Tell me I'm not alone

sde1500 · 01/24/2019, 04:00 PM

Anyone else feel like a bumbling fool some/most/every time they have to get their hands wet in the tank? I swear it is every time that I do a little hands on maintenance it goes awry. Its almost guaranteed I'll snap a small piece of my M Digita off, its huge so thats ok. And then I was just giving the glass a good scraping the other day, bumped the rock my big ole torch was on, and the whole torch broke off. Can't tell if the base had started to break down, or it was so big the glue couldn't hold it anymore, but bam off it came. Of course I was currently lacking materials to get it righted again. And by the time I did, my Echinata was kind enough to obliterate a few heads while the torch was precariously perched best I could. Attaching a big colony to the rocks again isn't so fun either, what a pain getting glue and epoxy to set and not have the whole colony fall over. Was much easier when it was just a small frag I bought years ago. Attachment doesn't look great, but it has held up, hopefully, it was this morning at least. Probably will try some encrusting coral around the base to help hide the not so pretty epoxy work. And of course as I was doing that, I broke a growth tip off my acropora tortuosa. Now I have a teeny tiny frag on my frag rack. One day it will be a chunky piece.

Well, that's enough ranting for now, just felt like sharing. Can't seem to avoid having issues and getting soaked every time I have to stick my hands in the tank.

Tiny frag pic for fun.

reefgeezer · 01/24/2019, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sde1500

Tiny frag pic for fun.

Give it a name and put it for sale for $50 plus shipping!

Vinny Kreyling · 01/24/2019, 05:23 PM

You're not alone ---

Uncle99 · 01/24/2019, 08:19 PM

Ha!
So True!

Cliving1 · 01/25/2019, 08:16 AM

Not alone. When I go to fix one coral, I have to fix 5 as a result. Possibly move a rock to fix the mess I created.

Sugar Magnolia · 01/25/2019, 08:44 AM

Every time!!

Uncle99 · 01/25/2019, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliving1

Not alone. When I go to fix one coral, I have to fix 5 as a result. Possibly move a rock to fix the mess I created.

LOL....too funny...right on point.

jd371 · 01/25/2019, 09:42 AM

Join the club. Whenever I work in the tank is usually followed by cuss words after I knock or break something off. A little cool off time and fix what I just did. Intricate work with gorilla hands.

MondoBongo · 01/25/2019, 09:42 AM

ugh, King Butterfingers here.

i'm basically a wrecking ball any time my hands go in the tank. i really try to keep it to a minimum.

i can't even tell you how many times i've said "i'm just going to move one rock/coral, this won't take long..."

... MUCH LATER ...

ReefsandGeeks · 01/25/2019, 10:57 AM

Lol, I know if I want to move something in the tank, to plan on being at lease 30-45 minutes fixing whatever I might screw up while making a little adjustment to coral placement or something. Occasionally, I get lucky and everything goes smoothly, but not often. Keeps things interesting I guess. I just try to convince myself that everything is somehow better after busting stuff up.

Last time i had tried to move a bowlingball sized birdsnest, I ended up busting off probably 15-20 branches, all an inch or two. I ended up just glueing all peices to a small rock I had, and now it's all grown together into another large birdsnest and the original has recovered and looking better than ever. Frustrating at the time though because it took a while to get everything put back together when I wasn't expecting to. Now I just don't get my hands wet unless I have lots of extra time

sde1500 · 01/25/2019, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

ugh, King Butterfingers here.

i'm basically a wrecking ball any time my hands go in the tank. i really try to keep it to a minimum.

i can't even tell you how many times i've said "i'm just going to move one rock/coral, this won't take long..."

... MUCH LATER ...

Lol yea I'm all too familiar with the "quick" tank maintenance.

Glad to not be alone in the tank klutz club

Uncle99 · 01/25/2019, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sde1500

Lol yea I'm all too familiar with the "quick" tank maintenance.

Glad to not be alone in the tank klutz club

Great original post!

danromero87 · 01/26/2019, 04:17 PM

Happens to me as well... its annoying...

Daddi0 · 01/26/2019, 04:54 PM

This is the reason that my policy is "don't get your hands wet in the morning before work" I tend to cause avalanches
Cheers! Mark

billdogg · 01/27/2019, 08:20 AM

I have given up trying to avoid making frags on water change day. I set up my frag station as a part of collecting the WC equipment in the basement so that it is all ready to go for the inevitable frags that will be added to the FT.

I also keep a bottle of SG gel near the DT.

sde1500 · 01/27/2019, 12:18 PM

Yep I now have epoxy and superglue stocked and standing by at all times now. I’d never consider any work in my tank in the morning that’d just be asking for disaster haha. Happy to report I found a zoa polyp in the back of my tank, rescued it, and got it attached to a plug and on the frag rack with no other issues being created. I’ll now not get my hands wet in the tank for a few months because my luck was all just used up.

01/24/2019, 04:00 PM	#1
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Tell me I'm not alone Anyone else feel like a bumbling fool some/most/every time they have to get their hands wet in the tank? I swear it is every time that I do a little hands on maintenance it goes awry. Its almost guaranteed I'll snap a small piece of my M Digita off, its huge so thats ok. And then I was just giving the glass a good scraping the other day, bumped the rock my big ole torch was on, and the whole torch broke off. Can't tell if the base had started to break down, or it was so big the glue couldn't hold it anymore, but bam off it came. Of course I was currently lacking materials to get it righted again. And by the time I did, my Echinata was kind enough to obliterate a few heads while the torch was precariously perched best I could. Attaching a big colony to the rocks again isn't so fun either, what a pain getting glue and epoxy to set and not have the whole colony fall over. Was much easier when it was just a small frag I bought years ago. Attachment doesn't look great, but it has held up, hopefully, it was this morning at least. Probably will try some encrusting coral around the base to help hide the not so pretty epoxy work. And of course as I was doing that, I broke a growth tip off my acropora tortuosa. Now I have a teeny tiny frag on my frag rack. One day it will be a chunky piece. Well, that's enough ranting for now, just felt like sharing. Can't seem to avoid having issues and getting soaked every time I have to stick my hands in the tank. Tiny frag pic for fun. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

01/24/2019, 05:23 PM	#3
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	You're not alone --- __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

01/25/2019, 08:44 AM	#6
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Every time!! __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/25/2019, 09:42 AM	#9
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	ugh, King Butterfingers here. i'm basically a wrecking ball any time my hands go in the tank. i really try to keep it to a minimum. i can't even tell you how many times i've said "i'm just going to move one rock/coral, this won't take long..." ... MUCH LATER ... __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

01/26/2019, 04:54 PM	#14
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	This is the reason that my policy is "don't get your hands wet in the morning before work" I tend to cause avalanches Cheers! Mark __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

01/24/2019, 08:19 PM	#4
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Ha! So True!

01/25/2019, 08:16 AM	#5
Cliving1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,923	Not alone. When I go to fix one coral, I have to fix 5 as a result. Possibly move a rock to fix the mess I created.

01/25/2019, 09:42 AM	#8
jd371 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Long Island Posts: 615	Join the club. Whenever I work in the tank is usually followed by cuss words after I knock or break something off. A little cool off time and fix what I just did. Intricate work with gorilla hands.

01/25/2019, 10:57 AM	#10
ReefsandGeeks Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,708	Lol, I know if I want to move something in the tank, to plan on being at lease 30-45 minutes fixing whatever I might screw up while making a little adjustment to coral placement or something. Occasionally, I get lucky and everything goes smoothly, but not often. Keeps things interesting I guess. I just try to convince myself that everything is somehow better after busting stuff up. Last time i had tried to move a bowlingball sized birdsnest, I ended up busting off probably 15-20 branches, all an inch or two. I ended up just glueing all peices to a small rock I had, and now it's all grown together into another large birdsnest and the original has recovered and looking better than ever. Frustrating at the time though because it took a while to get everything put back together when I wasn't expecting to. Now I just don't get my hands wet unless I have lots of extra time

01/26/2019, 04:17 PM	#13
danromero87 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: South Jersey Posts: 23	Happens to me as well... its annoying...

01/27/2019, 08:20 AM	#15
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I have given up trying to avoid making frags on water change day. I set up my frag station as a part of collecting the WC equipment in the basement so that it is all ready to go for the inevitable frags that will be added to the FT. I also keep a bottle of SG gel near the DT. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

01/27/2019, 12:18 PM	#16
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Yep I now have epoxy and superglue stocked and standing by at all times now. I’d never consider any work in my tank in the morning that’d just be asking for disaster haha. Happy to report I found a zoa polyp in the back of my tank, rescued it, and got it attached to a plug and on the frag rack with no other issues being created. I’ll now not get my hands wet in the tank for a few months because my luck was all just used up. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.