What's the dumbest thing that you've done?

[dmbfreek]

I made probably the worlds most idiotic move and didn't even think about it until now. I have a long shallow tank that I was using as a reef for a while until I purchased a fairly large lionfish and eel, then the coral went into a smaller tank and the lion and eel went into the 70 long. When doing the transfer I realized that there wasn't a whole lot of swimming room for the lion so, here comes the bonehead move, I took out about 80% of the live rock, yep there goes the biological filteration. The lion was looking like it had some white spots on it so in goes the copper, about 3 days into copper treatment I did a test on the nitrites and ammonia to find that the ammonia was 1.5 mg and the nitrites were at 1.2 mg so it wasn't ich but rather the slimecoat starting to come off. I was a water changing fool, about 45g in a weeks time but still had high readings. So at a last attempt to save my poor fish I dropped about 50lbs of the live rock that I had soaking in saltwater, did a check on the water that the rock was in, which was perfect, and did another 10g water change with it. This brought the levels down a bit but I'm still a little concerned about the lion, as of now, he's not looking too hot.:doubt:
I've been in this hobby for about 4 years now and just when I thought I had a grip on things I do something like this to show me how little I really know.
Sorry about the rant, I just had to get this off my chest.

 

[fly guy]

I once cut a featherdusters head off. Thought the 3/4" worm next to the tube needed to go back inside it, so i cut the end of the tube off so it would be a clean hole to easily slide him back in..........cut the ADULT dusters head right off with scissors.

I could add countless other stupidest things ive done....but that was one of the cheapest and the funniest.......funny now anyway

 

[Damsel13]

I had to set my drink down when I read that you took out HOW MUCH LR? O.K. got to take a break for a min.

 

[surf_buddy]

When I first started 2 years ago, and knew nothing about reefing (which is probably often the case) I got off to a really bad start. I was given a free 55g tank with 30 lbs of dead liverock, 20lbs of dead sand, and I started cycling with 15 lbs of live rock. I didn't realize that the sand I was given was full of old detritus, and caused numerious amonia spikes. More than most experience from what I seen. I almost quit the hobby, but stuck with it, did a lot more research, and got rid of the sand. When I upgrade my tank I plan on adding sand again, but this time I'll be more careful of what I'm using. I have more bonehead moves I'll save for later : )

 

[billaweed]

I used strait tap water for 20% water change and killed off all the coral and inverts I had. I didnt have much at the time but it still sucked.

 

[chadmace]

I left my RO/DI water on over night. Dropped the tank temp about 4 degrees, salinity to about 1.018. (If my hydrometer was as off as it was when I got my refractometer)

Nothing died. Just took me quite some time to get my salinity back up.

 

[surf_buddy]

Once I ruined a new Salifert CA test kit, by putting KA solution left over from the syringe from the test I previously performed into the CA test solution bottle, which was the test I had just performed. User error! On a side note I have switched to Elos test kits now.