# What NOT to Buy



## dubvstudent (Jan 10, 2009)

We have all done it, picked up a product or material we thought was gonna work great only to get home and realize, "this is a peice of junk".

Well, please, share your mistakes here in an effort to prevent the same by others. (particularly impulse buyers like me:icon_wink)

My most recent, a glass cleaner that wasn't a mag-float. I should have known to spend the extra $3, but no, I thought to myself,"its just a magnet with some felt pads attached to them". The thing is terrible, the felt is cheap and already tearing off and the fact that it falls to the bottom and disturbs substrate/picks some up in the pad is way more annoying than I anticipated.

Anyone else waste some of thier hard earned money recently?


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

Aquarium gravel. The amount I saved over getting eco-complete wasn't worth it.

Also an electric gravel vacuum. It takes my fish at least a day to overcome the stress of my trying to use it and if it gets too close to the edge of the tank water spills out and rocks keep getting sucked up into it and I have to stop and I don't think it even makes that much of a difference in tank cleanliness.


This is a good idea for a thread.


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Hope you get the answers you're looking for before the mods shut this down. Giving honest (negative) opinions about products/brands/manufacturers is frowned upon on this forum for some reason.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Franzi said:


> Giving honest (negative) opinions about products/brands/manufacturers is frowned upon on this forum for some reason.


Wow. Now there's a lot of positivity spilling from you. Happy New Year.

Vendor reviews are not allowed for some good reasons, which have been explained to you repeatedly.

Back to the topic on hand.


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## t0p_sh0tta (Jan 24, 2008)

Plastic check valves. Don't do it, EVER.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

I bought a battery-powered air pump a while back. The thing worked, but I swear my lawnmower was quieter


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Used filters. Just spend the extra money to get a new one.


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

Traveling about 60 miles to get a 55g gallon that was pristine (on CL), getting there, and not checking the light fixture (t5ho, with moonlights, and oh! It would have been perfect, had the whole thing not been corroded beyond repair), finding out that the stand was actually particle board, and not wood, like she told me, and oh, paying the entire 150$. I found out about the lights when I got home.

Moral: Be an informed person, and don't ignore the red flags you get about something.

I've also done the floating magnet thing.


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## boon (Mar 29, 2006)

I pretty sure as long as we don't mention names it should stay within the TOS. 

I've bought one those plastic ring food holder thingy. It's suppose to stick to the side and float so that the flakes stays within the area but of course some pieces sink once wet. It was a mess.


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## Ron101 (Nov 21, 2010)

I bought a long squeeze trimmer with interchangeable ends. The scissor ends would lock up on a plant and wouldn't open up. I had to uproot the plant to get the thing open.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

A friend told me an integrated hood was the way to go. Filter and lighting were part of the hood itself, which meant that neither could be upgraded without removing both. Additionally, in order to get into the tank to do any maintenence, the hood folded open ...and the light would then be pointed up and away from the tank. And in an otherwise dark room, that made things interesting. A hundred bucks for a learning experience.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Duckweed.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

you bought duckweed?

I thought they were complimentary with every purchase of aquatic plants. That's how I got my duckweed.


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## Dan Knowlton (Jan 9, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> duckweed.


+1,000,000!


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> I thought they were complimentary with every purchase of aquatic plants. That's how I got my duckweed.


Me too.

I too regret buying a magnet algae cleaner.... I got the one from Walmart. The felt is bumpy now, hard to describe, like not even layer...


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

sewingalot said:


> Duckweed.


:hihi: Whats wrong with having that float all over and spending the next year trying to get it out?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Eden Marel said:


> Me too.
> 
> I too regret buying a magnet algae cleaner.... I got the one from Walmart. The felt is bumpy now, hard to describe, like not even layer...


I use the magnet to pick up nails. It works great.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

blue airline tubing. It seemed like a good idea because it was much more pliable than the clear stuff, which also meant it was more expensive....but it's a total eye sore!!! Just goes to show that just because it's more expensive doesn't always mean it's the better product.

also.....I just bought a non-magfloat magnetic algae scraper because I can't find my magfloat and this was the only one left in the store.....maybe I should return before opening and go back for the real deal (or do a better search for mine :hihi!


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

Toms Rapid Mini Canister. I paid ~$30 to have that stupid filter pump the water out of the tank and onto my desk.


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## Splendid Splendens (Dec 22, 2010)

tuffgong said:


> Toms Rapid Mini Canister. I paid ~$30 to have that stupid filter pump the water out of the tank and onto my desk.


I had the same experience with another brand. The way they made it, for some reason, water spilled out the back of the filter as well as the front.


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## VaultBoy (Nov 11, 2010)

I feel like i am at the wrong end of a firing range...

I like my duckweed and so do my chickens


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

VaultBoy said:


> I feel like i am at the wrong end of a firing range...
> 
> I like my duckweed and so do my chickens


If I had chickens to feed it to, I wouldn't hate it so much. I seriously picked out each and every piece that I saw and it keeps coming back!!! Oh and Tom Rapids Filter. That is crap.


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

my advice would prolly be to NEVER impulse buy.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

nikonD70s said:


> my advice would prolly be to NEVER impulse buy.


Hahaha, true true. BUT easier said than done!! Well for me at least :icon_frow


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

malaysian trumpet snails and pond snails (i like my ramshorn snails tho)

got some from the BBS by accident when I bought their _"aquatic"_ plants in the beginning


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

VaultBoy said:


> I feel like i am at the wrong end of a firing range...
> 
> I like my duckweed and so do my chickens



I like my duckweed too. I don't have a lot of it and every time I stick my hand in the tank it seems to remove enough to keep it from getting out of control. But I have a little 3g tank so its not a big hassle to clean it out. Where as I can see it being an issue with a larger tank.


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## dubvstudent (Jan 10, 2009)

tuffgong said:


> Toms Rapid Mini Canister. I paid ~$30 to have that stupid filter pump the water out of the tank and onto my desk.


What happened to yours? Did a seal just fail somewhere?

I bought it because it had relatively good reviews (and it was cheap). Thus far I haven't had any problems with it. But two posts in a row that had problems with them make me worry.


Ahh, Duckweed... The STD of aquatic plants.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

dubvstudent,
After my first initial cleaning of the Toms Rapid Mini Canister I was unable to get the head to seal with the canister so it slowly pumped a couple of gallons onto my desk and floor. I would keep a very close eye on it if I where you. Especially if you have to open it up for whatever reason. IMO it seems like there should be some type of O-ring around the head to ensure a perfect seal with the canister. Some people have had great success with the Toms mini, but the majority of users around here seem to have problems.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Franzi said:


> Hope you get the answers you're looking for before the mods shut this down. Giving honest (negative) opinions about products/brands/manufacturers is frowned upon on this forum for some reason.


PRODUCT reviews are allowed. Just not Vendor reviews.


Odyssea brand light fixture. Bought a CF fixture years ago before I got involved with online forums where I could research equipment. The thing ran super hot and hummed all the time (to the point I could hear it humming in other parts of the house). It made me so nervous and was so loud that I got rid of it, and then I started reading online reviews about the things catching on fire (which I totally believe- that fixture made me nervous even before I started reading about the fires!). Replaced it with a Solar T5HO and haven't looked back since. Odyssea permanently lost me as a customer, though.


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## ridewake210 (Jan 12, 2007)

dubvstudent said:


> My most recent, a glass cleaner that wasn't a mag-float. I should have known to spend the extra $3, but no, I thought to myself,"its just a magnet with some felt pads attached to them". The thing is terrible, the felt is cheap and already tearing off and the fact that it falls to the bottom and disturbs substrate/picks some up in the pad is way more annoying than I anticipated.



I bought something similiar, maybe the same one. 

Its white and light blue. Has a handled molded into it on the outside half. 
Horrible glass cleaner. 


Anyone wanna buy a magnet glass cleaner? :hihi:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

MrMoneybags said:


> malaysian trumpet snails and pond snails (i like my ramshorn snails tho)


 
Whereas I regret my ramshorn purchase. Suckers have taken over one of my tanks (but oddly, only one). Never again will I purchase snails that can reproduce in my tank . . . 

Oh, and “aquatic” plants from “the big chains”. Yeah, only the Anubis was actually aquatic. And only one of the three of those survived. Total waste of money.


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## Splendid Splendens (Dec 22, 2010)

Hahahaha I was offered some free duckweed, now I am debating if I even want it! Haha


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Whenever people complain about duckweed I remember a member here who was trying to get rid of it in his tank, and said he even found some growing in the tile grout in his shower. Cracks me up...


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

lauraleellbp said:


> Whenever people complain about duckweed I remember a member here who was trying to get rid of it in his tank, and said he even found some growing in the tile grout in his shower. Cracks me up...


Im pretty good about not impulse buying equipment but Fish and Plants get me everytime!


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

...those "guaranteed to sprout or your money back" bulbs sold in the big box stores...I had 1 grow out of 9-10 before they just eventually said no more replacements

oh! and this piece of garbage
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/4530/product.web

bought one...and couldnt figure out why my paintball tanks lasted <4days
...found a horrible leak and they replaced it twice before they refused to help me anymore


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

lauraleellbp said:


> Whenever people complain about duckweed I remember a member here who was trying to get rid of it in his tank, and said he even found some growing in the tile grout in his shower. Cracks me up...


lmao!


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## Bettatail (Feb 12, 2009)

fungus treatment, kill the beneficial bacteria, and the whole tank smells like sewage.
as for duckweed, get some congo tetra or goldfish, in extreme case, get a duck, and don't feed them.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

Quiet One brand pumps.

I got one for a sump pump on my reef tank and they seem to go out at about 3 months like clockwork.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

mmelnick said:


> Quiet One brand pumps.
> 
> I got one for a sump pump on my reef tank and they seem to go out at about 3 months like clockwork.


I have a quiet one pump I've been running for 3 years...


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

over_stocked said:


> I have a quiet one pump I've been running for 3 years...


 
Maybe you got the only good one out there then. :icon_mrgr

Or maybe I just got like 5 bad ones???

I know the manager at Petsmart so I just trade it for a new one whenever it goes out, and I've been through somewhere around a 1/2 a dozen, about every 3 months.

I would never buy one again, but I keep getting free replacements. It's almost a joke by now.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

And it's only at like 3' of lift, which shouldn't stress it all that much.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Coralife digital thermometers. Junk. 

Just use the sticky old school ones. Or spend a little more for a proper digi.


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

bsmith said:


> Coralife digital thermometers. Junk.
> 
> Just use the sticky old school ones. Or spend a little more for a proper digi.


+1. i use the cheapo glass ones.


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

I wish I could upvote this thread and many of the responses.


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## ponyo (Aug 9, 2010)

Should I be really ashamed if I couldn't keep my duckweed alive?


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Nope! I killed my ricca recently!

Don't get a substrate smoother. That is one of the most useless scaping tools I have ever heard of.


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## SkyGrl (Jan 7, 2010)

ponyo said:


> Should I be really ashamed if I couldn't keep my duckweed alive?


lol me too! it was eaten or it died.... not sure. 

i think alot of ppl are jealous of our duckweed killing skills.. :bounce:

Amy


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## The_Finglonger (Jun 21, 2010)

rio pumps, they are garbage


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

Caton said:


> Don't get a substrate smoother. That is one of the most useless scaping tools I have ever heard of.


A what?


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## J-P (Oct 17, 2010)

a nitrate removal system ... waste of $$ and time.


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## cblwry (Sep 15, 2010)

Ron101 said:


> I bought a long squeeze trimmer with interchangeable ends. The scissor ends would lock up on a plant and wouldn't open up. I had to uproot the plant to get the thing open.


I bought one of these also. The scissor end does bet stuck. The tweezer end , IMO, is too fat and pushes the substrate away so the plant just floats up to the top and it's really awkward to use. It sits in the corner and I just use regular scissors. One of these days I will get some real tools. :bounce:


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

boringname said:


> A what?


hes talking about the real expensive substrate tool...the one that is used to level substrate when starting up a planted tank

I was smart and got one of these bad boys instead










a 3 pack for <$1...amazingly...it works just as well AND no one sees it when I put it away :hihi: win, win


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

I'll stand by the Rapids Minis. Both of mine work peachy keen, and I even dropped one of them. I guess a common problem is people often put the wrong tubes on the intake and outtakes. Which causes huge issues. Sounds dumb, but hey, they aren't marked; like at all.

I don't regret buying anything per se, I regret how much it costs when I change my mind, which seems to be often. I sunk how much money into my 29g, and I'm still not happy with all my equipment. Good thing most of my endeavors don't make it past the planning process...

Oh wait, buying plants from an online vendor. What I got was just pathetic, to say the least.


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## dubvstudent (Jan 10, 2009)

Captivate05 said:


> I'll stand by the Rapids Minis. Both of mine work peachy keen, and I even dropped one of them. I guess a common problem is people often put the wrong tubes on the intake and outtakes. Which causes huge issues. Sounds dumb, but hey, they aren't marked; like at all.


Agreed, I had to stare at the crumby 3 inch diagram for about 15 min. before I was confident that I had it right.


I love the feedback I'm getting here, and the variety of experiences, even with the same product, is astonishing. Just goes to show you, "Your experience may vary" is not just an advertising tagline.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

bsmith said:


> Coralife digital thermometers. Junk.
> 
> Just use the sticky old school ones. Or spend a little more for a proper digi.


 
Mine has lasted about 4 years. I changed the batteries once.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

mmelnick said:


> Mine has lasted about 4 years. I changed the batteries once.


You are in the vast minority. Have you ever actually checked the thermo with an accurate one. Do that then let us know. I'm betting at least two degrees off.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

IMO/Ime the rapids isnt a bad fter when properly set up it just so weak it's practically worthless. And having to pay $25 fir one, please I'll keep my used 2213 u paid $60 for.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

bsmith said:


> You are in the vast minority. Have you ever actually checked the thermo with an accurate one. Do that then let us know. I'm betting at least two degrees off.


 
I'll try checking it with my glass thermometer and see.

Then I'll post back here.


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## b 30g (Dec 24, 2010)

i checked mine it was off 3 degrees i thought it worked good until i read this


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

rickztahone said:


> +1. i use the cheapo glass ones.


But it's nice to know what kind of a range you have throughout the day without checking it all day long.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

mmelnick said:


> I'll try checking it with my glass thermometer and see.
> 
> Then I'll post back here.


Youve used it for 4 years and never checked lol jk  

I got a shotty marina digi by hagen. Trashed the receipt so i couldnt return it but its consistantly 3 degrees below actual temp. I still use it, i just add 3 to the whatever it says.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

MlDukes said:


> Youve used it for 4 years and never checked lol jk


IDK, I probably did when I first got it. But it's been a long time, and since I'll be using it on freshwater now instead of the reef tank I figure who cares. Certainly not the cardinal tetras and guppies who will be in there. I figure it it reads 79 then it's fine if it's off by a couple degrees either way.

Most freshwater critters are much less demanding when it comes to keeping an exact temp.


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## nik8806 (Jan 6, 2011)

Duckweed hahahhaha. my favorite "What NOT to Buy" in this whole thing. I hated working at the fish store and sticking my hand into the plant tank and coming out with duckweed ALL over my arms. 

Right now, the only thing I can complaing about is my stupid Coralife light fixture, that Fan is really making me angry, ever 10 min I have to get up and hit the top of it to shut that fan up! About 30 min ago I just turned off one of the switches so i could have some peace and quiet! Otherwise, its been a good light. Just wish I could replace the fans...


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## 20VT (Jan 4, 2011)

i have the coralife digi thermometer and i just checked it with another more accurate one and they were the same plus or minus .5


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Well I never said that there werent a few out there that didn't work. Just that as a whole they were crap.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

nik8806 said:


> Just wish I could replace the fans...


You probably can. Try a computer fan.


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## odie (Dec 29, 2009)

bsmith said:


> Coralife digital thermometers. Junk.
> 
> Just use the sticky old school ones. Or spend a little more for a proper digi.


Strange I have 5 of them and they are running strong. From 1-3 years old. I have compared them to the thermometer on my RKL(reefkeeperlite) and they are within .3 of each other.


You talking about these?


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

odie said:


> Strange I have 5 of them and they are running strong. From 1-3 years old. I have compared them to the thermometer on my RKL(reefkeeperlite) and they are within .3 of each other.
> 
> 
> You talking about these?


Mine looks different than that. it's more square. But it was within about a degree of my glass thermometer. kind of hard to tell exactly because you can't get to accurate with a mercury thermometer.


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## 20VT (Jan 4, 2011)

odie said:


> Strange I have 5 of them and they are running strong. From 1-3 years old. I have compared them to the thermometer on my RKL(reefkeeperlite) and they are within .3 of each other.
> 
> 
> You talking about these?


thats what i have, only issue i have with it is that the thing you put in the tank doesnt stay with the suction cup


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## feral13 (Jan 17, 2006)

I dont understand the hate for duckweed. Its the easies stuff to control. All it takes is a 99-cent fishnet and a few swipes of the water surface. 

I wish I could buy some locally. Mine disappeared mysteriously after being in 4 different tanks for 4 years. It survived BGA and some sort of gnat infestation but one day it was just all gone.

Mine was extra special to me because it was a souvenir from the Chattanooga Aquarium. If you ever go, buy the "backstage tour". 110% worth it.

Ill agree with the Coralife Digital thermometer.


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## hubble13 (Sep 1, 2010)

An eclipse hood total waist of money.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

feral13;1252742I wish I could buy some locally. Mine disappeared mysteriously after being in 4 different tanks for 4 years.[/QUOTE said:


> You want me to send you a few "seed" plants? PM me your address and I'll be happy to. I've got plenty, LOL!


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Things I regret buying:

1) Every aquarium heater, regardless of brand.

2) Melafix. I know many people swear by it, but I've personally never seen any positive effect at all on the conditions it's supposed to treat. The only effect I've seen is that it consistently sends my fish into a flashing frenzy, which causes additional stress and sometimes injuries, possibly leading to more disease.

3) Chinese algae eater. Enough said.


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## comet (Jun 10, 2006)

Skip buying the Top Fin 3-Piece Filter Brush Set. Bristles just fall off worse than a dog shedding in spring...

Which leads me to ask; where can you find good, well made "bottle brushes" for cleaning equipment???


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## doxiegirl (Jul 12, 2010)

I got bottle brushes from Harbor Freight. They aren't the extra long ones, but they come in a lot of different sizes in one package.

My coralife digital thermometer was lousy. It would get stuck in celsius... and then one day I dropped it in my nano reef- needless to say it doesn't work at all anymore! And penguin/ emperor filters are terrible if they get sand in them- I had a red zebra african cichlid that would jam it up many times a day.


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

Soooo many comments to post about this thread. Too funny.

Let's start with what I regret buying:

1) So-Called self primming gravel vacs. Just shake it up and down a few times and you're on your way. On your way alright...right to replanting and rearranging decor after all the turbulance you just created.

2) Those little CO2 systems with the fizz tablets. Cha ... Right! That really worked well didn't it? Glad I soon discovered DIY shortly afterwards.

Comments:

Scrapers. Why buy them when I'm pretty sure everyone has an expired credit card or similar laying around right? 

Duckweed. Awesome idea with feeding it to the chickens. Wonder why that thought never crossed my mind. Guess our little foul friends will have some extra treats from now on.

Substrate Smoother. Seriously? Local hardware store sells them in a pack for .99. Oh, they are labled as "disposable putty knives" if anyone is looking.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

feral13 said:


> I dont understand the hate for duckweed. Its the easies stuff to control. All it takes is a 99-cent fishnet and a few swipes of the water surface.


This might work for some tanks. But if you are the owner of a tank that grows duckweed "well", you could be in for some pains. Sure you can reduce the density with a few swipes of the net, but that will not eradicate it, and it will be back to former glory in just a few days. Then swipe again... etc... but if you don't have high-powered lights, these periods of temporary darkness might do most of your plants in.

Now imagine you have a large tank with some driftwood sticking out. Imagine you have a few floaters (red root, water lettuce, salvinia etc) that you want to keep. Good luck with the quick swipes.

Selling duckweed seems to me like selling some BBA with a few blobs of BGA from a columnaris infected tank. :tongue:


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## dubvstudent (Jan 10, 2009)

Wasserpest said:


> Selling duckweed seems to me like selling some BBA with a few blobs of BGA from a columnaris infected tank. :tongue:


 
+1. I have never even seen duckweed for sale. I know some places will give it away to people who use it to feed it to thier goldfish. I once put some in a 55 gallon that had HOB filters, if you use them, the duckweed gets pushed downward into the tank by the flow of the water and sucked into the HOBs themselves. My guess is ppl on this thread that havew said they couldn't keep duckweed alive were using an HOB. It simply doesn't grow well with them in my experience. If you have a canister though(i.e. little to no surface turbulence), good luck getting rid of it.


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## kendrid (May 15, 2010)

james0816 said:


> Substrate Smoother. Seriously? Local hardware store sells them in a pack for .99. Oh, they are labled as "disposable putty knives" if anyone is looking.


I used this crazy device called a plastic ruler. I stole it out of my wife's scrapbooking materials which just happen to be right next to the tank. I dried it off, put it back and she never knew.


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

I used to sell duckweed to the LFS for $1 per 1/4 cup. ha!

Marineland BIOWheel HOB filters! Worthless except as a noise machine.


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## non_compliance (Dec 1, 2009)

I"m considering buying one of these... I"ll let you know in a few months if you should add it to this list. 


http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Li....html?tc=default&purchaseOrderLineId=31996417


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

james0816 said:


> Scrapers. Why buy them when I'm pretty sure everyone has an expired credit card or similar laying around right?


 
I don't know, for just $75.99 you could get the "real" one. :hihi:

http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/aquascaping-tools/borneowild-razor.html

The sad think is I bet they sell a few of these.


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

non_compliance said:


> I"m considering buying one of these... I"ll let you know in a few months if you should add it to this list.
> 
> 
> http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Li....html?tc=default&purchaseOrderLineId=31996417


 
That's not good when you're posting someting in the what not to buy thread *BEFORE* you've even purchaced it. :hihi:


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I cant speak of the Borneo wild stuff but a proper mag float is really and indispensable tool in our hobby and work quite well. (I know its the DON'T buy thread but I love my mag floats!).


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

bsmith said:


> I cant speak of the Borneo wild stuff but a proper mag float is really and indispensable tool in our hobby and work quite well. (I know its the DON'T buy thread but I love my mag floats!).


I agree, I bought a store brand one and the felt pad came off within a couple weeks and left a huge black glue streak on the front of my tank.

I took it back and got a mag float brand and it's been fine for several years now.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Ron101 said:


> I bought a long squeeze trimmer with interchangeable ends. The scissor ends would lock up on a plant and wouldn't open up. I had to uproot the plant to get the thing open.


This is a simple fix of bending the blades so they dont stick. I couldnt scape without one. I cant reach the substrate in my tank and this tool has been worth its weight in gold for sure. Ive had mine about 4 years without a single problem.


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## JonahHart (Dec 8, 2010)

I too have had a persistent duckweed problem for years. It was almost as if that was my welcoming gift into the planted tank hobby. I find dried out duckweed All over the place! 

What I regret buying are any of the nitrate reducers or algae eradicating treatments. Why not do a few water changes or regulate nutes and lighting? Thank you plantedtank.net. 

I feel like all those nitrate reducers (my favorite tag line is SLUDGE REMOVER, lol) and algae treatments are the easy way out that appeal to anyone who isn't willing to understand their own tank biology!


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

On the subject of substrate smoothers, god gave me one for free its called my hand.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Oh, you fancy people with your smooth substrate.:biggrin:


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

1. Pre-made diy co2 system for obvious reasons
2. 'Bio wheel' filters- they're loud and a it's been proven that plain sponge filters work better
3. cheap heaters- they last less than 6 months in some cases
4. activated carbon- doesn't really do anything; wears out very quickly
5. eheim classic series filters- work well, but not worth the price and a total pain to maintain (I know this is heresy on this forum and I understand why people love them, but they just don't do it for me)

Opposites (meaning people talk smack on them, yet they're cheap and work really well)

1. UGFs- nothing but success with them; great filters that are totally misunderstood
2. sponge filters- ditto
3. poret hmf filter- ditto, arguably the best filter, but not applicable in planted tanks
4. akadama double red line bonsai soil- great cheap alternative to ada amazonia et. al


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Wasserpest said:


> Wow. Now there's a lot of positivity spilling from you. Happy New Year.
> 
> Vendor reviews are not allowed for some good reasons, which have been explained to you repeatedly.
> 
> Back to the topic on hand.


Is there a sticky on this? Does it only apply to vendors and not brand names?

I curious to hear the rationale.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

snausage said:


> Is there a sticky on this? Does it only apply to vendors and not brand names?
> 
> I curious to hear the rationale.


Here ya go. 

These were the terms you agreed to when you registered with the site. 

That is the "rationale".


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Gatekeeper said:


> Here ya go.
> 
> These were the terms you agreed to when you registered with the site.
> 
> That is the "rationale".


Thank you. So it is just vendors, which makes sense although you guys don't seem to enforce the positive review side of the equation.


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Wasserpest said:


> Wow. Now there's a lot of positivity spilling from you. Happy New Year.
> 
> Vendor reviews are not allowed for some good reasons, which have been explained to you repeatedly.
> 
> Back to the topic on hand.


FYI, products/brands/manufacturers are totally different entities than vendors.


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

bsmith said:


> IMO/Ime the rapids isnt a bad fter when properly set up it just so weak it's practically worthless. And having to pay $25 fir one, please I'll keep my used 2213 u paid $60 for.


LOL, people should be skeptical when canister filter and $25 are in the same sentence.


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## Cynth (Sep 11, 2010)

I found duckweed stuck to my coffee cup last week... seriously... duckweed.


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Cynth said:


> I found duckweed stuck to my coffee cup last week... seriously... duckweed.


Hahahahaha.... My wife came home tonight and I heard her yell upstairs, "what are all these green dots in the sink?!?!". I had just netted out about 4 cups of duckweed from one of my tanks and rinsed it down the garbage disposal but didn't rinse out the sink before she got home.

Think very long and hard before adding Duckweed to any tank!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Haha! So glad to see I am not the only one that regrets duckweed. I've been finding out it hates surface movement.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

sewingalot said:


> Haha! So glad to see I am not the only one that regrets duckweed. I've been finding out it hates surface movement.


It DOES hate surface movement, I had to adjust my filters accordingly when I had it in my guppy / endler breeding tank (which is probably about the only time I'd MAYBE recommend it....it's a GREAT nutrient sponge when your tank is overstocked with livebearers.....certainly I wouldn't PAY for it though!)

I suppose you could use a less proliferative floater to accomplish the same thing though.......


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## familyman03 (Jun 16, 2010)

I saw a lot of people complaining about duckweed. I can not even keep it alive.


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

familyman03 said:


> I saw a lot of people complaining about duckweed. I can not even keep it alive.


Wow. That has to be a first. Ok, maybe a second. You can look at it wrong and it will still multiply. :biggrin:

Always good to know people with goldfish.


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

I like duckweed


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## mmelnick (Mar 5, 2010)

I was looking at getting some duckweed until reading all this.


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## SkyGrl (Jan 7, 2010)

lol maybe youll be one of the few that cant keep it alive 

Amy


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

Or maybe it'll come by accident--and never leave ...


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## SleepyOwl (Sep 23, 2007)

LOL, duckweed

I really didn't mind the stuff when I had it, but I had low lights, no ferts, ect. It snuck in with some fish I got. (I knew what it was, and added it to my tank anyway.  ) It dissapeared about two years later. Now I have red root floaters. They are much better than duckweed.

I like the eclipse hoods. They work great for people that don't know much beyond the basics of fish keeping, and or only want to do very low tech tanks. Of course, the down side is how expensive any replacement parts are. I think I am beyond that point now, and would not buy another one. I do like having the filters above the tank instead of behind it though. 

SAEs - people love these and I just don't get it. What I had might have been flying fox, but they looked a lot more like the pictures of saes than of the ff I have seen. They squabbled, and chased some of my other fish, and I am sure I lost a tetra or two to them when they got big. I will not ever buy them again.
I moved my last one to the 20 tank a couple weeks ago, and I think the stress killed him.

Any cheap hob filter I have tried. I love my eheim classic canister, but when buying hob filters for price reasons, I still pay a few bucks extra and get aqua clear. They are great little filters! 

Larger sized aquarium gravel. It gets super dirty and not great for plants.

cheap mag scrapers - totally worth the extra money for the floating ones


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

everyone talks about the substrate smoothers...can we do that too?
I wanted this....so I got this instead? I have quite a few!!

1. substrate smoother $50+
...got plastic putty knives $1

2. planting tweezers $30+
....got large stainless steel hemostats (~6") $2

3. inline diffuser/reactor $50+
...DIY reactor $15

4. curved trimming scissors $50+
...stainless steel double bent embroidery scissors $8

and many many more!...Im cheap


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## feral13 (Jan 17, 2006)

Yeah, I always cringe at the pricing of "tools". 

I dont think anything here cost over $2.00 and has lasted me years.


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

Where did you folks get your tools? I'd like to get some long forceps and scissors but can't find them anywhere but online. Petco has a plant trimming kit for $8 now but they are like 3 feet long and made of cheap plastic.


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

It's still online, but American Science and Surplus often sells medical and dental tools like those above, as well as an eclectic selection of other stuff which you may find uses for.


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## Baadboy11 (Oct 28, 2009)

Oohh I've made some dumb choices....

1. Colored gravel although blue and black looked kinda pimp!
2. Bubble curtain airstones: I probably spent $50 bucks before I found one that actually worked...then decided they were all dumb. 
3. "10 gallon tank kit" cost me $100 bucks at a fish store for a ten gallon tank, crappy hood, and an internal filter....sigh.
4. Aquarium salt...actually I should stop listening to people at the fish store:icon_eek:

etc. etc....


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

whats wrong with aquarium salt? i have had a small carton for about 2 years now...i throw in a sprinkling every now and then with a water change

yea...medical supply surplus places...science surplus places...university surplus places...and of course the easiest...eBay


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## Baadboy11 (Oct 28, 2009)

Nothing especially is wrong with it...except I have like a pound and a half of it, and never have owned a brackish fish with the minor exception of mollies.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

water conditioners that convert the chlorine/chloramines into ammonia


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## chumlee (Nov 4, 2010)

Baadboy11 said:


> Nothing especially is wrong with it...except I have like a pound and a half of it, and never have owned a brackish fish with the minor exception of mollies.


You guys are talking about two completely different things. The aquarium salt that comes in the carton doesn't have anything to do with brackish/saltwater it just puts electrolytes into the water for the fish. The other type of salt is the saltwater type salt which is what you might be referring to. 

Worst thing I ever bought was....ph buffering liquids and powders.


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## snafu (Oct 9, 2004)

i've bought lots of stuff over the years, and i've come to the following conclusion... don't buy stuff with 'mag' in the name:
- Mag-drive pump (way louder than expected)
- Magnum canister filter (decent for polishing, not much else)
- Magnetic algae cleaners (little kids will get a hold of it and ugh!)

also some other stuff
- Digital thermometers (sometimes analog is better)
- Gigantic AC filters (the sound of niagara falls in the bedroom not good for sleep)
- clownfish (they live for a LOOOONG time - i've been out of salt-water tanks for 15 years, but I have to maintain a special tank for one. after i've had a fish for 15-20 years, it's hard to just give her away. apparently, they can live for up to 40 years.)


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## Landau (Mar 24, 2010)

TetraTec Filter 

It wokred great & I loved the built in heater but the wet/dry action made it sound like a constantly flusing toilet in the room. I was cnstantly fiddling with it to quiet it down.

I notice Tetra no longer makes them. No wonder.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

MrMoneybags said:


> water conditioners that convert the chlorine/chloramines into ammonia


which water conditioners ACTUALLY leave ammonia behind and not bound ammonium.


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## feral13 (Jan 17, 2006)

snafu said:


> i've bought lots of stuff over the years, and i've come to the following conclusion... don't buy stuff with 'mag' in the name:
> - Magnum canister filter (decent for polishing, not much else)


I will agree that they make poor canister filters (but decent polishers), but I have kept a HOT filter for polishing since they came out (I think I am on my 4th). They are an unnecessary luxury but I cant think of anything easier to use for when you make a mess of things and need to clean your water.


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## majstor76 (Jun 11, 2010)

Weipro heaters- looks nice but doesnt work after month in action. I think im gonna use it in some weird diy


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

snafu said:


> i've bought lots of stuff over the years, and i've come to the following conclusion... don't buy stuff with 'mag' in the name:
> - Mag-drive pump (way louder than expected)
> - Magnum canister filter (decent for polishing, not much else)
> - Magnetic algae cleaners (little kids will get a hold of it and ugh!)
> ...


Hot magnum canister filters are the worst. Terrible design and very cheaply made. Mine broke after 2 months. Worst purchase I've made in this hobby.


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

Worst...
Agreed on the Magnum canister 350. 15-20 years ago the design was different and much better. Now it is a total waste of money.

Best...
Python! Nothing like taking buckets out of the equation.


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## seadreamer (May 6, 2007)

Pulling up a chair to the "can't keep duckweed alive" table, although that was years ago. I had no filtration at all so the water was perfectly still. 

Now I'm a real champ at growing it. Yeah.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

Phosphate remover. When I first started, I got it to help get rid of algae. It didn't.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

over_stocked said:


> which water conditioners ACTUALLY leave ammonia behind and not bound ammonium.


the Tetra Aquasafe (not sure if its ammonia/um) but after testing water straight from the tap and "treated" water with a test kit...one darkened in color while the other stayed yellow

...good enough evidence for me


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

MrMoneybags said:


> the Tetra Aquasafe (not sure if its ammonia/um) but after testing water straight from the tap and "treated" water with a test kit...one darkened in color while the other stayed yellow
> 
> ...good enough evidence for me


Aaaaactually most water treatments will show this positive result. This is still bound ammonia/ammonium and is not harmful to fish. Plants readily use ammonia/ammonium at a faster rate than nitrate as well, so it is of little concern anyways. This is part of the process in breaking the chloramine bond--chlorine and ammonia are bond to prevent it from evaporating, water treatments break this bond and then detoxify both chlorine and ammonia. 

Many water change products will give this false positive in conjunction with certain test kits. Prime does this as well. Aquasafe is overpriced and under concentrated though. I use chloaram-x powder. Seachem Prime and Chloramine buster are other good, highly concentrated options.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

it was different IME...which is why I switched to Prime instead of the Tetra stuff
the Tetra stuff gave me a reading of ammonia...the Prime did not

...again - good enough evidence for me but I believe youre right


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## Min (Dec 23, 2010)

this should be sticky thread


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

There is one sorta in general discussion under FAQ
It's called Lessons Learned.
Would be good tho to have this too though, I suppose its different.


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## SNSDFAN (Jan 13, 2011)

OMG I DONT THNK ANY ONE HAS SAID THIS BEFORE BUT, "FISH!" 

I bought some socalled harlequin rasboras and really i wanted the real "HARLEQUIN RASBORAS" and i listened to the guy and when i got home i looked at them and they where some other species of rasboras...* not espies nor hengals.... what on earth are they!!!*

But yes definently do all the possible research as possible before buying fishes... *OH and they dont even school.... arhh* 

Wasted hard earned money for something i didint want... the man said no returning or trading... after a week in the tank.. and it was a week and a half.... but i mean i still have them since i didnt want to "throw" (not waste) but "throw" away money just becuase it is different...


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