$150 in prizes! Best/Worst Mistakes Contest

[djbids]

I am still new at this. We just bought a house with almost 40+ windows at the beach. I had a heck of a time finding a location for my tank. I spent hours researching and setting up my tank. Returned my heater twice only to find that my cheap sticky thermometer was defective. (suggested by this site and never occurred to me).

My tank has only been up since 1/29. 36 GALLON and cycling with 8 danios. They are happy campers.

After only 5 days of cycling I started testing my water and since it read 0ppm for ammonia and nitrite I was impatient and I bought "Frank". Poor Frank was doomed. He floated for almost an hour acclimating to the water temp. I did the addition of tank water to his bag every 5 minutes, dumping off the old etc. When I finally released him, (FRANK WAS MY PLECO), he went to the side of the tank. Rather boring I thought but had high hopes. I figured he was stressed and kept the tank lights off. Of course could I just leave him alone? NO. I had to bug him. He swam off and sucked onto another spot. I figured I'd leave him alone so checked later. 4 hours. Odd I thought that he was at the top of the tank standing straight up and down between my plants like balancing on his toes, yes I know he has none. I then put my net inside the tank and touched him and down, down, down he went to the bottom like lead. I fished him out and put him in his fish bag with tank water and did light chest compressions with my finger on his belly, (ok, haha I know) but I named him FRANK for gods sake and I had just killed my first fish.

POOR THING. I got the second degree from this website about putting him into a tank with toilet water thats what I think someone told me. I left him in his bag overnight just in case he was resurected. I flushed him the next day.

Although I still want more fish I am not doing that again until my biofilter is ready. Why ruin a good thing right now. Anyhow I really appreciate this site. I'm a motorcyclin, drinking girl who gets razzed at work for being on the fishy website but this has been great. I have learned more here than in GOOGLE. Thanks from CAYUCOS BEACH< CALIFORNIA.

[RoxnSox]

Originally Posted by Kissyboots

Wow fur, I feel sorry for those poor little fishies in the grass! Anyway, I'm happy I didn't have tanks crack or other expensive problems. Oh, and btw, Roxsox has a beautiful avatar...

i do thank you very much

[d3sc3n7]

Originally Posted by djbids

I fished him out and put him in his fish bag with tank water and did light chest compressions with my finger on his belly, (ok, haha I know) but I named him FRANK for gods sake and I had just killed my first fish.

I'm sorry, and not trying to poke fun at your loss. However, that's horribly amusing to me! CPR on a fish! Not the worst I've heard though, another user on here, posted about a postmortem biopsy of a fish. Well, I guess its good that its postmortem, cause, umm...if it was PREmortem...thats errr, umm, fish murder in the first degree!!!

[catbldr07]

I have a 29 gal saltwater tank. I HAD 2 yellow tailed damsels, 2 percula clowns and an long tentacle anemone. My son is in high school and his biology teacher gets saltwater animals for them to observe. That is where I got the anemone. Well, my son called me from school one day and said his teacher wanted to know if I wanted a starfish and sea urchin for my tank. I said sure they're free. I work 2nd shift so when my son got home from school he called and asked if he could put them in the tank, I said go ahead. Well, the next morning when I checked the tank there were 4 starfish and 3 sea urchins, and 2 dead damsels. The clowns were swimming at an angle also. when I got home from work all life forms new and old were dead...... except the anemone! I had to clean out the tank and do a full water change. Now, a week later I have introduced in 2 snails and a tomato clown. Starting from scratch!!!!!!!

[BigToys]

Well, I have 3, if I restrain myself.
Early in my fish keeping, I decided to start a 10gal tank in my college dorm room. The room was small and 'very limited' on stable surface area. I had a roommate, we shared a long desk(sitting side by side), with two long shelves above. My roommate had an Apple Macintosh Computer (yes, it was that long ago) on one end of the desk, so we didn't have much space to do much else.
Finally, while he was in class, I decided to set-up the tank; I didn't care/know about cycling or prepping the tank in any way. I filled the tank, bought the fish, then realized it was too big to put on the desk - and actually sit there. I measured the shelf above and it was a perfect fit, with maybe a half inch to spare. I emptied the tank about half way, placed it on the shelf, and refilled. During the refilling, the tank shifted about an eighth of an inch. I'm a bit OCD, so I tried to shift it straight. The shelf was buckling under the weight of the tank, and when I touched it, the back glass (I still thank God it wasn't the front glass) cracked from one corner to the opposite corner, and the back of the tank exploded. Spilling 10gal of water, glass and about 10 fish onto the desk, computer and carpet below. My roommate moved out.

Second one; While moving to a new apartment, I put my Pacu in a small cooler for transport. While waiting to set-up the tank at the new place, I forgot I had put the heater in the cooler to get the temp back up to what the fish were used to. By the time I remembered, they were all cooked and floating. No longer delicious.

Third; After keeping fish for nearly 20 years, I was doing a water change and got side tracked with the tv. While refilling the tank 1 pitcher at a time, I forgot to check the water level. I "over-filled" the tank.

[djbids]

Originally Posted by d3sc3n7

I'm sorry, and not trying to poke fun at your loss. However, that's horribly amusing to me! CPR on a fish! Not the worst I've heard though, another user on here, posted about a postmortem biopsy of a fish. Well, I guess its good that its postmortem, cause, umm...if it was PREmortem...thats errr, umm, fish murder in the first degree!!!

haha...i was just kidding, i was snickering while doing it, amusingly but still felt bad that the poor thing was in my care!!

[charls]

when does this contest end?

[pearl_aqg]

Details about the contest are all in the first post - it ends and prizes will be awarded March 5.

Although it looks like by the time this ends, it's going to be a really hard decision

[d3sc3n7]

Psssst!

*whispers to Pearl*

So, we got this locked up for me taking first, right? You got the bribe???

*looks around*
*whistles and walks away*

HAHHA

[pearl_aqg]

what's this bribe you speak of??