[upikabu]

Snail-removal gadget with a little ferris wheel type head that supposedly traps the snails as you move it back and forth on the glass and a small compartment for the snails to fall into. Trapped maybe one snail if I was lucky, the rest just got knocked off the glass & onto the substrate by the stupid thing. It was an impulse buy on an overseas trip (Taiwan) - seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[Elkmor]

pH test (shows weather in Australia), Fe test (shows weather on Mars), algae eaters (eats plants instead of algae), algae-killing-chems (changes one type of algae to another), yellow lamp (looks terrible) and HEATERS (lamps are real heaters)

I think, we could speak of greatest purchase too. My cents are:
RO filter (now I can really control water), KH2PO4 (break away from old-tech myths)

 

[ScottH.]

I ordered the jbj lighting system with the fans. Great lights, but the fans are loud and after a year the three fans all failed. I ordered new ones and they are still noisy and they need to be cleaned or they make weird noises. When the lights turn on it sounds like the vacuum is on for about a minute.

Also, convict cichlids. I love them, but they love to destroy my tank everytime I make a layout. They think that their scaping skills are better than mine. I finally found a home for my last three.

 

[mrbelvedere138]

Is it just me or does it seem like anything made by Marc Weiss is snake-oil?

 

[Chris S]

silver dollar fish and rainbow cichlids. I added them to my planted tank and they where like goats and ate every pice of vegetaion in the entire tank to the hardscape.

 

[Burks]

This glass diffuser that refuses to work. Even trying to get air to go through it from an air pump is impossible, let alone a DIY CO2 system.

Great waste of $10.

 

[GraFFix]

130w PC light from aquatraders....The fans were so loud I thought the fixture was going to take off. That had to go quick!

Ohh and Python Glass cleaner....why did I fall for it. Well sell you vinegar and water with some green dye for only 4.99 a bottle!

 

[tfmcder]

Black Mystery snail....that I was told would not eat my plants!!! In one night it had a very yummy and expensive salad!!! It was an apple snail and it got to be the size of a baseball...when he died I kept his shell as a reminder to NEVER listen to some little kid working part-time in your LFS making $5/hr!!!

 

[Ozgur]

Red Sea FE test kit.

I have made several tests with it in my main tank, in different times but it always showed 0.

Then I have made some experiments with an empty tank. I overdosed for different liters but the result didnt change. The color in tube was always equals zero.

 

[AlexTal]

silver dollar fish and rainbow cichlids. I added them to my planted tank and they where like goats and ate every pice of vegetaion in the entire tank to the hardscape.

Hahaha I love this. I love my silver dollar fish, but they did that to me when I first put plants in. Now they're in a fish tank with fake plants. They're huge and wicked fat.

 

[defdac]

Fluval 404. Things that have annoyed me with this filter:

1) Noise is louder than my computer.
2) Aquastop have broken 2 times in 5 years.
3) Hose nuts have broken 3 times.
4) 3-4 new impellers without less noise.
5) The underside of the pump house comes off when I open the filter.
6) The filter leaks for about 5-10 mins when I've had it open.

Eheim sludge extractor - "Let's suck up ammonia from the substrate and spread it evenly across the whole tank! Not"

Eheim surface extractor - "I like cleaning the small surface pipes everyday and the endless rattling from the counter weight is awesome! Not".

 

[DaveS]

Another vote for the Fluval 404 here. I have been through three "upgrades" (kudos to Hagen tech support however) and this thing still leaks like crazy when power is off. You would think after five years I would have just upgraded to an Eheim ...

Dave

 

[LilLou]

Carbo plus I won on Ebay. What can I say I was new to this and it seemed like a good product until I found a post saying otherwise about 15 minutes after I won the item. Now have a pressurized system and am much happier. At least I didn't pay full price

Lou

 

[acbaldwin]

My worst was a rio 2100 plus that was supposed to be the main return from the sump on my old 55 gallon. While I was testing the plumbing and possible overflow problems, I found that rios are notorious for having startup problems after the power is pulled. That's okay when it's just being used for water current, but absolutely unacceptable for a return pump. $60 down the drain.

 

[discuz]

Dymax T5 light , eballest down on 2nd day ... again on 2nd month, day before I go for holiday ....

mk

 

[Burks]

This glass diffuser that refuses to work. Even trying to get air to go through it from an air pump is impossible, let alone a DIY CO2 system.

Great waste of $10.

Finally got it to work somewhat. Stupid thing shattered in my hand while trying to take it off the air tube. It wasn't "glass" either, it was a hardened plastic.

 

[ringram]

I have two that I can think of:
1)Buying some Triton T-12s when I first started w/ planted tanks and didn't know better --- had bad outbreak of gw and plants, of course, did not grow.
2)Via aqua "probe" heater. Thought it would be cool to get one with the external controls, but it didn't turn off and the tank got up over 90...no deaths, but when I was draining the water for a wc and took it out, it was so hot that the plastic clips that hold it on the back glass melted. I threw that p.o.s. away.

 

[ringram]

priming problem?? I love my Emp400 and have never had a problem priming it after having it turned off. I simply plug it back in and within 10 seconds it's back to working like it should.

Emperor 400 ??? I love my bio-wheel, I think they work well besides the priming problem, but only good for fish tanks.
The worst filter I brought was the Whisper 3.
Besides that the JBJ algae magnet and the JBJ 2 way powerhead is also on top of my worst list and of cost the plastic plants.

 

[T-Bone]

I second the standard 55 gallon starter kit. At the time I thought it was the best thing ever. Now I shake my head. :noidea:

 

[Reefcrack]

Do engagement rings count?