What is the worst reef related advice you have ever been offered?

[shermlock]

I am very sure that this thread has been run before as I have never been original in my life but I couldn't find it when I did a search. Maybe this thread will be popular, maybe its been played, maybe I'm the only one who finds humor, sadness, and educational opportunities in these stories (maybe I'm a moron and couldn't find the thread). I hope I'm not the only one to be offered poor advice about reef aquariums like, "a mandarin would be a great fish for a five gallon nano." (Please no flames, I did the research first.) With any luck, we'll be able to pool all of our bad advice and provide beginners with some knowledge before they make a mistake.

[shermlock]

Well it's been way over 30 seconds so I guess I'll have to start.
Worst advice: fish per gallon rule. So bad on every level of aquaria.
Sherm

[Ewan]

watts per gallon...

E.

[MegaDeTH]

ditto wpg

I've seen some terrible advice, but ususally it's obvious, common sense rule "filters" work wonders.

but wpg is too confusing and believable

[naso30]

"sweetlips clowns are easy to keep and hardy"

[Erik765]

Well, I'll pick one out of the hat!! One dude told me I could keep a maxima under my 55w of HO bulbs. HA!!! Go figure. Too bad I was just a newbie then. Poor clam.

Hey I can keep a mandarin in a 5 gal. nano--- as long as it's plummed into my 120 gal system w/ 200 lbs of LR!!!

I have more, I might post some later!!!



E

[ILove2Ride]

A couple Anthias for a new 24 gallon tank will be fine...

[Dune]

use a RIO pump as return pump on my reef tank....it was a nightmare...

Dune.

[SurferStevo]

Here use this stuff by Aquatronics it's called Greenex Oh yeah it's invert safe I promise....NOT!

[johnrags1234]

Im embarrased to say.

Three years ago when I started this hobby (before I knew of RC too), I was told quite a few times that a yellow tang could live happily in my 20gH. When they died the dealer said it was because of something with the fish, not the system. Needless to say I dont support this loser anymore.

[Shooter9er]

Everything that Petco told me Sure a Singapore Angel is reef safe and a very good first fish... oh did I mention it was a 18 gallon Luckily after that I picked up a few books and found RC.

Kyle

[BonsaiNut]

I once got booted out of an aquarium store on Wells in downtown Chicago (that will remain unnamed) because I was talking to a customer about my reef tank. This was back in the day and age of wet-dry filtration and I was telling this person about my system (he asked me what I used, etc, because he was thinking about setting up a reef). At that time, I was running a very successful 125L tank with 20+ clams, spawning clownfish, etc. If you can believe it, the owner of the store came up behind us and started eavesdropping on the conversation. He then rudely butted in, and said that the ONLY method for keeping a reef tank was reverse flow undergravel filtration. He then proceeded to ***** at me about how he paid a lot of money to bring people into his store and that if I was going to spread "false information" about keeping reef tanks that perhaps I shouldn't come in. My wife and I stood there stunned -- totally speechless. Over the years I had spent thousands of dollars at this idiot's store. The other customer's jaw just dropped. We all stood there in uncomfortable silence until the store owner stomped away. Then everyone scattered - including the "new" customer who mumbled something about "well I'm sure everyone has a prefered method" and who fled the premises.

If there was ever a time when I wanted to picket a retail store for HORRENDOUS customer service it was then. The only way I could "reward" his attitude was by taking my substantial business to one of his competitors. Unfortunately, this dork's store was located in a key area of downtown Chicago where he had a lot of walk-in business so he could treat people like crap and get away with it. But I never forgot -- even now over ten years later.

[kirstenjenkins]

or how about the one where to treat septicemia use an...


... anti-FUNGAL treatment

[64Ivy]

"May I help you?"

[david b.]

Owner of lfs sold me a mandarin to control hair algee,in my newly setup 20 gal nano

[joeychitwood]

The worst advice? From a regional fish store: while setting up my first salt tank, that my 55 could support a Sohal Tang, Emperor Angel, Clown Trigger, Dog Face Puffer, Yellow Tang, Falcula Butterfly and various Damsels.

I worked my tail off for three years trying to keep up with this bioload until a temp spike wiped out the tank.

[Tankenvy]

Don't ever assume that the "expert" at the LFS knows more than you, even if you really are clueless.

Me:"I'd like to get a pair of clownfish eventually, so I'd like to get an anemone first."

LFS:"What kind of lights do you have?"

Me:"A 15w NO bulb."

LFS:"Here, try a condy. They're only $8."

Me:"OK." (Doh!)

That little exchange is wrong in about 5 different ways... Luckily I've learned that I am responsible for finding accurate information about anything I plan to do.

-Josh

[zooqi]

LFS sold my friend who did not know much about fish nice corals and trigger fish. She went back and told them that is eating the corals and they did not care. That was the last time she walked in that shop.

[Theo]

having a set up but empty fresh water tank at home. I fell in love with a porcupine puffer at th lfs. I was sent home with the fish and a bag of salt. I was told to put 1/2 cup of salt per gallon into the tank and then put the fish in. Everything would be fine.
After killing this fish. I started to do research and when I felt I was ready I went to replace the fish. I soon realized that this was not a porcupine puffer but some strange burrfish. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life and have never seen another one.

[reefaddikt]

flower pots are okay for beginers.

yeah, if you want to discourage them from the hobby!

[zooqi]

It must've been spoted brakish puffer fish. It take about 6 hours to aclimate them to saltwater and slow. I had one that lived forever in my tank but those brakish fish tend to jump out of the water.

[1 Mandarin]

Another vote for Greenex, REEF SAFE! NEVER...

Rios don't leak electrical current, yell they all do. I can't remember how many LFSs couldn't get that through their heads

[pi]

It was about 7 years ago when I was looking for a better method for dosing kalk. At the time I was using a I.V. drip. I came across that "G" place and they were pushing something they coined a "Glug glug box" for kalk additions.

This was basically a upside down sealed container hung over your sump with a tube coming down cut to the length of your water level. The idea was when the water dropped below the tube, air was allowed to enter and water released.

Problem? It released large amounts of water, fully saturated kalkwassser. Over the course of three days it fried everything in my tank, corals, fish, algae....

Paul

[Theo]

no I found it on fishbase.com and hes a saltwater burrfish. Cant find it again though.

[MrSandman]

"Bristleworms are bad for your tank. Let me bag up this reefsafe arrow crab for you and he will eat all of your bristleworms."