What's the dumbest thing you've done?

[adidas]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I mean the thing the collection cup drains into, that has a ping-pong ball that closes the air exhaust when it fills, which basically shuts off the skimmer.

tell me more about this awesome device

[Delphinus]

This is the one I'm using, http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s..._ID=ps-pmpw410

There's a larger version made by PM as well, as well as a number of other brands that sell the same thing.

The collection cup drains into this thing. There is an "exhaust" port that has a ping pong ball that floats. If the waste collector fills up, the ping pong ball floats and pushes up against the exhaust port. (It's basically a low-tech "foot valve.") Then air can't escape out, which puts back pressure on the skimmer, and the skimmer can't produce foam against the backpressure. So although the skimmer is still "running" per se, it's effectively "shut down" until you empty the waste collector.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Very cool. Never seen that before. See, you learn something new every day, even if someone else had to learn the hard way first

[justinl]

dumbest thing ive done. HA. well a week ago i got a carpenters wrasse. four days ago it died. I thought nothing of it. today i just noticed that i have a massive ich outbreak. my damsel is freaked enough that i can't get a good look at her. my foxface looks like it dipped its fins in the sugar bowl (on the body there are white spots surrounded by brown flesh... i assume that's bad). my new puffer (two days) has mild ich around its mouth and dorsal fin.

lesson of the day: QUARANTINE THE F***ING FISH!!! i thought i could skimp on it and now it's costing me and my fish.