Common Bigginer Mistakes

[Orbitorly]

Post your mistakes here so everyone (mostly newbies) can see them so they won't do the same thing.

If you could make it a sticky so it will stay on the top for everyone to see.

My first mistake was putting water in the tank and not treating it of course this happened when I first started out, and it won't happen again.

 

[EddieW]

The biggest mistake I made when I started was to buy a tank that was too SMALL.

Not being in the know I thought a small tank would be easier to look after than a larger one - BIG mistake.

A smaller tank needs as much care as a larger one and, due to the fact that there is less water to dissipate any contaminants, a small tank is a lot harder to keep on an even keel. It is also very difficult to keep clean as if you try to use a normal syphon type gravel cleaner you will have lost half of your water before you have cleaned a quarter of the floor.....

I have since moved up to a decent size tank and now use the small one as a breeding tank so I didn't waste all of my money.

The best advice I have had (unfortunately too late for me) is to get the biggest tank that you can afford both financially and in terms of location and weight.

Eddie

 

[pondfreak4365]

I made the rookie mistake of thoroughly cleaning the tank, gravel and filter each week. It took 3 months to cycle the tank, that was shortly before I started coming here. After I tried applying the ponding principles of beneficial algae and keeping good filtration, it leveled out.

 

[William]

My initial mistake when I started fish keeping with goldies when i was about 6 was I didn't have a clue about cycling a tank... whats that an aquarium on the back of a bike?? Amazingly the goldfish lasted several years a piece which was a lot longer than some people's fish I knew of however looking back I realise it mustn't have been good conditions for them as I was also of the belief they "grew to the size of the tank". Fortunately when I started up on tropicals I went on the internet because they were new and the people have all been helpful and now I try and give some back some of the help I have recieved.

 

[Mollymomma]

My first mistake...Tank cycling
Second mistake...." Just drop them new fish in that new fishtank and add some flakes WALA!"
Thankfully I have learned ALOT more since then!

 

[gadazobe]

My first mistake - too many fish too soon - cycling - I thought that was something you did on a bicycle I have learnt a lot since then and I'm still learning daily (with the help of this forum) Thanks!!!!

 

[cichlidmaster]

Ok, I guess it's my turn.............

Yep...me too!!!!Full load of fish after 24 hours of the tank being set up. Of course after 3 months I had 13 tanks up and running without a hitch, but I certainly made some fish suffer those first few weeks!!!

Seems like such a long time ago....Hey wait a minute, IT WAS!!!!!!!!

CM

 

[Alex]

Ahh CM you don't know how jealous my boyfriend is that you have 13 tanks. .

My mistake was the same, to many fish too soon. The other was not planning in advance what fish I wanted long term, and going and buying fish straight away 'cos they were pretty. Then finding that I couldn't have the fish I really wanted as they weren't compatable.

 

[StiX]

Ahh CM you don't know how jealous my boyfriend is that you have 13 tanks. .

I think he has more than that!

 

[catman]

Not buying a bigger tank...

I brought a 180 litre tank to start.. set it up.. then wished i had spent the extra and brought the 240 litre tank... Now we have a little un on the way my wife says ..

Oi!!! No more fish tanks....

(only fair i suppose.. i have 3 set up and a small one in the shed....)

 

[Alex]

what is it with you men? its just like beer , you say "just the one", and the next thing you know you are on the floor. (beers - obvious; tanks - no room for any furniture).

 

[cryosi]

well i dont drink! but i have 3 tanks and more coming! cant wait to move! just how many 6ft's can u fit in a flat lol!

 

[catman]

Unfair!!!!

Blokes never stop at 3 beers!!!!

 

[cichlidmaster]

Alex.....

When I referred to the 13 tanks, I was looking back some 20+ years ago. I do have a "few" more than that now.

Tell your boyfriend to sit down.....ya ready Currently I have 135 tanks

If you look in the members aquarium picture forum, I bumped the pics of my tanks to the top.

Have a look see, but make sure you have a towel handy for any droolling that may occur

CM

 

[Yikey]

This is gonna sound real dumb to some of you.

Well i was shopping at Walmart with my girlfriend and i saw a 5 gallon tank for sale, modeled exactly like the eclipse ( biowheel and filter + light on top all in one). Well i bought the tank, fake plants, gravel, and a heater. I put dechlorinator in the water and let it run for a few days. I was to anxious and added 5 new fish 2 days later. All the fish died except one ( he was a tuff dood). I did some reading and talked to a owner of a tropical fish store and he explained to me the importance of cycling the water. I want to let anyone who is setting up a new tank know, u must have patience and be 100% sure the tank is ready for fish before u add them. Its a waste of money, and i dont think any fish lover likes to see dead fish.

My tank was then properly cycled, and now has 6 tiger barbs growing every day and chasing each other non stop. Saving for a 30 gallon planted tank or cichild tank ( still havent decided which i want) then maybe trying to set up a marine tank.