Countdown to the end of your fishkeeping days?

[Fat Homer]

It may be more expensive then in Asia, but i guarantee that any country that you go to is going to be more expensive then Asia. it is all based on the availability of the the items. and trust me its not as expensive a you think compared to some places.

the quarantine laws are so strict because they work.

After all it is up to you if you want to get back into the hobby or not, but we do what we need to for the hobby that we love.

Dont get me wrong i have nothing against the quaratine laws, just saying that because of them i’d never be able to bring or send my fish and plants over...

As for the prices, i’ve been around a few LFS when i visited and prices were astronomical... i figured my same planted tank over there would easily cost me no less than around 5-8x what i paid here min and a lot of the plants i never saw for sale... then again i didnt go purposely looking for specialty stores...

The droughts that hit also make me wonder since i know they do and can have water restrictions in some areas during really bad months...

Just a thought for dustuane. Maybe set up a "large" tank around 55 gallons and stock it lightly with small fish so incase you can't change the water for long it won't be bad. Also evaporation loss won't have as big of an effect with a large understocked tank than an over stocked tank.

Not just for duane, but even i would probably go this route to save on water changes etc...

Infact if i did setup another tank when i move it would probably be something that requires as little maintanence as possible...

 

[fishhead0103666]

Well I'm glad it's of value to you as well
I wish you the best of luck with your move and hopefully being able to continue keeping fish

 

[fishhead0103666]

I hope this isn't too personal but what's making you leave your homtown and have to move to Asia? It isn't for fun so there must be a good reason behind it.

 

[convict360]

might not be applicable, but recently the oldest British killifish member died at something like age 100, she had been keeping fish since young and until a couple of years before her death.

I'd go smaller

 

[fishhead0103666]

A life long passion for fish and her flame was extinguished so quickly... 100 years always seems so short

 

[Ogertron3000]

Droughts aren't an issue everywhere here in australia, depends where you end up. Occasional water restrictions here in victoria but it's more that you aren't allowed to wash your car or water the lawn, you could still do a water change.
The main issue is being able to,afford a house and cost of living in general,is getting ridiculous. Saying that you can still get cheap tanks etc. the fish range available isn't great but it's not too bad either but after seeing some of the U.S prices here I can see why you think it's expensive in comparison, I imagine Asia is even cheaper. I once ate a giant gourami for lunch in Vietnam and the waiter was shocked when I told him how expensive the fish would be in australia, he was even more shocked when I said people keep them as pets!
Where are you thinking of settling down in australia?
What sort of fish do you want to keep?

 

[fishhead0103666]

"I ate a giant gourami"
Anyone else read that as
"I ate a giant gummy"?

 

[celebrist]

Go nano, or snorkeling
Just watch out for salties right?

I am facing my mortality as well and have probably 20 years left realistically in the hobby
I told me kids they can use my 450 for my casket

 

[Fat Homer]

I hope this isn't too personal but what's making you leave your homtown and have to move to Asia? It isn't for fun so there must be a good reason behind it.

My home town has always been Asia moving to my 2nd hometown which is Australia...

Without getting too into it, but basically politics / the envrionment / work opportunity mainly...

Droughts aren't an issue everywhere here in australia, depends where you end up. Occasional water restrictions here in victoria but it's more that you aren't allowed to wash your car or water the lawn, you could still do a water change.
The main issue is being able to,afford a house and cost of living in general,is getting ridiculous. Saying that you can still get cheap tanks etc. the fish range available isn't great but it's not too bad either but after seeing some of the U.S prices here I can see why you think it's expensive in comparison, I imagine Asia is even cheaper. I once ate a giant gourami for lunch in Vietnam and the waiter was shocked when I told him how expensive the fish would be in australia, he was even more shocked when I said people keep them as pets!
Where are you thinking of settling down in australia?
What sort of fish do you want to keep?

Yeah, i can imagine but im in Hong Kong so its cheap but not quite as cheap as vietnam, thailand cheap etc...

Property and living costs im not worried about, since cost of living here is average 4x the price of Australia...

What we call a micro apartments here (150 SqFt - 250 SqFt) can buy you a nice 1200 SqFt house in Australia with a garden lol...

Go nano, or snorkeling
Just watch out for salties right?

I am facing my mortality as well and have probably 20 years left realistically in the hobby
I told me kids they can use my 450 for my casket

My dad gave up the hobby not long before he got sick and ended up giving me all his stuff...

I guess i was already into fish keeping for a while by then so gladly took care of his okd stuff he didnt want...

As for going salt that could be the way to go... go fish for your own stock...

 

[duanes]

(I dont come from America, i live in Asia currently where you can literally get anything and everything you can imagine for some seriously low prices... which is what puts me off keeping tanks in Oz, considering plants they give away for free here they charge AUD $10 - $15 for a stem there...)
It is similar here, while Betta's , Oscars, some common rift lake Africans, Arowana, and fancy guppies are all available here, the variety that was available in the states, is not even close. I believe the large Asian population sets the demand, and some of the Chinese tanks are beautiful in themselves as furniture, and cost goes with the beauty.
(Just a thought for dustuane. Maybe set up a "large" tank around 55 gallons and stock it lightly with small fish so incase you can't change the water for long it won't be bad. Also evaporation loss won't have as big of an effect with a large understocked tank than an over stocked tank.)
This is my plan (although I think of 55s as small)
to set up a 55 or 75 (they will fit in a cab on the mainland) and get the cycle started with Bettas to be later used as a sump.
The town on the island where I live is so small, cars are almost nonexistent, and because a tank would need to be outside, one of the main bugaboos are the toxic frogs, and toads getting in and producing toxic tadpoles.

To see salt water fish, I just walk 50 feet and put on a mask.
When I went into a LFS and asked about the local cichlids, they looked at me like I was crazy.