I figured this might be a good way for people to learn from OTHER peoples mistakes. Everyone makes them, and aquariums seem like a running muprhy's law example. So without further ado.. here is a list of totally stupid things I did that resulted in fish death/tank woes.
1. I had a beautiful achilies in QT with copper. Ammonia was creeping up, I didn't want to heat water for a water change..SO.. I added a cap ful of prime. Prime + copper equals toxic copper... fish dead next morning.
2. Had a friend over picking out some frags.. "man, that closed loop intake screen is filthy". .. yeah, I have been meaning to clean that ..I pull it off and throw in vinegar. Need to remember to shut the loop pump off. ... 4 hours later. bzzzzzz... what's that noise? Blue throat trigger and red tailed tamarin wrasse died in the CL inlet pipe.
3. Bought 15 anthias put in QT. didn't start copper yet. Added molly's from petco to the tank. One anthias dead...two...three. what the heck? 50% water change, added some antibiotics. three dead the next morning. "It has to be poor water quality in the small QT" Panic and threw them in my DT. four days later.. massive velvet and Euronema break out.
4. And lastly... on the wifes tank. "I think my wrasse jumped out and the cats ate him" "probably". The tank is noisy. Man, that tank is noisy. A week of listening to it. Then about 1:30AM I think... OMG.. that fish is probably stuck in the siphon tube!!! Opened it up full boar..out he plopped (he limped along for like 4 days then died). I felt absolutely horrible. I am quite certain then when I die, I am going to wake up in a closed tube full of rushing water.
Anyone else care to share? Come on now... fess up!
1. I had a beautiful achilies in QT with copper. Ammonia was creeping up, I didn't want to heat water for a water change..SO.. I added a cap ful of prime. Prime + copper equals toxic copper... fish dead next morning.
2. Had a friend over picking out some frags.. "man, that closed loop intake screen is filthy". .. yeah, I have been meaning to clean that ..I pull it off and throw in vinegar. Need to remember to shut the loop pump off. ... 4 hours later. bzzzzzz... what's that noise? Blue throat trigger and red tailed tamarin wrasse died in the CL inlet pipe.
3. Bought 15 anthias put in QT. didn't start copper yet. Added molly's from petco to the tank. One anthias dead...two...three. what the heck? 50% water change, added some antibiotics. three dead the next morning. "It has to be poor water quality in the small QT" Panic and threw them in my DT. four days later.. massive velvet and Euronema break out.
4. And lastly... on the wifes tank. "I think my wrasse jumped out and the cats ate him" "probably". The tank is noisy. Man, that tank is noisy. A week of listening to it. Then about 1:30AM I think... OMG.. that fish is probably stuck in the siphon tube!!! Opened it up full boar..out he plopped (he limped along for like 4 days then died). I felt absolutely horrible. I am quite certain then when I die, I am going to wake up in a closed tube full of rushing water.
Anyone else care to share? Come on now... fess up!