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Biggest Mistake

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Cecil View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 14 2007 at 3:49pm
  They say you learn the most from your own mistakes. I also believe you can learn from others mistakes. 
  I am new to this hobby and love all the things you can learn about reefs.  I thought it would be fun to start a post having you tell us what has been the biggest mistake you've made in this hobby.  It might be therapeutic, sad, or most likely fun.
  Lets here it, and maybe you can help someone else from the same fate.
 
  Fortunately the biggest mistake I have made so far was that I thought the blue yellow tail damsel was pretty.  He tormented everything and was a complete pest. I spent weeks getting it out of my tank.  Got $1 for it, best deal I ever got.
 
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The list is so......................................so longCry
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Will Spencer View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Will Spencer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2007 at 3:54pm
I don't know about biggest mistake, but some of the best advice I could give a new hobbiest is: "Never leave running water alone."  If you have to leave it turn it off.  I've had more water mishaps due to letting it run without keeping a close eye on it than anything else.  This includes letting it run while I'm sitting in the room, but not paying attention to it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kevin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2007 at 9:04pm
My suggestion would be dont change anything on your tank within 2 weeks to a month of going on vacation.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GARFVolunteer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2007 at 10:39pm
Any reef related phrase with the word "automatic" in it should have the word "failure" near by.
 
I get called a lot from people in the area that are on vacation.  The person they have watching their reef tell them something in the tank does not look right.  I usually dread these calls because I end up doing the best I can to save what is left alive. 
 
The biggest culprit is the "Automatic water top offs".  Three times auto top offs have broken.  Two failed "on" so the "top off" kept adding fresh water.  There is not much reef related left living at a specific gravity of 1.012. One failed "off" so the water was not being added.  The water level in the sump dropped with evaporation. There was a power head in the sump that was pointed up so there was surface agitation.  When the water dropped enough, the power head shot water out of the sump, into the electrical outlet which of course tripped the breaker.
 
In each case there was no backup system in place.  In each one of these cases a simple backup system would have prevented the massive lose of life.
 
So moral of the story is:
 
1.  Ensure you have at least one backup system with anything "Automatic" on your tank
2.  Have someone reef savvy check on your tank a few times a week when you are gone. 
 
I use a poor man's auto top off so the most fresh water that I could add to my 150 gallon system in a worst case is 7 gallons.
 
Thanks,
 
Scott
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chris.rogers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2007 at 10:54pm
Worst mistake I ever made was procrastinating the addition of eggcrate to the otherwise unprotected overflow and drain to the sump.  "No way a snail will crawl to that exact place in the tank..."
 
I was wrong, and woke up to 6-7 gallons on the floor.  LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kgwilliams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2007 at 11:06pm
I would say my biggest mistake's when I first started was buying things because they looked cool.  I would see a fish that looked really cool and without knowing anything about it I would buy it and it would not be compatible with the other fish I already had.  My advise to people new in the hobby is to do your research!  If you are to lazy then at least take a book with you to the LFS and look stuff up before you buy it!  If your LFS is anything like mine they will tell you that that fish will be fine with the fish you have at home, because they just want to make some money!  (Note: I live in Oklahoma and where I'm at the nearest LFS is 2 hours away and they know very little about saltwater)
 
So research, research, research, before you go spending your money!  Or just get on here and ask!  That's what I did and it has saved me a bundle!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rod M. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 15 2007 at 9:08am
 Buying a Chocolate Chip Star for a reef tank!!Embarrassed!! Luckily it was at a meeting and Mike Savage saved me!!ClapThanks, again Mike!
 
Have patience, don't get in a big hurry to get things done. That's when I get most forgetful! 
Rod Murri
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bob Kripfgans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 15 2007 at 10:14am
Not having drilled overflows. Externals will work but IMO drilled tanks are the way to go. There's nothing like your tank overflowing onto your carpet... I definately recommend a backup system.   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Toshokya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 1:09pm
Mine so far has been buying premix from the LFS and not checking it when I got home. They had given me just RO water and I put it right in the tank. Only after checking my SG in the tank after I had put the water in there did I realize I had a big problem. I was lucky I had salt and ended up mixing it in a 32oz. cup with water from the tank and slowly pouring it in until the SG came up. Lucky for me nothing decided it wanted to die that day.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote smatney Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 1:56pm
Ours was putting the electrical under the tank instead of outside the tank.  Thus...the electrical fire and no more tank.  Cry
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Originally posted by Will Spencer Will Spencer wrote:

I don't know about biggest mistake, but some of the best advice I could give a new hobbiest is: "Never leave running water alone."  If you have to leave it turn it off.  I've had more water mishaps due to letting it run without keeping a close eye on it than anything else.  This includes letting it run while I'm sitting in the room, but not paying attention to it.
 
 
 
 
i spill water what seems like every week b/c of this. I'll start pumping water into a bucket than walk to look at the tank and get to looking at a coral or fish, and completely forget it
:( I'm horrible about it!! Other than that i'd say thats my worst mistakes
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote superman1981 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 4:06pm
Stocking my tank too fast has been my biggest mistake.  With my first tank (a 29 gal) I went super slow and everything thrived.  When I got into my 125 I wasn't patient, I introduced a fish with a little ich, and within the next month I had lost 10 fish (Around $300 worth).  Long story short, be patient, and stock your tank slowly. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CrimsRayne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 4:11pm
Getting into the hobby... Just Kidding.  Wink

But there does come a time when you realize that you know nothing at all about what you have gotten into.  Just when you think you are starting to get things right... wham, something changes or you read something that makes you feel like a newbie again.
And like kgwilliams said. RESEARCH!  Definitely know what you are buying and how to care for it.  Or if you just can't live without it, ask the store about it or ask them to hold it for a little while.  Explain the situation and see if they can help you out.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KludgeGuru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 4:16pm
Originally posted by cl2ysta1 cl2ysta1 wrote:

Originally posted by Will Spencer Will Spencer wrote:

I don't know about biggest mistake, but some of the best advice I could give a new hobbiest is: "Never leave running water alone."  If you have to leave it turn it off.  I've had more water mishaps due to letting it run without keeping a close eye on it than anything else.  This includes letting it run while I'm sitting in the room, but not paying attention to it.
   
i spill water what seems like every week b/c of this. I'll start pumping water into a bucket than walk to look at the tank and get to looking at a coral or fish, and completely forget it
:( I'm horrible about it!! Other than that i'd say thats my worst mistakes


I second, third and fourth that.  I have to make sure I watch it without distractions or I will forget.  Just yesterday I was pumping water out of my tank and totally forgot about it.  suddenly I realized all my pumps were sucking air and I pumped out too much water and I didn't have enough new salt water to refill it.  Luckily I have 15 gallons of RO in my storage tanks and I just had to mix some more so I was only low on water for a couple of hours.

I'm just glad I was removing water instead of putting it in or I'd have a big mess to clean up.  Embarrassed

-Rocks
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Dosing 100ml of Calcium, AK, and Aminos all at once. . . . Embarrassed

If I didn't have a backup solution, I think my tank would have crashed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kdinkel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2008 at 5:08pm
Love this post!  I have to agree with the running water thing.  If it wasn't for my kids catching sometimes I would be in bad shape.  Second was compatibilty (I knew the eel could eat my fish, but he was much to small...  bad call on my part!  I guess I am a slow learner as I have a small shark now!)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mr_tongate Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2008 at 11:30am
i know exactly what my biggest mistake was i had ick in my system and with no lfs around me and i didn't want to kill my fish i looked around my box's of fish supplies and found a bottle of stuff that said cures ick and some other stuff so without reading i added the amount stated on the bottle......... well it turned out to be copper and it killed ALOT of softies and lps all of my live rock had to be replaced and all of my sand was toast and had to be replaced... on the good note my fish were fine.... all i can say know what you are adding and DO YOUR RESEARCH !!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2008 at 11:56am
Also see this:
http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
In this thread there are links to many useful and extremely informative discussions, including one we started years ago titled "Secrets of avoiding a tank crash"
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tazman1982 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2008 at 11:57am
Mine was stirring up a 5 year sand bed and not letting it settle out completly before adding my fish and coral back to my tank, after fixing the leak. I figgured it would be clear in 2 days max. well 1 week later....... about 3-4k in coral dead! should have left them in my emergancy tank till it setteled out. OH WELL! All that de-nitrifing bacteria that hides deep in the bed, stayed around for some time...
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