You were a mistake...

shrub125

shrub125

Member
Being a newb myself, i think it would be very benifitial if all the pros out there could share some stories of their biggest messups in their salt water aquariums.
What do you say, lets all gather around and listen!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Shrub125
http:///forum/post/3195501
Being a newb myself, i think it would be very benifitial if all the pros out there could share some stories of their biggest messups in their salt water aquariums.
What do you say, lets all gather around and listen!


I was setting up my tank…adding my salt. Waiting for my cycle. One day, I tested and it said my SG was off the chart. I started adding fresh water (always RO) and removing saltwater to get the numbers down. Then my PH was so low it hardly read anything.
Confused about the PH, I went to the LFS to have them test my water as well. The SG was WAY low. Hypo- salinity low.
I went home and retested, it read 1.024…so I took my hydrometer to the LFS…my hydrometer was so off. It was brand new, and every one of them on the shelf of the same brand was just as off.
I am sooo glad I double checked.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I'm not a pro, but have made a few "costly" (equipment & additive) mistakes
FIRST for my 225G I bought regular fw tank lids...6 of them
Then I bought a really nice 72" PC light (I wanted anemones and corals)

Finally I bought a really nice 72" MH and T5HO light set :)
2nd...I bought loads of additives for my tank...then found out all you really need are regular water changes...
3rd....I BOUGHT 2 three spot black KILLER damsels
 
cajonez

cajonez

Member
I also have a set of glass tank lids and a PC light sitting in the basement. I guess I will keep the light as a backup incase something unexpected happens with my T5s, the lids, on the other hand, are completely useless.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Shrub125
http:///forum/post/3195501
Being a newb myself, i think it would be very benifitial if all the pros out there could share some stories of their biggest messups in their salt water aquariums.
What do you say, lets all gather around and listen! %%
Not knowing about macro algaes.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
mistakes? i dont make mistake. i am perfect! anyway, the biggest i made is starting off buying cheap equipments, only to eventually having to buy better equipments anyway. every starter should wait and save up $$ to buy at least decent stuff to start with, bc in the long run, its going to cost more.
 
chrisnif

chrisnif

Member
So far my biggest mistake was buying a setup that has an 8 inch door on the front of the stand :) Here is a picture from the previous owner (got it cheap from the local reef club)
Another mistake was buying anything at retail, join your reef club and get their used stuff (in working order) and save a bunch. I'm going to be getting an AquaC Urchin skimmer for $50, that's the power of the reef club ;)
 
mony97

mony97

Member
My biggest mistake was not watching my w/d water level when trying to get the return pump working and again when adding LR. Overflowed fairly bad both times and the first time I got a nice electro theropy treatment <- not fun.
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
Not reading first and relying on bad information from LFS people. We wasted alot of money, before we knew what we "needed" and what we actually needed.
Lost sooooo much money...
 
number1gsxxr

number1gsxxr

Member
Not using RO/DI water. My first tank was a 24-gal Aquapod and I used tap water to start it up. I had so many issues with red slime and hair algae. Nothing I did could fix it. But my LFS sure was glad to keep selling me stuff to try to fix the problem...everything except an RO/DI unit.
 
raymond2688

raymond2688

Member
buying usless equiptment to start up before i found a good site to ask first.
the other is never get up in the middle of the night and clean your filter

dont know why i did it but i could not sleep and was over tired and when i was done the rubber ring around the top of the filter fell out and i did not notice and after going back to bed and waking up to my kitchen with alot of water in it......leaked from upstairs. new house already getting drywall work done
 
richl

richl

Member
Not knowing what a QT was. Lost a lot of fish to disease within first few months in hobby. Now QT and hypo all new arrivals. Makes all the difference in the world.
 
small triggers

small triggers

Active Member
My biggest mistake was not running my tank for a few hours before i started moving things into it,, IT IS SOOOO LOUD!!!! i could have easily tweaked everything if i wouldnt have jumped all in to transfer everything the same day...
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
bought an established tank, moved it to my place, got it hooked up, waited for the water to clear. was all excited, next day went to the LFS and bought a turbo snail and a sand sifting starfish. both died the same day. never tested the water until AFTER things died and found out that during the move i got an ammonia spike and caused a cycle. even though I kept all the same established stuff from the old tank.
ALWAYS TEST FIRST!
 
halamaya

halamaya

Member
Bought a used acrylic tank that bowed in the front after 8 month's. Cut the to plastic strap off the top of a 46 gal bowfront to fit more equipment on it. First fish was a sixline wrasse who went crazy after a year. Between the yellow brittle star, sixline wrasse, and purple and orange reef lobster I lost over 300 dollars worth of shrimp and fish before I was able to figure what was going on. Being new is sooo much fun, I can only imagine what it's like for people that do no research befor coming into slatwater.
 
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