Aquarium Keeping - Things not to do

[aakaakaak]

DO NOT set your yellow ammonia test next to a blue substrate and expect it to read anywhere close to okay.

Your turn.

 

[bassbonediva]

DO NOT pass up the opportunity to buy a Python or similar water change system. Lugging and dumping multiple five gallon buckets for water changes and when setting up a tank when you have a torn rotator cuff is hell.

Aak, I had to LOL at yours.

 

[aakaakaak]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I should really upgrade to a 5 gal bucket. Draining 12x 1.5 gal jars in a tank is annoyingly long.

DO NOT dump any algae fix stuff into a tank with snails....not even a drop.

 

[Fishman1995]

DO NOT come home with incompatible fish and think everything will just be ok, fish will die.

DO NOT buy fish that will get to big for our tank, they will die also.

DO NOT overfeed guppys because there inside will come out and it will look disgusting.

DO NOT listen to most of your LFS clerks, they are only into making a sale, not the good of a fish.

DO NOT let your tank start going downhill and slack off with water changes etc. because it will get out of hand

kk theres my few donations

 

[Thyra]

Make sure your tank is level both front to back and side to side BEFORE filling it! Figure at least 10# to a gallon and proceed accordingly.

 

[lauraf]

DO NOT get frustrated that your CO2 system isn't producing enough bubbles right away and shake the snot out of the canister.

 

[Lotus]

DO NOT put fish into your tank straight from the store. Always quarantine. Two weeks for farm-bred fish, six to eight weeks for wild-caught fish.

DO NOT put a bottle of DIY CO2 solution on top of your tank without securing it.

DO NOT overfill a DIY CO2 bottle.

DO NOT put a tank on a surface that doesn't support the entire bottom of the tank.

 

[aakaakaak]

DO NOT leave your aquarium lights on for too long and figure you're "immune" to algae problems.

 

[ryanoh]

Do not leave your cans of fish food sitting on the shelf by the tank where your cat can open them in the middle of the night and eat them all.

 

[Lynch_6913]

Do not put an equal ammount of male/females in a live bearer tank, they females will die from males friskieness

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

DO NOT get frustrated that your CO2 system isn't producing enough bubbles right away and shake the snot out of the canister.

LOl I have done that! *laughingc

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Do not leave your cans of fish food sitting on the shelf by the tank where your cat can open them in the middle of the night and eat them all.

OK this one too! My dogs love fish food!

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Do not leave an electrical octopus on the floor under the tank where it can get wet!

Do not let your neighbors kids feed your fish while you are away with out portioning the food for them!

Do not leave your tank filling up with your python unattended because the hose is "secure" and could not fall out and ruin the floor with only 10 seconds worth of water!

 

[ryanoh]

Do not let your neighbors kids feed your fish while you are away with out portioning the food for them!

This one reminds me...

Do not tell your heavy drinker friend to give the fish "a pinch" of food when he's already drank enough to not know the difference between a pinch and a fist full.

 

[paperdog9]

DO NOT squeeze your DIY CO2 bottle unless you are planning on killing everything in your tank.

 

[exhumed07]

do not start filling your tank and get distracted reading posts on this site

do not drive 60 miles for a fish cause it is a deal and expect it to live in a plastic bag home

do not go on vacation for a week and forget to turn the lights off on the tank

 

[SweetPoison]

Do not leave your tank filling up with your python unattended because the hose is "secure" and could not fall out and ruin the floor with only 10 seconds worth of water!

I have done this more times than I can count! Actually, mine doesn't fall out, I just forget I am filling the damn 125 gallon!


Great Thread!! Love it!

 

[aakaakaak]

do not go on vacation for a week and forget to turn the lights off on the tank

Timers. Get some. And it has made all the difference.

DO NOT get an aquarium at work unless you're ready to become friends with all sorts of fish watching zombie co-workers who didn't even know your name before.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

DO NOT get an aquarium at work unless you're ready to become friends with all sorts of fish watching zombie co-workers who didn't even know your name before.

I put a jar next to the aquarium that says "One dollar to stare" That has seemed to help!

 

[tom91970]

Do not recycle water after water changes for personal use. Water for bathing, drinking, etc can easily be obtained from the tap.