I always look a little pale when I have a hangover too....WeeMan said:
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Accidents, Mistakes, Close Calls and Tragedies
- Thread starter CathyG
- Start date
hellohefalump
Fishaholic
miracle... I had a goldfish called Gemma and when she was about four years old she jumped out of the tank, landed on a blanket next to a radiator and lay there for a good few hours. We found her, she wasn't moving, she was bone dry... so we took her downstairs to make her a coffin to bury her in (toilet roll tube) and she flipped her tail! We put her back in the tank with some methelyne blue, and she lived for another five years. She was nine and a half when she died - internal bacterial thing.
disaster... When the goldfish got tuberculosis from a contaminated food block - I was giving them food blocks and minimal amounts of flakes because my oldest, Peter, was blind - he was 16 and half yrs old and very elerly looking! The other fish were getting all the food before him - they were little fishies that were growing - so I was getting more food to Peter by the food block and he was gaining the weight back. Anyway, I put a contaminated one in and they all got TB and Peter and Jim and Algae died. Very sad.
terrible thingWhen Rosie got her swimbladder problem I was in Singapore for two months staying with my father so my family were at home 'looking after' the fish. When I got back Rosie had really a bad swimbladder... I put meds in and some wierd algae thing happened. The water went extremely cloudy, all the oxygen went, and the other fish all went to the surface to gulp air. But Rosie couldn't swim up and when I found her she was being tossed about by the filter as if she was dead. But she wasn't dead... she did die eventually though. RIP.
stupid... When Jim started developing pearlscales I thought it was dropsy and had him in and out of the tank giving him dose after dose of dropsy meds... poor thing survived though and I found out he was a pearlscale
then i did my research and realised dropsy had 'pine cone' scales not swollen ones!
disaster... When the goldfish got tuberculosis from a contaminated food block - I was giving them food blocks and minimal amounts of flakes because my oldest, Peter, was blind - he was 16 and half yrs old and very elerly looking! The other fish were getting all the food before him - they were little fishies that were growing - so I was getting more food to Peter by the food block and he was gaining the weight back. Anyway, I put a contaminated one in and they all got TB and Peter and Jim and Algae died. Very sad.
terrible thingWhen Rosie got her swimbladder problem I was in Singapore for two months staying with my father so my family were at home 'looking after' the fish. When I got back Rosie had really a bad swimbladder... I put meds in and some wierd algae thing happened. The water went extremely cloudy, all the oxygen went, and the other fish all went to the surface to gulp air. But Rosie couldn't swim up and when I found her she was being tossed about by the filter as if she was dead. But she wasn't dead... she did die eventually though. RIP.
stupid... When Jim started developing pearlscales I thought it was dropsy and had him in and out of the tank giving him dose after dose of dropsy meds... poor thing survived though and I found out he was a pearlscale
then i did my research and realised dropsy had 'pine cone' scales not swollen ones!Teelie
Fish Aficionado
Came home, there's water all over the stand my 10 gallon sits on. I wipe up as much water as I can and look around the tank. No apparent leaks and the water level is still high. It appears someone or a cat bumped the stand or my computer which is next to the stand and caused some water to spill out. I had to top the tank off a little higher than usual as I had to extricate a loach from the filter.
Anyhow, still keeping an eye for any leaks.
Anyhow, still keeping an eye for any leaks.
Here are my two biggest tragedies...
1. While admiring my tank one night all of the fish seemed to jump. I kept watching and from the angle I was at noticed that the side panel of my 80 gallon had a huge streak on it and that I should clean the outside of my tank. Well, it wasn't a streak. The entire side panel had cracked from corner to corner. Luckily I had an old 40 gallon that I was able to get all the chiclids and two sedys into. I found out that it was almost as cheap and alot faster to replace the tank then have it repaired. I lost one of my sedydonis catfish before I was able to set everything up again. Not sure exactly what made the tank crack. It had been moved probably 5 times includeing the trip from the petstore. When I set up the new tank I added a piece of ridgid styrofoam incase my stand wasn't 100% level. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadden't of been home...
2. Again, admiring the tank, thinking how nicely it had recovered from the crack incident. The next day 9 out of eleven chiclids floating, the sedodonis I didn't loose was dead too. When I touched the tank it was HOT to the touch! Although everyone blames the heater, when I cracked open the filter canister it was hot and appears to have done the damage. It's a Fluval 404 and I had replaced the magnetic propellor a few times when ever it stopped and the filter stops aerating. This time it kept aerating so the tank looked fine, but something wasn't working right and it heated the tank to like 35 DeGrees Celcius. Thankfully the local pet guy made some calls and my fluval was replaced as well as the heater (which was fine!). Unfortunately I lost 9 chiclids and a huge sedy. The pe store guy exchanged my two remaining chiclids so I can start restocking which is kind of fun.
So hopefully with a new tank, filter, heater and fish I'll be alright for a while.
1. While admiring my tank one night all of the fish seemed to jump. I kept watching and from the angle I was at noticed that the side panel of my 80 gallon had a huge streak on it and that I should clean the outside of my tank. Well, it wasn't a streak. The entire side panel had cracked from corner to corner. Luckily I had an old 40 gallon that I was able to get all the chiclids and two sedys into. I found out that it was almost as cheap and alot faster to replace the tank then have it repaired. I lost one of my sedydonis catfish before I was able to set everything up again. Not sure exactly what made the tank crack. It had been moved probably 5 times includeing the trip from the petstore. When I set up the new tank I added a piece of ridgid styrofoam incase my stand wasn't 100% level. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadden't of been home...
2. Again, admiring the tank, thinking how nicely it had recovered from the crack incident. The next day 9 out of eleven chiclids floating, the sedodonis I didn't loose was dead too. When I touched the tank it was HOT to the touch! Although everyone blames the heater, when I cracked open the filter canister it was hot and appears to have done the damage. It's a Fluval 404 and I had replaced the magnetic propellor a few times when ever it stopped and the filter stops aerating. This time it kept aerating so the tank looked fine, but something wasn't working right and it heated the tank to like 35 DeGrees Celcius. Thankfully the local pet guy made some calls and my fluval was replaced as well as the heater (which was fine!). Unfortunately I lost 9 chiclids and a huge sedy. The pe store guy exchanged my two remaining chiclids so I can start restocking which is kind of fun.
So hopefully with a new tank, filter, heater and fish I'll be alright for a while.
FrankSlapperinni
Fish Herder
I have made a few mistakes but none that have severely threatened the life of my fish (nearly though). When I bought my Boesmani Rainbowfish I had the hardest time ever trying to get them out of the bowl I was acclimatising them in, so after getting the first two and having the biggest female left to catch, I tried pouring the water through a small net and into a bucket. The boemani got frantic and jumped the several feet onto the hard wood floor. I couldn't scoop her up so I had to resort to using my hands to pick her up, but besides being quite a few shades darker than before she pulled through all right.
Another more major mistake was not having the anti-back flow valve on my aerator in the right place. I had it attached near the aerator, instead of up just where the tube leaves the water. The valve disconnected one night, and in the morning I came down to see my ten gallon tank half empty (the water back siphoned through the air stone, through the tube and onto the floor) and towels all over the place. Apparently my dad (who goes to work very early) just caught problem in time and stopped the flow and cleaned up the about six gallons of water off the floor. I can't imagine what would have happened if he didn't catch that in time.
The only other mistake I can think is one when I became distracted while doing a water change. My dad came inside and I wanted to show him some of the new fish I got for my tank upstairs. I turned the valve on the siphon tube so that no more water could be drained while I was upstairs, and as usual I just lost track of time looking at my fish tank, and was only alerted of what must be happening when I heard this strange bubbling noise. I just realized what must of happened and ran downstairs, to see my ten gallon tank with about 1/2 of an inch of water in it. Apparently I had not shut the valve off all of the way, I had stupidly left the gravel vacuum in the gravel, so the entire tank could have been drained, and the bubbling noise was the filter churning after losing prime. Luckily, all of my fish took refuge in the under gravel tunnel I made for the kuhli loachs, so there were no injury's, but if I had just been a few minuets later...
Another more major mistake was not having the anti-back flow valve on my aerator in the right place. I had it attached near the aerator, instead of up just where the tube leaves the water. The valve disconnected one night, and in the morning I came down to see my ten gallon tank half empty (the water back siphoned through the air stone, through the tube and onto the floor) and towels all over the place. Apparently my dad (who goes to work very early) just caught problem in time and stopped the flow and cleaned up the about six gallons of water off the floor. I can't imagine what would have happened if he didn't catch that in time.
The only other mistake I can think is one when I became distracted while doing a water change. My dad came inside and I wanted to show him some of the new fish I got for my tank upstairs. I turned the valve on the siphon tube so that no more water could be drained while I was upstairs, and as usual I just lost track of time looking at my fish tank, and was only alerted of what must be happening when I heard this strange bubbling noise. I just realized what must of happened and ran downstairs, to see my ten gallon tank with about 1/2 of an inch of water in it. Apparently I had not shut the valve off all of the way, I had stupidly left the gravel vacuum in the gravel, so the entire tank could have been drained, and the bubbling noise was the filter churning after losing prime. Luckily, all of my fish took refuge in the under gravel tunnel I made for the kuhli loachs, so there were no injury's, but if I had just been a few minuets later...
David
Neptune, god of the Sea
Let's see... My first tank was a 2 gallon, which I bought two goldfish for 
)
My second tank was a 10 gallon. I bought several guppies and 1 cory, which died the next day after being picked on by the guppies. The guppies didn't last long either. I later got two angels (that was smart) and a bunch of neons. needless to say, bye bye neons.
I later bought a five gallon tank and bought 2 small malawi cichlids for it. one constantly terrorized the other, so I transferred the poor guy into my 10 gallon to heal up. Once again, my neons started disappearing. (I wonder why).
When I moved to California I had to give away my fish, so I gave my 10 gallon and my 2 gallon away to my neighbour. It was housing my 2 cichlids (which had grown quite a bit from all that live food) and several black neons, which are twice as big as regular neons so I wasn't worried. Several weeks later my neighbour calls to say that the black neons have disappeared and one of the cichlids is dead. All they have now is a large and well-fed malawi cichlid.
Well that's pretty much my entire history of newbie mistakes.
) My second tank was a 10 gallon. I bought several guppies and 1 cory, which died the next day after being picked on by the guppies. The guppies didn't last long either. I later got two angels (that was smart) and a bunch of neons. needless to say, bye bye neons.
I later bought a five gallon tank and bought 2 small malawi cichlids for it. one constantly terrorized the other, so I transferred the poor guy into my 10 gallon to heal up. Once again, my neons started disappearing. (I wonder why).
When I moved to California I had to give away my fish, so I gave my 10 gallon and my 2 gallon away to my neighbour. It was housing my 2 cichlids (which had grown quite a bit from all that live food) and several black neons, which are twice as big as regular neons so I wasn't worried. Several weeks later my neighbour calls to say that the black neons have disappeared and one of the cichlids is dead. All they have now is a large and well-fed malawi cichlid.
Well that's pretty much my entire history of newbie mistakes.
Teelie
Fish Aficionado
To update my situation, my tank is all safe and secure, though a baby snail has mysteriously made it's way in there...
boozybears
Fish Addict
Since setting up my 25 gallon this past february we've been following all the rules, listening to all your advice and luckily haven't had many troubles. (knock on wood!)
However... the same can't be said for my pre-educated fishkeeping experience. Ok.. time to get all my guilt off my chest...
1. When I was in highschool I bought a small fishbowl, a can of flakes and a goldfish. That's it.. no heater, filter, decorations.... Not surprisingly he jumped out of his bowl and died within 2 weeks of owning him.
2. When I first started my current job (psychiatric rehab program) we decided that a fish tank would be nice and relaxing for our clients. So.. off to the fish store we went. We bought a 15 gallon tank, 2 gold fish, 2 plecos and a bunch of food. Not once did we do any research on fishkeeping. Every two weeks one of the guys would dump the fish into a bucket and completely wash and clean out the tank (using household cleaners to boot!) I don't remember there being a filter or a heater.. just the 4 fish and a few decorations. Again.. the fish didn't last very long. So every time they died we just went out and bought some more. After a while we just gave up.
Now.. thinking back I feel sooooo sad for those poor fishies
I wish so much that I had done some research and saved those fish.
sorry fishies!!
thanks for listening,
Valerie
However... the same can't be said for my pre-educated fishkeeping experience. Ok.. time to get all my guilt off my chest...
1. When I was in highschool I bought a small fishbowl, a can of flakes and a goldfish. That's it.. no heater, filter, decorations.... Not surprisingly he jumped out of his bowl and died within 2 weeks of owning him.
2. When I first started my current job (psychiatric rehab program) we decided that a fish tank would be nice and relaxing for our clients. So.. off to the fish store we went. We bought a 15 gallon tank, 2 gold fish, 2 plecos and a bunch of food. Not once did we do any research on fishkeeping. Every two weeks one of the guys would dump the fish into a bucket and completely wash and clean out the tank (using household cleaners to boot!) I don't remember there being a filter or a heater.. just the 4 fish and a few decorations. Again.. the fish didn't last very long. So every time they died we just went out and bought some more. After a while we just gave up.
Now.. thinking back I feel sooooo sad for those poor fishies
I wish so much that I had done some research and saved those fish. sorry fishies!!
thanks for listening,
Valerie
Sorrell
If you're a bird, I'm a bird
I've made so many mistakes I wouldn't even know where to start, but in my defense I can't remember a time in my life that didn't have fish.
My biggest tradgedy was when I was breeding Oscars i had a group of 4 together and they were jumpers. All night i would hear them slamming into the hood. One morning I woke up and I only had 3 boys in there. Then I notice one of the lights on the tank is missing. One of them had jumped in the night and taken the part of the hood with him (it was in quarters). I found him on the floor on top of the light dried up and burned. It must've happened pretty soon after I turned the lights out as he was literally melted to it
Our 150 has been tons of fun. We have the infamous rabbit food incident where my son who was 2 poured 5 lbs of rabbit food in the tank. I did 75% w/c twice a day for a week and we still lost about 50% of the fish and had to tear down the whole thing, and get new gravel before it was fish ready again.
About two weeks after I had it up an running again, I am woken up my my son with the words "All the big fish die" you can imagine how fast that wakes you up
The tank had cracked from end to end and there was no water left, and the fish were laying on the bottom. Thankfully they all made it. That's how I know how sweet Mongo is (my pacu) I had to put him in a 29 full of platies, he was in there for a week while we waited for the new tank to come, never touched any of them 
My biggest tradgedy was when I was breeding Oscars i had a group of 4 together and they were jumpers. All night i would hear them slamming into the hood. One morning I woke up and I only had 3 boys in there. Then I notice one of the lights on the tank is missing. One of them had jumped in the night and taken the part of the hood with him (it was in quarters). I found him on the floor on top of the light dried up and burned. It must've happened pretty soon after I turned the lights out as he was literally melted to it
Our 150 has been tons of fun. We have the infamous rabbit food incident where my son who was 2 poured 5 lbs of rabbit food in the tank. I did 75% w/c twice a day for a week and we still lost about 50% of the fish and had to tear down the whole thing, and get new gravel before it was fish ready again.
About two weeks after I had it up an running again, I am woken up my my son with the words "All the big fish die" you can imagine how fast that wakes you up
The tank had cracked from end to end and there was no water left, and the fish were laying on the bottom. Thankfully they all made it. That's how I know how sweet Mongo is (my pacu) I had to put him in a 29 full of platies, he was in there for a week while we waited for the new tank to come, never touched any of them 
Synirr
"No one is a failure unless you try"
Oh God, something like that happened to one of my mother's coworkers. She had had a pair of oscars for over 4 years, then one day she came home to a tank with a huge break in the front panel and two dead oscars on the floorSorrell said:About two weeks after I had it up an running again, I am woken up my my son with the words "All the big fish die" you can imagine how fast that wakes you up
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