GROSS! What grosses you out the most in this hobby?

Is there anything that grosses you out about saltwater aquariums?

  • Yes (tell us in the thread)

    Votes: 170 42.8%
  • No

    Votes: 223 56.2%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 4 1.0%

  • Total voters
    397

adumb112

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In my old 57 i had an infestation of bristleworms. When the tank went to sleep they came out to feed. I called it the spaghetti tank and had to tear the system down when i couldn't control them any longer.
 

cratop

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For sure cleaning the protein skimmer!! The smells are nauseating
 

BighohoReef

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Zoa spiders!!!! Tiny eight legged water freaks.

That video also might now come close to me never wanting to overfeed my tank EVER!!!

giphy.gif
 

GrapevineReefs

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The Coral Name chasing, that I myself get caught up in more often than I like to admit, And a close second is my bank statement seeing the amount of transactions that in someway factor in to my boxes of water addiction
 

gcrawford

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Mostly related to smells.....when my sea hare died it was THE worst smell I've ever smelled. Second was when taking the tank down and siphoning the sand bed. Skimmate smell is nothing compared to these two.
 

Tony R.

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True story, many years ago...

I had a tank with a hang on overflow. As with most of these devices, it slowly builds up air at the top of the U tube, and will eventually quit flowing. I stuck a bit of airline into the U tube, left it hanging into the sump. Every once in a while, I'd grab the end of the airline, and suck the air out of the U tube.

Sucked a bristle worm into my mouth.

Yeah, it was as bad as you're thinking.
I audibly gasped. I'm so sorry...
 

Karen00

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i guess gross is in the eye? nose? of the beholder. there are things that are less appealing than others but i enjoy it all. as long as i stay out of my fridge. my standard of gross is a border collie that found the fishing worm container that was in the back yard too long and thought a roll in the contents would make a good fur conditioner.
This made me LOL! My dogs do the same thing with earthworms that have found their way onto my lawn and died. Fortunately a roll in one dead worm does not compare to your experience!
 

H3rm1tCr@b

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Well it doesn’t gross me out per say, but I recently discovered I have an intense fear of parasitic Isopods. I spotted one swimming around at night, tried to stab it with some tweezers, and it shot across the tank and touched my arm. I screamed so loudly and was so scared I accidentally knocked off my little Hygger pump. I had crawling feelings on my skin for the rest of the night. I think this explains why I don’t like mosquitos either. The thought of something biting and sucking my blood gives me a lot of anxiety.
 

rioreef

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Large dying clam. I’ll take a good whiff of skimmate over the clam.
 

taylorn13

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1. Bristle worms scare me and gross me out (terrified of fire bristle worms)
2. Identifying algae under a microscope. It creeps me out watching the little individual microalgae move under the microscope. I have no problem getting my hands dirty and sticking the in the tank with the siphon to clean it, but as soon as I see the squirm around under the microscope it freaks me out!
 

XNavyDiver

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Most of us were lured into this hobby like prey to an anglerfish! Well maybe it wasn't that bad but it was a good analogy I wanted to use! :p The point is that many of us saw the "pretty" of keeping a saltwater aquarium and either ignored the "ugly" or were just oblivious to it! To me it's worth it but that doesn't make some parts of this hobby any less gross! So let's talk about what's gross to you!


What is the most gross thing about keeping a saltwater aquarium to you? (Share any photos you have)

I am going to share two of my most "favorite" :/ gross things so proceed at your own risk!

1. Worms........Bristle worms in aquarium plumbing.




2. Second is an isopod that eats the tongue of it's host! Ewwww! YUCK!

Image via this Dive Photo Guide article.
1391022604.jpg


Image via this Dive Photo Guide article.
1391022519.jpg

Your #1 is also mine. Nightmare fuel. Ive put a bristle worm trap in my tank a few times. Opening it up is like disarming a bomb for me.
 

Ricky_Reef

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Honestly most of it is gross! Skimmer. Sump. Feeding. Poop. I sold my tank but still interested in the hobby. Lesson learned - next time I get a tank I need to hire someone to maintain and clean it
That just takes the Hobby out of the Hobby, better off looking at a Reef Screensaver! Lol
 
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