Funniest rookie mistakes

[Crustaceon]

I have thought about letting my lionfish sting me for the name of science but cant ever muster up the courage. and always remember how horrible of an idea it is!

I have done that before. My mistake was wondering where the fuzzy dwarf was and then using my hand as a tool to find it. “Needles” to say I found it.

 

[fishguy242]

or turning it on and forgetting to open discharge ,bye bye membrane ,once and only once

 

[Sebastian the Lionfish]

I have done that before. My mistake was wondering where the fuzzy dwarf was and then using my hand as a tool to find it. “Needles” to say I found it.

And the outcome was?

 

[Crustaceon]

And the outcome was?

Actually not that bad. It stung like a bee sting for about fifteen minutes and then it was over. I’d imagine it’s worse for some people but luckily for me it wasn’t.

 

[Gernader]

When I was doing a water change, I was using a return pump to put water in the tank, but I forgot to put a clamp on the hose so.... it ended up shooting saltwater all over my face, the walls and the floor haha! Luckily, I was able to stop it quickly

 

[TonyD1988]

When I first got into the hobby I had a little 20 gallon with 2 clowns, a damsel, and a pajama cardinal. I was topping off the evaporated water with pre-mixed salt water. I don't know how those fish survived. I still have the damsel to this day, unfortunately.

 

[jeffchapok]

Dosed H2O2 for GHA and my condylactis went nuclear and killed or severely stunted every other coral and nem in the tank.

On the off chance this was a fluke, I did it again about 6 months later. Same result.

I am no longer allowed to handle H2O2.

 

[NS Mike D]

Alright let's have a good laugh and everyone be honest! What is the most cringeworthy/hilarious rookie mistake you made now looking back!

there is nothing more cringeworthy or hilarious I've done in my life than when I walked into a Petco and walked out with a fish tank, live rock and sand.

 

[Evans Aquariums]

Not quarantining anything and wiping out two whole tanks of fish before understanding what diseases like Brook were and how they worked.

 

[William Norman]

My rookie mistake was thinking that the reef store in the expensive town next to me had to be good and then followed their advice. = Corals after 4 weeks into my new tank, never asked what i had, no QT is necessary we treat our fish for you... Thank goodness I found reef to reef trying to figure out what to do about dying yellow tank and corals.

 

[kevin318]

I turned my main pump, skimmer, and power heads off to feed everyone and didn’t turn them back on. Didn’t find it until the next day.......duh!!!

 

[Tom Carr]

About 10 years ago a was moving some things around in my tank and my hand ended up bumping into my green carpet anemone. It was hell getting my hand free then i had one heck of a reaction from it.
I never got close enough for it to happen again. lol

 

[Doglips56]

When I was doing a water change, I was using a return pump to put water in the tank, but I forgot to put a clamp on the hose so.... it ended up shooting saltwater all over my face, the walls and the floor haha! Luckily, I was able to stop it quickly

Been there done that!!

 

[Doglips56]

I turned my main pump, skimmer, and power heads off to feed everyone and didn’t turn them back on. Didn’t find it until the next day.......duh!!!

Yikes! And nothing died? Bet your heart was in your throat when you realized it!!

 

[Doglips56]

My rookie mistake was thinking that the reef store in the expensive town next to me had to be good and then followed their advice. = Corals after 4 weeks into my new tank, never asked what i had, no QT is necessary we treat our fish for you... Thank goodness I found reef to reef trying to figure out what to do about dying yellow tank and corals.

My mistake too...knew to QT but have made so many mistakes believing the people at the lfs’s. Have to trust the forum folks!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Keep getting caught with the RO/DI unit running. . . .. Darn it. Changed filters and forget the containers fill up faster than before.

 

[Rmckoy]

let 16" snowflake bite my hand,to see what it felt like back in the 90's,dumb move

I can only imagine what that felt like

 

[Rmckoy]

Keep getting caught with the RO/DI unit running. . . .. Darn it. Changed filters and forget the containers fill up faster than before.

I’ve forgot mine running over night and the whole next day at work .
It was in the basement

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ve forgot mine running over night and the whole next day at work .
It was in the basement

 

[GK3]

First tank was 8 gal biocube. I had rocks and clown fish that was it. I was in college and really couldn’t afford much more out of the hobby. I had that for a year along side a 37 gal FW that I’d had for a long time. Finally got bored one day and decided to spend $100 to turn my FW into SW. so I bought some rocks, some sand, some water, salt, and a damsel. Eventually moved my clown in and got rid of the damsel (took back to store). Just kept using my same hang on back filter and crappy lights. At Christmas my parents go me current USA T5s and a small sump(not a fancy one, it had floss and bio balls). Someone else got me a $200 GC for livestock. So I went to my local LFS and said I have this much for fish, what can I get. They were like pretty much anything except that 3 foot shark. So I got a black clown fish, a yellow tang, and a fuzzy dwarf lion fish (4 fish in a 45 gal system, 1 tang). Went back a few weeks later said I always like the blue hippo tang. Was told it would get along great with my yellow tang. 5 fish in a 45 gallon system, 2 tangs. Went back a few weeks later, had a special on coral beautys, got one. 6 fish in a 45 gallon system, 2 tangs. Then I got a baby horseshoe crab, an electric flame scallop, and a condy nem. Eventually got Xenia a frog spawn, and overall just really loved my tank. This lasted ohhhhh about 2 weeks and one by one everything died off. Kept going to my LFS and having them test the water, couldn’t find anything. The we started testing for copper...and calcium, and alkalinity, what the heck is alkalinity? This started in January. By March the tank had nothing in it and couldn’t support life. I left the lights going and couldn’t even grow much algae. My clean up crew didn’t even survive. Good times.