Dumbest thing you ever did as a newby

Building an custom acrylic 90gal AIO. For my first acrylic build. 4 mos later watching a bad seam grow 1/2'' in 24 hrs. 3hrs later had all trans. into a 40brd. A week later cutting up my $400 mistake with a skilsaw. A week after that I started building a custom acrylic 85gal AIO. What a vicious cycle. LOL
 
Cleaning out tank and threw away a coral by mistake. I thought it was dead. I know now if its not white its not dead.

Came home to a flooded second floor because I forgot to turn off water. It only took a couple of days to dry out.
 
Used tap water for my tank but I wised up and got a 4 stage rodi from bulkreefsupply after a really bad case of redhair algae

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gee.. where to start.. OH, i know! listening to my LFS :rollface:

1."will that nice 37g aqua one tank over there work as a marine tank?" "SURE WILL! :thumbsup: :lol2:"
2. running without a skimmer
3. running with a red sea prizm skimmer :lmao:
4. "power heads?? what are they??"
5. wet dry filter

had a funny one though. its Friday night and my grandmother ends up rummaging around the garage and comes across something. "Jackpot!" she thinks to herself and decides to refill all of the salt containers in the house from my salt mix. Mum promptly then spends all weekend cooking beautiful meals for the rest of the week. Thought the lemon chicken we had that night had a strange zing to it.... :strange:
Monday morning and grandmother comes and complains to me saying she doesnt like the salt were keeping in the garage. Into the bin all the food went
 
Reading on here over and over "never skimp on skimmers or lighting."

Then buying a $50 skimmer on ebay, and now worrying that it isn't going to work.

Telling the 11yo that the cleaner shrimp will clean your hands off when you put them in the tank. Both kids know to wash their hands and rinse well first, but I'm wiping the front of my glass off several times a day now...

Overflowing the ro/di water is just a given to me. I don't consider it stupid, I'm just a busy person (read absent minded)! :p
 
rustyjames said:
It was 1999, went to lfs told them I had a 20 gallon with ugf and wanted to try saltwater. They sold me a bag of crushed coral, a bag of salt, a hydrometer and a four stripe damsel on the same day! Well the damsel lived. A couple weeks later told them I wanted another fish for spiffy new 20, came home with a huma huma trigger.
Click to expand...


haha started with a canister filter, tap water with conditioner, 5 year old seaclone skimmer occelaris clown. i went back to the lfs and after he lived for a week said i wanted a new fish and they gave me a naso tang.
 
not letting the tank cycle long enough due to my noobish knowledge, and not getting/setting up a QT tank right away.
 
Buying a used 46 gallon bowfront. It leaked, bought ended up buying a brand new one from pet store, dropped it....you probably know what happened to it. Bought a new one online, had the mailman bring it in so I ddnt bust this one!

Also, I took the heater out of one of my reserve saltwater buckets so I could put the water in the tank for a water change. Soon after I smelled burning carpet I PICKED up the PIPING hot heater with my bare hand. Living with a moderatly burned hand and ego at the lowest of lows...How did I make it through High School?
 
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Drilled my Return holes too Low in the tank, Now they syphon.

Had to install More linkline and ark it to stop the back flow.
 
burned my eyes and was blind for 2 weeks after staring/looking at my uv sterlizer while fixing it. i look at the glowing bulb for about 15 min making sure water wasnt leaking in. in 1 hour after i had a feeling of sand in my eyes and then increased to like someone crushed glass and put it in my eyes. was blind for 2 weeks and then i had to used dark shades for next 2 weeks after. pain was the worst i ever felt in my entire life.
 
Started with a 36g AIO. Added Auto top off with a huge fresh water resevoir and forgot to unplug float switch first water change. Basicly turned my saltwater to fresh water.
 
hpfunk said:
I hired a stranger to setup and take care of my tank 1st mistake
First fish he got me...damsels (the meanest one on earth) This guy ate the fins off of every fish I put in the tank except for the tangs. Eventually I had to tare down the aqua scape and sectioning the tank just to catch him.
So I started going to the LFS to get some knowledge, they sent me home with a sea apple and a couple of really colorful cucumbers.
I've flooded due to forgotten containers more times than I can remember. I dropped a light in my tank and grabbed it out. Moved a 100 tank across the room 2/3 full.
Worst ever mistake, trying to unplug my power strip while standing in 2 inches of salt water, I got in unplugged but ended up getting one hell of a zap to the point I ended up in the 2 inches of water on my back.
Note to self and everyone else,
GO TO THE BREAKER BOX WHEN DEALING WITH A WATER EMERGENCY INVOLVING ELECTRICITY!!!
Click to expand...

i know it wasted funny then put some of those gave me a good giggle, thanks for sharing! I reall ylike the moving the tank 2/3 full hahahaha
 
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