Common beginner mistakes

[NJ Devils Fan]

If you have made a common beginner mistake in your fish keeping time, post it here. Hopefully, if beginners and newbies read this first, they will not make some of the same mistakes we have made.

The worst mistake I made was when I first got my 10g tank. I just put the decoraions in it, filled it with water, and the next day, added about 10 fish. This was bad because I did not cycle the tank(check out this article if you are not sure what cycling is. Cycling (http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html)). I also added way to many fish at once. When doing this, certain levels in your tank, like ammonia and ph can rise, killing all the fish. The most you should add to a tank at once is about 2-3 fish, unless you are adding schooling fish, then 5-6 is ok. Needless to say, within 2 days, all the fish were dead.

Here is my site (http://members.tripod.com/njdevilsfan130/getting_started.htm), check out the Getting Started page if you need some help or don't know what to do.

[val]

There's a lot to fishkeeping, if you want to do it right, which you do if you're here and reading this. The biggest difference, and hence the challenge of fishkeeping, is that we have to create the environment the fish live in. Heaven knows having a dog or a cat or a bird can be tricky, but we don't have to manufacture air for the pets or create gravity... But we have to maintain the watery world our fish live in. So, start out with relatively simple fish in a simple setup. I started out with fantail goldfish. Hardy, a little more unique than the standard fishbowl goldfish, easy to find and easy to keep in small numbers. 10 years later, I'm only now branching out to other fish. Other good beginner fishes are mollies and swordtails, which come in a pretty range of colors and can be easily found.

Other ways to keep this simple, get as big a tank as you can afford. I would recommend a 29 or 30 gallon tank. The bigger the tank the more stable the environment, and yet the cost of heaters and filters is still pretty low for this size tank. I went with goldfish, so I didn't need a heater. Trying to grow plants is a challenge for me, and I almost got out of the hobby when I failed at this aspect. Fake plants are pretty darn good now, so I would use them for the beginning.

Ask lots of questions and take all the advice you receive with a grain of salt. Everything has worked for somebody, so it will look like you get conflicting info all the time. Other than my telling you that I, at least, am always right :D , I can't help you distinguish between good and bad advice. When in doubt, go with what seems most plausible to you.

HTH,

Val

[Sum-X]

The biggest mistake I made was to put a Black Ghost Knife in a 10 gallon... Luckily, it did fine for 2 weeks, then I realized that they got to big and took it to the store and sold it... I've been keeping fish for some time now, and do not consider myself a beginner anymore.

NJDF This is a good thread and should be an all time sticky... As the title to this forum says: 'The only mistakes are the ones not asked.' Or something like that. :D

Another thing to remember... To all of the beginners out there, if you ask a question, and someone says something you don't think is right, don't just say you'll do it anyways. Because then, there wasn't even a reason for that question... Take the advice, do some research, and you'll find that the answers will present themselves in time. :D

I hope I make sense. ;)

[famman]

I don't consider myself a newbie but I still make mistakes.

such as;

Number 1 Mistake - Lack of Patience

Number 2 Miskake - Overfeeding

Number 3 Mistake - Contaminating Water

Number 4 Mistake - Spilling Water

I'm still working on them!

good luck
:)

[Sum-X]

Patience and Overfeeding should be the top on everyones list...
Some people become aggravated and bored, so they think they need a new fish, but don't neccisarilly have enough tank space. That results in problems.

And Overfeeding is bad too... It may cause Ammonia problems, or even Filter problems... I still make these mistakes as well, and I don't think anyone, newb to expert is prone to it...

[pinballqueen]

I have been keeping fish since before I was in grade school, so I have made a TON of mistakes that were easily avoidable.

Rule #1: As almost everyone has mentioned, be patient. Don't go buy a tank today and stock it to the brim tomorrow. You'll just be wasting time and money. Lots and lots of money. (This is a lesson I am just now grasping and I've been doing this for a very long time...)

Rule #2: Buy the biggest freakin' tank you can handle. Don't go buy a 10 gallon tank thinking "I'll get a bigger one once I learn a little more". Learn a little more now, and spring for the biggest thing you can fit into your budget (and your home). Granted, if you just have the budget and space for a ten gallon, then that is the tank for you, but go larger if you can. They're easier to keep clean and regulated, plus, you have more options fish-wise if you have at least 30 gallons to deal with.

Rule #3: Do your homework and buy something you can take care of. If you walk into a fish store and buy something based on looks alone, you are most likely setting yourself up for disaster. There are tons of fish dealers that will give you the BS story about how fish only grow as large as their environment (which is true in a way, they'll die when they run out of room), or that the fish will only become aggressive when you start feeding it live food.... all the stories that are designed to talk you into buying something that will in all likelihood die within a short timeframe (and since you fell in love with the fish, you'll buy another just like it and start the cycle all over again). Be aware of any animal's habits, adult size, agressiveness, diet requirements, etc., so that you don't make this mistake when you walk in the door and get mowed over by a salesperson. (case in point, I purchased a redfin barracuda and took it home to my 55 gallon tank, at which point it proceeded to eat everything in my tank and then run into the walls because it didn't have room, eventually running itself into a heart attack....I didn't do my research until after the fish died and I was out $75. The silly fish needed at least six feet of running room and virtually no other tankmates....)

Rule #4: Don't fill your tank with fish. Never follow that 1" to a gallon BS. There are very, very few fish species that can live in conditions that crowded. You wouldn't have 15 full-grown Rottweillers in your backyard just because someone told you they only need 5 square feet of area to live, right? Use common sense, and don't try to stuff as many fish in your home tank as the lfs has in his. Keep in mind, the fish dealer has the fish in there to get rid of them, not to keep them as pets....and chances are, his tanks are not as healthy as you would want your home tank to be.....(the exception to this is my lfs, the owner makes sure the fish are in very good living conditions and treats them like pets, not like stock to be sold....He does slightly overcrowd them a couple days a week when new shipments come in, however....)

Rule #5: If you have a problem, don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a great forum for beginners, and we've all experienced some kind of tragic loss or another, so don't leave yourself in the dark, and don't give up, thinking that some people just aren't good with fish. It takes a lifetime to learn everything there is to know, and even the experts ask questions every now and again. You're not alone, so ask away, even if the question you have seems trivial. These folks are here to help.

It is a truly great hobby to keep any kind of pet, and fish offer so many great things to someone who is willing to learn. Never give up, and great rewards await you once you've got the basics down.


Pinball Queen, lenghty-posting knowitall....

[gcvt]

Great thread idea NJ Devils Fan!

I think one of the big beginner mistakes is impulse buying. Researching livestock, before you make a purchase, is critical. You want to know exactly what you're getting into as far as fish size, requirements, preferences, potential problems, etc.

[christopher1260]

i think the biggest mistake i made was not researching what i wanted before i got into it. the way to buy fish is to know everything about it before you buy it. for instance, if you see a cool fish at the lfs, come home and check out the species profile on this site. even if the fish is really cool, do not get it if you don't have the room or the type of tankmates that it needs.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Thanks gcvt. I asked Cindy about making this sticky like PG said. I think it should be.

[gcvt]

Originally posted by NJ Devils Fan
Thanks gcvt. I asked Cindy about making this sticky like PG said. I think it should be.

You're welcome...and I agree it should be a sticky. Heck, this is the kind of post this forum was made for! :D

And, why there's no 'sticky' article on fishless cycling, I have no idea. Seems like a no-brainer.

[TnCgal]

NJ Devils Fan,

You just blew me away with this thread ! This was a GREAT idea ! Of COURSE I'll make it a sticky ! :)

Let's see. My biggest mistake came down to just not being educated. I would say READ READ READ. Read about the nitrogen cycle. Read about the fish you are thinking of buying. Read about different filters and peices of equipment. Come here and post questions. Read everyone else's questions and answers !

Being an educated *********** can make ALL the difference in being successful or not. :)

[djlen]

I may have missed it but I didn't see anything in the above regarding water changes so, IMHO water quality is *everything* and the best way to maintain water quality is through water changes, at least weekly.
And I will reiterate.....you will learn more on this forum than you ever dreamed regarding fishkeeping, so read, read, read, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Len

[Archer]

TOP 10 beginner mistakes for me,
and some helpful links I wish I knew back then ...

1. Not knowing the basics of fish keeping.
helpful link: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin.html

2. Not learning about the nitrogen CYCLE.
general cycling info: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
fishless cycling: http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/cycling.shtml
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/cycle2.shtml

3. Keeping incompatible fishes.
Not reading about fishes' profiles before buying.
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery.html
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/fresh.shtml

4. Overstocking, overcrowding.
fish stocking guide:
http://www.icesoftware.com/kdodds/fish/beginners.htm

5. Not knowing about fish diseases and treatments:
http://animalatlas.com/encyclo/information/freshwater_fish/Diseases.htm

6. Overfeeding.

7. Not doing enough water changes.

8. Buying fish that are not the healthiest, and not acclimating them well.

9. Not reading enough additional fishkeeping information.
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquasource/catlist.shtml
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/

10. Not knowing about this forum soon enough. :D

[fishlips]

My very first mistake, buying a two gallon hex and two fantails the same day. It was a present one year ago to my niece and all is well thanks to this board. The store clerk said, "yeap, fill it up and throw them in.

After setting up that hex and reading this board for a year I don't think I made a mistake worth mentioning. Thanks to all of you!

[rockhead44]

What about jumping on the medication bus when you thought a fish was sick.I am I the only one who made this mistake?In the beginning I would miss diagnose a illness and overload the meds,Back then I did not know better.I use to get a sick fish panic and run out an buy some meds and end up messing up (or killing)the rest of the fish in the tank cause I thought more meds would work faster.I did a lot more harm the good.I use to go into a pet store and tell them my fish had this that or the other thing and they would say you need this and that and I would buy it.Now I am a lot wiser and I know what when to act quickly or not . For the beginner buy yourself a few books and do some searching on the web.Before you dump in the meds cause they can kill fish faster then the illness.I am sure I am not the only one who has done this.You live and learn.It takes time, work and sometimes heartache To take care of your fish but it is definitely worth it .Great post n.j. devil man

[Hammerman]

This is one great thread:D

Mine were:

1.) Not going with the fishless cycle route. Now that I know how to do this, I'll never go back to cycling with Fish. My time is so much shorter and I can rest at night and not worry about what I am doing to my poor fish.

2.) It's already been stated, but it should be a Golden Rule, have patience with everything you do. For me I learn this lesson with Meds, Adding fish, Freaking-Out on any changes in the appearance of my fish or the tank.

3.) Have a quarantine tank and use it!. This was the hardest lesson for me. Always having to treat the whole tank(s) just because I didn't seprate the new arrival, or didin't take out the infected one.

4.) The best lesson I learned was to have fun with this hobby, it should not be so tedious, I learn this lesson by just stepping back from time to time and looking and the wondrous cycle of life in front of me in my tanks, and I just have to ;)

Ok.. that's my 2 cents...
:cool:

[morleyz]

Whilst I think Patience it the most important beginner trait, something happened to me last night I thought I should share.

I have a 150G african tank that I swear wasn't keeping warm. My thermometer read 80 degrees, which should have been fine. Next thing I know, I notice 1 fish rubbing a lot, so suspecting some parasite, I wanted to raise the temp up a bit and add some salt. I cranked up the heater a couple of degrees, the next morning themometer read 81. I give the heater a little more juice and I get home from work last night, maybe 82 degrees if I let my eyes go fuzzy. Lucky for me, my massive Big Al's shipment arrives which had 2 new thermometers in it and I stuck both of them in. Want to guess what they read? 76 degrees. I borrowed the themometer from my 29G tank just to double check...yep 76 degrees. Wonder what the temp was before I cranked the heater.

Needless to day, don't always trust your tests/equipment. If you think something might be wrong, verify it with a different testing method (new themometer, tank water sample to LFS, etc.). Even beginners notice warning sign, but sometimes just discount them because this test or that test says it something else.

Oh yeah...and if you're buying fish from questionable quality sources, Q-tank them. Then you don't have to worry about importing diseases...I'm learning the hard way.

[Mystroe_TheMyst]

I hope the newbies take time to read this, i know that one problem with being a beginner fish keeper was patience, ohh you need so much in the begining, i ain't no newbie i just created a new user with AC cause something happened to my old one,

a mistake i made was first of all not cycling my tank, and overstocking it....my first tank was a 8gallon (round about that) and i stuffed it full of nice expensive fish (expensive to a little boy) you know how it is you save up little amounts of money, anyway i packed it with about four $4 fish that was my whole savings (i was about 10-12yrs old) and then put fish i had caught from a stream mosquitoe eaters and platy swordtails, so i had about 8-10 fish in a little tank and all sorts of mayhem started

first mistake: didn't cycle it

second mistake: over crowed

third mistake: didn't know the habbits of the fish and found it hard to feed them

result of being stoopid: all fish died (was very distressed) but these fish were my cycling fish, i then started visisting web sites and i found this one! Reading heaps on fish before buying them, getting opinions from forums and forever expanding my knowledge on fish!

Please people new to the fish game, READ UP ON YOUR FISH BEFORE YOU BUY THEM AND KNOW HOW TO SET UP A SUCESSFUL TANK BEFORE DIVING IN THE DEEP END............just ask these guyz here, the more experienced fish keepers, i'm still learning also....

Enjoy the vast world of fish keeping!:)

[net_shark512]

Originally posted by val
. Other good beginner fishes are mollies and swordtails, which come in a pretty range of colors and can be easily found.

HTH,

Val I have made all the same mistakes but I don't agree that mollies are good beginner fish. I started with them in a cycled tank and they never lived very long. Mollies like the water more on the salty side.With out the right salt the get sick and die. Thats why I don't recomend them for the beginner.

[OrionGirl]

One thing that I learned from having a SW tank that applies to the FW side--spend time watching your fish. Learn what they normally do, at different times of the day. This goes hand in hand with researching your fish before buying them--read what their activity level is like, and some common displays, ect.

It's surprising the number of posts I see from people who are worried their fish are freaking out, when it's really a common activity, just not one they've seen before. Sometimes it's a breeding display, or sparring for dominance, but it seems like sometimes it's just normal things that fish do, but aren't seen when you feed or do a water change.

[Mystroe_TheMyst]

hey heres an idea, seeing as this is for newbies, how about saying what those bunch of letters are, i know when i first starting posting i didn't know what ''lfs'' stood for, so any of those types of things i guess should also be post so they least know what we dudes are on about.

Lfs= local fish store

this by the way, for the second time, is a super idea!

[firetank]

eeerrrrrkkkkkkk:mad:

ive had my sand substrate running 2\3 weeks, and i was doing a bit of planting work, and already have anaerobic spots!!!!!

(the smell is terrible ...)

ive had to massively vac at least 2\3rd of the sand out of the tank....

all the time i was cleaning with water change and thought it was adequate!!

so:
i would make the substrate as thin as possible(not easy if you are wanting to plant)

follow the advice on here on malaysian trumpet snails - they sound a godsend!!!


:(

[nato435]

Still a bit of a beginner, but my experience from the beginning, had several learning curves:
1) Next time I'll fishless cycle. Fishy cycling takes quite a while, stresses the fish, and stresses you (due to loss of fish and thinking you must be doing something wrong since the nitrogen cycle takes quite a while to pass)

2) Patience: watch your fish behaviors, I began medicating for fin rot several days after buying a couple of angels... after the second day I noticed bits missing from on of its tail fins. A day after starting meds I noticed that one was nipping at the others tail. I stopped meds and removed the aggressive angel. No more tail fin problems w/ the other angel. Take time to closely watch them.. it can save you time, money, and unecessary meds.

HTH .. as noted above meaning if this shorthand "Hope this Helps"
and good luck on this exciting hobby

[brackishwannbe]

Great Thread! As a newbie, I spent a lot of time reading books, magazines, visiting lfs, and talking to others who had established tanks. I then setup my tank, waited several days to add the fish ( I know now to do a fishless cycle). let the tank cycle (6 weeks)Constantly run tests, and slowly brought up of new of fish in the tank.
My mistakes.
1. Contine to add fish to the tank after reaching the limit. I was using the 1 inch/Gallon rule and then I would see a fish that I just had to purchase.

2. Regular weekly water changes. I was doing regular bi-weekly changes, but it wasn't enough, because I lost two fish.

I hope this helps out someone.

[pinballqueen]

Wow, a lot of people have been keeping fish for years and know what they're doing and STILL fall for the "gotta-have-it" urge.... I know that's probably the hardest lesson of all to learn....

[punch]

Know your fish! and what fish are campatable. When you get your tank, before filling it up! Figure out what you want, and
what is compatible. I love the look of Rams and decided to get some , but read up 1st. (thanks to this forum) I know there sensative to water quality so I've been testing my water every week. I have added one ram and he is doing great so I think I'm ready to add a couple more. So go slowly and know your fish.

[cedykeman1]

I just have a quick question, but first let me state that I have had aquariums for years until the last 5 years. Now I am starting back into the hobby and I have forgotten a lot of stuff.

I just came from the store with some new fish. I let the fishbag float in the tank for 15 minutes then put the fish in. Anyway some of the fish are just sitting on the bottom looking anything but lively. Some swim around and one hangs out at the surface. There is a total of six fish in a twenty gallon. I've got "fish worry madness" and it's driving me nuts. My question really is are the fish just needing some time to get used to the tank? or does this sound like death comes a knockin thing?

[brackishwannbe]

cedy..
The fish that I bring home, either set on the tank floor or swim as fast as they can around the tank. The fish just need time to adjust to the new tank. Some will adjust quickly, while others will take hours or maybe days. Hope it helps.

[NJ Devils Fan]

I agree, they just need some time to adjust. What kind of fish did you get?

[cedykeman1]

well I bought some "gromies" I forget how to spell them, anyway all my smaller fish died and one of my gromies did too. I called the lfs and they said I probably have a chlorine problem. I will go to the store in the morning (it's 1:15 in the morning here) and get the proper stuff. I am not sure I can stay up this late anylonger to try to keep the fish moving. I am just worried sick that when I wake up tomorrow the last fish will be dead. I'll bring in a sample of my tank water too, I am sure the owner of the store will test my water. thanks all:)

[cedykeman1]

I'm a fish murderer

[NJ Devils Fan]

This is another good link about the Nitrogen Cycle (http://www.aquahobby.com/tips/ciclo.html) recommended to me by WetmanNY.

[Orbitorly]

Hmmm, the fist mistake I made was I didnt treat my water when putting it in the tank, a few fish died and I am sorry for that - I will never let it happen again:)

[Andy16]

I dont know if this was mentioned but a huge mistake is giving up. If things dont go your way or all of your fish die for no reason. Dont just stop keeping fish all together.nLearn from your mistakes and ask questions. Also AC is a great place to get information.:)

[ransome22]

My first aquarium was a 45 gallon job that went wonderfully well. Started with artificial plants until the environment stabilized. Never tested for pH and whatnot, but did change the water regularly and was modest with feeding. My mistakes:

1) Not heeding warnings regarding aggressive fish cohabiting with community fish. I had a school of tiger barbs that were like Hells Angels terrorising the neighborhood. Sad to say they found a hasty home in a creek by the local elementary school.

2) Allowed too much space for air hoses, etc. Came home on a couple of occasions to find some happy-jumping-fish who had landed on my bedspread (and not lived to tell about it).

3) Not waiting long enough to plant live plants. Plants need food too, and they fed nicely on the gunk which settled into the substrate after several months.

4) Not providing enough shelter for baby fish. Larger aquariums can provide neat hiding places for breeding, but none of my fry had sufficient safety areas to grow (nor could I easily find them to transfer them elsewhere). That's something that will be fun to learn.

[OrionGirl]

Originally posted by ransome22
I had a school of tiger barbs that were like Hells Angels terrorising the neighborhood. Sad to say they found a hasty home in a creek by the local elementary school.



It is a huge mistake to assume that your unwanted aquarium fish are welcome in your local waterways. Depending on where you live, those fish may survive, and threaten a native fish. No matter where you live, this is one way that aquarium diseases are released into wild populations.

It is illegal in most states to release fish from captivity into the wild. Find a better home, return them to the LFS, or kill them. Do NOT dump them.

[waterspirit]

let me reiterate what everyone else said...

BE PATIENT!!!!!!

also make sure your fish are compatible
don't overstock
don't overfeed
do water changes

[greeneyedlady]

Originally posted by famman

Number 4 Mistake - Spilling Water

:)

okay I want the answer to this one I make messes all the time when cleaning my tanks even with my python:p

[OrionGirl]

A mistake I am seeing in many posts...Not knowing what your fish eat by preference. For example, many 'plecos' are not primarily herbivores--they need meaty foods to thrive. Gouramies tend to do better on a mostly plant diet. Oscars don't need feeders! Mollies, platies and guppies will graze, but should be supplemented...It goes on, and gets worse on the saltwater side...

When researching your fish of choice, in addition to noting habitat preference/needs, try to identify a healthy diet as well.

[Skittyfish]

My biggest mistake was not doing weekly maintenance...
water changes
gravel vac's
and filter cleaning

and also thinking that to clean a small 10 gallon tank that I had to take all of the fish out and rinse the gravel and rinse out the tank and then put it all back in :confused:
(i was rather young and didn't have the net or a very good LFS)

[Skittyfish]

My biggest mistake was not doing weekly maintenance...
water changes
gravel vac's
and filter cleaning

and also thinking that to clean a small 10 gallon tank that I had to take all of the fish out and rinse the gravel and rinse out the tank and then put it all back in :confused:
(i was rather young and didn't have the net or a very good LFS)

[Fishsmurf]

As a newbie one thing that I would recommend on top of all else mentioned here is an old blanket !! Strange choice but when you do start doing those water changes at least you can keep your carpet dry & spouse / partner happy !! A lesson learnt the hard / wet way..... :D

[FuzMugly]

When I started out in this hobby a little over a year ago I already knew that those clear fish with the neon stripe on them were injected with a dye. But unfortunately many people do not. I was at my lfs yesterday and they had them in one of their tanks, I believe that they are called the painted glassfish (could be wrong). I was suprised to find out that this is one of the best sellers and that many people think this is a natural fish. So my point.....DO NOT BUY THESE FISH! In time the dye fades and the fish die because of it.

[Roland]

My biggest mistake was thinking that it was purley the fish that needed looking after, not the water and environment.

I agree with Val - a fundemently important aspect of successfull fishkeeping is understanding that it is mostly water parameters and the overall environment that you are looking after.

Sure, you feed them and check to make sure they are in good health, but getting your water parameters right - ie ph, temp, nitrites, ammonia etc - is the key for me. (that rhymes!)

But its all one big learning curve, and thats the beauty of it - in fishkeeping there is always more to learn.

Everyone wins!

[superstein61]

Ok, I won't rehash what others have said - just want to add - be very wary of disconnecting your air pump from an airstone tube.

After moving a smaller tank and setting up a larger one, I once disconnected my air pump from the smaller tank to use to test my airline / airstones in the larger one. I intended to hook it back up to the smaller tank - so I left the airstones in the tank and tied the plastic airline tubing up around my powerhead - out of the tank. Well, my test on the larger tank ran into some problems, one thing led to another and I kept the pump hooked up to the larger tank for another day. In the meantime, the plastic tubing untied itself - its now hanging down the side of the tank - and unbeknowst to me, started suctioning water out of the smaller tank. ABout 4 gallons and a wet carpet later, I finally see this after wondering why my water in the small tank is evaporating so quickly.

[Orbitorly]

Another thing I once did was, I pour untreated water into the tank derectly ( I was a newbie at the time ), all my fish started swimming funny. I saved 1 a Platy, I forgot it in the net that I put away. about 20 mins later I came back to use it again, amazingly the fish was still alive.

[Wulfy]

1) Knowledge is power. Read all you can.

2) Patience.

3) When adding chemicals make sure you separate
them so if there are negative effects you know what
has caused it.

4) Run an Aquarium log.
Make it your diary. Record price of fish, advice you get,
questions and anwsers you have, maintenance events.

5) Ask for advice, then ask again and again.
You may get few anwsers to the same question
depending who you ask.

6) One of the people before me said never to disconnect your air pump. I would say instead, get a check valve. Its essential.

You *MUST* read this article.
It deals with Sea Aquaria but is equally applicable to all aquariums.
http://www.marine-monsters.com/front/tao.html

[Blue]

Hi I am new here and all I can say is this thread is awesome!!!
yes I am newbie and just got a lot of good help from this thread !
Blue

[NJ Devils Fan]

Welcome to AC Blue! :)

Glad to help.

[Blue]

Thank you! :)

[Joanna]

I made the same mistake you made. I put too many fish in at once and they all started to dye withing a 2-5 day period. I had no clue what the cycling thing is, untill i went to Petco and they told me. Now my fish are doing fine though

[Botch]

The most important thing to do is to read, read, read. And, I must add, to know what to believe and what not, because there is contradicting information out there. But if ten experienced keepers in AC tells you something should not be done, believe them.
There are lots newbies can learn out of the mistakes I have made in my years of fishkeeping:
* Do not mend the heater cable in the part that goes under the water.
* A schoal of bettas is not a good idea. Don't ask the lfs attendant for "six or seven bettas".
* A big fish and a group of small fish looks good in theory. In reality, it looks just like a sole big fish.

Something else: Always consider your partner, because some people are immune to the aquarium bug and often those people are married to fish nuts. My experience:
* Don't buy that big tank without speking to the wife.
* Don't think that puddle of water on the floor will dry by itself before the wife notices. It will not.
* Discus and other fish species do not often make good tank mates. Expensive discus and non-fishkeeping wives don't often make good housemates. They (the wives, not the discus) often insist on a gift to the same value as the fish.
* Remember how much you told your wife that expensive fish cost.
* Keep frozen bloodworms in a container marked "fish food" in the fridge. Wives object to the word "worms" in the fridge.
* If you inquire about an RO system at a home improvement show and your wife looks impressed with you, don't push your luck by telling her it is for the fish and not for household purposes.

[Mrditty]

The most costly and most agrevating was puttng the water that came from the LFS in my tank with the new fish.
This resulted in a bad case of hair Alage that took years to get rid of Aggg. I get the chills just think about that stuff.

[Clownloach458]

not letting tank cycle . was egar to get fish, lol only waited 2 days

[Habaceeba]

Don't buy a pair of M. auratus and a pair of Nimbochromis venustus (cichlids) and put them in a 29g at the same time. The auratus will kill everything.

Make sure when making a water change, the water you put in is the same temperature as the water in the tank. If it's hotter, your fish basically go into shock and suffocate. (I've killed some beautiful rainbowfish this way)

Make sure you get a good heater. Submersibles are fine, but they have to be checked every now and then. I killed over $300 worth of cichlids because I came home and the water was over 100F. The only surviver was my synodontis catfish, which I am happy to say is still thriving.

I don't advise using air pumps. They don't work as well as powerheads. The bubbles don't actually aereat the water anyway. It's the churning of the surface that refurbishes the oxygen. Besides, when the hose comes out of the pump on accident, and you don't know about it, you have water everywhere. (I know from experience dude...if you know what I mean)

Learn as much as you can about your fish and the fish that you buy. Try to stay away from genetically "manufactured" fish. Some fish go through cruel and unusual punishments before getting to the LFS. Don't support the people who create them. While some hybrids and interbred fish are ok (platys, swordtails, some discus) others are not (flowerhorn, blood parrots, painted glassfish)

Wow, I've made a lot of mistakes. :rolleyes:

[cpr4cpu]

My biggest mistake - Don't buy fish that prefer slightly acidic water when you have "liquid limestone" coming out the tap.

I have made the mistake of trying to get the "perfect water" for my aquatic children (5 different tanks) and no matter how many additives, preservatives, or other chemicals my well water just won't stay where I want it (on the 7.2 or lower side). No matter what happens, the ph climbs back up to 9+ and the Kh is well over 380...

[NGerdes]

I don't think I would be considered a newbie, but I am still inexperienced. This post has helped me so far too. I made all of these beginner mistakes.... Bougth the 10 gal, thinking I should start small, Through a bunch of fish in at once, poor maintenance, overfeeding, the works..... But I'm a lot wiser now, mostly because of this site. But one thing that I would thought have been talked about a little more is not to trust the LFS, especially if buying from a large store like a Wal-mart, PetSmart etc... While there are exceptions to this, for the most part, the people in these stores don't know anything about fishkeeping. For my first tank, I just went to the LFS and asked them the questions, figuring they would help me out. Not quite, when I walked out of the store, they had sold me (completely true) 6 goldfish, 3 swordtails, 1 irredecent shark, and 1 common pleco, for a 10 GAL!!! And I was too anxious (and stupid) to realize that this was bad... Any person with the slightest knowledge of fish (which obviously wasn't me at the time) would know that this combination of fish is very bad, let alone for a 10 gallon tank.

So do your research first and then buy. Someone else mentioned, go to the LFS, check out the fish and then come back and research. Then buy. After my little experience above, I actually took a notebook with me to the LFS and would write down the names of the fish I liked and then come back here and look them up. My 10 gallon has been running for over a year now w/ 3 dwarf Gourami's. Now I am setting up my second tank (first planted0, and the people around here are probably getting annoyed with all of the questions I am asking. This board has been really helpful and has been responsible for the saving the lives of many fish that would have died without it...

[Pam Lowrey]

Originally posted by rockhead44
What about jumping on the medication bus when you thought a fish was sick.I am I the only one who made this mistake?

Nope... :rolleyes:

I killed a Betta doing that. Only he was in a bowl, not a tank, so fortunately, I didn't kill any other fish. Poor betta. I still feel guilty about it...

[Tim Bo]

One of the most irritating mistakes I have made is attempting to catch 4 zebra danios. First fish I ever bought and after 4 days of sitting watching those guys zip around like flies I decided to take them back to the LFS and exchange them for some slow movers. Ended up injuring two of them (lethally in the end, RIP) trying to chase after them with a miniture net. Fast little buggers :)