# Aquarium Confessions



## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Post below with confessions about stuff you've done wrong, stuff you feel guilty about, bad habits etc.


I'll go first: I hate testing water, and I hardly ever do it.


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## maxhrbal (Mar 19, 2016)

You post some awesome and unconventional stuff man . 

I still refuse to keep lids on my tanks. I've lost a betta, a Cory, and an oto in the last ~6 months. I actually don't know when I lost the oto, I recently just found it under my stand...I don't even know how many I have anymore, sneaky little guys. 

I've also housed about 40 or so platys in 2 ten gallons after I ended up with so much fry. I had to wait until they were big enough to sell them and I couldn't buy or setup another tank. My plants never thrived so much!!! and I had no casualties, and I also spent a lot of time on maintenance and kept everything in check, but I still felt bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 691175002 (Apr 28, 2009)

I think people focus too much on maximizing every input to their tank. You don't need the brightest lights, the most CO2, or the highest levels of fertilization to successfully grow plants.


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## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

I too hate testing water, and I almost never do it.

I also occasionally buy fish that I have no room for, resulting in overstocking. I have two Rainbow Cichlids in a 30 gallon tank with 3 Orange Chromides, 2 Indian Glassfish (no, not the dyed type), 3 mollies and a bristlenose pleco.

In related news - does anyone know where I can get real non-dyed Indian Glassfish in NYC/LI and does anyone want some Rainbow cihclids?


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

RWaters said:


> I too hate testing water, and I almost never do it.
> 
> I also occasionally buy fish that I have no room for, resulting in overstocking. I have two Rainbow Cichlids in a 30 gallon tank with 3 Orange Chromides, 2 Indian Glassfish (no, not the dyed type), 3 mollies and a bristlenose pleco.
> 
> In related news - does anyone know where I can get real non-dyed Indian Glassfish in NYC/LI and does anyone want some Rainbow cihclids?


I used to do it a lot, but I never really had any water parameter problems so I got out of the habit. Trying to get back into testing PH at least.

You could try buying some of the dyed ones and throwing them in the wash for a bit?

But really, a lot of aquarium stores seem eager to compete with the internet. You could try asking one to order you some.


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

I only test waters in the beginning while I'm cycling a tank or if I'm looking for a specific fish/invert that is sensitive. 

I also don't own/use quarantine tank. I know I should, but I don't.


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Plant purchases I have no room for.
I have too many varieties @ present, what's a few more:grin2:

The real issue is buying a bunch of say stems(5-7 average)
Plant them, they go nuts and take up way too much space.
Getting ready to buy frag tanks to have more growing area.


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

I'm another serial non-quarantiner. 

And probably way too many things to confess, or even remember, when just starting out as a ten year old, well before the Internet.


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

About 10 years ago my tank had a lot of greenwater. I was cleaning the water intake from my powerhead so I removed the protective grating & sponge. A neon tetra couldn't see where it was going and got sucked up & ground into pieces. I still feel guilty.


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## akd200 (Sep 22, 2014)

I have been technically setting up my present tank for 3 YEARS...


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## kolet66 (Dec 11, 2016)

When I was a teen I adored fancy guppies. Somehow my guppies kept ending up with badly nipped tails which would lead to their death.. well, I finally figured out it was the tiger barbs. I took the barbs out and put them in a goldfish bowl.. where they died within days. I still feel bad for killing those guppy killing barbs. I have never bought fancy tail guppies, nor tiger barbs again.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

I drink the hooch from my diy year co2. As a little cider/juice to it at the start and let it ferment


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

theatermusic87 said:


> I drink the hooch from my diy year co2. As a little cider/juice to it at the start and let it ferment


I used to do this as well! Experimented with distilling it for awhile. Have not used DIY CO2 since switching to dirt, though.


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## TeteRouge (Jul 26, 2009)

Bananableps said:


> I used to do this as well! Experimented with distilling it for awhile. Have not used DIY CO2 since switching to dirt, though.


I gave up eating dirt when I was a kid. Oh... wait a minute... Nevermind... :grin2::grin2:


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## r.s.hutchinson (Jun 4, 2014)

When I was first starting out and before going with a planted tank I was siphoning out some water with a gravel vac when all of a sudden the water stopped flowing for apparently no reason. So I took the end in the bucket and inhaled to try and start the siphon again. Nothing. So I inhaled harder. Nothing. Took the big end out of the tank....somehow a molly got into it without me noticing and was stuck headfirst halfway in the plastic end of the vac where the tubing attaches....I had to take the vac apart and pull it out. Yea, it was dead.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

r.s.hutchinson said:


> When I was first starting out and before going with a planted tank I was siphoning out some water with a gravel vac when all of a sudden the water stopped flowing for apparently no reason. So I took the end in the bucket and inhaled to try and start the siphon again. Nothing. So I inhaled harder. Nothing. Took the big end out of the tank....somehow a molly got into it without me noticing and was stuck headfirst halfway in the plastic end of the vac where the tubing attaches....I had to take the vac apart and pull it out. Yea, it was dead.



I was certain that story was going to end with you inhaling a fish.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

Just a few:

--I don't quarantine
--I don't test my water. I would if problems started to arise, like more than one occasional death
--When just starting out several years ago, added one silver dollar to a 26g bowfront with tetras and cories. Added a 2nd about a year later. They lived in that tank until a little less than 3 years ago when moved to a 40B. Lost one last year that was probably 13-14 yrs old. Second one is still going in the 40B.
--Bought 1 male and 1 female fancy guppy for a 5.5g tank. Enough said. I'm now happily guppy free except for my male endlers.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

I have high nitrates in my well water so I filter through a DIY nitrate filter to get about 20g for weekly water changes. To augment, I thought I could use mineral replenished water from my basement dehumidifier....after all, the dehumidifier water is merely water condensed from the air and I thought should be pretty pure. I never bothered to test it. I mixed this with the filtered water for water changes. After one water change where I increased the amount of this reclaimed dehumidifier water, the fish were gasping at the surface??? I tested and found ammonia so I treated with Prime as soon as I could. After some detective work I discovered that the dehumidifier water was very high in AMMONIA, although to this day, I don't know why. Over the next few days, I lost about 6 fish.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I bought Buenos Aires Tetras.


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## cininohio (Jan 13, 2016)

I also admit to sometimes being lazy with water changes (mostly in the summer). I have a Chinese Algae Eater (gasp)! My guppies are not on birth control. I also am addicted to this site, researching to assure that I am on top of things in my tanks or looking for hints/tips when things go awry. I suffer from multiple tank syndrome and collectoritis with plants. I stare at my tanks and talk to my fish, lol.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

AbbeysDad said:


> I have high nitrates in my well water so I filter through a DIY nitrate filter to get about 20g for weekly water changes. To augment, I thought I could use mineral replenished water from my basement dehumidifier....after all, the dehumidifier water is merely water condensed from the air and I thought should be pretty pure. I never bothered to test it. I mixed this with the filtered water for water changes. After one water change where I increased the amount of this reclaimed dehumidifier water, the fish were gasping at the surface??? I tested and found ammonia so I treated with Prime as soon as I could. After some detective work I discovered that the dehumidifier water was very high in AMMONIA, although to this day, I don't know why. Over the next few days, I lost about 6 fish.


That is super bizarre. Would be very interested in knowing why that would be the case.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

Bananableps said:


> That is super bizarre. Would be very interested in knowing why that would be the case.


Me too! I did some web research and learned that ammonia in dehumidifier water is pretty common. One post attributed it possibly to having a cat liter box in the basement (but I don't have a cat). I cleaned the dehumidifier unit really well (and the coolant coils appear to be aluminum) and retested to find the water still very high in ammonia. A mystery to me.
(Suffice it to say that all that water goes down the drain now!)


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

Bananableps said:


> Post below with confessions about stuff you've done wrong, stuff you feel guilty about, bad habits etc.
> 
> I'll go first: I hate testing water, and I hardly ever do it.


I do water changes naked to show my tanks who's boss. Also, I chew up bloodworms and feed my fish "baby bird" style. 

Just kidding, but seriously, the lack of testing water has to be my worst habit too. I really only test if I plan on adding new stuff to the tank. Just to confirm everything's in check. I _may_ have used my last API master kit three times before some reagents expired. Pretty wasteful on my part


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## Fishly (Jan 8, 2010)

I preserve my dead fish in alcohol.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

ill have to agree, I use to test water every water change (half way through the week, to let the new water settle) and the params. would be spot on, so I eventually stopped and just did it off schedule. so now I do it like 1 time a month, spot on params!


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Fishly said:


> I preserve my dead fish in alcohol.


There is no way you can post something like that without providing photographic evidence.


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## BrynnaCC (Jan 5, 2014)

I rarely wash my hands before putting them in the tank to fix something. Also I let my honeycomb catfish land on and nibble at my hands. I know I'm not supposed to but it's very cute.


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## Overwatch (Nov 26, 2016)

Freemananana said:


> I bought Buenos Aires Tetras.


I bought these for a community tank with Neon, Guppies,etc.. They absolutely butchered the other fish. It was a bloodbath.


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## Overwatch (Nov 26, 2016)

I have release fish that I did not want anymore into local bodies of water. You know the Florida Lionfish invasion? It was all me.


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

akd200 said:


> I have been technically setting up my present tank for 3 YEARS...


Had I spent the same amount of time devoted to my work as I have spent on this site I would have been able to afford to finish my present two tank builds!


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

For lack of Shepard's hook (or similar) to hold hose to the tank,I have on more than one occasion flooded floor in living room while re-filling the aquarium's.
Last occasion was this past August when I ran nearly 35 gal out onto the carpeted floor.
I normally just place glass lid on top of hose and really should rig up something better.


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## jellopuddinpop (Dec 12, 2016)

1.)	I bought a juvenile Red Bellied Pacu from Petsmart because it said they only grow to 6”. It lived in a 125G tank until I donated all 14” of it to my local aquarium.
2.)	I had a lighting ballast fail, and accidentally left the CO2 running with no lights for a couple of days. All the fish in that tank got gassed.
3.)	(Not my fault, but still feel guilty) I had a 180G reef tank when I lived out in Cali, and had a rock fall over and crack the bottom pane of glass during a small earthquake. I managed to “save” all of my fish in a smaller tank, but had no way of hooking the sump up to it. By the time I got an inline pump to run the sump, all of my fish were too stressed out to make it. I lost everything, and didn’t get back into fishkeeping for almost 10 years.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

After removing python from the faucet, neglected to replace the aerator. Got a nice shower when I turned the faucet on, as did my cabinets and floor.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Lessons learned from this thread:

1) Always put a strainer over all siphons.

2) Water testing is overrated... until it isn't.

3) Understocking is golden.

4) No one should be allowed to keep fish, ever.


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## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

Bananableps said:


> Lessons learned from this thread:
> 
> 1) Always put a strainer over all siphons.
> 
> ...


5) Never release aquarium fish into local waters!!!


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## nel (Jan 23, 2016)

Bananableps said:


> Lessons learned from this thread:
> 
> 1) Always put a strainer over all siphons.
> 
> ...


I like the forth one!

My confession - I've been keeping discus in primary and middle school. You can guess how many I've killed. Now I've got RO unit, but at the time I've got no knowledge about something like that. I've used some pH- from Tetra for my tap water... Ugh, idiotic. So many parameter changing... Really bad idea for a kid.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

I've forgotten about a drop acclimation and flooded the floor

I also have a habit of buying plants that are outside the lighting and co2 requirements I can provide just so I can watch them die


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## Beefyfish (Mar 5, 2015)

Killed my Betta by tossing some MTS in his tank. He thought they were food and got one lodged in sideways. He was pretty aggressive fish. Even when I would walk by he would just flare at me and would spend hours following the nerite snail around. He use to eat lots of fresh born mollies I would toss in for him.


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## FishRFriendz (Dec 21, 2016)

I've jumped forums because there were too many preachy posters on a particular forum that I shall not name.

A while back I started a build log on another forum, which immediately had the preachers out in force to scold me on what I was doing wrong since my post count at that site was single digits, like telling me what test kit to buy and what I can stock per my size tank. I have API test kits tubes that have the old Doc Wellfish logo/mascot from over 20 years ago (kits probably older than some of those preachy posters).

I checked the stats on the first guy that started preaching, he'd joined the forum 4 months before me and had racked up almost 5k posts in that time. Pretty ridiculous. In any case, that site had a couple of em' so I don't post there much anymore. I'd hoped those ppl would restrain themselves to picking on the actually 'new' aquarists in the Newbie section... nope, whole site is infested.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

FishRFriendz said:


> I've jumped forums because there were too many preachy posters on a particular forum that I shall not name.
> 
> A while back I started a build log on another forum, which immediately had the preachers out in force to scold me on what I was doing wrong since my post count at that site was single digits, like telling me what test kit to buy and what I can stock per my size tank. I have API test kits tubes that have the old Doc Wellfish logo/mascot from over 20 years ago (kits probably older than some of those preachy posters).
> 
> I checked the stats on the first guy that started preaching, he'd joined the forum 4 months before me and had racked up almost 5k posts in that time. Pretty ridiculous. In any case, that site had a couple of em' so I don't post there much anymore. I'd hoped those ppl would restrain themselves to picking on the actually 'new' aquarists in the Newbie section... nope, whole site is infested.


That sounds less like a confession and more like a list of accusations. Is there something troubling you, my son?


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## FishRFriendz (Dec 21, 2016)

Bananableps said:


> That sounds less like a confession and more like a list of accusations. Is there something troubling you, my son?


Off to another forum we go! 

/jk

Just admitting why I'm here rather than there.


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## iceburg (Jan 30, 2015)

In my first planted tank attempt I kept Cories with an eco-complete substrate which is not only rough/sharp but seemed to hold onto mulm and I had a hard time keeping it clean enough. Their barbels were worn down and got seriously infected. I eventually managed to stop the infection from progressing and they lived with seriously scarred mouths and no barbels for a few more months until I bumped the CO2 needle valve without realizing it and everything except my betta died of CO2 poisoning.


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## rzn7z7 (Aug 17, 2013)

Not so much a confession but a story I like to share....

Years ago I lost power in my apartment during a Friday evening winter ice storm. I woke up Saturday morning very cold and was able to bundle up but, of course, the temperature in my aquarium was dropping. As it reached the 50s the fish began to 'lose it'....swimming into things and/or upside down. My oven/stovetop was electric so I got out the propane camp stove out, boiled some water, and poured it into the aquarium, repeating this for the next 24 hours until the power came back. Didn't lose a single fish


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## MaroMan (Jan 6, 2010)

I use an RO unit for our drinking water/ice maker and filling the fish tank. when I first started this it would take hours to fill a 6 gallon bucket - 35 gpd unit. I would stick it on the counter and fill it up. Did this one night before going out to dinner, didn't turn spigot off... Came home to flooded kitchen dripping into the basement... I now use a 180 gpd unit and a 30 gallon brute can to fill and I make sure to not leave the house while filling! 

The little habrosus Cory's always seem to find their way into my siphon tube, many a time I have netted them from the toilet.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

My confession: I bought a hillstream loach on a whim. Got home, looked up the species and realized I don't have the right tank conditions for it. Kept it anyway- I just couldn't bear to take it back to the store after the kids named it 'Freckles'.



Fishly said:


> I preserve my dead fish in alcohol.


And then what? You have jars of them on a shelf or something. I agree, we must see pics! 
I sometimes take a photo of my dead fish- before I bury it.




rzn7z7 said:


> Not so much a confession but a story I like to share....
> 
> Years ago I lost power in my apartment during a Friday evening winter ice storm. I woke up Saturday morning very cold and was able to bundle up but, of course, the temperature in my aquarium was dropping. As it reached the 50s the fish began to 'lose it'....swimming into things and/or upside down. My oven/stovetop was electric so I got out the propane camp stove out, boiled some water, and poured it into the aquarium, repeating this for the next 24 hours until the power came back. Didn't lose a single fish


Similar happening here- a few years ago , in the dead of winter had no hot water in my apartment for 2+ weeks. Tapwater was extremely cold. For water changes I'd boil water on the stove and mix it w/tapwater to warm it up... I was really afraid putting ice-cold water in the tank would shock the fish!


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## maxhrbal (Mar 19, 2016)

FishRFriendz said:


> I've jumped forums because there were too many preachy posters on a particular forum that I shall not name.
> 
> A while back I started a build log on another forum, which immediately had the preachers out in force to scold me on what I was doing wrong since my post count at that site was single digits, like telling me what test kit to buy and what I can stock per my size tank. I have API test kits tubes that have the old Doc Wellfish logo/mascot from over 20 years ago (kits probably older than some of those preachy posters).
> 
> ...


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## rhiro (Sep 21, 2012)

Just made this mistake on my last water change. As part of my general housekeeping after I have removed 50-60% of the aquarium water I spray hydrogen peroxide on the HOB filter channel where the water flows into the tank. I also spray the exposed down tube that pulls water into the HOB. I leave as is and scrub before I fill up. This has been very effective in keeping my HOB algae free. However this time I gave it a second spray and I also sprayed a corner of the tank where algae was on the silicone. Two days later I noticed my Vals were melting (still are) and the Star Grass under the corner of the tank were turning an ugly dark green under the leaves. Took me about an hour before it hit me that I overdid the peroxide. Not much I can do but I will be more careful from now on.


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

When I know I have the house to myself for a few hours I'll sometimes crank up the oven and use it to mineralize topsoil and worm castings. If my wife ever caught me doing that in her kitchen I don't think she'd ever forgive me...


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

> The little habrosus Cory's always seem to find their way into my siphon tube, many a time I have netted them from the toilet.


throw the tube part away, just keep the plastic funnel bit that connects it to the flexible hose. Mine is blue, so it scares the fish away.
When I work with fry, I wedge a small amount of floss in the opening.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

Mxx said:


> When I know I have the house to myself for a few hours I'll sometimes crank up the oven and use it to mineralize topsoil and worm castings. If my wife ever caught me doing that in her kitchen I don't think she'd ever forgive me...


Doesn't she notice the smell?


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## slythy (Sep 1, 2015)

i spend entirely too much money for my 1 fish. single 180g high tech lol


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

JJ09 said:


> Doesn't she notice the smell?


That's why I had made sure I had a few hours in case I had to let it air out. Has never smelled bad actually, if anything it honestly smelled a little like baking chocolate brownies. It's not as if I'm mineralizing human castings or anything... And yes I did use non-kitchen metal containers to bake/boil it in.


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## Verbicide (Feb 13, 2016)

I once needed to catch a large angelfish, so I dipped a gallon sized baggie into the tank and the curious fish immediately swam right into it! I was thrilled that it was that easy, and quickly lifted the bag before anyone else joined in. The corner of the bag caught my son’s platy and flung him up in the air. He came down hard on top of the lid, and slid back into the tank, dead.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Once in primary school, I told my friend he could leave his bubble eyed black moore, goldfish in my tank while they go on holiday.... 
My fish ate off their eyes the same day.

R.I.P. buddy.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Verbicide said:


> I once needed to catch a large angelfish, so I dipped a gallon sized baggie into the tank and the curious fish immediately swam right into it! I was thrilled that it was that easy, and quickly lifted the bag before anyone else joined in. The corner of the bag caught my son’s platy and flung him up in the air. He came down hard on top of the lid, and slid back into the tank, dead.


Welcome to the forums! Nice first post.


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

I did so much bad things, especially when i was young in the seventies and that i did not have access to much information. What the vendor in the pet shop knew (not much), some books fortunately, no internet.

It would be too long to write it.

Michel.


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## snazzyjoeSnazzyJoe (Dec 12, 2016)

Had a couple bristlenose plecos jump out of the tank of the tank while i was at work once. Came home to find one with teeth marks(cats), had to flush  Found the other one later, dried out, and on the way to the toilet he twitched. Panicked and tossed him back into the tank. He made a full recovery lol


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

When I cycled my first tank after getting back into the hobby I used ammonia with detergents without knowing it. Didn't do enough research. Surprisingly, no side effects that I was aware of. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

slythy said:


> i spend entirely too much money for my 1 fish. single 180g high tech lol


If it is a high tech planted with a Diamond Rhom we need pics of that  

My confessions:

IF I test water(rare) I only use test strips. 

I have NEVER done a fishless cycle. 

I have been in the hobby 20 years and overflowed my first tank last week.


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## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

I'm a shrimp mass murderer. Can't keep those things alive to save...my life.


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## doug105! (Aug 2, 2016)

I was in a pet shop a couple years ago with my son in law and we stopped in front of a tank that had Figure 8 puffers. I said, these fish can be curious. And for some reason I stuck my finger into into the water. One of them rose to inspect my finger, then clamped down on it! I jerked my finger out and the fish came with it and landed on a carpet at our feet. I quickly scooped it up and back into the tank. It seemed to recover quickly and we quickly made our way out of the store.

DougN


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

I'm starting to have serious regrets about starting this thread.


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## slythy (Sep 1, 2015)

MCHRKiller said:


> If it is a high tech planted with a Diamond Rhom we need pics of that
> 
> My confessions:
> 
> ...


Heres my build log / journal My microswords are now sending out runners and my crypts are growing very large. I cant inject enough co2 though lol


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

Bananableps said:


> I'm starting to have serious regrets about starting this thread.


Might be the best confession on here. >


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa — and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.


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## hachi (Jul 30, 2015)

This happened just last Friday. After drip acclimating was done, I was netting my new chili rasbora into the tank. One of them made a leap for freedom and landed on the carpet. I rushed to pick him up but I think I was too rough. He didn't make it.


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

Mxx said:


> I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa — and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.


-"I'm beginning to like this kid, Mama"


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## Beefyfish (Mar 5, 2015)

hachi said:


> This happened just last Friday. After drip acclimating was done, I was netting my new chili rasbora into the tank. One of them made a leap for freedom and landed on the carpet. I rushed to pick him up but I think I was too rough. He didn't make it.


My dog had something in its mouth about six months back and when i told her to drop it out came a Molly. Apparently it tried to make a break for it and jump out of the tank. I tossed it back into the tank and other then 1 messed up eye he is perfectly fine.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

I'm a crotchety old fart, as if that's not bad enough.

I think Tom Barr is a bit arrogant, I know he's a bit of a fixture here, and is revered, I just really don't think he understands the idea behind the Dupla heated substrate for planted tanks that was used in the 1990's. The Booth's had a system that broke new ground. I've had incredible success with the system and it was my own DIY design on top of this.

My first really successful planted tank I started in 1990 with a $19 ElectriPak 125 watt Mercury Vapor yard security light and 40' of silicone airline tubing I got for cheap. You'll have to guess how I used the silicone airline tubing. I didn't use CO2 in gas form initially, in my first tanks. Our Grocery Outlet was selling cases of sparkling mineral water for cheap, and I just poured a little mineral water straight into the tank every day. Man the Rotala, Java Moss and Hygro Polysperma loved that stuff.

All my planted tanks back then were also stocked with driftwood collected from my secret fishing hole on the McKenzie River up past Vida. I didn't quarantine or treat the wood, just plopped it straight into the tank, followed by the plants and the fish. I had some interesting Bryzoans and other cool water, sessile, micro-critters bloom and then fade in those tanks. The Java Moss and Fern would grow like crazy on that wood.

I would go out on foggy nights and 'borrow' some of the stockpiled gravel the city used to spread on the streets during snowstorms, it was the perfect size as an aquarium gravel.

Most of my tanks and some of my equipment back then was bought at St. Vinnies or GoodWill, I'm still a bit of a thrift store aquarium bits shopper.

Given all the new tech that has happened between 1990~95 and now, I was out of the loop for a bit. I've been lucky in a lotta ways, but the new lights and ideas I'm warming up to.


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## SwissCheeseHead (Dec 24, 2014)

I don't clean my canister filters or HOBs as often as I should, and I don't recharge the purigen as often as I should either. I get lazy about feeding and fertilizing, and also scrubbing the glass. Man, once I start listing these things, I sound like a terrible keeper!


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## d-ave (Dec 5, 2016)

I bought my 2 kids each a 10 gallon tank for Christmas. Ok, I bought myself two new 10 gallon tanks and keep them in my kids' rooms


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

SwissCheeseHead said:


> I don't clean my canister filters or HOBs as often as I should, and I don't recharge the purigen as often as I should either. I get lazy about feeding and fertilizing, and also scrubbing the glass. Man, once I start listing these things, I sound like a terrible keeper!


At least you didn't destroy an entire ecosystem, like one poster admitted.


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

d-ave said:


> I bought my 2 kids each a 10 gallon tank for Christmas. Ok, I bought myself two new 10 gallon tanks and keep them in my kids' rooms


Guilty of exactly the same, with two nano-cubes placed in their Ikea Kallax shelves...


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

d-ave said:


> I bought my 2 kids each a 10 gallon tank for Christmas. Ok, I bought myself two new 10 gallon tanks and keep them in my kids' rooms


"...You think Daddy's fish would like a PopTart?"


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

My sunfish once gave birth to a surprise litter of literally thousands of fry. I had no idea they had laid eggs, or that one of them was even pregnant. I was totally unprepared to take care of the fry. The male was trying to protect them, but the females were starting to pick away at them. I set up a 2.5 gallon and a 5 gallon, completely uncycled, with just some sand, javamoss, and a sponge filter. I also put some in a tiny 5 gallon plant nursery tank that was never intended for fish, just out of desperation to save as many babies as possible 

I tried to do water changes every day, but about three days in I had to leave for a family thing. Hoped for the best. When I came back, the two newly setup tanks were graveyards. No fry could be seen in the plant nursery tank either.

Fast forward 2-3 months. I was 3 weeks into a month long trip to Cambodia, and my mom sends me an email. She was feeding my fish while I was away, and decided to add some water to my plant nursery tank. The nursery tank at this point was pretty much an abandoned project. I had not stocked it with anything since the fry fiasco, and certainly never put any food in it. Before my mom added water to it, there was just an inch or two of mud at the bottom. She was quite surprised when she found a 1.5" dollar sunfish swimming around in the newly filled up tank. Somehow it had survived in that swampy, unfiltered, unfed, poorly planted tank of mud for 2-3 months, and grown! That fish is still alive today. In fact, it's probably the most vibrantly colorful dollar sun I have.


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## jr125 (Mar 5, 2015)

For water changes I use a utility sink in the laundry. It's a couple of rooms over from where the tank is and I had the faucet turned up pretty good to vacuum the tank out. Only problem was I left the strainer/stopper in the sink. I probably had siphoned out 20 gallons when I noticed the sound of the water splashing into the sink sounded different. Yeah. Sink full, floor covered with water, cabinet under sink flooded, water dripping from ceiling downstairs, half dozen suspended ceiling tiles soaked, carpet like a wet sponge. Smooth.


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## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

GrampsGrunge said:


> "...You think Daddy's fish would like a PopTart?"


At 11 and 8 they're responsible enough now, but about 5 years back they had decided to feed the fish with flakefood early one morning before I was up. They realized then that maybe hadn't been a good idea and came to wake me up... 

The tank looked like a beautiful landscape of brilliant colourful autumn leaves, with a dense layer of red, orange, and yellow flakes covering the bottom and everything else in the tank.

I have a picture somewhere of it, which I meant to post here at some point. Fortunately it was a small tank, and by two full water changes later I had managed to siphon most of the flakes out of the tank and out of the dense planting, though that was not easy considering the limited top access which a Fluval Edge has.


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## Cole Sawyer (Sep 6, 2016)

When I first set up my tanks I was very interested in African Dwarf Frogs, I think I probably killed 60 of the little guys before I finally gave up on them!
On another occasion, I walked away from my tank while doing a water change and the pump hose fell out of my tank! I flooded my new wood floors with about 40 gallons of freshly treated water.


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## dito147 (Jan 19, 2017)

I accidentally lost a guppy fry in the bath hole when I was cleaning the fries pot.
I had to change the cleaning technique after that.

I added plants without treatment and they had leeches. 

Killed tons of vallisnerias with vinegar.


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## maxhrbal (Mar 19, 2016)

I'm still surprised that the forum trolls aren't all over these posts calling us all dumb and irresponsible. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

maxhrbal said:


> I'm still surprised that the forum trolls aren't all over these posts calling us all dumb and irresponsible.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Their heads have all exploded


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## sdwindansea (Oct 28, 2016)

I use some PVC that sits over the edge of the aquarium in a "U" shape attached to a barb and then about 5' of tubing for weekly water changes. I just start the siphon into a garbage can out the window and then water the yard afterwards. This allows me to not stand there holding the siphon and it always siphons out the same out each time. One time several hours after the water change I was using buckets to water the yard from the garbage can. As I was about to dump the water i noticed something strange in the bucket...a male guppy. Surprisingly this is the only guppy out of 4 that is still alive and he had no visible wounds. I now put a sponge on the PVC. Give me more time and I'm sure I'll have a lot more contributions to this thread.


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## MUTigers (Oct 26, 2016)

Just now... reading this thread while filing my water change jug. Almost over flowed it. I'm sure I've done other stupid things, but this is it right now!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## briandmiles (Feb 23, 2005)

My confession didn't hurt any fish but more than 10 years later I still feel guilty about it. I once sabotaged a piece of aquarium equipment so that I could justify upgrading it to my wife. It worked but I still feel bad about it. >


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

briandmiles said:


> My confession didn't hurt any fish but more than 10 years later I still feel guilty about it. I once sabotaged a piece of aquarium equipment so that I could justify upgrading it to my wife. It worked but I still feel bad about it. >


Hmm......shhhh.....whatever works! <g>


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

sdwindansea said:


> I use some PVC that sits over the edge of the aquarium in a "U" shape attached to a barb and then about 5' of tubing for weekly water changes. I just start the siphon into a garbage can out the window and then water the yard afterwards. This allows me to not stand there holding the siphon and it always siphons out the same out each time. One time several hours after the water change I was using buckets to water the yard from the garbage can. As I was about to dump the water i noticed something strange in the bucket...a male guppy. Surprisingly this is the only guppy out of 4 that is still alive and he had no visible wounds. I now put a sponge on the PVC. Give me more time and I'm sure I'll have a lot more contributions to this thread.


This reminds me. I also have sucked up fish, while I'm vacuuming, I've sucked up an oto, a rummynose or 2, a cardinal tetra and more than a couple cherry shrimp. All have ended up in a bucket and been returned to their tanks.


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## fishman922 (Oct 26, 2016)

I suck up fry during vacuuming all the time...


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## Attackturtle (Dec 30, 2016)

When I am testing a tank often during a fishless cycle I often only fill the vial on my API test tube halfway and use half the drops to stretch out my kit use.


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## Mattb126 (Nov 13, 2016)

fishman922 said:


> I suck up fry during vacuuming all the time...


Me too, survival of the fittest.


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## Mattb126 (Nov 13, 2016)

Mxx said:


> At 11 and 8 they're responsible enough now, but about 5 years back they had decided to feed the fish with flakefood early one morning before I was up. They realized then that maybe hadn't been a good idea and came to wake me up...
> 
> The tank looked like a beautiful landscape of brilliant colourful autumn leaves, with a dense layer of red, orange, and yellow flakes covering the bottom and everything else in the tank.
> 
> I have a picture somewhere of it, which I meant to post here at some point. Fortunately it was a small tank, and by two full water changes later I had managed to siphon most of the flakes out of the tank and out of the dense planting, though that was not easy considering the limited top access which a Fluval Edge has.


I wanna see this picture [emoji13] 

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


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## tlriot (May 10, 2014)

After spending hundreds of dollars on my nano betta tank, I decided that my fish didn't like it after he refused to stop chasing his reflection. Knowing I have very limited electricity to use (I live in a converted 250sq ft tool shed with my boyfriend, powered off an extension cord from the house), I got a second tank to run along side it.

I also love to overstock tanks. With everything. Hardscape, plants, fish, filtration. I just love to do it. An old 10g I had on the mainland had a school of ember tetras, a school of chili rasbora, a trio of SA bumblebee catfish, a trio of lophiobagrus catfish, and a betta. Other than tetras and rasbora getting picked off now and again, it was a miraculously stable aquarium.


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## gnovince (Dec 14, 2010)

My confession is I say every water change I'm gonna re-scape my whole tank next week.....3 years later never happened!


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## Mattb126 (Nov 13, 2016)

gnovince said:


> My confession is I say every water change I'm gonna re-scape my whole tank next week.....3 years later never happened!


I'm the opposite, I tell myself I'll rescape it in 6 months, but instead I rescape it every 2 weeks.


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## fishman922 (Oct 26, 2016)

My new and current confession... "I will clean that algae tomorrow" said for the last two weeks...


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## AnthonyW8822 (Feb 15, 2014)

I'm a goldmine for the pet shop. Seems like I restock my tanks every month or so. About the only fish that ever kept me entertained for long periods was my leopard puffer that my room mate killed.


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## pkerber (Feb 6, 2017)

My wife has a phobia of fish and more tanks/fish make me happier.........


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

Reviving this thread because it's awesome. My turn:

I've kept a Silver-Tipped Shark Catfish past the point where it needed brackish water and it died... twice - because I thought the skin issues were due to a disease

I've also killed Bolbitis... twice - because, well, I don't know

Finally, I've stepped on a CRS crawling next to my bed... twice - because you wouldn't expect them there when you have a lid and floating plants blocking their way out

Wow, that was depressing


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## Gnick (Dec 5, 2016)

I own an ecosphere. It's about half empty and there are still 3 shrimp alive in it after 4 years. I'd say there is maybe 6-8 ounces of water in it. It was a wedding gift but I feel bad for the shrimp surviving.


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## SallImSayin (Jan 30, 2017)

I haven't had any major issues. Probably the bucket under the sink slightly overflowing because I ran downstairs to do something. Or the red lining on the motor of a Tetra Whisper wasn't completely inside properly and it dripped but only a tiny, tiny amount over a short period of time. 

It wasn't me but a relative poured an entire thing of goldfish food into the tank and a sizable chunk of one of the 16.9oz Goldfish tank canisters. They should not have touched my things nor my fish. They did not understand that goldfish do not get 'full' usually. A lot will eat until they can't take anymore food in. That's what happened. There was fish food EVERYWHERE. One of my goldfish ate so much that it's stomach burst or something because I found it split open and hanging to the filter intake. I had to remove all water from the tank and refill with 100% fresh. It was an absolute disaster. It wasn't a child who did this, either. 



roadmaster said:


> For lack of Shepard's hook (or similar) to hold hose to the tank,I have on more than one occasion flooded floor in living room while re-filling the aquarium's.
> Last occasion was this past August when I ran nearly 35 gal out onto the carpeted floor.
> I normally just place glass lid on top of hose and really should rig up something better.


I just bought from China a "Water Hose Holder" for $1.28. It took less than a month to arrive. Works great and fastens tightly on my bucket/tank.


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## gnovince (Dec 14, 2010)

Another confession of mine is that I'm so much always wanting more in the Fish/Plants aquarium world that I constantly watch simple/basic videos on Youtube such as water changes. Videos of stuff I learned years and years ago just to watch something. I may have watched a video yesterday on "How to sihpon a tank" Lol


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

gnovince said:


> Another confession of mine is that I'm so much always wanting more in the Fish/Plants aquarium world that I constantly watch simple/basic videos on Youtube such as water changes. Videos of stuff I learned years and years ago just to watch something. I may have watched a video yesterday on "How to sihpon a tank" Lol


Have you seen those shorts @Nordic posted on the end of that thread about altum angels? Gorgeous! Makes me want to watch more fish-related vids. I'm always enviously gawking at people's videos of their fish rooms.


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## gnovince (Dec 14, 2010)

JJ09 said:


> Have you seen those shorts @*Nordic* posted on the end of that thread about altum angels? Gorgeous! Makes me want to watch more fish-related vids. I'm always enviously gawking at people's videos of their fish rooms.


Just watched! Thanks for that! Good stuff.


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## Remmy (Jan 10, 2007)

I speak for the silent majority when i say... i don't do weekly water changes


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## akd200 (Sep 22, 2014)

UPDATE! I have all systems going, except the CO2 because no plants yet but tank is cycled and getting fish in the next 2 days!


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

I totally flushed a perfectly healthy rainbow shark down the toilet because it was pissing me off and attacking everything in the tank.


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## M Allred (Jan 13, 2017)

This confession is a little embarrassing, and happened 5 years ago. I get up at 3:40 each morning for my job, and was a little foggy headed one morning. I was dosing gluteraldehyde to one of my aquariums for a minor algae problem. I measured the amount, and dumped it in a cup, while looking at the news. A minute later, I swallowed the last of my coffee.... It wasn't coffee, it was the gluteraldehyde!! I knew from reading the MSDS to get immediate medical attention, so I called Poison Control. The person I talked to asked me how much I ingested. I told her 15 milliliters.She said "How do you know it was 15 milliliters?" I said "Because I measured it" There was a long silence on the other end of the line... ??. She must have thought I was nuts! She told me that I might have some digestive system issues that day, but I would be OK. I was fine, had no problems.?


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Today I discovered that one is supposed to shake API Test Kit bottles before use. Literally every nitrate test I have ever performed has been wrong.


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## puriance (Feb 19, 2017)

In my last attempt at (uneducated) fishkeeping, I knowingly treated my Betta Wanda for ich with red cherry shrimp in my tank, because they brought the disease with them...

They died. Just like the instructions said they would.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

puriance said:


> In my last attempt at (uneducated) fishkeeping, I knowingly treated my Betta Wanda for ich with red cherry shrimp in my tank, because they brought the disease with them...
> 
> They died. Just like the instructions said they would.


RCS can transmit ich to fish? Strange! From eating infected babies, or just sharing the same water?


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## doughnut (Jul 22, 2010)

I started "keeping fish" when I was around ten years old. The LFS loved seeing me and my dad in the parking lot, almost every weekend, to get replacements. I'm not sure how many, but I know I went through SEVERAL common plecos among other fish. 

Fast forward 10 years on my 3rd attempt at the hobby, I did water changes on a 10g with an old 1 gallon milk jug for entirely too long before I thought about buying a 5 gallon bucket. 
Did the first WC with the bucket and needed to re-scape my entire tank because I poured the whole thing into the tank in less then 10 seconds..

Had a tank with blue gravel. Seriously, what was I thinking??

You think you're bragging about MTS? At one time, I had two 55g(empty, sitting in my room) built a home made stand(which is beautiful I must say) for them only to actually use the stand ~5 years after I got the tank. At the same time I had a 2.5g(empty), 20g(empty) w/stand(because Goodwill sold them to me for 5 bucks..duh I'd be stupid if I didn't get them!) and only my 10g had anything in it. 
I currently have the 2.5g(empty), 20g W/stand(empty), a 10g(empty) and finally, my 55g on display. It's not MTS at this point, its hoarding, I know it and I'm fine with it.

Bought a regulator and needle valve because I wanted to build a CO2 system, over a year ago. It's still in the box they were shipped in. 

I often look at my let-go tank in angst and disappointment because "I've let it go too far". -Working on changing this one. 


Sigh. Live and learn!


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## puriance (Feb 19, 2017)

Bananableps said:


> RCS can transmit ich to fish? Strange! From eating infected babies, or just sharing the same water?


Well the pretty answer is yes. They can carry the dormant spores on their shells if introduced directly from an infected tank. Just from cursory reading now, and not from what I knew then. It may not always be the case. However, if you’re dumb like I was, and add a little bit of the water that came with them, I’m sure that that won’t help your case much. 

The not so pretty answer is that I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew is that I had bought my first filtered 3 gallon aquarium, after replacing my 2 gallon hexagonal fish bowl that had successfully housed my betta for 6 months before cracking while I was washing it in hot water. (Gravel vacuums were seen as unnecessary, 100% water changes were a weekly fact of life and water conditioner was thrown around like… water…)

After about two months and some live plants from my mothers 30 gallon goldfish tank (just… don’t ask) I had a build up of algae and obviously Lo, Bee and Ster, the 3 red cherry shrimp, should be a solution to that problem. 

Three days after they came into my tank, Wanda got ich. So, it was a direct correlation for me.

Also, ignorance.

Also…

Sorry Wanda.


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