The advice that saved your behind

[Cinnebuns]

Sometimes we get advice that we listen to and don't see the fruits of listening until later. Tonight I saw one of those! 

I started cycling my new aquarium coop sponge filter in my split 10 gallon tank just a few days ago for guppy fry I am expecting in about 3 weeks. Little did I know I would need it sooner!  Tonight I was shocked to see my panda cories spawning. I was not fully prepared!  Luckily, I listened to one of the earliest pieces of advice I was given in the hobby. I always keep a smaller filter running on my main tank so i can throw it on another tank if needed for a hospital or whatever. Now, since I listened to that advice, my 10 gallon has a cycled filter running on it for those unexpected cory eggs!!

What's a piece of advice you've gotten in the hobby that has helped a bunch or has saved you from peril?  

[Fish Folk]

Cory has often said “add an air-stone.” I have never regretted doing that. Saved some fish that way too. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Probably got the advice on youtube likely from at least a couple/few channels- HAVE A FISH FIRST AID KIT- at least some basic medications and salt, a QT if you can (I didn't but the whole tank was sick anyway) and floating breeder box (has saved me many, many times). This was something I already did years ago when I kept "pocket pets" (rats and hamsters) but it makes the same sense with fish as when small animals go downhill they go downhill FAST!! Don't wait until your fish are sick to get medication. I'm glad I had this before fish were in my tank. Because when they DID get sick shortly after I got them (ich) I was TOTALLY prepared. It makes a stressful situtaion a WHOLE lot easier. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Guppysnail]

Act don’t react.  
when I see something I now watch and watch before I take action. Ie new micro fauna/flora after I have identified and learned about something and what benefit it may actually provide and how it got there only then do I determine if I want to act on it or let it be. 

[Tedrock]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:48 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Probably got the advice on youtube likely from at least a couple/few channels- HAVE A FISH FIRST AID KIT- at least some basic medications and salt, a QT if you can (I didn't but the whole tank was sick anyway) and floating breeder box (has saved me many, many times). This was something I already did years ago when I kept "pocket pets" (rats and hamsters) but it makes the same sense with fish as when small animals go downhill they go downhill FAST!! Don't wait until your fish are sick to get medication. I'm glad I had this before fish were in my tank. Because when they DID get sick shortly after I got them (ich) I was TOTALLY prepared. It makes a stressful situtaion a WHOLE lot easier. 

Could not agree more.  Med tiro to the rescue!  Well the advice to always have it.  I was running low on two so I reordered not because I needed it but for when I might need it.  Well I had a whole tank or orange rice fish just “appear” so skinny.  I used my last packets of paracleanse just as my order was delivered.  I saved my rice fish from whatever worms they had, then kept treating the tank.  My babies could have died because I wasn’t paying attention.  It would have been a sad sad day for me and my breeding motivation if I lost that group.  Thanks Cory and the coop.  Med trio is always in da house!

[isaly]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:41 PM, Fish Folk said:

Cory has often said “add an air-stone.” I have never regretted doing that. Saved some fish that way too. 

I haven't been keeping fish long enough to relate any advice that's saved my behind but I took Cory's recommendation to add an air stone to heart. got a pump with two outlets so I added two.

[Jennifer V]

@Cinnebuns love threads like these so thank you for posting! Excited to see what everyone says.

I've received quite a bit of useful advice from the lovely members here that has saved my sanity and helped me enjoy my tanks so much more. Things like be patient, sit back and watch, don't take on too much at once, plant as many plants as you possibly can and start with less fish. 

The thread below is one I posted a little over a year ago that I go back to frequently. Hope it's ok to share. I don't want to hijack your thread in any way. I just think you might enjoy it as well. 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Jennifer V

[castiel]

If your fish can fit in the syphon you use for water changes never leave it in the tank unattended. One of my old Bettas swam up into the syphon and luckily I was watching and was able to get him out with only minor fin damage. For the rest of his life he would attack that syphon when it went in his tank as if he didn't swim up it 🙄

[Odd Duck]

On 2/26/2022 at 12:35 PM, castiel said:

If your fish can fit in the syphon you use for water changes never leave it in the tank unattended. One of my old Bettas swam up into the syphon and luckily I was watching and was able to get him out with only minor fin damage. For the rest of his life he would attack that syphon when it went in his tank as if he didn't swim up it 🙄

Bettas.  Gotta love their twisted little brains.  😆 😂 🤣 

[castiel]

On 2/26/2022 at 2:56 PM, Odd Duck said:

Bettas.  Gotta love their twisted little brains.  😆 😂 🤣 

For sure lol. He was smart enough not to bite me since I was the one who fed him but if anyone else put their hands in the tank he'd break skin, he was very vicious. He also liked to pick on the nerites in his tank and would flare at them a lot. 

[Odd Duck]

My adult Jack Dempseys never broke skin on me, even when breeding!  How did a tiny Betta break skin?