Moving Fish,Possible Storage at LFS?

[ProfitOfDoom]

I been talking to a local guy and im fairly certain im going to buy his aquarium setup,Looks like im getting a pretty decent deal,But Im buying it all as he is moving and im getting,Live sand,Rocks,And Fish!
I know im not ready to jump in quite yet,but he's leaving in two weeks,needs it gone and I pretty much have to move now. Now I went up to my LFS and brought up the possibility of them holding the fish while I get things prepared or maybe even trading them in for store credit so I can really take my time. We went towards the end of their day,and I guess other customers had more pressing issues but the girl working relayed my situation to the owner and he said we can work something out,but he would have to come up with a price for storage. So I was pretty happy to hear there was at least a option or two,,I would hate for these fish to suffer.

I was wondering if anyone had done something like this before and what do you think the ballpark cost would be? I couldnt tell you the exact fish as I will find out better detail tomorrow,but from the couple of pics he sent me,Looks like a medium yellow tang, another fish about that same size,I think its some kind of dascyllus. One small Blue Tang, Clown fish and three more that I think are Chromis.
So unless something was hiding I would say the fish count would be around 7-10 fish.

I wanted a good number of those fish anyway and woudln't mind paying to have them held,I guess it all depends on cost,but at what point is it not worth it to hold these guys? Im sure they would give me next to nothing just to sell them the fish,but it might be better for them and easier on me,Think?

If you have any thoughts on this,from advice on selling/storing or even transporting them,Please let me know. The owner of these said he has around 7yrs experience so I shouldnt be totally in the dark,but the more I know the better. Thanks!

 

[Maddlesrain]

Why not just keep the fish from the get-go? My first saltwater tank was used and came stocked, so I just brought it home and went from there. Are you changing anything major about the set-up??

 

[ProfitOfDoom]

Not that im changing anything major but he has a stand with a hood containing all the light fixtures,so not sure if Im going to build something similar,new lighting etc. I also think I have to do some plumbing work as im not getting his stand,not sure but but it maybe custom and not fit a convention stand that I will build or buy. Long story short im afraid I will have to much to do,and my lack of know how might just kill the fish.

 

[stunreefer]

Long story short im afraid I will have to much to do,and my lack of know how might just kill the fish.

You'll end up with a lot to process and get in place whilst moving an established aquarium. Moving the livestock at same time requires prep work and gets very stressful. I suggest trading in everything for store credit and progressing with your dream stock list from there :)

 

[DustyXB9Reefer]

So I'm with @stunreefer unless those are the fish you want. Unless you think you could build a stand in a weekend. You could always put the fish in some brute cans with a heater and circulation pump.

Or if you want the fish but want to take your time and just have the LFS keep em for a weekish, you could go that route. The store I work, we don't charge anything. But I've noticed we don't charge for things other stores do. Like testing water lol.

Last option, sell the fish to your LFS. Chances are you're only going to get, maybe, ~$30 store credit.

 

[JonPhillips]

I been talking to a local guy and im fairly certain im going to buy his aquarium setup,Looks like im getting a pretty decent deal,But Im buying it all as he is moving and im getting,Live sand,Rocks,And Fish!
I know im not ready to jump in quite yet,but he's leaving in two weeks,needs it gone and I pretty much have to move now. Now I went up to my LFS and brought up the possibility of them holding the fish while I get things prepared or maybe even trading them in for store credit so I can really take my time. We went towards the end of their day,and I guess other customers had more pressing issues but the girl working relayed my situation to the owner and he said we can work something out,but he would have to come up with a price for storage. So I was pretty happy to hear there was at least a option or two,,I would hate for these fish to suffer.

I was wondering if anyone had done something like this before and what do you think the ballpark cost would be? I couldnt tell you the exact fish as I will find out better detail tomorrow,but from the couple of pics he sent me,Looks like a medium yellow tang, another fish about that same size,I think its some kind of dascyllus. One small Blue Tang, Clown fish and three more that I think are Chromis.
So unless something was hiding I would say the fish count would be around 7-10 fish.

I wanted a good number of those fish anyway and woudln't mind paying to have them held,I guess it all depends on cost,but at what point is it not worth it to hold these guys? Im sure they would give me next to nothing just to sell them the fish,but it might be better for them and easier on me,Think?

If you have any thoughts on this,from advice on selling/storing or even transporting them,Please let me know. The owner of these said he has around 7yrs experience so I shouldnt be totally in the dark,but the more I know the better. Thanks!

Me personally, I would renegotiate with the seller for a deal without the fish if your going to be messing with plumbing. Otherwise, as previously suggested, setting up a holding tank system could prove useful and you could sell them yourself without even keeping them around long. For me, trading them in for store credit is the least stressful route. Got a lot of stuff just sitting on Craigslist...waiting...

Also, in a single day, I transported and re set up my 65g with plenty of livestock from an almost 200 mile trip. Kept most of his water as well. Lost only a shrimp on that trip... Point being it can be done.

Also, a few months later as I continue to hawk Craigslist for the next round of supplies, I found a deal for more gallons, better equipment, better fish, and it was closer to my house all for $100 less that what I paid. So, we may hear it all the time, but sometimes we've just got to walk away even when we think it's a great deal. If it's one thing I've learned, is that people are always selling their systems and buying an established tank is the way to go. It also depends on where you live and how populated the area is around you for how many are into the hobby...if you live in Alaska and can only be reached by boat, jump on the deal!

If it was me, I wouldn't mess with it if the stand isn't included. Maybe if the hood was missing the fish could endure a few "cloudy days" while you figured it out. But if your not real handy with a saw, then a stand isn't something to be thrown together quickly. The stand supports a lot of weight. Also, if your like me, I want the whole set-up to look halfway decent and, well, my last wood shop was in ninth grade. Yikes!

Those fish are definitely worth something and I've ran into people who are moving in such a hurry that they practically give me the fish just so they know they've got a good home. Patience is key. The best advice I've gotten on R2R is that "nothing in this hobby happens fast".

Peace, bro