Tell me your biggest aquarium related Murphy's laws

Tripod1404 · 09/29/2017, 12:21 PM

Okay guys let me start with few I experienced.

1- Corals you dont like always thrive and reach plague proportions.

2- When something goes wrong, most expensive fish or coral is the first to die.

3- When two corals or two fish fight, one you don't like prevails.

4- If a fish goes "not-reef safe", first thing it goes after is your favorite piece.

4- A troublemaker fish is always the hardest one to catch.

5- When two fish fight, they always do it at a place that would harm the corals the most.

6- Equipment always malfunctions when you are not around, ideally when out of town.

7- When fish jump, they always find an opening.

8- When fish jump, you are never there.

9- Anemones choose least visible place to settle. If the place is visible, then it would be next to a coral.

10- If you have several female anthias, all will become males and then kill each other until one is left. If you buy a single female, it will not turn male.

11- Uglier something is, hardier it is.

12- If you adjust a skimmer, it will either become too wet or too dry, it never stays at an ideal "middle point".

Okay these are some that come to my mind, lets see if you have more!

ca1ore · 09/29/2017, 01:52 PM

Fitting that drips is always the one you cannot easily reach. Corollary to #2, the frag you drop behind the rockwork is always the most expensive one.

d2mini · 09/29/2017, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

6- Equipment always malfunctions when you are not around, ideally when out of town.

This time one million!
Either equipment from the tank itself, or something to do with the house that affects the tank like your AC/Heat or power.

Tripod1404 · 09/29/2017, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d2mini

This time one million!
Either equipment from the tank itself, or something to do with the house that affects the tank like your AC/Heat or power.

Ohh I should also add; when an equipment fails, it would be the one you least expect and/or the equipment you trust the most. Plus it will almost always go out the most catastrophic way possible.

HippieSmell · 09/29/2017, 03:56 PM

When the light falls in the tank, your arm is always in it.

HippieSmell · 09/29/2017, 03:58 PM

When your mom dies, it's always in the middle of a water change.

Tripod1404 · 09/29/2017, 04:03 PM

This is happening right now; favorite place to rest for a perching fish, will on a coral that tolerates it the least...

trembz · 09/29/2017, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

When your mom dies, it's always in the middle of a water change.

1. How many times does your mother die?
2. How many mother's do you have?
Or
3. How many times have you done a water change on your tank?

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

Tripod1404 · 09/29/2017, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

When your mom dies, it's always in the middle of a water change.

Okay... this escalated quickly. Sorry for your loss.

HippieSmell · 09/29/2017, 04:16 PM

When you're aquarium sitting for a gigolo and accidentally destroy his tank and beloved lionfish, you have to become a gigolo yourself to pay for the damages. So very frustrating.

ca1ore · 09/29/2017, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d2mini

This time one million!
Either equipment from the tank itself, or something to do with the house that affects the tank like your AC/Heat or power.

S'truth. My boiler has shut down twice - both times while I was away.

mcgyvr · 09/29/2017, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

When you're aquarium sitting for a gigolo and accidentally destroy his tank and beloved lionfish, you have to become a gigolo yourself to pay for the damages. So very frustrating.

duece

UTCReefer · 09/29/2017, 05:37 PM

Its like clockwork. Tanks runs perfect for months on end, until your second day of vacation then all sorts of hell breaks loose.

I also had my return pump fail hours before a flight with the wife and kids up to norcal. Guess who wasnt on that flight and who also has never heard the end of it.....this guy.

der_wille_zur_macht · 09/30/2017, 06:44 AM

If your ATO sticks, it'll be right after you fall asleep or leave for work.

dkeller_nc · 09/30/2017, 07:01 AM

You lust after a particular fish species, but it's shockingly expensive. So you set up a "fish fund", add a few bucks to it each week, and after 2 years, you've accumulated enough to finally buy that fish you've always wanted.

Then a judge in Hawaii shuts down the collection of aquarium fishes, including in the only endemic area of the fish you always wanted!

Tripod1404 · 09/30/2017, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

You lust after a particular fish species, but it's shockingly expensive. So you set up a "fish fund", add a few bucks to it each week, and after 2 years, you've accumulated enough to finally buy that fish you've always wanted.

Then a judge in Hawaii shuts down the collection of aquarium fishes, including in the only endemic area of the fish you always wanted!

Black bandit angelfish?

slay · 09/30/2017, 05:15 PM

I bought a new Eshopps skimmer (S-300, seems like a high quality skimmer at a modest price) and it came with the warning "all skimmers overflow, use at own risk". I think that's fitting in with the theme of this thread. I know there are aftermarket sensors now that stop skimmer overflow (I can't recall a brand that has such a feature stock, tho I'm sure *somebody* makes one like that), but when I think of it, pretty much every skimmer I've ever had overflowed at one point or another - usually after trying to dial it back in after a cleaning, with me adjusting the water level up out of impatience

JohnnyHildo · 09/30/2017, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

When you're aquarium sitting for a gigolo and accidentally destroy his tank and beloved lionfish, you have to become a gigolo yourself to pay for the damages. So very frustrating.

yea ummm.... i need some aaaaa snails.... ahem ummm.... yea the aaaa.... ones from the bottom....

moondoggy4 · 09/30/2017, 07:00 PM

When you are away for a business and your skimmer always overflows on Tues.

Misled · 09/30/2017, 09:40 PM

Hippie, you need professional help.

HippieSmell · 09/30/2017, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misled

Hippie, you need professional help.

You're telling me!

jlmawp · 09/30/2017, 11:10 PM

Any amount of time I estimate for a good cleaning or simple water change can be automatically doubled.

Jon0807 · 09/30/2017, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

When you're aquarium sitting for a gigolo and accidentally destroy his tank and beloved lionfish, you have to become a gigolo yourself to pay for the damages. So very frustrating.

64Ivy · 10/01/2017, 06:43 AM

Guess what hobby your new and beautiful SO seems to like least.

johnike · 10/01/2017, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misled

Hippie, you need professional help.

09/29/2017, 12:21 PM	#1
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	Tell me your biggest aquarium related Murphy's laws Okay guys let me start with few I experienced. 1- Corals you dont like always thrive and reach plague proportions. 2- When something goes wrong, most expensive fish or coral is the first to die. 3- When two corals or two fish fight, one you don't like prevails. 4- If a fish goes "not-reef safe", first thing it goes after is your favorite piece. 4- A troublemaker fish is always the hardest one to catch. 5- When two fish fight, they always do it at a place that would harm the corals the most. 6- Equipment always malfunctions when you are not around, ideally when out of town. 7- When fish jump, they always find an opening. 8- When fish jump, you are never there. 9- Anemones choose least visible place to settle. If the place is visible, then it would be next to a coral. 10- If you have several female anthias, all will become males and then kill each other until one is left. If you buy a single female, it will not turn male. 11- Uglier something is, hardier it is. 12- If you adjust a skimmer, it will either become too wet or too dry, it never stays at an ideal "middle point". Okay these are some that come to my mind, lets see if you have more!

09/29/2017, 03:56 PM	#5
HippieSmell Occupy Reef Central Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Orbiting Posts: 4,141	When the light falls in the tank, your arm is always in it. __________________ Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. Current Tank Info: 78"x36"x27" acrylic, 6 Orphek Atlantik V3+ Compacts, MRC Orca Pro II w/washdown, CalcFeeder Pro AC3, Emperor Aquatics 80w UV, 80/20 aluminum stand, Vortech MP60's, Theiling Rollermat, GHL Profilux 3.1T EX, Kessil H380

09/29/2017, 03:58 PM	#6
HippieSmell Occupy Reef Central Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Orbiting Posts: 4,141	When your mom dies, it's always in the middle of a water change. __________________ Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. Current Tank Info: 78"x36"x27" acrylic, 6 Orphek Atlantik V3+ Compacts, MRC Orca Pro II w/washdown, CalcFeeder Pro AC3, Emperor Aquatics 80w UV, 80/20 aluminum stand, Vortech MP60's, Theiling Rollermat, GHL Profilux 3.1T EX, Kessil H380

09/29/2017, 04:16 PM	#10
HippieSmell Occupy Reef Central Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Orbiting Posts: 4,141	When you're aquarium sitting for a gigolo and accidentally destroy his tank and beloved lionfish, you have to become a gigolo yourself to pay for the damages. So very frustrating. __________________ Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. Current Tank Info: 78"x36"x27" acrylic, 6 Orphek Atlantik V3+ Compacts, MRC Orca Pro II w/washdown, CalcFeeder Pro AC3, Emperor Aquatics 80w UV, 80/20 aluminum stand, Vortech MP60's, Theiling Rollermat, GHL Profilux 3.1T EX, Kessil H380

09/30/2017, 06:44 AM	#14
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	If your ATO sticks, it'll be right after you fall asleep or leave for work. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

09/29/2017, 01:52 PM	#2
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Fitting that drips is always the one you cannot easily reach. Corollary to #2, the frag you drop behind the rockwork is always the most expensive one. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

09/29/2017, 04:03 PM	#7
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	This is happening right now; favorite place to rest for a perching fish, will on a coral that tolerates it the least...

09/29/2017, 05:37 PM	#13
UTCReefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 652	Its like clockwork. Tanks runs perfect for months on end, until your second day of vacation then all sorts of hell breaks loose. I also had my return pump fail hours before a flight with the wife and kids up to norcal. Guess who wasnt on that flight and who also has never heard the end of it.....this guy.

09/30/2017, 07:01 AM	#15
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	You lust after a particular fish species, but it's shockingly expensive. So you set up a "fish fund", add a few bucks to it each week, and after 2 years, you've accumulated enough to finally buy that fish you've always wanted. Then a judge in Hawaii shuts down the collection of aquarium fishes, including in the only endemic area of the fish you always wanted!

09/30/2017, 05:15 PM	#17
slay Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 118	I bought a new Eshopps skimmer (S-300, seems like a high quality skimmer at a modest price) and it came with the warning "all skimmers overflow, use at own risk". I think that's fitting in with the theme of this thread. I know there are aftermarket sensors now that stop skimmer overflow (I can't recall a brand that has such a feature stock, tho I'm sure somebody makes one like that), but when I think of it, pretty much every skimmer I've ever had overflowed at one point or another - usually after trying to dial it back in after a cleaning, with me adjusting the water level up out of impatience __________________ 180 mixed soft/lps/sps reef, 75 sump. Radeon XR30w G3 Pros,MP40qdx2, Vectra return, Reeflink, SRO-3000 skimmer, UV/calcium reactor/carbon/gfo. 480 predator, two cat sharks. 18" lionfish & friends.

09/30/2017, 07:00 PM	#19
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	When you are away for a business and your skimmer always overflows on Tues.

09/30/2017, 09:40 PM	#20
Misled RC Mod Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 11,440 Blog Entries: 11	Hippie, you need professional help. __________________ Jesse I'm not saying I'm Batman. I'm just saying nobody has ever seen me and Batman in a room together.

09/30/2017, 11:10 PM	#22
jlmawp Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 595	Any amount of time I estimate for a good cleaning or simple water change can be automatically doubled. Last edited by jlmawp; 10/01/2017 at 07:06 AM.

10/01/2017, 06:43 AM	#24
64Ivy B'rer Reefer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greenwich, CT Posts: 3,194	Guess what hobby your new and beautiful SO seems to like least. __________________ Be Kind To The Elderly. Life Without Parole Means Nothing To Us. ToTM 3-03 Current Tank Info: Between tanks. Searching for a home