What are the most dangerous aspects of this hobby?

[Lebowski_]

Many of us have heard of a Palytoxin (If you haven’t, read this).

Lionfish and urchin toxicity is also pretty widely known about.

Corals and anemones have stung people badly enough to cause numbness, pain and scarring.

Water and electricity…drip loops people!

What are some other risks which can make this hobby dangerous if not respected?

 

[Spare time]

Probably getting sick. Handling raw seafood and live animals is probably a big risk given many people's poor hygiene.

 

[Zelly]

Saw a story the other day where a guy was handling corals and then touched his face and sweat got in his eye. Believe he ended up completely blind in one eye and partially blind in another

 

[vetteguy53081]

False test readings
Disease
Equipment failure
Leaks
Hitchhikers
Tank mate aggression

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Bankruptcy

 

[Cichlid Dad]

But really, not knowing a danger and finding out the hard way.

 

[Labridaedicted]

For me, it's if my wife actually found out how much I've spent on all this.

 

[Mark Gray]

Have not ever gotten sick or poisoning, I have had a nasty bite from a trigger, and have ben stung from jelly's in the ocean and got stung by a lion fish. My worst fear is tank failure, I have had it once and pray it never happens again.

 

[LarryNuke]

Many of us have heard of a Palytoxin (If you haven’t, read this).

Lionfish and urchin toxicity is also pretty widely known about.

Corals and anemones have stung people badly enough to cause numbness, pain and scarring.

Water and electricity…drip loops people!

What are some other risks which can make this hobby dangerous if not respected?

You need to understand the electrical load a tank setup pulls. Most home outlets are two sockets, with a capacity of 15A total from the two combined. Anything over that risks overheating the house wiring from the breaker panel to the outlet. I recently read about an aquarist that essentially burnt their house down. He stated he purchased brand name equipment but that doesn't account for the load.

Add up the watts used by each piece and if you are getting close to 1800 Watts, power some of the equipment from a separate outlet. Find an electrician if you are not certain. Electrical fires result from overloaded outlets.

 

[shakacuz]

for me, probably the tank seems bursting open. everything else i do is calculated to a certain extent.

 

[Pistondog]

You need to understand the electrical load a tank setup pulls. Most home outlets are two sockets, with a capacity of 15A total from the two combined. Anything over that risks overheating the house wiring from the breaker panel to the outlet. I recently read about an aquarist that essentially burnt their house down. He stated he purchased brand name equipment but that doesn't account for the load.

Add up the watts used by each piece and if you are getting close to 1800 Watts, power some of the equipment from a separate outlet. Find an electrician if you are not certain. Electrical fires result from overloaded outlets.

If all is wired (14 awg) and breakered (15 amp) properly, there is no risk to house wiring.

And i think you meant power from a separate citcuit, not outlet. Adjacent outlets are probably on the same circuit.

We should all be using gfci outlets or breakers.

 

[MoshJosh]

Wives after they check the bank account. . .

 

[Lebowski_]

If all is wired (14 awg) and breakered (15 amp) properly, there is no risk to house wiring.

And i think you meant power from a separate citcuit, not outlet. Adjacent outlets are probably on the same circuit.

We should all be using gfci outlets or breakers.

Breaker is a given here in my area, but I’ve been thinking about switching out my outlet to gfci. Seems wrong to have so much power and so much water but no gfci.

 

[Pistondog]

Breaker is a given here in my area, but I’ve been thinking about switching out my outlet to gfci. Seems wrong to have so much power and so much water but no gfci.

Didnt quite understand your comment.
You should install gfci breaker or gfci outlet.

 

[GARRIGA]

Social media claiming you can’t do what you have done

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Falling in love with animals you're more than likely going to kill on accident sometime before they're supposed to.

 

[pennied]

Reading threads like these

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

poking the blue ringed octopus

 

[flyfisher2]

Buying stuff you don’t really need.
Following every new trend.
Lack of patience to give whatever change you last made an opportunity to make a difference.

 

[doubleshot00]

Leaks and tanks exploding are my biggest fears. I have dreams about it all the time.