300 fish keeping mistakes to avoid

[Incredulous_Ed]

Well, I figures I'd start this and evertyone can add on as much as they want. Let's try to make it to 100.

1. Not doing research before buying a fish.

2. Keeping a goldfish in a bowl

3. Keeping a betta without a heater

4. Only changing the water once every 3 months

5. Not properly cycling the tank.

6. Buying non-aquatric plants

[muffin]

7. Keeping goldfish and tropical fish in the same tank

8. Overstocking tanks

9. Releasing aquatic fish into the local environment

[smaug]

10.Trying to keep a planted tank on a budget

[tropfish]

11. Trying to cram 20 fish into a 10g

12. Flushing live fish that you just don't want anymore

[gm72]

13. Trying to keep fish without any disposable income with which to work.
14. Listening to the "experts" at the big chain stores.

[MeganL3985]

13. Not knowing what type of fish you have.

14. Putting non-compatible fish together (i.e. two male betta's)

15. Not dechlorinating your water prior to changes.

16. Vaccuming gravel and changing filter media at the same time.

[YaYgoldFish]

15. buying fish that arent compatible.

16. buying the tank and fish at the same time!

17. Buying a dozen goldfish for your 10g. ( ive actually seen this happen)

[Nick_Pavlovski]

18. Keeping a Betta in a tiny little jar longterm.
19. Not understanding when your turtle/tortoise is trying to hibernate.

[cocoa_pleco]

20. Not buying reef safe fish
21. Not researching coral needs
22. Not getting proper reef lighting
23. Not using a proper skimmer
24. Not feeding correct foods
25. Starting a reef without proper funds

[digital3]

26. Not listening to the experts here.

27. Not realizing fishkeeping is a long term commitment.

28. Letting a mistake discourage you from the hobby.

29. Not testing your water.

30. Using water test strips instead of a good liquid test kit.

[A340]

31. Not asking questions.
32. Using the stock filter in a kit.
33. Over feeding your fish.

[cocoa_pleco]

32. Using the stock filter in a kit.


that is unless its a hagen or geosystem kit, both often come with awesome filters

34. not having a canister on a tank over 33g
35. not using 2 filters on a tank over 55g
36. not having powerheads on a reef

[A340]

that is unless its a hagen or geosystem kit, both often come with awesome filters
Hagen is Geosystem ... :ezpi_wink1:

They do come with great filters, either AC or Fluvals, but some are still the base minimum (if you follow the by half rule) and some don't meet that. But I do agree, they have some of the best kits out there.

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i couldnt remember if hagen made geosytem.

their kits are great, the larger tanks come with fluval canisters. i paid $150 for my 15g kit in february and it came with a AC rated for 30g

[coachfraley]

37. measuring/ pouring chemicals above your tank (miss or drop goes into tank)
38. dipping test tubes into display
39. rinsing filter media in tap water

[Tjones]

40. over feeding
41. putting unsafe rocks into the aquarium
42. not properly aclimating fish before aquarium introduction
43. not washing your hands before or after working in or around the aquarium
44. spraying glass cleaner directly on the aquarium surface

[cocoa_pleco]

45. using pesticides/fresheners by the tank
46. letting kids by the tank
47. not testing the water
48. not testing salinity in reefs

[OscarFan]

49. Not feeding Oscars the proper stuff
50. Not being a member of AC

[Incredulous_Ed]

51. Having a weak stand
52. Having an unlevel stand or tank.
53. Keeping a stand on thick carpet.

[cocoa_pleco]

54. using a tank with worn silicone
55. not resealing a tank with proper silicone
56. not doing water changes
57. running a heater dry
58. running a filter dry

[Incredulous_Ed]

59. buying only one schooling fish

[cocoa_pleco]

60. for most people, buying a pacu (i can rehome mine, which is why i have one)
61. buying clownfish because of movies and sticking them into FW
62. Placing corals too close together
63. making a uneven live rock stack
64. jamming live rock together, making dead spots
65. adding too little live rock
66. most of the time, buying a sea cucumber
67. puting a anemone in a tank under 55g
68. Improper air circulation for a light

[Incredulous_Ed]

69. using copper based algecides in a plated tank
70. unessecarily messing with the pH of your water

[cocoa_pleco]

71. using copper with corals
72. not putting enough substrate in a reef
73. placing corals at the improper height in a tank
74. buying incorrect light bulbs
75. not buying as big as a tank as you can afford to start with
76. flushing fish
77. purposely fighting fish, like bettas
78. puting male bettas together in a crammed space
79. puting long finned fish with nippy ones
80. puting angelfish in long tanks
81. mixing cichlid biotopes
82. too little filtration
83. not using a canister filter on a tank over 33g
84. using carbon with HITH prone fish
85. too little of a varied diet
86. feeding feeder fish from a dirty tank
87. having drastic PH swings
88. cycling a tank with sensitive fish
89. not using pure ammonia in a fishless cycle
90. not using a heater
91. not using ferts and CO2 in a heavily planted tank
92. having puffers with other fish
93. sticking arrowanas in small tanks
94. having piranhas in small tanks for bragging rights
95. having the tank lights on for more that 12 hours a day
96. not doing enough water changes
97. having a yellow tang in a tank under 55g
98. puting a tank in sunlight
99. tapping on the glass

I'll leave #100 for you ed

[Incredulous_Ed]

100. Buying weak looking plants
101. buying a sick fish, or buying a fish from a tank with sick fish

[Lady Hobbs]

102 Not doing weekly water changes
103 Not vaccuming gravel
104 Not having proper medications on hand
105 Buying fish that will grow huge when you do not have the room for them
106 Buying fish you know nothing about or what kind it is
107 Not cycling your tank properly


Good thread and I have extended it to 300!

[cocoa_pleco]

108. puting real plant ferts into a aquarium
109. sticking houseplants into aquariums
110. sticking bamboo in aquariums
110. keeping goldfish in tropical tanks
111. not having a airpump in overstocked tanks
112. puting a beta in a bowl with bamboo thinking the betta can only feed on the bamboo
113. not having a quarantine tank
114. adding too many corals at once into a reef
115. not removing dead corals (dead ones STINK)

(sorry if im hogging this thread but i love it!)

[A340]

Good thread and I have extended it to 300!
I was thinking, after we get a certain number, maybe someone could go through them, clean the list up (there are several repeated) and maybe sticky it?

[Tolley]

116: Keeping an Oscar in a 20g

[NickFish]

117: Keeping a pleco in anything under 55 gallon
118: Buying expensive colorful live plants and putting them in an oscar tank
119: Keeping livebearers without planning for the fry
120: Feeding only flakes

[!!!]

121. using ur own urine to cycle the tank

[madly99]

122. Not removing the carbon from your filter when medicating
123. Using copper-based meds with a dechlorinator that removes heavy metals (Prime, Stress Coat, NovAqua+)

I learned the second one today. :(

[Incredulous_Ed]

Wow, we made it to 123 in less than 24 hours. Very cool!

[YaYgoldFish]

121. using ur own urine to cycle the tank

There was a guy that came on this forum a few months ago and he had used his urine to cycle his tank. Not really a mistake since it worked. Same with cat and dog urine.

[!!!]

There was a guy that came on this forum a few months ago and he had used his urine to cycle his tank. Not really a mistake since it worked. Same with cat and dog urine.
rofl.. i know it could work but... yeah... the smell? and it's not very ...um ...classy?

[NickFish]

Wow i have never heard of using your own urine but i guess it would work since that contain ammonia too.

124: Keeping fry in the main tank