The Things We Got Wrong Thread

[IJG3145]

Mistakes made (well apart from marrying the wrong woman).

• Trusting LFS to be honest - some are, most are not.
• Trusting LFS to know what they are taking about - less than 50% do.
• Trusting LFS to care........very few do.
• Buying without researching first.
• Buying online from the wrong companies.
• Stocking too fast.
• Getting slack on maintenance.
• Not setting up tank to make maintenance easier in the first place.
• Overfeeding.

[Lutjanus]

Some of the big mistakes I made when I started:

(1) Not using RO/DI water from the start for top ups or mixing ASW

(2) Not researching - Unfortunately some LFS shops will give some very questionable advice.
I was niave and followed their advice. Research everything.

(3) Not having clear and specific goals of what I wanted to achieve with my tanks.

(4) Looking for quick fixes for problems.

(4) Not reading the Beginners Guide on RTAW.
This is an invaluable resource that provides a wealth of information that is well laid out and easy to understand.

[SantaMonica]

Not realizing that the floor of a second-story office would slowly shift and settle.

[greeni]

Some of the big mistakes I made when I started:

(1) Not using RO/DI water from the start for top ups

that was one of my mistakes, another was trusting a swing arm hydrometer.

[slawman]

I have made every mistake in the book over the last 20 years but these ones stick in my mind:

Not using quarantine for new fish (far and away the biggest issue)
Not getting on top of algae outbreaks straight away
Not buying a good quality skimmer upfront
Not keeping a close eye on calcium/alk/magnesium balance