Worst Investments You've Made in the Hobby.
- Thread starter Servillius
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allsps40
New member
Oh another one is buying a Coralife Super Skimmer. Biggest piece of junk skimmer ever, even run in sump with a consistent water level the thing would over flow for no reason. I liked my RO skimmer but I love my SCA302 cone skimmer.
Buying an Oddysea skimmer, first skimmer ever. Super cheaply made pump that is total crap. Only used the thing for 2 weeks until I got the Super Skimmer. Which did skimmer a bit better than the Oddysea.
Starting with a 20H tank, HOB filter and skimmer (Oddysea). I quickly moved to a 29G with a 10G sump and that was still to small.
Buying an Oddysea skimmer, first skimmer ever. Super cheaply made pump that is total crap. Only used the thing for 2 weeks until I got the Super Skimmer. Which did skimmer a bit better than the Oddysea.
Starting with a 20H tank, HOB filter and skimmer (Oddysea). I quickly moved to a 29G with a 10G sump and that was still to small.
NMC
New member
I can see where the Edge could work well for that purpose. I don't have enough corals to be thinking about that for quite some time, but maybe in the future. I'd have to get some kind of light for it, of course. Corals would work. Not like trying to keep a fish alive in 6 gallons of water or trying to catch a fish with that top on.
saltwatertanker
New member
SeaClown Skimmer!
Buying used to save a few bucks - Purchased my 54 corner off craigslist only to have a plethora of scratches magically appear on the glass after I filled it with water. Also the craigslist aquamedic pendant which now runs on a NEW pricey ballast. Not that I'll stop checking craigslist or anything like that.
SaltieG
Member
I consider nothing I buy in this hobby to be an investment because there is simply no return. As far as the worst thing I ever bought goes I would say the cheap ebay T5 fixture I purchased because I didn't know anything about keeping coral at the time. I got so frustrated because obviously nothing but some zoos and a couple softies survived. Threw the light out and bought a TEK fixture with 6 bulbs and amazing how all of a sudden things lived and thrived quite well! I learned that going cheap actually cost me more in the long run.
allsps40
New member
Paying for quality equipment light lighting, filtration and pumps is an investment, in the health of your livestock. If we did not care so much we all would just have a simple beta bowl or easy fresh water fish.
How many corals did you loose because of that cheap ebay light?? And you still had to go buy a Tek light. If you would have invested in a good light from the start you would not have the wasted money for the ebay light and any dead livestock from the cheap lighting. I would say that is a return on an investment, living growing corals. Oh that you can sell as frags as the corals grow.
Jeff_NJ
New member
My 34 Solana for a number of reasons:
- Rimless is great in theory, but nearly impossible to keep clean.
- All-in-one seemed like a great idea... Missed the sump after my first maintenance cycle.
The biggest waste was the Ecoxotic Panorama fixture I paid $600 for. Why oh why didn't I just get MH???
- Rimless is great in theory, but nearly impossible to keep clean.
- All-in-one seemed like a great idea... Missed the sump after my first maintenance cycle.
The biggest waste was the Ecoxotic Panorama fixture I paid $600 for. Why oh why didn't I just get MH???
Microcosmos
Member
Mine was my own naïveté: I bought a mantis shrimp (good size, too) and put it in the same tank with a (rather small) stars and stripes puffer. The idea was to house the mantis for a day or two while I set up a small acrylic tank for it. I bought it online and the timing wasn't perfect but I didn't want to miss out on the mantis. Well. I thought "two tough critters, they should keep their distance from one another for a couple of days." That is not what happened. 
The mantis didn't stand a chance. I came home from work the next day to find the puffer wriggling around and swimming funny, and I was worried that the mantis had injured it. On closer inspection, I saw that the puffer was just trying to unload a large amount of mantis-colored poop. I was upset, but I only had myself to blame. Hopefully others intrigued by the beauty and personality of both species will know that they can live in the ocean together, but not in the same tank, not even temporarily!
The mantis didn't stand a chance. I came home from work the next day to find the puffer wriggling around and swimming funny, and I was worried that the mantis had injured it. On closer inspection, I saw that the puffer was just trying to unload a large amount of mantis-colored poop. I was upset, but I only had myself to blame. Hopefully others intrigued by the beauty and personality of both species will know that they can live in the ocean together, but not in the same tank, not even temporarily!
Microcosmos
Member
P.S. The puffer, originally $150, was now worth $230, and then I had to donate it back to the LFS when it outgrew the 30 gallon I was keeping it in (it was only tiny when I got it) anyway. Ah, the things we do to have a slice of the oceans in our homes! 
BIG_KAHUNA
New member
aqua c remora pro for my 55g. Don't cut corners on your skimmer!
Buying the tank and stand and thinking that I was half-way home to TOTM status. Quick check on RC for remaining equipment needs and set-up directions and the cold sweats started. Believe it or not, the LFS was wrong, the tank is not the most expensive part of the hobby and it's not like FW. Nine months later and I'm still stock-piling equipment setting aside money paycheck to paycheck. I call it tank support payments. Good news is that water goes in next week. Bad news is that TOTM is a ways off. At least the wife appreciates that I spend more time at home.
Great thread!
1. Every skimmer I bought before 2000. Are you there Red Sea?
2. Albert Thiel products.
3. Combisan (back in the day (BID) -- no idea whether it does anything useful since I used it).
4. Rio pumps (BID)
5. My first box of live rock purchased from World Class Aquarium in Brooklyn in 1990s. It was so putrid it almost crumbled in my hands. Wiped out flourishing SW tank and all its inhabitants. So stupid.
6. The plant tank and everything associated with it that I thought would be a low cost alternative to a reef tank. I had sworn off reefs after a financial setback that caused me to sell my 180. After a few years, I had the urge but convinced myself that a plant tank would be a reasonably priced alternative. OUCH! For what I spent on that damn plant tank before it succumbed (and boy did it succumb despite horrendously expensive and time-consuming efforts), I could have purchased a few fabulous frags on the RC
Propagated Corals & Tank Raised Livestock Selling forum!
1. Every skimmer I bought before 2000. Are you there Red Sea?
2. Albert Thiel products.
3. Combisan (back in the day (BID) -- no idea whether it does anything useful since I used it).
4. Rio pumps (BID)
5. My first box of live rock purchased from World Class Aquarium in Brooklyn in 1990s. It was so putrid it almost crumbled in my hands. Wiped out flourishing SW tank and all its inhabitants. So stupid.
6. The plant tank and everything associated with it that I thought would be a low cost alternative to a reef tank. I had sworn off reefs after a financial setback that caused me to sell my 180. After a few years, I had the urge but convinced myself that a plant tank would be a reasonably priced alternative. OUCH! For what I spent on that damn plant tank before it succumbed (and boy did it succumb despite horrendously expensive and time-consuming efforts), I could have purchased a few fabulous frags on the RC
Propagated Corals & Tank Raised Livestock Selling forum!
Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
I am hard headed, so lets see what I can list from the beginning to now:
Odyssea PS hob skimmer (more like POS), you had to watch the thing all day.
Odyssea 4x24 T5 (not bad just not enough for what I wanted)
Aqua Medic Turboflotor Multi 1000 (big for no reason)
New line of Maxi Jets, they are so cheaply made and dont work as well as my eight year old cpr bak pak MJ1200 that I have used for just about everything.
Aqua C Remora way too loud, inconsistent.
Play sand from home depot (luckily only 8-10 bucks but what a stupid purchase)
Red Sea Wavemaster Pro (Dont use this for Koralias)
Walking into an LFS
Listening to the LFS
Buying phytoplankton from an LFS
Being convinced a mandarin is suitable for a 20 gal and the pods within the tank only and purchasing the mandarin with a curved belly (that I saved after reading RC)
Buying every supplement or additive at Petco.
Petco pre mixed SW (DONT BUY THIS)
LR from Petco. (had aptasia and hair algae on it)
In the end, I go to Petco and the aquarium section store associates end up listening to me for their aquarium needs. I always recommend this forum, it is a savior.
I had a friend who bought a Skilter. It is basically a very cheaply made hob filter with another compartment that is a POS skimmer that basically does nothing.
Odyssea PS hob skimmer (more like POS), you had to watch the thing all day.
Odyssea 4x24 T5 (not bad just not enough for what I wanted)
Aqua Medic Turboflotor Multi 1000 (big for no reason)
New line of Maxi Jets, they are so cheaply made and dont work as well as my eight year old cpr bak pak MJ1200 that I have used for just about everything.
Aqua C Remora way too loud, inconsistent.
Play sand from home depot (luckily only 8-10 bucks but what a stupid purchase)
Red Sea Wavemaster Pro (Dont use this for Koralias)
Walking into an LFS
Listening to the LFS
Buying phytoplankton from an LFS
Being convinced a mandarin is suitable for a 20 gal and the pods within the tank only and purchasing the mandarin with a curved belly (that I saved after reading RC)
Buying every supplement or additive at Petco.
Petco pre mixed SW (DONT BUY THIS)
LR from Petco. (had aptasia and hair algae on it)
In the end, I go to Petco and the aquarium section store associates end up listening to me for their aquarium needs. I always recommend this forum, it is a savior.
I had a friend who bought a Skilter. It is basically a very cheaply made hob filter with another compartment that is a POS skimmer that basically does nothing.
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