Newbie Mistakes List (prevention thread)

I thought I'd make a list of noob mistakes I've made or others have to maybe help a lot of the newer SW keepers from headaches down the line. I see a re-occurence of many topics that relate to many of these mistakes:

1. Not waiting for the cycle to finish before adding inverts/fish

2. Buying Anemones before your tank is established & stable

3. Not using RO/DI water for a Reef tank

4. Stocking too quickly (let your bio-load catch up)

5. Putting Tangs in tanks under 90g+

6. Topping off with saltwater (top off with freshwater)

7. Listening to the LFS without researching yourself

8. Dosing your tank with something you can't test for

9. Licking Zoas/Palys for fun (big no no)

10. Adding a Sand Sifter Star to a Deep Sand Bed (will eat beneficial critters)

11. Rushing (it will get you nowhere in all aspects of SW keeping)

12. Not respecting the dangers of some fish/inverts/corals (some may be highly allergic)

13. Referring to Clown fish as "Nemo" @ any big Reefing events

14. Read through forums before posting a repeat thread subject (my bad)

15. Not installing a mechanical filter before a wet/dry sump

16. Not researching your fishtock prior to buying (ex: dragonet or mandarin without first establishing a large copode population)

17. Using fish to cyxle your tank

18. Purchasing SPS or Clams without proper lighting.

19. Neglecting your bills to buy fish & corals

20. Mixing your saltwater in your tank (mix in a bucket/container with a powerhead & heater for 24 prior to water change)

21. Using tap water high in TDS

22. Not monitoring livestock you are purchasing @ the LFS or setting up a quarantine tank for new additions from online/uknown vendors

See the thread for more in-depth explanations to some of these & feel free to add more!

 

Did you really do this.. hahaha

 

hah, nope, but hey maybe I can save a life or a pet's life

 

#10- Biggest mistake I ever made was to add a sand sifting star to my 100G with a 5" 330 lb Southdown DSB. I did so against everyones advice, thinking I knew better. Boy was I wrong!
Within about a month my sandbed critters started looking sparse and in 3 months it was like the Gobi Desert, not a live thing for miles.
Needless to say the star went back to the LFS and I spent the next year adding cups of donated live sand from friends and countless bottles of live pods and reef stew before it started to be anything at all like it once was.

 

hahahahahahahaha
Number one rule for all the new hobbyists, is to not rush ANYTHING...
I've made this mistake numerous times when I first started and it took me a couple tank crashes to stop rushing into things lol

 

I have a SS star in my 55g but it's mainly food for my Harlequin, I normally have two little ones and the Harlequin feeds on one every few weeks, & I replenish. I wonder if I'm doing damage or if the shrimp is eating them before they make any impact, my SB is around 2.5"-3"

 

I'm going to update the list with your posts so keep em' coming if you had more

Edit, I'm an idiot, there is a sticky thread just like this in the "New to the Hobby" forum. Maybe they can combine. Here's a new one:

14. Read through forums before posting a repeat thread subject

 

Not installing a mechanical filter before a wet/dry sump.

 

right,

1. filling the tank with tap water

2. mixing the salt and the tap water in the tank itself

3. putting a sea urchin into a cycled tank, of tap water

4. buying a mag-float, dont like em

5. buying a tang that i don't even like :L

theres probably more but my lights have gone off now lol

 

21. Not researching your fish properly. Ie. buying a dragonet or mandarin without first establishing a large copode population

22.using fish to cyxle your tank

23.purchasing SPS without proper lighting.

24.spending your whole paycheck on your tank instead of paying that overdue bill