r_e_g
- #1
I'll cut to the chase: I am about 99% sure that I'll be moving in 2.5-3 years, possibly a little bit longer, and while I'd very much like to set up a new fish tank, I'm afraid I'll regret it once it's time to move. What do you think?
Background: I've kept at least 1 freshwater tank nearly continuously since I was 11, so close to two decades now, but for the past ~6 years it's been crayfish or shrimp, no fish. Recently, I rescued a juvenile oscar from a pond and while I turned him over to my LFS because I couldn't commit to a fish that would grow to that size, the week I had him really made me want fish again. I currently have red cherry shrimp and I love them but they aren't aware of life outside the tank the way fish are. 40 gallon tanks are currently on sale at Petco so I bought one but now I'm debating if I really should get fish again.
My S.O. will be finishing their PhD in ~2.5 years, so we'll hopefully be moving to a different state somewhat shortly after that. I've been researching what it's like to move with fish and it sounds like the options are ship them ($$$), drive with them (stressful in a car packed with other animals on a trip that could take days), or give them away (which would make me sad-plus what if no one will take them?). I'd feel really bad if I decided to ship them/drive with them and then a bunch died in the process, so rehoming might be a kinder option, but it feels icky to me to buy fish now if I know I won't be keeping them. Would the moving process be so awful for me and the fish that I'm better off just not getting any? For years, I've wanted to set up a nice big tank and held off because I know there are several more moves in the next decade for us, but waiting to be settled into a home permanently could leave me waiting for a really long time. For the record, when I say fish, I'm considering hardy tetras, rasboras, small catfish, and/or dwarf cichlids, but nothing large or especially sensitive.
If it seems like moving with fish would be too much of a headache, I have thought of a few other options for my 40 gallon. I could aquascape it and then put in more shrimp. I could always set up one of our spare 10 gallons for a betta, which I've kept before and loved but I really want multiple fish this time. I'm very interested in Geosesarma, so I could set up a lush planted crabitat. It seems like it would be easier to move them since they're terrestrial. Fiddler crabs would be another option (though that would be a very different setup from the freshwater planted tank I'm currently envisioning).
So in a nutshell, do you think 2.5 years would be long enough to make it worth it to go ahead and get started on this tank? We want to get a couple more shrimp tanks up and running so it's very likely that we'll be moving some aquatic pets; it's just a question of if I add fish to that. Thanks!
Background: I've kept at least 1 freshwater tank nearly continuously since I was 11, so close to two decades now, but for the past ~6 years it's been crayfish or shrimp, no fish. Recently, I rescued a juvenile oscar from a pond and while I turned him over to my LFS because I couldn't commit to a fish that would grow to that size, the week I had him really made me want fish again. I currently have red cherry shrimp and I love them but they aren't aware of life outside the tank the way fish are. 40 gallon tanks are currently on sale at Petco so I bought one but now I'm debating if I really should get fish again.
My S.O. will be finishing their PhD in ~2.5 years, so we'll hopefully be moving to a different state somewhat shortly after that. I've been researching what it's like to move with fish and it sounds like the options are ship them ($$$), drive with them (stressful in a car packed with other animals on a trip that could take days), or give them away (which would make me sad-plus what if no one will take them?). I'd feel really bad if I decided to ship them/drive with them and then a bunch died in the process, so rehoming might be a kinder option, but it feels icky to me to buy fish now if I know I won't be keeping them. Would the moving process be so awful for me and the fish that I'm better off just not getting any? For years, I've wanted to set up a nice big tank and held off because I know there are several more moves in the next decade for us, but waiting to be settled into a home permanently could leave me waiting for a really long time. For the record, when I say fish, I'm considering hardy tetras, rasboras, small catfish, and/or dwarf cichlids, but nothing large or especially sensitive.
If it seems like moving with fish would be too much of a headache, I have thought of a few other options for my 40 gallon. I could aquascape it and then put in more shrimp. I could always set up one of our spare 10 gallons for a betta, which I've kept before and loved but I really want multiple fish this time. I'm very interested in Geosesarma, so I could set up a lush planted crabitat. It seems like it would be easier to move them since they're terrestrial. Fiddler crabs would be another option (though that would be a very different setup from the freshwater planted tank I'm currently envisioning).
So in a nutshell, do you think 2.5 years would be long enough to make it worth it to go ahead and get started on this tank? We want to get a couple more shrimp tanks up and running so it's very likely that we'll be moving some aquatic pets; it's just a question of if I add fish to that. Thanks!