confession time: worst fishkeeping screw ups! come on folks we've all done them!

[pleconut]

Oops

[bekateen]

So far, @Andrew wins the internet (I know that phrase is nonsensical. But it's fun to ponder, LOL).

[pleconut]

If there was a prize he sure would have to win it!

[Jools]

One day I will tell you the freshwater lobster shipment story. It didn't endanger any humans, but a few lobsters had a rough day.

Jools

[Rebah]

Hmm well, I've been spared anything too bad or costly so far, there's only really one that still kinda stings.
Was working in a pet store a few years ago, and, having been in the hobby since forever, if there were odd or unusual fishes to order I would try and talk my boss into getting some of those, rather than any of the colorful longfinned/balloon abominations that were more popular. It did mean though that sometimes some of my choices (not all!) spent quite a long time in our store before finding a buyer, and sometimes that buyer would be me.
So, when 3 desert gobies, 1m 2f, were still with us after long enough, I bought them instead, cuz theyre awesome. Had a nice long tank set up for them, it had been up and running for some time by then, so moved some fish around so they got it all to themselves. They proved to be tricky though, not really wanting to eat what was offered from what I saw, but they didnt look thin or sick so I figured they ate when they werent being stared at. But then one morning when I went to check on them, 1 of them had jumped out of the tank and the other 2 were dead inside.. That night was very cold, so I figured maybe there was a too big a dip in temp, or maybe the tank wasnt as cycled as I thought it was, or maybe some food was left in there somewhere for too long. Either way, ouch and poor things.

Then ofc theres been the occasional forgetting Im emptying/filling tanks up and having to make a run for it, and the first time I decided to clean an external filter at work, having only used internal ones before. I did pull the plug out, but forgot about the siphon principle. So, I just started opening the lid, and then when I realized my mistake I couldnt figure out where the thing that closes the bastard hoses were, so I just ended up pulling the whole thing out of the tank. Luckily it was a quiet time of the day, so no costumers were there to see or hear me soaked and raging, and cursing eheim for making shitty filters