My Top 10 Beginner Mistakes

[JimO]

Originally Posted by Mapp

I am still a begginer, and continue to make more stupid mistakes, but the biggest mistake I've made so far is puting a pump in, hiding the wires and tubes, putting in the false bottom, the substrate, and actually plant the tank, and then decide you don't want a water feature. Pretty stupid of me, I know. (I guess my mistake was not making it easily accesable.)

I could be worse I guess - you could have wanted the water feature and forgotten to install the pump. I did that once in an aquarium, rather than a vivarium - I set it up to have a powerhead running behind a nice wall of live rock. Put it together, filled it with water and there was no water current - oops, forgot the powerhead.

[Dendro Dave]

I don't know if its already been said, but perhaps the #1 beginner mistake is listening to and accepting advice from people who shouldn't be giving it because they are very new and/or have very little personal experience or verifiable knowledge of the topic....especially when they are attempting to sell you something

Not to mention ignoring advice from people that clearly have more knowledge and experience then you in favor of your own desires and unfounded personal opinions without honestly and responsibly considering/evaluating their points and your own motivations for wanting to do something anyways.

I'm not saying the words of such people should be law but before you go against them you should have very valid and logical reasons not to mention contingency plans if things go wrong to limit the risks. IMO

[RarePlantBroker]

Originally Posted by RarePlantBroker

Three + years and a dozen vivariums later--why am I still making stupid mistakes?

I have a vivarium with a drip wall. When I first tested said drip wall, after one "off cycle" the pump kicked into overdrive when coming back on. I tried to repeat this quirk, and couldn't replicate the issue--and continued to build the tank with the same pump (note: I have a box with 7 other small submersible pumps of various sizes in the garage...).
After totally finishing above vivarium, I moved it into place on my new custom built oak shelves--and plugged in the pump--guess what happened! Suddenly this pump is now rocket-propelling water out of the small vent holes in the front of the Exo-Terra... I shut the pump off and on--no problems, and once again I can't get the problem to replicate.
Fast forward 6 weeks. I've now had my two auratus in the tank for about 10 days. I come home from work today to find water covering the shelf, the "sump" area dry, two light fixtures shorted out (on the shelf below), and a dry drip wall.
Tonights project is no longer doing epoxy work on another new vivarium. I've just finished replacing the light fixtures, and am preparing to catch two green and bronze rockets (if I can coax them out of their newest hiding places), and fishing a pump electrical supply through a piece of pvc--all because I thought that the pump malfunction was "a fluke, and wouldn't happen again".

Moral of the story--if a $10-$12 part isn't working perfectly, throw it out and buy another one--or it may cost a lot more....like your sanity!

Slightly off topic, but the vivarium is fixed! I wrangled my wife (and her small, delicate hands) and my son (who has eagle-eye vision from literally hours of playing fast-moving video games) into assisting with this "repair." My son watched the frogs (fortunately there's only two in this vivarium), and my wife reached into the sump and threaded the cord towards the hollow tree I used for my cord and drainage.

As a side note, I always wondered why there were little holes in the blades of an electrical plug--turns out it is so that you can tie a string through them and thread a plug back through the same hole (at least that's my theory).

[candm519]

Went to ask.com re holes in prongs. It seems the answer is up to you.

The Straight Dope: Why are there holes in the prongs of electrical plugs?

[yours]

I now know why you shouldn't have full grown MALE leucomelas in your bedroom with you, when you are still trying to sleep.........and to think that I was so EXCITED to hear this 'canary' like call before!!! *eats his words rightly so!* hehehe *may have to postpone the tank lights-on for two more hours in the mornings*



Alex

[chinoanoah]

LoL, I can't trick mine. He seems to be the one making the final judgment as to when it is time to get up.

[VPardoel]

Thanks to you guys i've written an ''what not to do when building an viv'' bible

Tnx to this thread new noobs should build and keep flawless vivs :P

[Marty71]

Can't remember the last time I posted in this thread, but have made plenty of new mistakes since then. Here's my latest additions to the list:

Don't buy frog after frog after frog. Pace yourself. The variables of time, space, and money will all prove to be very unforgiving if you do not heed this warning.

Buy from people you know or people who have spotless references. The frog community is full of good people. Get wired in and give yourself a fighting chance.

Make real friends. An online community is just that. If you can walk buy somebody in the supermarket and not know who they are then you really aren't part of a community. Pick up the phone, go to a local meet etc...

Seed every single tank with springs and if possible isopods. The more you do to give your frogs multiple food sources the more prepared you will be for the inevitable fruit fly crash.

Understand your circumstances when you buy frogs. If you are going to college in a year, planning to start a family, possibly moving etc. you may be better served looking at other hobbies.

[Jason]

Don't put water spray bottle next to cleaner spray bottle. It almost turned out real bad.

[frogface]

If you've been mucking around in the frog tank, look in the mirror before you go to the grocery store, and wash the clay and bits of moss from your face.

Don't assume that you are looking good just because everyone is staring at you