Moving every 2-3 yrs

origreefer · 06/08/2014, 07:51 PM

I did 29 yrs and always hated to PCS because i had to break my tank down and start over at my new station. Seemed to always be battling new tank syndrome. The good was seeing all the new LFS at the new location.

dukduk · 06/11/2014, 07:14 AM

Did you have coral?

SGT_York · 06/25/2014, 07:25 AM

Going on 13 years and will be moving from Texas to Washington State in a month. It's a pain, I normally sell off all the fish and frag out the corals just keep a few pieces and pray they make the transport. It would be nice to stay put.

archangel91 · 06/25/2014, 08:20 AM

Luckily my last PCS only involved transfering to another squadron on the same base, but I'm dreading trying to move my tank when we're up for orders again at the end of next year.

Depending on where we end up going (we're trying to go east to FL or MD) I'm thinking we'll be essentually forced to sell all the livestock and start over, which I'm really not looking forward to.

It doesn't seem very practicle, but has anyone ever thought about setting up a QT tank of sorts at the origin duty station and then having all the livestock shipped after cycling the DT/QT's at the new station?

supra400hptt · 06/25/2014, 10:45 AM

I'm 7 months out myself coming from SE Asia back to the US. Livestock and tanks are so much cheaper here. I guess the positive is I'm bringing back a tank that would cost double in the US. This will be my last military move before retiring. I hate selling everything off, but I worry about damage to my stuff when it's moved. Tank gets crated, but you never know.

ChimolaFish · 06/29/2014, 06:01 PM

Back when I first had a tank in college, I moved from Colorado back to Ohio. Two tanks, both small (10g and 7g). Bought a converter and ran the equipment all the way home. Hotels were tricky, haha. Nit that that's an option for any tank bigger. I have a 90 I'll have to move in 2 years, already looking into the best way to do that.

Deton8it · 07/05/2014, 07:35 AM

I just did a PCS. I sold everything except the lights, powerheads, overflow, etc... Basically, I sold all of the software and kept the hardware minus the tank and stand. As I sell things off I separate that money and put it in our safe. I use those funds to set up the next tank. Tanks and stands can be picked up for pretty cheap if you use craigslist or the newspaper classifieds.

John

rocsec1 · 08/02/2014, 10:37 PM

When I was active duty I stopped reefing because of the moves. Not that I am
Settled down and not moving anymore I
Started back and am
Really
Enjoying the hobby again. 4 PCS in 10 years was too much

bescher · 08/09/2014, 07:35 AM

While I was both married and divorced in my 17 years in I wasn't allowed to keep any fish. I lived in military housing in Weisbaden Germany and at Ft Gordon, at my last duty station I had to live in the barracks ( even as a E - 6)
So I couldn't keep anything. Am getting back into it now though

Knots · 12/09/2014, 08:44 PM

I feel you. I was stationed overseas my past three tours. Now I'm back in the States and getting back into the hobby. I'm excited, but already have verbals to D.C. Moving with a tank is almost like leaving the country and having to give up your dog.

dannyboy402 · 12/16/2014, 10:42 PM

have you guys pcs'd with a huge tank? i've got a 150 and i hope i can take it with me in april....

yaya123 · 12/19/2014, 01:41 PM

For the livestock that you plan to keep, how do you transport it? I imagine some kind of plastic tank...

I've been AD for 11 years and have PCS'd 9 or 10 times. I'm finally stateside on a 3yr assignment. Hopefully I can just transfer to another unit on the same post. I'm already contemplating how I will transfer the valuable livestock. Also, I'm expected to go TDY for up to 5 weeks at a time. I'm going to need a giant ATO system among other things.

philr21 · 12/31/2014, 07:52 AM

I PCS'd with a 6' 125. Housing had it crated and it made the move from Florida to Japan just fine. I also have a 55 acrylic that I've had for 20+ years and it made it fine. I don't even try to keep coral, local fish that I catch only pretty much anymore, which is cool in itself.

SGT_York · 12/31/2014, 12:23 PM

I was fortunate enough to find a local reefer at my destination and fedexed the stuff I wanted to keep. Lost a few SPS but everything else did very well. Ended up buying a bunch of frags from the guy and we both have been happy.

jimlin · 01/04/2015, 05:13 AM

multiple pcs moves. i keep the boxes for all the equipment i buy just for the pcs move. my last move they did not crate my tanks and two out of three tanks were damaged along with a sump which cut the hands of the mover who opened the box. i end up just giving all my livestock away and start from scratch at the new duty station. pretty tough so far maintaining a reef tank while on active duty. tank usually crash due to either leak or dead return pump because nobodys home who knows how to change the water or add ro/di water during tdy.

06/08/2014, 07:51 PM	#1
origreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 264	Moving every 2-3 yrs I did 29 yrs and always hated to PCS because i had to break my tank down and start over at my new station. Seemed to always be battling new tank syndrome. The good was seeing all the new LFS at the new location. __________________ Founder, DFWMAS, 1992

08/09/2014, 07:35 AM	#9
bescher Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 9	Moving every 2 - 3 years While I was both married and divorced in my 17 years in I wasn't allowed to keep any fish. I lived in military housing in Weisbaden Germany and at Ft Gordon, at my last duty station I had to live in the barracks ( even as a E - 6) So I couldn't keep anything. Am getting back into it now though

06/11/2014, 07:14 AM	#2
dukduk Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Nebraska but from Guam Posts: 295	Did you have coral?

06/25/2014, 07:25 AM	#3
SGT_York Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,746	Going on 13 years and will be moving from Texas to Washington State in a month. It's a pain, I normally sell off all the fish and frag out the corals just keep a few pieces and pray they make the transport. It would be nice to stay put.

06/25/2014, 08:20 AM	#4
archangel91 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Stanwood, WA Posts: 104	Luckily my last PCS only involved transfering to another squadron on the same base, but I'm dreading trying to move my tank when we're up for orders again at the end of next year. Depending on where we end up going (we're trying to go east to FL or MD) I'm thinking we'll be essentually forced to sell all the livestock and start over, which I'm really not looking forward to. It doesn't seem very practicle, but has anyone ever thought about setting up a QT tank of sorts at the origin duty station and then having all the livestock shipped after cycling the DT/QT's at the new station?

06/25/2014, 10:45 AM	#5
supra400hptt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 295	I'm 7 months out myself coming from SE Asia back to the US. Livestock and tanks are so much cheaper here. I guess the positive is I'm bringing back a tank that would cost double in the US. This will be my last military move before retiring. I hate selling everything off, but I worry about damage to my stuff when it's moved. Tank gets crated, but you never know.

06/29/2014, 06:01 PM	#6
ChimolaFish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 560	Back when I first had a tank in college, I moved from Colorado back to Ohio. Two tanks, both small (10g and 7g). Bought a converter and ran the equipment all the way home. Hotels were tricky, haha. Nit that that's an option for any tank bigger. I have a 90 I'll have to move in 2 years, already looking into the best way to do that.

07/05/2014, 07:35 AM	#7
Deton8it Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Cabot Arkansas Posts: 134	I just did a PCS. I sold everything except the lights, powerheads, overflow, etc... Basically, I sold all of the software and kept the hardware minus the tank and stand. As I sell things off I separate that money and put it in our safe. I use those funds to set up the next tank. Tanks and stands can be picked up for pretty cheap if you use craigslist or the newspaper classifieds. John

08/02/2014, 10:37 PM	#8
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	When I was active duty I stopped reefing because of the moves. Not that I am Settled down and not moving anymore I Started back and am Really Enjoying the hobby again. 4 PCS in 10 years was too much

12/09/2014, 08:44 PM	#10
Knots Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 50	I feel you. I was stationed overseas my past three tours. Now I'm back in the States and getting back into the hobby. I'm excited, but already have verbals to D.C. Moving with a tank is almost like leaving the country and having to give up your dog.

12/16/2014, 10:42 PM	#11
dannyboy402 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 12	have you guys pcs'd with a huge tank? i've got a 150 and i hope i can take it with me in april....

12/19/2014, 01:41 PM	#12
yaya123 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 17	For the livestock that you plan to keep, how do you transport it? I imagine some kind of plastic tank... I've been AD for 11 years and have PCS'd 9 or 10 times. I'm finally stateside on a 3yr assignment. Hopefully I can just transfer to another unit on the same post. I'm already contemplating how I will transfer the valuable livestock. Also, I'm expected to go TDY for up to 5 weeks at a time. I'm going to need a giant ATO system among other things.

12/31/2014, 07:52 AM	#13
philr21 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 8	I PCS'd with a 6' 125. Housing had it crated and it made the move from Florida to Japan just fine. I also have a 55 acrylic that I've had for 20+ years and it made it fine. I don't even try to keep coral, local fish that I catch only pretty much anymore, which is cool in itself.

12/31/2014, 12:23 PM	#14
SGT_York Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,746	I was fortunate enough to find a local reefer at my destination and fedexed the stuff I wanted to keep. Lost a few SPS but everything else did very well. Ended up buying a bunch of frags from the guy and we both have been happy.

01/04/2015, 05:13 AM	#15
jimlin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 110	multiple pcs moves. i keep the boxes for all the equipment i buy just for the pcs move. my last move they did not crate my tanks and two out of three tanks were damaged along with a sump which cut the hands of the mover who opened the box. i end up just giving all my livestock away and start from scratch at the new duty station. pretty tough so far maintaining a reef tank while on active duty. tank usually crash due to either leak or dead return pump because nobodys home who knows how to change the water or add ro/di water during tdy.