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Unread 03/29/2011, 09:40 AM   #1
miniz2k6
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Smile aquariums in military housing?

I wasn't sure where to post this, so mods feel free to move if needed! I'm thinking about joining the Air Force within the next year and was wondering how many people on this forum are military and have aquariums.......I know most bases have different policies for what kind of pets and how many. I've read different sites that say 1 fish tank counts as 1 pet but it isn't specific about what size tank. I'm pretty sure the miltary wouldn't allow a 300 gallon aquarium to be kept in their housing....but I don't know. I currently have a 27 gallon fowlr at the moment and I also have an empty 75 gallon in the garage. For you military guys/gals with aquariums, what size tanks are you allowed to have?


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Unread 03/29/2011, 09:41 AM   #2
miniz2k6
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eventually i would love to have either a 180 gallon or 220 gallon reef............but if thats not possible in military housing i'll just throw that idea out the window and stick to nanos.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 09:44 AM   #3
WienerDog
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I had a 75g in my base housing in Pensacola...Navy. They never said a word. I am sure a 300g would NOT cut it. It would take one idiot to drop a dime or have aproblem with it. I agree, stick with the nano!!


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Unread 03/29/2011, 10:33 AM   #4
redsoxfan692
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I'm not military, but my father and father in law were lifers and we have several military friends. That being said, I've never seen anything bigger than a 90 in base housing. The regulations are probably even tighter in the dorms.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 10:37 AM   #5
Peter T
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It depends on the post you are residing at. Post regulations differ from post to post. At least it does for the Army posts, not sure about the other branches and their posts. If you are unsure, give housing a call and they can (or at least should be able to ) tell you the maximum size allowed.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 11:34 AM   #6
kzooreefer
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When I was in the Army there were two types of housing for enlisted persons. Married housing which was basically townhouses for couples and families and the barracks for all single service members and those married members whose spouse was not with them. If you lived in married housing you got to keep pets with some restrictions but in the barracks you weren't allowed pets of any kind.

Best bet is to wait till you get out. I gave mine away to some friends and started over after I got out.

Edit: Obviously you also won't be able to bring it along for any basic and advanced training your going to do before you actually get assigned to a base so why even start one now. You're probably looking at 3 or 4 months training first at a different base, or two. I'd wait till you got to your final assignment before doing any thing.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 12:13 PM   #7
kduen
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Ok since I am the first to respond that is currently active duty in the AF and residing in Housing I can offer you this. Housing on the Air Force side is a little different then what is posted above. Air Force housing currently is Privatized meaning it is contracted out to a private company. The current policy is that you may have two-four legged pets in housing. Two cats, two dogs, two ferrets (if legal in the state), two hampsters etc etc. Also they have a restriction on certain exotics but I don't recall whats on the list. The guy two houses down has a 200Gal thats empty and keeps a 6ft Boa in it.

Now I asked this very question when we moved into housing and they do not consider fish as pets. I also asked if there was a restriction on tank size limit and they said that there is none as long as you got the money (or renters ins.) to pay for damages if any occour. I know that there are currently people in housing right now that have 300Gal deep demension tanks as I have seen them. There is currently a 210gal set up in the office next door to me. I currently have a 90gal that has been set up over a year in housing. Like I said it should be pretty standard stateside although overseas may be a little different. I do know that when I was stationed in Germany I had a 120 in housing that housed ten-seven inch Discus and the only thing that was ever said to me was "WOW nice tank!!

edit-- I forgot to mention if you are single in the dorms then there are NO pets allowed including fish.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 01:12 PM   #8
JandN
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I am also AD AF and have lived in multiple military privatized housing units (in one currently) . These are MY experiences from two separate places. Most are very lenient on how many pets you have as long as you do not go crazy or cause any problems, where I am at fish are not considered pets, I have read all guidances I could get my hands on and I have not found any restrictions on fish tank sizes. One thing to remember is these houses are a "you break it you buy it" situation, thats why you MUST carry renters insurance to protect yourself. Also something to consider is you have a high probability of moving every couple of years, you could go overseas and have a DEROS, and depending on your job you will deploy for at least six months again frequency depends on your job. Would you want to move your 200g every couple years and have to most likely start completely over? Not trying to be negative just all the things I am facing in the future.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 03:12 PM   #9
kduen
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"Would you want to move your 200g every couple years and have to most likely start completely over? Not trying to be negative just all the things I am facing in the future."

I asked myself this question and my answer was this. Since the livestock can't move with me I need to make sure the LFS is willing to buy back or give store credit for them. Kind of like renting them out for a few years and returning them when it's time to depart.

I did this when I first started the hobby and got ended up losing almost $800 in livestock. Long story short is they were selling off all my livestock so I could get a check instead of store credit since I wasn't going to be in arizona anymore.

Called them up to see what all was left and there was only one fish left to sell. Called back two days later no-one answered. Another two days and still no answer. Had a buddy of mine go down to the shop to see what was going on and the landlord had evicted them from the property for not paying rent. They must have had $30-$40,000 worth of uquipment and livestock in there and once they locked up for the night the owner came and padlocked the doors shut and wouldn't open it up untill they paid their overdue ammount. Never heard from them again.

All the equipment can be re-set back up fairly easily and is the perfect time to fix something that you weren't happy with the first time. Rock can be dried out and re-seeded once you get everything back going again.

My tank is a acrylic for just this reason with all the moving and such. 1. They usually will not get broken during PCS moves. 2. They do not count as much towards your weight alowance as a glass tank would. 3. I have a little one just about throwing age and thats all I need is 100gal of salt water all over base housing.

To an extent they are you break it you buy it. If it is from normal wear and tear like a ten year old dishwasher that goes bonkers and sprays water all over the kitchen you probably will not have to pay. If you have a block party at your house and some drunk decides to get mad and put his fist through the walls for sport then yes you will have to pay.

Also a lot of this is dependant on what base your at and what your job is. If you plan it out it really isn't that bad.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 04:29 PM   #10
lastpikd
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I got in trouble for having a 10 gallon fresh water aquarium in the barracks as a Marine in San Diego. Different bases will have different policies regarding these things. One of the biggest concerns with having a tank is flooding. Even if its just 10 gallons of water, that could destroy a carpeted floor.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 04:42 PM   #11
kduen
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There is that keyword again. barracks = dorms = single = no pets allowed.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 05:41 PM   #12
NickC5FE
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kduen, i dont know what this is...

barracks = dorms = single = no pets allowed.

I know a few of my guys i fly with that are in the dorms and they have tanks. One guy has a 90 gallon SW tank and it has been fine. Here at Travis at least, but i cannot see why it would be any different on any other AF base...Keep in mind, they do dorm inspections all the time, and if a tank is "out of reg"-someone would let them know!

As for on base, i live in the NCO housing, and yes it is privatized. I currently have a 54 gallon, and bought a 180 gallon (eventually decided to sell it before putting it together). Either way, i have a 90 gallon and a few of my buddies have 90 gallons and it is fine. We dont pay for water/electricity, so it is great. However, sooner or later they may start charging housing residents for those utilities, but if we do-they will increase our housing allowance..

In my job (C-5 Flight Engineer)-we dont even have to worry about moving "every couple years"- usually guys stay stagnant at either here or Dover, so it is great for maintaining a tank ;-)


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Unread 03/29/2011, 05:45 PM   #13
VegasUSP
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I had a 72 bow and a 30g in my dorm room. Once I moved into base housing I got a 125 and nobody said anything about it.This was at Dover AFb, so it may be doable if you really want to do it.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 06:02 PM   #14
kduen
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I was simply saying that the army/marines/navy all call the "dorms" barracks but it is all the same, living quarters for those who are not married.

Maybe the whole dorm thing is base to base but I know that in Germany, Davis-Monthan and here at Vandenberg there are no pets allowed in the dorms including fish.

Base housing office doesn't care about having a fish tank thats pretty much fact. But the whole dorm thing must be base to base. It really will all depend if the OP is Single or married. If married I will say it will not be an issue, Single I would probably wait until I got to my first duty station to see what their ruling is on tanks in the dorms.


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Unread 03/29/2011, 09:11 PM   #15
JandN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kduen View Post
I was simply saying that the army/marines/navy all call the "dorms" barracks but it is all the same, living quarters for those who are not married.

Maybe the whole dorm thing is base to base but I know that in Germany, Davis-Monthan and here at Vandenberg there are no pets allowed in the dorms including fish.

Base housing office doesn't care about having a fish tank thats pretty much fact. But the whole dorm thing must be base to base. It really will all depend if the OP is Single or married. If married I will say it will not be an issue, Single I would probably wait until I got to my first duty station to see what their ruling is on tanks in the dorms.

Could not have said it better. Good advice


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Unread 03/29/2011, 10:04 PM   #16
Fire_Urchin
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No matter what the rules are, you have to have whatever size of tank that you are going to be prepared to move every so many years. I did over 10 years in the Navy, and can tell you that MOST of Navy housing (prior to going private) was ok with a medium sized tank (around 50 or so). Now that it is private its a lot easier, but I know of someone who's husband is AD Air Force and they lived out in town who had a 180g, 90g, and some frag tanks. She has some GREAT coral, but she accepted that recently her husband got orders on the other side of the US so she has sold over half of her stuff.

It all comes down to only have the size of tank that you are prepared to move, and will have time to take care of! Since you are just starting your AF career then you most likely will not have time for a tank for some time until you get settled in (which can take a while).


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Unread 03/29/2011, 10:19 PM   #17
PMUnprotected
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It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission.

Have fun!!!


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Unread 03/30/2011, 12:59 AM   #18
dmastracchio
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Just to add to what others say. My wife is active duty Air Force and we live in the officer housing on base. I have a 55 setup right now and have been working on my 180 gallon setup. Since the housing is privatized here on base, they could care less, granted you fix / pay for damages if they happen.

As for moving, a lot of people are forgetting that the military pays movers to move our things. Including fish tanks.

It's like some families who have piano's and giant entertainment centers. Just make sure all the livestock, water and rock are out and you are good to go. I never heard any movers say anything. I even had them help me move the buckets and trashcan's of water and rock into my truck.


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Unread 03/30/2011, 01:58 AM   #19
needmore-reef
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I was at Dover AFB a few years ago. I got two friends into the hobby there. One had a bio cube and one had a 55 gallon both lived on base in the dorms.


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Unread 03/30/2011, 05:47 AM   #20
redsoxfan692
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Originally Posted by dmastracchio View Post
Just to add to what others say. My wife is active duty Air Force and we live in the officer housing on base. I have a 55 setup right now and have been working on my 180 gallon setup. Since the housing is privatized here on base, they could care less, granted you fix / pay for damages if they happen.

As for moving, a lot of people are forgetting that the military pays movers to move our things. Including fish tanks.

It's like some families who have piano's and giant entertainment centers. Just make sure all the livestock, water and rock are out and you are good to go. I never heard any movers say anything. I even had them help me move the buckets and trashcan's of water and rock into my truck.
Been there, done that. I wouldn't trust those movers with anything. I've seen firsthand the damage that occurs and the nightmares of trying to file the claims. Also, the military pays to move your stuff up to a certain amount of weight (unless it's changed just recently) and after that you are responsible for weight overages. Granted a 180 probably isn't going to add more than 400lbs of weight, but when you consider the average household has over 50k items, a huge tank can be the difference.

Honestly, if it were me, I would wait on a huge tank until I either was put in a position (instructor etc) that didn't require me to deploy to the desert for 8 month stretches or require me to change duty stations every 3 years. With this side of the fish keeping hobby requiring the amount of patience that it does and the money that it does, I would hate to finally get a great setup and mature tank and then be sent overseas where it takes a month to get your household items. You're stock isn't going to survive and you'll have to start over.

However, this isn't about me, so it's ultimately up to you and what you feel comfortable with. Best of luck in whatever decision you make.


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Unread 03/30/2011, 06:19 AM   #21
israel.kendall
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It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission.

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Reading through this thread and this sticks out like a sore thumb. Its absolutely the wrong attitude for an Airman and will lead you into all sorts of trouble.



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Unread 03/30/2011, 06:45 AM   #22
jeff@zina.com
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Reading through this thread and this sticks out like a sore thumb. Its absolutely the wrong attitude for an Airman and will lead you into all sorts of trouble.
Yep. My dad was Army Air Corp (WWII version of the Air Force) and you never got forgiven for anything.

I have a friend whose daughter is Active Duty Air Force and has a reef tank on base. She's married and has a husband to maintain it when she's deployed elsewhere, so keep that in mind. The military has this funny way of moving you wherever and whenever they want.

Though the Air Force is a bit different, you might still find yourself assigned to a tent in the desert for six months. Of course, a lot depends on your specific duties and assignments. A crew member on a refueling tanker leads a different life style than a payroll clerk. Kinda doubt that my friend who was Pararescue would ever have been able to keep a pet..

Jeff


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Unread 03/30/2011, 08:27 AM   #23
redsoxfan692
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The AF is still a military branch. The Commander in Chief can say things are winding down, but I have a friend who has been home about 8 months total in the past 2.5 years. He's married though so at least he has someone who can take care of things while he's gone, but I have to agree that an attitude of asking for forgiveness instead of permission will only lead to more trouble than good.


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Unread 03/30/2011, 10:15 AM   #24
kduen
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Yeah you can only use the "I didn't know I am just an Airman" excuse a couple of times before people start catching on. Again a whole lot of the deployment time and frequency depends on your current base and your job. I know a whole lot of people who have never been deployed and never will due to their job.


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Unread 03/30/2011, 10:25 AM   #25
israel.kendall
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This is true, your AFSC and mission will dictate your deployment tempo. But then you will probably still have to go on some TDY's. You will want someone you can rely on to watch over your tank while you're away for sure.

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