My Top 10 Beginner Mistakes

[Deli]

Always seal AND Leak-test Vertical vivs before dumping 3 gallons of water in them.

[moscontheroad]

Mates, thanks for sharing the info, quite helpful, and entertaining!!!
I laughed as I haven't done so in quite a long time, and made me start thinking a few back-up plans for my ideas for my first viv; so far so good;

Except for:
1. as mentioned before through this post, it has been more expensive than what I expected, but worth it.
2. siliconed my fingers, polyurethaned my hands, arms, and even some parts I thought the foam would never reach.
3. my fingers/hands got pinched, snaped, prickled, cut, glued together or to another surface, and experienced some other forms of torture never to expect while building a terrarium, working with and cleaning polyurethane/silicon stains, setting up the drain port, tubing, airways, false bottom, etc.
4. I made assumptions, fortunately I have no frogs nor plants yet, we can learn from someone else's mistakes, and most stores give refunds.

So... I'll wait a week or so for the plants, gave the downpayment for 3 Azureus which I'll be picking up in mid-late November after my honeymoon so they will be in good hands with their breeder and not in my mother's or mother in law who will most probably be freaked out to have to take care of some horrid bugs, or a friend who might find amusing to see if frogs can get drunk, or a neighbor who may forget that cats and frogs don't get along and leave the lid open.

Cheers!

[Agreen]

telling your girlfriend you love the frogs more than her

frogs disappeared and I'm now single

[thelegend76]

This post is my favorite by far. I read it and laugh every single time. Not too mention that they are all true and I've done some of them myself.

[moscontheroad]

Using incandescent bulbs in a fluorescent bulb casing

[frogfreak]

Do not leave 30 empty cases of beer in the basement when you are trying to culture FLIGHTLESS fruit flies

[Cefalos]

I did a major mistake in my first experience whit PDF. I didn´t believe on that rule that says "If it´s wide enought for a FF, it´s also for a PDF" or something...

Result: Two weeks after I´ve noticed the fugitive frog, I found it on my building´s garden, on the first floor. The amazing is that I used to live on the 15th floor !! How the *&$% that frog went down ?? I´m still trying to figure LOL... I put it back on it´s viv, and the guy lived for a couple more years, without even stop eating...

Now i´m buildin a new tank, and the lids are all sealed with silicon. Living and learning...

[cheezus_2007]

ima say thats a trip bout the frog getting out.... and the beer cans, i was wondering where the hell all these flying fruitflys came from haha. anyways ALWAYS SILICONE BEFORE YOU FOAM... and make sure your foam is glued with something that wont break as your dunking it with wet concrete all over it... my waterfall turned into 4 floating rocks in the soaking tub.

[Morgan Freeman]

Some great advice in here! All of it strikes a chord now I'm more into this frog hobby.

Fruit fly cultures...aghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Water Man]

This is great, I was working with great stuff yesterday, took off a glove to answer the phone...went back to work without the one glove. Looks like my fingers are rotting off. Acetone and goo gone cant take this stuff off. lol