Obsession getting too much

[SarahBravo]

Okay, so I got given an empty 4 footer last July. My first ever tank. Thought, I'll just chuck in some water and fish, cheap hobby!! Yeah right! I now have 8 tanks (although 4 of those are small), and am obsessed to the extent that when I went in to Pets at Home to buy some cheap thermometers yesterday and saw that they had 2 bumblebee gobies that had been brought in to be rehomed, not only did I buy the gobies, but also their own little tank (£50 with all the equipment ) to house them in. I'm now scrying on the internet to find more of the little beauties to set up a 'hive'. BUT..... i'm emigrating to Australia in a year, i have to save money for the move in a big way, and I can't take any of the fish or tanks with me! what is wrong with me!?!?!?!?!

It's not just new tanks either, I'm forever messing with the existing ones, new plants, new wood, swapping the substrate..... I spent £30 on plants last week alone!!!

OK - options.

1) Sell all my fish and tanks now, put the money in the bank, be bored for a year (but richer!!)
2) Keep one tank, sell all the rest, keep messing with it for interest (not so bored, not so rich)
3) Sell everything, buy a small-ish marine setup - should keep me busy for a year - sell it before I move. (Not bored and poor)
4) Don't know.

Could all TFF qualified MTS councillors please hold an emergency meeting to discuss my case and work out a regimen for me.

thanks guys

PS ANyone know anywhere in the UK i can get more bumblebees?!?!?

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

how about giving me your tanks??? lol

to be hounest i would keep them all for now but get ready to sell them 3 months or so before you go. that way you won't have spent the money in the intervening period, and will have it to by new tanks in austrailia. you will have the money and not be bored until just before you go when it will be mad anyway i would imagine!!!

aslo if you get rid of them a bit before u go it will be one less thing to worry about druing the move.

OTP

 

[Macracantha]

You are just a fishaholic!!!

 

[specks]

Viking Aquatics in Ipswich sometimes has bumblebee gobies, not sure if he has any in at the moment though. Bit of a drive from Grantham though.

 

[SirMinion]

Rats, Cats & Elephants at Capel St Mary nearly always has BBGs, and freshwater ones too. It's on the A12 just before Ipswich inside Bypass Nurseries.

 

[BettaMomma]

What a hilarious topic.
LOL

I completely understand how you feel.
It is a Sunday afternoon and I would LOVE nothing more than to hop in the car and head out and find an awesome new tank setup with some fish. But, I am already overloaded. I've had to do some condensing lately so I wouldn't lose my sanity with tank cleanings. I'm happy to say that thanks to a community girl tank and dividers, I now have 10 bettas at home in only 4 tanks! Woohoo!

I would hang on to your tanks until shortly before you move. There are always buyers of tanks & fishes out there, you'll not have a problem getting rid of them, I'm sure. I think it's already been suggested here, but that way you'll have money for the trip (consider them an investment right now) and you can buy more when you get there.

 

[GSD]

yer its like the saying
once you pop you just cant stop
thats the way i think of it i got a 1gal....then a 10gal....then a 18gal....then a 200gal!LOL
i would save the money DONT buy any more then think how many you can get when you move

 

[BettaMomma]

I started out with a 2.5G tank.
Then I got a 2G hex at home because I enjoyed the one at work so much.
Hex didn't work out (flaring betta) - had to move fish, got another 2.5G at home.
Could'nt leave the 2G empty, so got another fish for the 2G.
Decided to get a 5G for the first 2.5G occupant, so set that up and moved him over.
Couldn't possibly leave the *now empty* 2.5G sit empty, so I got a sick one to go into that one.
Found another sick fish at WalMart (I know you're all shocked and amazed) and got a 2.5G minibow for him.
The fish that went into the 5G got sick and needed to be moved back into a small tank w/out a filter.
I got another 2.5G tank.
5G sat empty.
Brought the 5G home and tried 2 betta girls in it.
Didn't work, went out and got a 10G for the girls.
Donated the 5G to my grandmother's poor goldfish.
Couldn't control the temps on the 2G and 2.5G tanks here at my house, so I got a second 10G tank and split it for 2 betta boys.
I then also got a couple of 1G aquaview tanks for work because I found a gorgeous ct and lucky the tail-less wonder that I just couldn't bear to live without.
I just laid claim to a 20G tank, with an oak stand, heater, filter hood, tank and i'm not sure what all else, but getting it all for 50$.
Wow. I had no idea I had that many tanks.
lol

Wow SarahBravo - you just made me realize that when and/or if I ever move, I'm sooo in trouble. heh heh
Whatever yo decide I'm sure you'll end up having fish again once you get to Australia!

 

[patti_n_jojo]

i say 2months b4 u r due 2 move.... sell everything n put the money u make from that asside n as soon as u get 2 australia get a new setup with the money lol, thats what i would do lol

 

[Synirr]

I know exactly how you feel. I'm moving about 5 hours away to Austin next year, and am determined to take all my tanks with me... and yet, even knowing how hard that will be, I keep buying MORE
Everyone needs an obsession, I guess

 

[snar]

maybe you could sell the fish and keep the tank setups......then when youre done moving buy new fish and use the existing tank,filters and stuff

 

[colegamby]

i would go with snar's idea that way you keep all your stuff just get new livestock

 

[nc_nutcase]

also since the resale on equipment isn't that high, it may be worth packaging the equipment (not aquariums) and shipping them to yourself on a slow freight liner. This way maybe you could schedule it so you send them off a week before you move, they take two weeks to deliver, and you receive them a week after you get there. Aquarium shipping would be much more difficult. Might have to just get bigger ones... I mean new ones after you settle in.....

 

[pica_nuttalli]

eh, i think it'd be a bit much to move all those tanks from Britain to Australia... you could probably afforded all brand new ones by the time you paid for packaging, air-shipping, movers, etc...

i vote that you slowly start selling off one tank at a time. if you have any breeder fish, i'd sell those last so you can maximize your profits on the fry. take a few weeks to sell the fish out of a tank, then the next 2-3 to sell the tank/decor. if you wait too long, you'd probably have to just unload all of your fish on a random LFS. by starting now, you can take the time to ensure that everyone goes to a good home. and sell off each tank once its empty so you aren't tempted to fill it up again!

i just don't think you should wait until the last second. you're going to be swamped at that point with just packing/culling your non-fishy belongings, in addition to last minute checks over your paperwork. you might have to resort to slashed pricing on the tanks, just to get them moved out on time! and again, think of how sad it would make you if you weren't certain that all your fish went to people who'd care for them properly.

--EDIT--
oo, good point on the equipment NC!