What mistakes did you make when you started out?

[loach43]

saltwater tank. Biggest noob mistake I ever made

 

[Tommydeal]

lol im still catching up on all the acronyms around here

Check out this thread for the most commonly used ones: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37420

My biggest mistake: Walking away while the tank was draining into a 5g bucket for a waterchange. Lots of flooding and that happened more than once before I finally learned. Also, 2 comet goldfish and 3 fancy goldfish, all in a 10g tank---> overstocked---> tank crashed---> fish dead.

 

[RobE]

My worst mistake was not cycling the tank properly. Felt horrible about losing my fish i learned my lesson very quickly!

 

[Yellow Bichir]

Our first ]v[onster fish was a Ropefish when I was about 5 or 6. We didn't do any research and didn't know how large they got or what to feed it or anything important really. It eventually jumped out of the tank and died. I'm 14 now and my three Ropes AND three Bichirs are doing just swell.
My other biggest mistake was buying Walmart fish and in turn killing my favourite fish: my Ctenopoma acutrirostre. After this incident I sent them a letter telling them how pathetic their fish department is.

Remember kids, Yellow says: Always do your research!

 

[Toodleypops]

"So we went to petco and bought 2 nemos. We brought them home and floated the bag in the tank to even out the temp. But when we put the fish in the tank, they started to spaz out and in 20 minutes they were dead."

WTF! They put the clownfish in their freshwater tank! What appalled me even more was when she said that she went back and bought another one to try again. Of course... same result. I drop-kicked her right then and there.

Lesson is, don't put saltwater fish in a freshwater system... not like y'all MFK'ers need this advice.

:WTF:


poor guys. i shouldn't be mean but there is a natural level of common sense within our genes saltwater and fresh arent the same thing... wow

 

[Venom SS]

Biggest mistake..hmmm. Well ive made just about all the mistakes listed in this post, Ide say the biggest ive made though is getting involved in Cichla! These things are so cool, im spending tons of money, and much much more to be spent. Its a good mistake though, these little green rockets have put a spark in my fish keeping life again.

 

[Kristin]

My worst mistake happened a few months after I bought my first oscars. I was unaware that, if one was going to have multiples one needed six or more(so I've heard). We bought two, one named oh so creatively "Oscar". Anywho, a few months after we bought my fish, Oscar died. After doing some research based on Syb's(my current oscar) actions I learned some stuff.

Want multiple oscars? Buy six or more.
Oscars are aggressive and the more dominent oscars are going to eat food first. If you only have two, the other fish will not be allowed to eat. Six or more will spred the dominance out. Just remember the size oscars grow to, and the tank size needed to hold them.

So, I now have one oscar(8 1/2") and a sucker fish(9") in an 85 gal. tank and she's doing fine.

 

[beblondie]

Are you kidding? What mistakes did you make when you started out? name a mistake
i did it includung using a vacuum cleaner to clean a turtle tank even got the turtle to
go for the ride.I was like 5yo-Anne

 

[High City Rida]

Left the house during a WC and got all the way to a friends house down the street knocked on the door and THOUGHT oh crap the tank! Got home to my son holding a bunch of wet towels and water leaking through the roof. (All my tanks are on the second level of my house). Trust me wondering weather or not your floor is going to hold all of the wieght of your tanks becomes an after thought when you see the roof leaking into your 2nd living room with al the GF nice furniture! Oh well Rule#1 never take your eye of the tank when filling and emptying I have done that also! I know I am bad so bad!

 

[High City Rida]

Biggest mistake..hmmm. Well ive made just about all the mistakes listed in this post, Ide say the biggest ive made though is getting involved in Cichla! These things are so cool, im spending tons of money, and much much more to be spent. Its a good mistake though, these little green rockets have put a spark in my fish keeping life again.

Haha this is the funniest mistake made by many. Wait until the hit the 2' mark and start hitting the glass hard then your going to think "What did I really get myself into". Hopefully the tank doesn't bust or we might hear from you again.