What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your tanks
- Thread starter Basile
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Basile
Well-Known Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Me i bought $ 195 worth of macro algaes to start my mini refugium in september 2013, then i bought 4 trochus snails to eat micro algaes... little did i know that they also eat macros, they basically shaved my rocks in less than a week $ 195 worth of macro's down the drain, and then the four of then died on me .
Me i bought $ 195 worth of macro algaes to start my mini refugium in september 2013, then i bought 4 trochus snails to eat micro algaes... little did i know that they also eat macros, they basically shaved my rocks in less than a week $ 195 worth of macro's down the drain, and then the four of then died on me .
Basile
Well-Known Member
Pumping action
Not really destructive but last night after feeding having turned everything back on via my apex on the computer , this morning realised that i left the return pump OFF all night. Always double check i guess, because that was stupid, at least they had water movement.
My bad
I write big for my iphone friends.
Not really destructive but last night after feeding having turned everything back on via my apex on the computer , this morning realised that i left the return pump OFF all night. Always double check i guess, because that was stupid, at least they had water movement.
My bad
I write big for my iphone friends.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
After a maintenance day one time, I forgot to turn on the heater, next day wasn't sure why the corals were so unhappy.....sps polyps didn't open on any corals. All recovered in a day or so.
On another occasion filled the ato with water that was mixed w/salt instead of regular rodi..... good to have labels on containers that look alike - doh!! SPS bleached out, most recovered after several weeks of feeding and water changes to slowly bring levels back to normal.
After a maintenance day one time, I forgot to turn on the heater, next day wasn't sure why the corals were so unhappy.....sps polyps didn't open on any corals. All recovered in a day or so.
On another occasion filled the ato with water that was mixed w/salt instead of regular rodi..... good to have labels on containers that look alike - doh!! SPS bleached out, most recovered after several weeks of feeding and water changes to slowly bring levels back to normal.
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
I think that over the years I have made just about every mistake it's possible to make.
However, the dumbest and most destructive mistake was using GFI on the entire system, twice. The first time, I was away, something cause it to trip, and I came home to a tank of very dead livestock. I went back to non-GFI. Now one mistake can happen.
Years later, the the second time, I figured I'll do this smart, I'll use GFI and install two breakers each one on a different leg. I go away for a few days again, and come home to a tank of very dead live stock. Yep, both of the GFIs tripped out. I don't know if it was multiple events or a single event.
Ever since then, the main return pump runs on a non-GFI circuit. I use an external pump, so there is no power cord in the water, and it's drive is magnetic, so there is no shaft seal to leak.
GFI is great and does offer a lot of protection to you. Lights can easily fall in, power cords to heaters and internal pumps can get brittle on you and crack. Heaters can break. Generally you want to be safe. At the same time, you don't want a false trip of it to cost you your entire setup.
I think that over the years I have made just about every mistake it's possible to make.
However, the dumbest and most destructive mistake was using GFI on the entire system, twice. The first time, I was away, something cause it to trip, and I came home to a tank of very dead livestock. I went back to non-GFI. Now one mistake can happen.
Years later, the the second time, I figured I'll do this smart, I'll use GFI and install two breakers each one on a different leg. I go away for a few days again, and come home to a tank of very dead live stock. Yep, both of the GFIs tripped out. I don't know if it was multiple events or a single event.
Ever since then, the main return pump runs on a non-GFI circuit. I use an external pump, so there is no power cord in the water, and it's drive is magnetic, so there is no shaft seal to leak.
GFI is great and does offer a lot of protection to you. Lights can easily fall in, power cords to heaters and internal pumps can get brittle on you and crack. Heaters can break. Generally you want to be safe. At the same time, you don't want a false trip of it to cost you your entire setup.
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
I first set up mu tank and bought £200 worth of live rock and sand. Put it all in the tank and put my water in. Nobody told me to use r/o water and nobody told me chlorinated water would kill all my bacteria. Prerty expensive and also after that a pretty useless bio filter!
I first set up mu tank and bought £200 worth of live rock and sand. Put it all in the tank and put my water in. Nobody told me to use r/o water and nobody told me chlorinated water would kill all my bacteria. Prerty expensive and also after that a pretty useless bio filter!
Choff
Well-Known Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Moving my shop light (for chaeto) from its safe spot above my sump to a really stupid spot above my sump while I did some work. Then forgetting to move it back. Sure enough, it fell in and I didn't notice it for about 8 hours. Good knows what leeched into my tank and wiped out all my SPS colonies and most of my LPS. Thankfully my fish did not seem to be affected.
...stupid auto correct
Moving my shop light (for chaeto) from its safe spot above my sump to a really stupid spot above my sump while I did some work. Then forgetting to move it back. Sure enough, it fell in and I didn't notice it for about 8 hours. Good knows what leeched into my tank and wiped out all my SPS colonies and most of my LPS. Thankfully my fish did not seem to be affected.
...stupid auto correct
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Well fairly new so think I have made a few of the normal ones like salt water to top up. However the most destructive would be placing the live rock to close to the glass, so when I magnetic scrapper I knocked a base rock, which resulted in a complete collapse. Net result was having to take it all out and start again.
Well fairly new so think I have made a few of the normal ones like salt water to top up. However the most destructive would be placing the live rock to close to the glass, so when I magnetic scrapper I knocked a base rock, which resulted in a complete collapse. Net result was having to take it all out and start again.
Wolffman64
Active Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Filling the tank back up after a WC (my old tank), and grabbing the wrong drum with RO water instead of ready mixed SW. An hour of panic panic before I had managed to get the salinity back under control again......
Filling the tank back up after a WC (my old tank), and grabbing the wrong drum with RO water instead of ready mixed SW. An hour of panic panic before I had managed to get the salinity back under control again......
Overlook Reef
Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Left my ATO on while doing a water change! As I drained the tank, fresh water was filling it!
Left my ATO on while doing a water change! As I drained the tank, fresh water was filling it!
BigSurplusRon
Member
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
When I was starting out I was being pro-active and making sure that I did my weekly water changes..... unfortunately I was doing these changes with RO rather than salt water. :bugout:
When I was starting out I was being pro-active and making sure that I did my weekly water changes..... unfortunately I was doing these changes with RO rather than salt water. :bugout:
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Had a friend help me out with my freshwater tank once.
We were making the cables of the lights longer.
After cutting all the wires of the light, he said I'm gone for dinner, took his stuff and left me with a tank with no lights.
I had to run to a different friend to get some help to fix it.
So now I do it all myself.
Had a friend help me out with my freshwater tank once.
We were making the cables of the lights longer.
After cutting all the wires of the light, he said I'm gone for dinner, took his stuff and left me with a tank with no lights.
I had to run to a different friend to get some help to fix it.
So now I do it all myself.
Re: What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of your t
Well I think I've made most of the ones you've mentioned, but the one that cost me the most was leaving the pumps off after using Aiptasia X all night waking up in the morning with floating fish. Of about 15, I had 5 left. Now when I turn off the pumps for whatever reason I put a rubber band on my wrist to make sure I remember.
Well I think I've made most of the ones you've mentioned, but the one that cost me the most was leaving the pumps off after using Aiptasia X all night waking up in the morning with floating fish. Of about 15, I had 5 left. Now when I turn off the pumps for whatever reason I put a rubber band on my wrist to make sure I remember.
What is the dumbest, most destructive mistake you have ever made on one of yo...
My dumbest mistake was to leave the Rodi filling my ato tank over night. Consequence was chamber overflowed into main tank, this then overflowed the sump and carried on going. Woke up to a very salty floor in the lounge and a not so salty tank running at 1.020 salinity. My upset wife installed a insult in my head. I know run a timer lol but it was a really stupid thing to do and I spent over half a bucket of salt in water changes bringing everything back upto required levels.
My dumbest mistake was to leave the Rodi filling my ato tank over night. Consequence was chamber overflowed into main tank, this then overflowed the sump and carried on going. Woke up to a very salty floor in the lounge and a not so salty tank running at 1.020 salinity. My upset wife installed a insult in my head. I know run a timer lol but it was a really stupid thing to do and I spent over half a bucket of salt in water changes bringing everything back upto required levels.