what lessons have you learnt the hard way?

[shadowfax]

mine have been,

when buying gear for your tank, buy the best not cheap crap, or you'll just end up replacing it.

always have a Q tank for new fish

if you decide to be lazy one week & not do water changes, the next week you see something wrong with your fish & wonder if it was becuase of your lazyness.

even if yours are the same as mine add them anyway & we'll see what the most common lesson has been!!

[shell]

Turn heater off before doing water change (I'm up to heater #4 in 2 years and still forget).

Think heaps before adding Java moss. Can't get rid of the stuff!

[Adrienne]

always have a Q tank for new fish,

spend the money to have a decent filter system,

do your water changes properly,

don't let someone who doesn't know about fish feed them when you're away!

[ryanjury]

Id say forgetting to plug the heater back in after water changes.. Then wondering why your fish were all slow.

Ill second the not letting people who know what they're doing feed your fish..

And add always make sure your filter pipes and stuff and in your tank securely and don't fall out overnight and flood your lounge! lol

[Janelle]

Don't give fish to my mum.

If keeping subtropical fish just fine in an unheated tank in summer, invest in a heater BEFORE winter.

Don't give fish to my mum. Wait... sorry, already mentioned that one.

I can't really think of anything else right now... I guess I've been lucky so far.

[Slightly Blue Dalmation]

dont cycle a tank with neon tetras, went through so many of the poor little buggers

[michael.qian]

Mine has been don't add fish too fast, but I was lucky I didn't have to learn the hard way and managed to restart the cycle without loosing any fish.

But it would have been easily gone the wrong way and I would have lost most of the following below.

[michael.qian]

sorry here is what I could have lost

[Glenn]

dont get distracted when refilling tanks with a hose.

[michael.qian]

Re Glenn

lol true

[spidey]

wash my hands after work before i put them in my tank :oops: :oops:

nearly lost my:

2xoscars

2xconvicts

1xpico

1x33cm tinfoil barb

[paul_r]

1. Dont let flatmates feed fish, one night had a flatmate almost in tears because she fed one of my community tanks and had "accidently" poured in half a small container of tetra crisps. Was not kool seeing the fish swimming around while it was snowing food.

Had to immediatly take out fish, clean all stones and get rid of all the food, and basically replace all of the water.

2. When buying a used tank from trademe/other people always give a good clean with salt, who knows how long it has been sitting around for and where, lost 8 nothobranchious korthause killies due to poisoning when i set up a tank i got off a friend.

3. When breeding killies and you are checking the mops, check there are no fish inside before taking out of tank, learnt that the hard way when i was checking a mop, put it up to the light and a killie dropped about 2 meters and broke her back.

I think those are all the mishaps ive had so far, good things to learn from though.

[Fishkeepa]

angelfish will eat neons, when not if

watch the bucket you are filling up by siphon :roll:

[jim r]

Do not take someone else's word that you bought a stainless steel commercial heating element and use it on your discus tank then find out it was copper underneath the coating. :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Loopy]

never forget that you have tanks siphoning. Especially while visiting at hospital when you finally remember. (the looks I got by sprinting away from the hosp and not towards :-)

[Southerrrngirrl]

DON'T warm the fish tank up by using hot water. How I learned the lesson? I came home to find fish being very sluggish, checked thermometer water 20 degrees!? Check heater, not on, check heater plug, its come out! Panic! added hot water to bring tank up to temperature. End result.... lost my rainbow shark. The sudden change in temp must have stressed him out, next day he couldn't swim properly and had whitespot all over him. I assume thats what caused his death anyway, otherwise it was a freaky coincidence.

BTW, I was very new to this hobby when it happened.

[mr pleco]

NEVER throw out apiece of driftwood before checking it throughly for hiding plecos

NEVER build a tank without enough supports unless you want a bow front glass

NEVER get distracted when syphoning and then wonder why yr fish are doing the high jump on the gravel and the floor is now a swimming pool

NEVER expect an overflow pipe to NEVER get blocked

NEVER think yr quarintine tank is useless empty and better off with some fish in it coz you are NEVER going to buy any more fish anytime soon

NEVER think adding hot water on the front glass then cold water = warm water .....= cracked glass

[michael.qian]

Re Mr Pleco

Did you really learn all those lessons the hard way?

Cuz it sounds a bit harsh all that lessons were learnt by one person.

[ljtan55]

1. DONT look at a small puddle on the carpet next to a fishtank and go "I just must've spilt some, she'll be right"

2. DONT just think, after weeks "wow that water is just not evaporating", and go out and buy a dehumidifer from the warehouse

4. DONT panic when you realise the carpet underneath your fish tanks in your RENTED flat has gone mouldy from your HOB filter leaking for a month

5. DEFINATELY DONT use exit mould on carpet in blind panic.

6. DO put a carpet over it and pray that your landlord doesn't see it on the next inspection. :roll:

[jn]

(Note to self : Always ask prospective tenants if they're fishkeepers before signing tenancy agreement!)

[danilada]

I havent been fish keeping for long, ive leanrt:

1. when it comes to fish keeping, read more before filling up a tank and adding heaps of fish staright away, THEY WILL DIE!

(yes I know common sense, but I learnt the hard way lol)

2. Also watch when doing gravel cleaning, because Kuhlis are small and get sucked up easily.

[markoshark]

BGKs will eat neons.

Pantadon Butterflies will eat baby danios.

Make sure there is some surface adgitation.

IF YOU THINK YOU NEEED TO DO A WATER CHANGE, DO IT THEN!

[snookie]

water and electricity does not mix well :roll:

[candy]

Not everyone loves fish as much as you do!

Set up a huge tank for a friend, put lots of work and time in to setting it up right and making sure it was seeded with my filter gunk...

Friend just does not care and does not understand that if you dont do the water changes ect the fish will start dying... Wish we sold the 7 foot tank to some one elce now. At least it would of been looked after proparly.

[Matt]

Excellent thread, good to learn from others mistakes without having to make them yourself .

A few of my more memorable ones:

1) Never leave a piece of Airline tubing hanging over the side of tank as it will start self syphoning in the early hours of the morning . You will wonder why you are dreaming of waterfalls and then wake up to the sound of running water . Dehumidifiers

2) Never leave a piece of wood sticking out the top of a tank containing a fancy pleco, as they will climb up the wood and end up dried and stuck to the carpet under your couch. Most expensive mistake yet!

3) Always have a tight fitting lid when you have Siamese Algae Eaters as otherwise they will also end up dried and stuck to the carpet under your couch. Poor fish.

4) Make sure the divider goes all the way up to the cover glass when seperated Apistogramma Panduro's as otherwise the Male will jump the divider and kill the female :evil: :evil: .

I am sure there have been a few more but that is all I can think of for now.

Cheers,

Matt