Biggest Mistake/Regret In The Hobby

[Lonely reefer's]

Regret not getting a bigger tank than 29cube
Bigger tank the water parameter is more stable

 

[HB AL]

It took me a while to learn the " buy good equipment the first time" lesson. I've bought a lot of crappy skimmers when I started out, as well as some other stuff.

I go by that too when buying my fishing equipment, the phrase " you get what you pay for " holds true for this hobby to.

 

[Heliarc19]

Worst was not doing any real research, 2nd was not doing anything for backup power, lost about 15 large predators in a 240 while on vacation because I was too cheap to just get something!

 

[Heather w]

Whatd you do wrong?

EVERYTHING!!! Learned a lot!

 

[Antics]

I think my biggest regret would have to be lack of patience, specific to making purchases.

I've probably spent 10-15k over the last 5 years on equipment I replaced for no reason other than to "upgrade" it for what I actually wanted when it was more feasible. While I did get use/enjoyment out of the equipment, it would have been better to just delay a build etc for a few months instead of just a continual cycle of buying and upgrading to what I actually wanted. I guess to a lesser extent this is also true with an aquarium itself in terms or size.

But then again, I guess that is really the nature of the beast. :p

 

[savetheocean]

Buying this beautiful queen trigger for my tank around 25 years ago. All was good for a couple days then basically after a few days I go to work at 5 am come home around 5 and look in the tank and he killed everybody, 3 groupers, 1 lion fish and 5 other triggers! I wasn't told by the lfs about his aggression and it wasn't like there was internet back then to research fish or ask on forums for advice. At that point I guess I went postal, I grabbed a fish hook and tied it on some steel leader put a piece of shrimp on it, caught him instantly, took him in the backyard hit him in the head with a hammer and buried him in the back yard. I did call the lfs before I did this and they didn't want him back and was honest about him when I called a few other lfs's in the area and none of them wanted him, that's when I went "postal"

Oh no, that stinks

 

[savetheocean]

Just got my first coral, (torch coral). I dipped him and got some good food for the little guy. I also got a yellow tang, powder brown tang, and 1 clownfish to pair with the other. Im a couple hours in and everything looks awesome. The shrimps are even cleaning the tangs.

 

[jayala12]

Buying this beautiful queen trigger for my tank around 25 years ago. All was good for a couple days then basically after a few days I go to work at 5 am come home around 5 and look in the tank and he killed everybody, 3 groupers, 1 lion fish and 5 other triggers! I wasn't told by the lfs about his aggression and it wasn't like there was internet back then to research fish or ask on forums for advice. At that point I guess I went postal, I grabbed a fish hook and tied it on some steel leader put a piece of shrimp on it, caught him instantly, took him in the backyard hit him in the head with a hammer and buried him in the back yard. I did call the lfs before I did this and they didn't want him back and was honest about him when I called a few other lfs's in the area and none of them wanted him, that's when I went "postal"

Nice!!!! Revenge!!!!!

 

[savetheocean]

Nice!!!! Revenge!!!!!

Haha!

 

[GaretMac]

Late nineties to early 00's I had a 75 gallon predator tank in college. I didn't have the means to do a ton of research.
Having said that I was lead astray often.
1. Cycled dry rock with live domino damsels. Those poor fish.
2. Having a predator tank because I thought it was cool.
3. Feeding live shrimp from the gulf. That ended up being my down fall.
4. Not eel proofing. Enough said.
5. Trying to do a saltwater tank on a budget.
6. Lastly that lesson we all learn: being impatient.
Yeah... Lessons learned. On my second tank ever now 20 years later.

 

[RyanCSGO]

Not researching at the beginning. I killed to many fish and coral all because I didn't take the time to learn at the beginning. Which also had me wasting a ton of money on different setups and and livestock.

 

[Grey Guy]

There needs to be some other way to post besides "like". I don't think anyone likes these stories, but you can feel for and identify with them. It's hard for me to post "like".

 

[jpreefer]

Not putting eggcrate over the return pipes to stop a turbo snail from finding its way down and camping out at the T pipe to the sump causing the tank to overflow like a waterfall at 1am.

 

[Peter Blue Reef]

Does anyone know about a good source for Chai?

 

[PiscesPower]

Assuming that I would be happy with a <30g tank....I lasted 5 months before upgrading and probably have spent twice as much as I needed to in the end.

 

[savetheocean]

Assuming that I would be happy with a <30g tank....I lasted 5 months before upgrading and probably have spent twice as much as I needed to in the end.

the bigger the better!

 

[Rb9]

Just got my first coral, (torch coral). I dipped him and got some good food for the little guy. I also got a yellow tang, powder brown tang, and 1 clownfish to pair with the other. Im a couple hours in and everything looks awesome. The shrimps are even cleaning the tangs.

It sounds as though the powder brown wasn't quarantined? That could soon be another regret.

 

[savetheocean]

It sounds as though the powder brown wasn't quarantined? That could soon be another regret.

Could be, but the store I went to treats all their fish with copper which is good and its very clean

 

[savetheocean]

Any more?

 

[Fudsey]

Learning the hard way to use a quarantine tank. Added a dogface puffer to a 72G BF with a 5yo marine betta and a 20yo blue damsel(don't ask) and seeing them dead because the puffer was sick and crashed my tank while I was at work.... GET AND USE A QT ! ! !