Expanding on Speg's thread "How much $$ have you dished out? (so far)"

[bacffin]

I am curious as to how much money has been needlessly spent by suggestions or advise from your LFS and learned later that the purchase was either not necessary or you were led down the wrong direction.
After adding up my slips and reading the costs for errors, I'm in the $125.00 area for needlessly spent money. Now that I have read more books, and joined this fabulous site, I would have done things differently. I am still adding that one up!

 

[tthemadd1]

I have spent a few hundred dollars on fish that did not take off in my tank. Although, I did buy them from inexperienced LFS's. I also didnt take into consideration the amount of work my tank needed. As well as the amount of information I didnt take the time to learn. The best advise would be to put fish on hold at you LFS. This way you have time to learn more about the fish/Coral/Invert, as well as know that the fish is thriving in a captive environment. I would recommend that you do not take a fish out of the store for at least a week after you have it on hold. If it dies at the store you dont lose any money and most likely the fish will die in the first week/two if there is a problem with its capture. Finally, take the time to put the right fish in the right environment. Most stores will tell you that all you have to worry about is the level of nit/ammonia, but really there are co2 levels, hardness, and numerous other levels that effect your fish/inverts/corals. Take it slow. Good Fishing
themaddhatter

 

[mudplayerx]

I haven't lost one critter yet thank God. I owe it all to hard research, the book "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock, and this website. Thanks to Snipe for leading me here from the dead forums at the other site.

 

[speg]

I've probably lost $75 dollars or so to bad advice... like for example -
Speg asks, How long should I acclimate this skunk cleaner for?
LFSGUY says, pssh.. maybe 15 minutes.

You gotta remember.. a lot of these fish guys will lie to you so you buy more stuff.. they may not even know the right answer but they'll give you advice anyways.

 

[murph145]

i think ive spent about $600 on bad advise from bad lighting to bad fish or corals that wont survive in my environment..... maybe more ..... i guess i shoulda had a computer before to research this stuff

 

[thegrog]

Luckily for me, I have not lost any creatures to bad advice or incompatability. I have sunk several hundred dollars into bad equipment before learning that cheaper is not better.

 

[farmboy]

Can I count all the money I've spent on Freshwater?
Just kidding. I relocated my freshies and they are living large in the kid's room (55gallon planted community).
I guess having freshwater first and finding this site have kept me from making too many financial faux pas. Chaulk that money up to experience.

 

[gtiguy]

I wish i had looked into this more than i did, but having a tank unused in the basement made me go crazy to start it up and get some fish in there......i must have lost about $50-$75 worth of fish due to inexperience and prob not the best conditions or what not.....but also to not doing research on the fishes needs and weather or not its a good "beginner" fish......As for the rest of the tank money was like water flowing.......new light, new filter, sand rocks...yadayada.....prob about $700 into at least..... :scared: