# newbee confessions



## anttthony (21 Jan 2013)

Anyone got any stories of newbee fish tank fails ive got loads I recently realised I was using a co2 reactor upside down for about 2 months. Before I found this forum I have had a lot of things were I think what was I thinking.  ive burried full pots of plants and just left them adding no nutrients co2 and light when I remembered,  tried to mix gravel in the tank complained of redmore root floating hopefully iam getting the hang of it now
Ant


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## Ady34 (21 Jan 2013)

Very honest...a great post!


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## anttthony (21 Jan 2013)

Ive had some shockers thank god for ukaps

ant


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## Darwin88 (28 Jan 2013)

Cleaning my filter with soapy tap water


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## jack-rythm (28 Jan 2013)

I gassed about 20 red nose tetras last year because I wouldn't read up about co2!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (28 Jan 2013)

jack-rythm said:


> I gassed about 20 red nose tetras last year because I wouldn't read up about co2!
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2



Dislike


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## jack-rythm (28 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> Dislike


Indeed dislike.. al down to lack of knowledge Nath. But I can only make sure im thorough with future plans. It was a lesson learnt the hard way unfortunately..


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (28 Jan 2013)

jack-rythm said:


> Indeed dislike.. al down to lack of knowledge Nath. But I can only make sure im thorough with future plans. It was a lesson learnt the hard way unfortunately..



All been there pal. Mine was slightly more costly, with 2 L018s at £30 each


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## jack-rythm (28 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> All been there pal. Mine was slightly more costly, with 2 L018s at £30 each


Ouchhhhh!

Cheers! Jack


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## anttthony (28 Jan 2013)

I blocked my pond filter with a bag of carbon and flooded my neighbours garden..
hope she doesn't read this told her the liner split

ant


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## Darwin88 (28 Jan 2013)

anttthony said:


> I blocked my pond filter with a bag of carbon and flooded my neighbours garden..
> hope she doesn't read this told her the liner split
> 
> ant



Lol


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## cookie3985 (12 Feb 2013)

anttthony said:


> I blocked my pond filter with a bag of carbon and flooded my neighbours garden..
> hope she doesn't read this told her the liner split
> 
> ant


 Thats brillaint!

I was cleaning my filter when inlet hose wasnt attached to the filter and was emptying my 300litre tank water all over the living room floor. Not good.


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## nduli (12 Feb 2013)

I attached all pipe work up to filter, as I was using eheim installation kits for pipe work I filled pipes up to aid priming. Walked away, plugged in and was somewhat surprised to find water gushing out of top of pressure side install kit a good 4 inches into the air and down back of tank. Took 30sec to find and screw on missing bit of kit still don't know why to this day I didn't just unplug  duh!!!..... Better half still doesn't know but probably will when I finally move the tank......


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## danmullan (16 Feb 2013)

Funny thread...

Started a new tank with the 'dry start method' ... grew plants carefully for about 3-4 weeks. 

Flooded the tank. In my excitement, forgot dry redmoor would float. It did. Taking many, many plants with it


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## LondonDragon (16 Feb 2013)

danmullan said:


> Flooded the tank. In my excitement, forgot dry redmoor would float. It did. Taking many, many plants with it


See why I say dry starts are a waste  hard luck!


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## anttthony (16 Feb 2013)

I thought I had a faulty peice when It floated 

ant


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## George Farmer (16 Feb 2013)

My first ever aquarium had 100% non-aquatic plants in it - all house plants sold as aquarium plants in my local garden centre outlet.

I'm thankful in a way. Because it made me look into how to grow plants properly. Then I discovered Amano, Barr and co. That was only 10 years ago.


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## George Farmer (16 Feb 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> See why I say dry starts are a waste  hard luck!


You haven't seen my moss...


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## nayr88 (16 Feb 2013)

Left my Doaqua co2 diffuser on a speaker brand new out of the box....
It was sunny and a good summer song came on so I turned it up was having a little bop about...it vibrated of and it cracked when it hit the floor.

Tried to de rim a tank whilst I did a water change ....cracked it 

Left my 60l full of brand new aqua soil on the kitchen floor before setting up ....cat mistook it for a litter box...laid a big mud inside.


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## andyh (16 Feb 2013)

nayr88 said:


> Left my 60l full of brand new aqua soil on the kitchen floor before setting up ....cat mistook it for a litter box...laid a big mud inside.


 
Ha ha thats brilliant!


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## nayr88 (16 Feb 2013)

Mate it wasn't even a solid it was a big hot soft one!!!!!!!
I was furious .... Saved what I could and bought a few more litres 

Great thread this haha


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## cookie3985 (15 Mar 2013)

George Farmer said:


> My first ever aquarium had 100% non-aquatic plants in it - all house plants sold as aquarium plants in my local garden centre outlet.


 
I did the same thing George. It looked great for the first week or so! I also bought my first when I was at university and knew nothing about keeping fish. The guy in the shop didn't tell me about adding dechlorinator to the water at water changes. Poor little fellas they didn't last long. A common mistake


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## KeyboardWarrior (15 Mar 2013)

My first aquarium I condemned 4 gold fish to death in a 28 litre tank ( thanks P@H ) after that I turned to the Internet for answers as I felt bad about it and the only I've only lost 3 fish since and one was my beloved betta 'blue' who died of old age


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## roadmaster (15 Mar 2013)

Went to fish store to trade some plant clipping's for fish ,and forgot I left the fill hose running on the aquarium.
Spent the rest of the day/evening,trying to wet vac carpet with fair result's.


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## kirk (15 Mar 2013)

Decided to do a water change. Then also decided to do the washing up hovering etc. It wasn't until I got to hover into the lounge and saw water running out from under the sofa that I had realized I'd forgotton all about the tank. .  It was down to a 3rd of 200 ltrs.


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## thelats1981 (15 Mar 2013)

father UKAPS, I have sinned. despite hours and hours of reading your site I still frazzle my plants with too much light, not enough CO2 and poor flow. Brother FX5 has offered to help out tomorrow, may the deaths of far too many plants not be in vain.


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## scuttler (15 Mar 2013)

Brilliant thread! 

Left the heater on while changing water. What's the sizzling? Oh...... Smash. .... Run to shop for a new one! 

Common one but it makes me laugh.


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## LondonDragon (15 Mar 2013)

scuttler said:


> Left the heater on while changing water. What's the sizzling? Oh...... Smash. .... Run to shop for a new one!


When I run the Juwel internal filter with the heater inside I broke at least 3 that way! LOL


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## NatureBoy (16 Mar 2013)

I've been happily running my 2nd hand eheim 2026 for nearly a year without an input connector(that little tube that links onto the media tray tube)- amazing what a difference a small thing like that makes!


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## sciencefiction (17 Mar 2013)

I got a call one day at work that my tank is pouring water out of it flooding the place. I went home and there was a pool under the tank soaking all the carpet gradually. 
It turned out I had put the spraybar holes of the trickle filter that came with the tank to splash against the wall and the water was coming out of the back of the cover, falling down the back glass like a waterfall.  That was sorted.
However, it didn't stop me from making the same mistake again. I did it two more times in the next year, forgetting to position the stupid holes again.  I now have a professional carpet cleaner


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (17 Mar 2013)

sciencefiction said:


> I got a call one day at work that my tank is pouring water out of it flooding the place. I went home and there was a pool under the tank soaking all the carpet gradually.
> It turned out I had put the spraybar holes of the trickle filter that came with the tank to splash against the wall and the water was coming out of the back of the cover, falling down the back glass like a waterfall.  That was sorted.
> However, it didn't stop me from making the same mistake again. I did it two more times in the next year, forgetting to position the stupid holes again.  I now have a professional carpet cleaner



All for pro carpet cleaners!
I picked up a quarter full tetra art 30 once, never again!

Bottom cracked and i spent  a couple hours sucking water from the carpet, with the carpet cleaner, then cleaning.

Heres what i have :


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## livewire (18 Mar 2013)

Installed a RO unit under the stairs, the first time I used it I left it running in to a 25litre container, went out shopping thinking I would be home in time. 
I was wrong, and upon returning home water was all over the recently laid real wood floor (none of this laminate stuff) sorted everything out with loads of towels and thought I got away with it. The next morning I walked down the stairs and noticed the Wooden floor raised at all the joins!!! The wife was very angry. 

Not learning my lesson I did the same a week later by forgetting the RO unit was running whilst watching a film, not as much water spilt this time but still it made the floor even worse. The effected area of floor has now been replaced and I was ordered to buy a flood alarm which has a little sensor that turns a very load buzzer on when the water is at the top if the container.


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## roadmaster (18 Mar 2013)

Hooked up clamp on shop light to edge of new tank I was setting up to see ,and easier access than with canopy light.
Spent the afternoon washing approx 80 lbs. of sand several times.Dumped the sand in the tank,,filled the tank with water ,and plugged in heater,filter.
When water splashing at surface from spray bar hit bulb  on shop light,,bulb exploded into hundred's of pieces that fell into the freshly washed sand.
Spent nearly an hour trying to pick out pieces of glass before giving up and emptying the sand and starting all over.
Could not risk injury to cory's,loaches, I had planned for the tank.


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## sciencefiction (18 Mar 2013)

roadmaster said:


> Hooked up clamp on shop light to edge of new tank I was setting up to see ,and easier access than with canopy light.
> Spent the afternoon washing approx 80 lbs. of sand several times.Dumped the sand in the tank,,filled the tank with water ,and plugged in heater,filter.
> When water splashing at surface from spray bar hit bulb on shop light,,bulb exploded into hundred's of pieces that fell into the freshly washed sand.
> Spent nearly an hour trying to pick out pieces of glass before giving up and emptying the sand and starting all over.
> Could not risk injury to cory's,loaches, I had planned for the tank.


 
That sounds horrible. Lucky the glass didn't cause some other damage.


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## Pinkmummy79 (8 Apr 2013)

anttthony said:


> I blocked my pond filter with a bag of carbon and flooded my neighbours garden..
> hope she doesn't read this told her the liner split
> 
> ant


just read this, i'm your neighbour, i'll be round in a mo!

it is brilliant! you've made me laugh anyway cheers mate


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## Steve Smith (8 Apr 2013)

I've over filled a desktop tank before, spilling water dangerously close to my PC.  Thankfully it missed!


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## Mick.Dk (11 Apr 2013)

Exchanged a filter-bucket just before bed-time, by just connecting the hoses to another (used) one, turning it on without thinking of emptying it...............that ended the lives of 8 big Altum Angels!


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## Martin cape (13 Apr 2013)

Not concentrating on the water level inside the jerry can when syphoning doing a water change. 

Many a time I've soaked the carpet . And had a gob full of water


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## Palm Tree (14 Apr 2013)

I filled my 700l tank almost all the way up to the top, I think the extra pressure was too much. Poured straight onto my Sony TV and on to 4k's worth of solid oak flooring that we fitted a year before, and it was 4k just for the floor without fitting, we fitted it ourself. I only lost one angelfish out of the whole tank stock.
Naively, I also left a 7mm square gap in my 240l tank and lost 3 out of my 4 ropefish in one night.


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## Andy Thurston (18 Apr 2013)

Ive sucked a pepper cory with gravel syphon i spotted it as i went to empty bucket down sink lucky fish. its still alive today 
My father inlaw and i did a water change with cold tap and nearly killed 5 silver dollars we spotted them struggling and finished filling tank from kettle their still alive too


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