Tell us about your aquarium oopsies!

[pollex.jaypee]

Had 2 gold fish I won at a carnival, three guppies, four mollies, two red tailed sharks, and a common pleco in a ten gallon tank. Uncycled, no heater and in front of my window as well. Didnt use any type of water conditioners and def cleaned the tank, decorations, gravel, and filter with dish soap and bleach. It was a rough few days!

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Me too!I used to clean the tank with soap

 

[IShallNtEatFish]

When I was about 3 I fed my sisters betta an entire bottle of food, it died shortly afterwards....

 

[smooth_cannibal]

I sucked up my double tail betta tonight during cleaning my 10g. he got a bit messed up. his fins seemed to be getting bad again so he's chillin in a small clear container getting betta revive for a few days

 

[PJFISH]

Yeah, bought like 20 fish that was cycled for exactly 12 hrs (yikes!) Never did water changes, and had a goldfish in with tropicals! Live and learn

 

[pollex.jaypee]

Yeah, bought like 20 fish that was cycled for exactly 12 hrs (yikes!) Never did water changes, and had a goldfish in with tropicals! Live and learn

Live and Learn! I like that

 

[hutchp8]

I put a beta fish in a tank with 2 Oscars and 2 Pacus and was wondering what happened to them

 

[Stigmata]

That's sad and funny, Sorry.:-(

 

[shellyx]

When I was ten i had a 30 gallon tank with three goldfish in it and every week I'd take them out of the tank to clean it, I scrubbed the whole tank gravel, filters the lot while my fish swam about in the bathtub! Always remembered my mum's face when she came in from work early and I never dechlorinated the water either! I eventually gave them to a garden centre where they have a pond.

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[lectraplayer]

Coming back in after a long haitus, and in starting my nano, I let it run for a month thinking that was what they called "cycling" (this is NOT how to do it!). During which time, I was trying to get a couple plants started. By the way, the stuff they put on the plants seals them and prevents then from doing what plants do. Lost two crops thanks to that stuff. My third try I rinsed everything off and now my third plant has grown and now covers two much larger tanks. Next, I brought in a pair of platys. When nitrates come out of nowhere, I did 50% water changes daily, but after a week of that, both platys fell victim. Lessons learned there were passed to another, very greatful keeper of the platys. I managed to get it settled with a guppy, after safrificing two ghost shrimp. The otto cats survive and had plenty of algae under that F13/BX lamp I was using. I an also thinking about going away fron that tempered glass gravel I thought was so cool, as algae loved it. Now thft I have two more bigger tanks, I have my fish in my 29 and a 15 is cycling in via a different method.

 

[VioletGoby]

In the beginning....I burned out a filter's motor by running it 'dry'. That was a very expensive mistake!

 

[lectraplayer]

I'm glad I avoided that one. I'm sure that was a product of an expectation that it would pull the water up on its own, yuu know how those self priming pumps are. I happened to see several people mention filling them with water prior to getting my first HOB. Been a box/ug addict for years as a kid.

...speaking of which, my mom used to be the one to clean the tank when I was a li'l fellar. There were several stocks of fish lost when she would bleach the tank. I later found out we should have left it well enough alone and let the nitrifying bacteria develop.

 

[pollex.jaypee]

In the beginning....I burned out a filter's motor by running it 'dry'. That was a very expensive mistake!

Oh back then too, I thought the filter would you know, "electrify" the fishies since it was underwater. But fortunately I overcame the doubt, and like lectraplayer, I avoided that too

 

[pollex.jaypee]

...speaking of which, my mom used to be the one to clean the tank when I was a li'l fellar. There were several stocks of fish lost when she would bleach the tank. I later found out we should have left it well enough alone and let the nitrifying bacteria develop.

Back then, I also thought bleach/soap/detergents would clean everything

 

[lectraplayer]

Back then, I also thought bleach/soap/detergents would clean everything

They do, but you don't want your fishes that clean.

 

[pollex.jaypee]

They do, but you don't want your fishes that clean.

Oh right, wrong use of words.haha
Agree, we like our tanks dirty...Beneficial bacteria dirty

 

[AtHomeWithTwins]

Bless the internet! When i was a kid some 20+ yrs ago, i kept fish with my dad. When i tell him now about cycling and beneficial bacteria and test kits and water changes, he looks at me like im crazy! I learned about these things on the internet and forums like this one. Where would he have learned it 25 yrs ago, a library (do they still have those?). Just think how many mistakes have been avoided bc of forums like these. The internet, a fishes best friend!

 

[pollex.jaypee]

Bless the internet! When i was a kid some 20+ yrs ago, i kept fish with my dad. When i tell him now about cycling and beneficial bacteria and test kits and water changes, he looks at me like im crazy! I learned about these things on the internet and forums like this one. Where would he have learned it 25 yrs ago, a library (do they still have those?). Just think how many mistakes have been avoided bc of forums like these. The internet, a fishes best friend!

Especially since not all LFS educate their customers well. I too, have learned most of aquarium keeping from forums like this one.Yep, All hail the internet!

 

[Delapool]

Used to regularly try to seal tanks with any old glue. Which used to regularly fail and I would have to re-polish the desk

Used to buy fish, ride home on my bike (about 45 minutes) with the fish hanging off the handle bars in a shopping bag and then basically tip them in. Surprisingly most survived the transport.

 

[pollex.jaypee]

Used to buy fish, ride home on my bike (about 45 minutes) with the fish hanging off the handle bars in a shopping bag and then basically tip them in. Surprisingly most survived the transport.

Why do I suddenly have the urge to go biking with my fish?
But of course, I won't cause I shouldn't

 

[Huro]

In the beginning....I burned out a filter's motor by running it 'dry'. That was a very expensive mistake!

I made this same mistake as well
My second mistake was adding three juvenile spilt tail guppies into a tank with 4 adult Turquoise Rainbows (Big Mistake)
My third big mistake was leaving the lid off my Rubbermaid tub that was storing fish during a tank redo, my red tailed shark managed to jump out and clear the slits in the heating vent, by time I found him it was to late