# I'm an IDIOT



## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Some of you know I have a batch of kribs growing. Last week I moved them from a 10G breeder into a 33G long that I got from Kole and painted the back in black. I set it up with white sand and a brand new 2073. Nice setup actually, I really like it. I used filter media from other tanks, and since they had a sponge filter in their 10G, I also put the sponge around the intake to make it safe for them. All was good.

Well I've been losing a couple of them pretty much every day. My pH was a bit higher than in the breeder, so at first I thought that's what it was and I did a couple of water changes and removed some rocks I had in there. But I couldn't see them dead in the tank so after a few days I checked inside the 2073, emptied it completely, but found nothing. So the mystery went on. This morning I had only 14 left, from the 33 I moved and from the 23 I had last night. I opened the filter again and realised that I hadn't looked under the blue foam in the top canister the first time around. Guess what. I found their little bodies there. So sad.  And I'm so mad at myself. Such a beginner mistake. 

Now I put a piece of panty hose over it, and the sponge on top. The remaining 14 won't have any more trouble with that. But what a ##[email protected]# I am.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Aww...sorry for the loss. At least you learned the lesson and the 14 are safe now. Hope everything goes well. Don't beat yourself up too bad. Cheers.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Ain't your fault =) dun worry, lesson learnt! At least you didn't have an exgf that poured boiling water into your tank!
In chinese "Tropical Fish" translation is "Hot water fish".. she asked me to take a nap and I woke up to boiling water with all dead fish! =( lesson learnt hard!

Dun be hard on urself =) stuff happens!


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks guys. Crapp does happen, yes, but what makes me kicking myself is that I knew full well about this risk. But I was sloppy with taking my precautions. No excuse for that when you deal with other creatures' lives, or even well being.


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## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

We all make mistakes, thats how we learn doesn't make it any easier for when it happens, but as others said, don't beat yourself up over it. Sorry for your loss, but I am assuming you still have the parents, so you will eventually have more .


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh, that is extremely sad, Franck! I really feel for you. Poor little kribs. But sometimes, our brains just seem to skip some critical thing. Obviously, you tried to think of what could be going on (pH, checking the filter) and the answer just didn't come to you in time for those guys. 

I hope the other 14 live long, healthy lives!


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## Claudia (Apr 21, 2010)

Dont b so hard on yourself, we just have to learn from our mistakes or others my friend


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## BostonBob (Apr 24, 2010)

Give yourself some credit bud - at least you figured it out before all your fish met that fate.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks for the comforting words everyone. I'm watching them as I type. So cute. 

I just feel like leaving the hobby right now. This is too much guilt. But I don't have enough energy for this at the moment, and probably by the time I have enough energy I won't feel like quitting any more.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Well, although I understand why you feel blue (and I am still beating myself up over putting unquarantined endlers into my chili rasbora tank and killing 3 chili rasboras) but think of it this way --- the kribs' own parents tried to eat them! At least you've saved many of them so that there will be future generations of kribs...


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Sorry for you loss man, Things like this can always happen, and sadly, its happened to most of us. Dont let it deter you from the hobby, its rewarding and satisfying to see what we can do in our little glass boxes.

For me i procastinated properly securing my hoses for my tank despite having a kid in the terrible twos... even after he drained the tank (partially) twice on the floor they weren't secure. But then he removed the intake hose from its strainer and who knows how long it was off.... lost 1/3 of my tanks stock. Needless to say, mistake i wont take again, Piping is all P-strapped to the back of the stand. I learnt my lesson pretty quick, but was choked over how many fish i lost due to that.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Morainy said:


> Well, although I understand why you feel blue (and I am still beating myself up over putting unquarantined endlers into my chili rasbora tank and killing 3 chili rasboras) but think of it this way --- the kribs' own parents tried to eat them! At least you've saved many of them so that there will be future generations of kribs...


Yes, Maureen, I agree. And to be sure, 14 out of the 40 or so that made it to the free-swimming stage is a much higher rate of survival than in nature, too. I hope these guys are going to make it to adulthood and find a good home now.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

neven said:


> Sorry for you loss man, Things like this can always happen, and sadly, its happened to most of us. Dont let it deter you from the hobby, its rewarding and satisfying to see what we can do in our little glass boxes.
> 
> For me i procastinated properly securing my hoses for my tank despite having a kid in the terrible twos... even after he drained the tank (partially) twice on the floor they weren't secure. But then he removed the intake hose from its strainer and who knows how long it was off.... lost 1/3 of my tanks stock. Needless to say, mistake i wont take again, Piping is all P-strapped to the back of the stand. I learnt my lesson pretty quick, but was choked over how many fish i lost due to that.


Thanks neven.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh, Neven, that is rough! Too bad about your fish.

I have no idea what P-strapping is!

m



neven said:


> Sorry for you loss man, Things like this can always happen, and sadly, its happened to most of us. Dont let it deter you from the hobby, its rewarding and satisfying to see what we can do in our little glass boxes.
> 
> For me i procastinated properly securing my hoses for my tank despite having a kid in the terrible twos... even after he drained the tank (partially) twice on the floor they weren't secure. But then he removed the intake hose from its strainer and who knows how long it was off.... lost 1/3 of my tanks stock. Needless to say, mistake i wont take again, Piping is all P-strapped to the back of the stand. I learnt my lesson pretty quick, but was choked over how many fish i lost due to that.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Dun be hard on yourself!

As i've had fish after fish dying every morning i woke up... i finally figured it today.. lack of oxygen.. even though the plants were giving enuff oxygen during the day... as all lights are out, they were suffocating... i didn't figure it out till now.. sigh.. trust me.. a dead fish daily sux...!
But as long as you fix the problem, that's all that matters =) u still got 14 little lives to take care of right now!


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

You do the best you can. Accidents can and will happen, but that's all part of it. The exact same thing happened to me with my first batch of kribs many, many years ago. The mom kept swimming back and forth infront of the intake tube with the little ones right behind her and on each pass, some of the fry would get sucked right up! We all learn the hard way sometimes.  Good luck with them.
Shelley


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Don't forget the silver lining. By sharing your experience with the rest of us we have all learned an important lesson. I thank you for that.


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

hmmm, this has turned into the dumbest thing you've ever done thread. We have all made mistakes, you didn't give up the search for the little guys until you found then, and you shared your story.. How many little lives will that series of events save? more than the 26 or so you couldn't.

Steve


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