You all will have to love this.  I wish someone could read this to you so that you can close your eyes and envision my fun!  Mandatory tank clean tonight... leaving town on another business trip.... ugg.  Siphoned 10 gallons out of my 90 gallon reef and wheeled my huge rubbermaid tub to the laundry room to pump it out into the sink.  Somehow, during the process, the end of the tubing came off the pump, the pump rolled over and shot nasty salt water all over.  It was like a water fountain just for me.  Salt water in my face, on my glasses, down my front, all over the counter (including the clean laundry drying on the counter), bunches on the vinyl sheeting floor making it very slippery, all over the washing machine.  It was a bit like trying to ride a wild bull.  Took a bit to get a handle on things.  What a mess.  I know, I know, some of you are thinking... "Why didn't she just unplug the pump".  Answer: Because I am an idiot with no common sense!  For those of you who know me... being smart is no good in these kinds of situations! 

sorry for you accident it is alittle funny id never think to unplug the pump either i turned my skimmer up too high one day and was trying to see where the water flooding my floor was from... the skimmer haha we all make silly mistakes

Ohhhh I can SO totally SEE this happening!  *giggling*

That sounds terribly unpleasant, and it's not very nice of me to giggle, but dangit , knowing you, knowing the setup, knowing how you feel about nasty water... and just picturing you trying wrangle that shooting pump.  OMG, I am feeling so much better about having to bathe my puddle-dancing maniac when we got home from the barn!

Oh Kimber, I'm sorry that I'm giggling at your pain, but it really is hysterical, especially when you make sure to point out that  you didn't even think to shut off the pump.

Take comfort in the fact that while you were pump-wrangling, Winston was playing fetch with two little boys who think he's just as cool as their favorite "Opet."  And my brother wanted to take Winston home with them.  He was getting lots of love while mom was hosing down the laundry room.

Mare

Oh, don't worry. I'm sure we all have moments like that.

That sucks!

I've made so many messes it isn't funny. When I lived in Toledo I flooded our kitchen a few times because I forgot the RO/DI was on. SECOND day in our house in Crestline.....flooded the fish room. Only reason I knew it happened was I was in the basement and heard dripping water.

This kind stuff is my life!  Every water change is a fiasco!  Last  December a power head  shot my glasses clear off my face.  Nothing makes you madder than your glasses getting knocked off your face.  Somebody had to help me find them cause I am BLIND with out them.

Keep them coming.  I'm away on business (always stressful) and appreciate the laughs when I check my computer.  Surely, others of you out there have plenty of aquarium related mishaps to report?

Burks said :

That sucks!

. SECOND day in our house in Crestline.....flooded the fish room. O

Ooohhhhh I bet you were in TROOOOUBBLLLE!

Victoria said :

 a power head  shot my glasses clear off my face.  Nothing makes you madder than your glasses getting knocked off your face.  Somebody had to help me find them cause I am BLIND with out them.

And here I thought I was the only person crazy stuff like this happened to. I don't have any fun water change stories that I can think of, other than the general mess I make with the hose, but I'm sure Kimberly can think of something to share for me, since I'm mostly a walking disaster area.

A regular occurrance at my house is when I'm cleaning a canister filter and the hose comes off.  Then it shoots water everywhere while I squeal.  It takes a while for "shut the thing off!" to percolate down into my brain to where I can act on it, usually about a gallon of water on the carpet.

Victoria,

That cracks me up.  I can soooo envision your glasses projectilng from your face.    From the responses to date, this kind of thing must just be a mandatory part of the hobby.  I guess there really isn't an accident free aquariust?

Kimber

Fish Tales said :

Keep them coming.  I'm away on business (always stressful) and appreciate the laughs when I check my computer.  Surely, others of you out there have plenty of aquarium related mishaps to report?

Let's just suffice it to say that my friends and family were VERY concerned that I am into a hobby that combines salt water and electricity.....

OneThunder said :

Fish Tales said :

Keep them coming.  I'm away on business (always stressful) and appreciate the laughs when I check my computer.  Surely, others of you out there have plenty of aquarium related mishaps to report?

Let's just suffice it to say that my friends and family were VERY concerned that I am into a hobby that combines salt water and electricity.....

I actually had smoke coming out of my electrical outlet when some salt water found it's way into the outlet.  Not cool!

Fish Tales said :

OneThunder said :

Fish Tales said :

Keep them coming.  I'm away on business (always stressful) and appreciate the laughs when I check my computer.  Surely, others of you out there have plenty of aquarium related mishaps to report?

Let's just suffice it to say that my friends and family were VERY concerned that I am into a hobby that combines salt water and electricity.....

I actually had smoke coming out of my electrical outlet when some salt water found it's way into the outlet.  Not cool!

Yeah, me too. 

My uncle had a salt water tank in the early 80's, and he warned me about that electricity stuff so I was phobic in the beginning.  Early in the tanks life we were having trouble balancing the return and drain with pump that was just too powerful for my overflow box.  I kept freaking when it would get close to overflowing and my husband, the nonhobbyist, as some of you all know, kept blowing my concerns off, and handling the plug with wet hands.  Wow, did he get a shock!  He came out of that stand with a yelp, and I just smiled all smug like.  He started drying his hands.  I think this is one of the reasons he doesn't really like my tank that much.