happy and sad, but probably for the best

For those that read myother threads you know I got the saltwater bug years ago and finally decided to jump on it a few months ago. Got a tank, started buying equipment, doing lots of research, etc. Well I've had some other pending changes that held me off from starting the setup, now they're looking more likely and it appears I will be relocating (likely to NC) in the next year to year and a half. So given the time that it takes a tank to get up and going I'll just be getting to where I have a cool setup and then be faced with trying to move it over 1000 miles or sell it at a big loss and start over. I've decided to keep everything in boxes for now, keep buying books, doing research, and reading on here, and buying hardware for the setup as well. When this move finally comes through I'll have a much stronger background and hopefully be able to avoid at least a couple of the newbie mistakes as the tank develops.

Anyhow thanks for all the advice already, I'll probably continue to ask questions and such as I'm trying to learn, I'm the type that absolutely hates to wait but this move will be a plus for me both on a personal and professional level and hopefully the delay will only benefit my setup as well. Plus hopefully in NC I'll be able to find a LFS worth it's salt (ha!) and a local marine aquarist club to help me along the way.

 

When you get to NC look me up, its a hop skip and a jump from me, if Im still living in TN.

IMO, books only give you the basics. Id either ask someone who has a heck of lot of experience in what Im wanting to do, or learn by trial and error. 9 times out 10, you'll get somebody who has read something somewhere or heard about something, but not true experience with something. True experience is priceless. The first year is all trial and error when starting a salt tank, so why not go ahead and do it, and use it as a learning experience. So when you get to NC you'll be able to do it right from the start with all of your experience that you have learned over the first year. Plus you will have time to upgrade cause you'll always want a bigger tank, haha. When you're like 3 months from moving, start selling all the livestock you have acquired. That will help fund your new adventure in NC, or put it towards a bigger tank.

When I move, thats what Im doing. Im selling everything except my lights and liverock, everything else goes. So there is no risk of killing anything in the move. Plus I'll have a lot of money to do things differently when I get there.

 

Not a bad idea, my biggest expenses for startup are equipment and live rock, so I guess I'm not out anything on those. I'll have to think this over again. As far as livestock would I likely take a big hit on selling that stuff?

I agree books can't compare to learning from others experience directly, unfortunately that's about the only option I have here. Fortunately there's this place, so it's kind of like having a neighbor that knows what they're doing.

 

As for corals, by frags, dont buy show pieces, when you're ready to sell, they'll be show pieces, so no money lost there. Fish, look around for some breaking down a tank, they are usually selling at half cost or less.

Where are you located now?

 

I'm in a rural Nebraska, which explains why I have so many questions for you folks. I have one friend with a SW tank but he's pretty new himself, otherwise there's really not much around. There is a LFS about an hour away but initial contacts with them have always led to a younger kid working the store who really didn't know much beyond bettas.

 

Well Im sure some of us around here have frags for sale, lol. If you're going to order anything, need to do it before winter, being in Nebraska, lol.