Biggest mistakes?
- Thread starter ArowanaMan99
- Start date
- Setting up a new tank, adding fish the same day, thinking everything will be ok since I put in bacteria in a bottle.
- Common pleco + tire track eel + 6 baby oscars in 15G
- Red ear slider in community aquarium, bit gourami in half
- 100% water change to clean aquarium every month. As in put fish in bucket, break down tank, scrub interior, rinse gravel clean in tap water, scrub undergravel filters clean (this was 1988, I was 12)
- Common pleco + tire track eel + 6 baby oscars in 15G
- Red ear slider in community aquarium, bit gourami in half
- 100% water change to clean aquarium every month. As in put fish in bucket, break down tank, scrub interior, rinse gravel clean in tap water, scrub undergravel filters clean (this was 1988, I was 12)
Believe it or not, my mother managed to do the break-down-the-tank-every-month thing for 20 years, and I know her oscar, pleco, JD, gourami and red tailed shark all lived past the age of 10.
^My mom did the same thing with our goldfish tank and summer pond/water garden. She never cycled anything and scrubbed everything regularly. We lost many fish growing up. Tropicals never made it long, but again.... no heater there either.
We ended up with very hardy and horribly abused fish. Now I know why their fins always got red and vainy. And why they got ich every time they got moved.
Ugh, poor things.
We ended up with very hardy and horribly abused fish. Now I know why their fins always got red and vainy. And why they got ich every time they got moved.
Ugh, poor things.
To small tanks, not allowing for sufficient flow etc even though you thought you'd gone right over the top, had a tank built with a single bottom, rushed to purchase fish that are second best plus 1000 more mistakes lol. But, as long as you learn from them are they really mistakes or just the learning process. I think if you look back at each & every set up with hindsight I think we would all do things a tad different on each one. Good thread.
There's been a couple of these threads over the years. https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ou-have-ever-done-as-a-beginner.652131/page-6
My biggest mistake was letting my (ex)in-laws look after my fish.
I lost my Horrace because they over fed him and didn't change his water like they promised. He got sick while with them and nothing we done helped. I still don't know what was wrong with him. We took him to both the vets here that treat fish and neither of them knew what they were looking at. He fought like a champ for almost two years before finally losing his battle.
I was heartbroken. He was my baby, I'd raised him from <1" to >13" in the five years I had him. He would give me kisses through the tank, let me pet him and even danced with me when the music suited him. He hated my (ex)partner touching me and would go dark and try smashing through the tank if my ex hugged me in front of him. He was awesome.
Because I love sharing him, here's a pic of him at about 12", the silver dollar in the pic is an adult, which gives you an idea of Horrace's size:
When he passed we had him cremated and are trying to find an urn pretty enough for him. Once we (my ex or myself) find an urn that we deem "Horrace worthy" my ex will be coating it in epoxy resin and putting him back in his tank where he belongs.
R.I.P my big man, I hope the big river in the sky is treating you well.
My biggest mistake was letting my (ex)in-laws look after my fish.
I lost my Horrace because they over fed him and didn't change his water like they promised. He got sick while with them and nothing we done helped. I still don't know what was wrong with him. We took him to both the vets here that treat fish and neither of them knew what they were looking at. He fought like a champ for almost two years before finally losing his battle.
I was heartbroken. He was my baby, I'd raised him from <1" to >13" in the five years I had him. He would give me kisses through the tank, let me pet him and even danced with me when the music suited him. He hated my (ex)partner touching me and would go dark and try smashing through the tank if my ex hugged me in front of him. He was awesome.
Because I love sharing him, here's a pic of him at about 12", the silver dollar in the pic is an adult, which gives you an idea of Horrace's size:
When he passed we had him cremated and are trying to find an urn pretty enough for him. Once we (my ex or myself) find an urn that we deem "Horrace worthy" my ex will be coating it in epoxy resin and putting him back in his tank where he belongs.
R.I.P my big man, I hope the big river in the sky is treating you well.
Some years ago let one of my relatives take care of my fish. Big mistake. Oh well he tried though. Tanks covered in fish food and feeder fish. No casualties though. Just some puzzled looking fish when I arrived home.
