whats the biggest mistake u can make?

[irishstout]

In your opinion what is the biggest mistake a new commer to this hobby can make???

 

[dirtybilge]

Dude its gonna take to long to write an anwser for this question

 

[susiepan]

IMO not having patients...That is the worst..
Everyone wants to stock the tank as soon as its up and running..and stock it all at once..instead of a little at a time...
And overstocking the tank....
You REALLY have to go slow, or you are just throwing away your $$$..
Just my humble 2 cents...
~Susie

 

[dirtybilge]

there are hundreds of mistake you can make, I would say going to fast and buying cheap stuff.

 

[irishstout]

I understand that this is a simple question with complex answers,

 

[blondenaso1]

Under the patience category falls IMPULSE BUYING. I am sure we have all wandered into the LFS one fateful day and seen a fish/invert/coral/ect. that you just HAVE TO HAVE, and without doing the proper research or even considering the consequences it is riding next to you in a plastic bag on the way home. We all know how these turn out......

 

[irishstout]

DAMN!! so patience is the key?? but I want it all now!!lol

 

[i have no clue]

Not doing any research.

 

[musipilot]

Nah..all the above answers are good...but the biggest mistake you can make is breaking up with a girl that pours a cup of bleach in your tank. That happened to someone on this board!

 

[irishstout]

That is plain wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[volitan]

Damn, I had a suggestion, but Musipilot's blew mine out of the water. You gotta watch those women with bleach. <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[nm reef]

Hmmmmm.....maybe faliure to follow the following quote I recently saw..."If you do not research and know how to care for it...you are not ready to add it"
Sort of follows the research and patience idea.*_^

 

[kelly]

Ignorance is the biggest mistake... It encompasses many things, or the lack thereof.
I am sure there are many people who have set up beautiful tanks and spent lots of money only to see it "crash" when the cycle takes place.
Not having patience is the second biggest mistake, I understand the "I want it now" snydrome, I have had it. I guess we will have to grow up, we are not spoiled brats!!! Well maybe we are.

 

[m1rodrig]

Believing everything the lfs guy tells you.There are a few good stores but some will either mislead you because of ignorance or on purpose.

 

[von_rahvin]

the biggest mistake is buying a tank!!! j/k but other than that rushing things. good things come to those that wait, and the saltwater tank is a true real world version of it. if you take you time and relax, you will save yourself thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours.
next biggest is : going cheap, the most expensive is usually not the best idea but neither is the cheapest. if it is the cheapest it is usually that way for a reason. how many times have people bought the rio pump because it is cheap when a comprable mag is only 15 bucks more. is the 15 bucks really worth your time and headaches? (i love using evil rio's as an example)

 

[m1rodrig]

That is terrible but I just can't help from laughing I've had my wife say she wishes everything in my tank would die.But your wife ate the cake!!!! <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[nacl-h2o]

Lets see what we've got;
Lack of patients,
Failure to research hobby,
Failure to research living things being cared for,
Using tap water,
Not using quarentine tank for new animals,
Listening to anything an LFS says,
And
Allways trying to do things the easy way instead of the best(right) way.

 

[jeg]

Ok..Biggest mistake I have made: I had 2 fish die from getting sucked into the powerhead. After the first time it happened I should have been smart enough to get some sort of screen. It took until my favorite fish (Purple Pseudo) bit it to go out and take care of the problem.

 

[kris]

My biggest mistake was having unrealistic expectations for my first tanks. I assumed if I researched and studied hard enough and was very careful and totally went "by the book"---I would have the perfect tank without any hang-ups or problems at all. (HA, HA, HA)
Even when you do things exactly how you're supposed to--you're bound to have some trouble along the way--if you didn't it wouldn't be so rewarding in the end.
Took me years to figure that one out.
Yes the patience thing is crucial especially when your fish become patients themselves. LOL

 

[nacl-h2o]

Hay I'm a reeefferr not a speeller.
Come to think of it I'm not a very good typist either. <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" />
So may have to look over my spelling sometimes, or make fun of it.