Most Common Mistake you see....Please add one and move on so all can share..

[Slickdonkey]

And listening to what you thought was a trusted LFS

Yeah, this is no joke... take anything the LFS tells you with a grain of salt, don't buy something on the spot based on their advice. Most fish store guys are well meaning but not always well informed. As Reed said, verify everything yourself.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Shopping at Petsmart or Petco

Hey Krish, I got my very nice hippo tang from Petco

She had been there for two weeks and was really healthy. I figured if this fish can survive a trip around the world through collection and various distrubutors followed by two weeks in a Petco aquarium, it's got to be a hardy fish

Seriously, Petcos are very hit and miss. Some are good but I admit most are bad and I wouldn't spend a dime on their fish section.

Yeah she got ich after I brought her home but see my post above about quarantining, no problem

 

[CarlaW]

Yeah, this is no joke... take anything the LFS tells you with a grain of salt, don't buy something on the spot based on their advice. Most fish store guys are well meaning but not always well informed. As Reed said, verify everything yourself.

Let's kind of qualify this and say that there are good LFS out there. You should still research on your own, just to be sure that when you make a decision, it will be right for you.

 

[mmkeeper]

Adding "cured" live rock to a cycled tank. Cured as in store cured not cured by me. Nitrate spike fish dead. Took 3 hrs.

 

[Llarian]

Spending too much time arguing on message boards instead of looking at your reef tank.

Ok, actually, I'd say overstocking is far and away the most common issue I see. (And "They'll just grow into the tank" is the usual way it gets rationalized. :/)

-Dylan

 

[Elmo18]

Adding PetCo saltwater to your tank (when first starting).

Best,
Ilham

 

[jetaero]

Walking into the petco fish department in the first place....

Adding PetCo saltwater to your tank (when first starting).

Best,
Ilham

 

[little fishes]

Believing that you can stick to a budget. In otherwords-ever thinking you had enough $$$ in the first place :lol:

 

[balogh03]

being online so much that you get over 10,000 posts on reef frontiers!!!!

(krish )

 

[little fishes]

Oh yeah- and of course the quarantine thing that- agreed- it would seem we all do need to learn for ourselves which may add to the extra $$$

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Recent mistakes:

A. "Knowing it all" due to being an old time reefer

B. Putting any pretty damsel or potentially nasty fish into a reef. Ripped mine apart yesterday to catch my softy eating Coral Beauty who started nipping at the corals. 7 hour very not fun job at all. Next month the angry damsel goes!

C. Making do without sufficient test kits and hoping all is well

d. using a trickle filter

e. Allowing Majanos in the tank

f. leaving the end of a sock filter above the top of the sump, worse with an ATO hooked up

g. Assuming all refractometers were accurate

h. Thinking that downsizing would be a desirable goal

I. Adding a docile blenny to a tank established with two other aggressive blennies

H. Leaving a cooling fan on overnight with tank heater unplugged when the ambient temp drops into the 50s

J. Buying a new Sedra pump to add onto a POS Berlin classic skimmer, which has since been sent to the dump.

This is all just in the last 2 months!!!!

All in all, having more fun than ever though, thanks again for the great club!

 

[Sk8r]

Trusting ONE thermometer...

 

[LakeEd]

NOT taking things SLOWLY!!!

 

[Ed Hahn]

Testing imediately after adding chemicals to your Tank

Adding chemicals to your tank then doing a reading imediately after. For Example, Calcium being added then testing. The calcium needs time to disolve in your system. If you test imediately after adding you will most likely get a inaccurate reading. Please wait at least 4 hours before testing after adding a additive.

 

[oldsaint]

*Adding saltwater as topoff water

*Being pig headed about an inaccurate test kit reading
"I've added a box of baking soda in the last 3 days and still have a 7dkh" :doubt:

*asking for advice from someone you know is much smarter than you and then arguing about the answer they gave you.

 

[Meche]

*asking for advice from someone you know is much smarter than you and then arguing about the answer they gave you.

How else are you going to learn? Who cares about knowing the answer. You must know why!

Krish, my petco is awesome. You just have to know what to go there for. Sorta like that "theres a time and place for everything" concept.
For the lesser experienced; going to petco for fish advice is like going to best buy for TV advice. One in a hundred know what they are talking about and the rest will pretend. :lol:

My biggest mistake was trying to figure out how to add 70 deg make up water to the tank without a heater or powerhead and forgeting to test sg.

I'm surprised I added the declorinator.

 

[jsmkmavity]

adding supplements to the tank without testing first. over feeding and improper food.

 

[oldsaint]

How else are you going to learn? Who cares about knowing the answer. You must know why!

I completely agree. Didn't mean to say it's not good to understand the answer you're getting.

I guess it would have been better stated.

*asking for advice. Getting the right answer but deciding to do it their own way.

 

[shallowreef]

This is a great thread for anyone to use wether they are noobs or pros. Good idea!

 

[Meche]

10-4

:lol: and for noobs to see that the infalables have screwed up to!! :lol: