I would have to take care of everything.. He got a frantic call in New Zealand (Don't know what time it was there) cuz I had water all over the floor and didn't know which valve did what in his plumbing. I am glad we are not using that monster skimmer any more. He started labeling plugs in the outlets for me.
Then there was the time the power went out and I didn't know how to start up the generator...or restart it after it ran out of gas. Only lost one fish that time. And of course it had to be his favorite. Kept all the tanks in house going at bare minimum. Who needs a fridge plugged in when you have fish tanks? I guess when you in vest that much time and money your priorities change.
Then there was the time he drilled the 40 gallon too close to the side and when he tightened the bulkhead...CRACK!
All in all...love the hobby. It is very addictive and I love zoas now. Hate the maintenance that goes with it. I think I need a snorkel and goggles to clean my tank walls to the bottom. My arms just don't reach. LOL
Poriferan
Member
My latest "mistate" was using the heater that came with my RSM for water changes. I knew it didnt work as it "cooked" my empty tank. I figured I could still use it to get the water change container closer to temp...
Skip ahead to my 4yr old son running into the kitchen yelling Dad somethings leaking. I figured he must have decided to play with the container and spilt it.
Instead I open the room to a cloud of smoke and maybe 12 gallons of salt water in the carpet. The heater blew up. It shot the top off and through the can. Carpet is still wet 3 days later. :bmcflme:
Skip ahead to my 4yr old son running into the kitchen yelling Dad somethings leaking. I figured he must have decided to play with the container and spilt it.
Instead I open the room to a cloud of smoke and maybe 12 gallons of salt water in the carpet. The heater blew up. It shot the top off and through the can. Carpet is still wet 3 days later. :bmcflme:
waucedah_joe
Active Member
That's a new one!. Wow!
staresatrocks
Member
1. Came home, noticed an hob filter was not running, jiggled the uptake tube to get it going again without sniffing the water in it first. Next thing I know, the tank had that rotten egg smell. Fastest water change I ever did!
2. Back in my freshwater days: walking away from my tank while refilling with the Python tube. Tube flew up, water everywhere.
3. Turned around to anwer a question while holding the Python tube and refilling the tank. Should have taped my hand to the tank first.
4. Promising the hubby not to buy another coral for (you name the time period); looking at the new corals at the lfs when all I went in for was fish food.
2. Back in my freshwater days: walking away from my tank while refilling with the Python tube. Tube flew up, water everywhere.
3. Turned around to anwer a question while holding the Python tube and refilling the tank. Should have taped my hand to the tank first.
4. Promising the hubby not to buy another coral for (you name the time period); looking at the new corals at the lfs when all I went in for was fish food.
1ofManyNguyens
Member
-kept track of all the money ive spent...
mbdave
Active Member
Wow so, so, so, many-Way back when, incorrectly installed a discharge hose on a canister it blew off and emptied a tank while I was at work. :look:
-Over crowded a tank in the infancy of the hobby, could not figure out why everything kept dying.
-Not putting loops in my PH cords water spilled down the cord and smoked the power strip.:nopity:
-Sister in law sprayed furniture polish ALL OVER on a stand supporting a tank with an open top, "enough said on that one" :flaming:
-Did not shield a HQI lamp out of pure stupidity "stupid because I knew better" and wow those sps turn white fast.......
-While living in Guam I used to collect NSW for my holding tanks to avoid disease I would do the "Bleach trick" that is bleach the water and then de-chlorinate it and run it through a micron filter, I went to Hawaii and bought some fish from a wholesaler I shipped to, 1 nice flame angel was getting a large water change with water that I forgot to de-chlorinate. Poor fish, poor stupid me, stupid hobby. :cursin:
-Bought an Amiracle skimmer "you old timers rememeber those" it was a miracle it even worked at all.
-Put a Golden angel in a reef, thousands of polyps later my son finally caught it in a fish trap baited with coral.:verymad:
-Had a Shepardi angel that would eat aptasia, lost it in a tank move, went out and caught another, it hated aptasia, loved polyps, "Boy get the trap"!!.:verymad:
-AND I was out collecting anemones when my boat got underway without me, when I surfaced I was quite surprised to find waaaaayyyyy over there, I went down and put the anemones back,"they were quads and you collect them on the rock so I just put the rocks back" so I could swim and get my boat, when I surfaced wow there was my boat where it was suppose to be???? One of the tourist operations had went and got it for me, they said they were trying to signal me but of course I did not see them. I was out of air by then, "I was out on that last ascend so a wasted trip, a wasted day. If I was not a reef pshyco this would have not happened.....
Trust me there are many more, but these are the ones I remember..
beat_dead_horse
:rougiem: