Could use some honest advice!

infinite0180 · Nov 22, 2019

Ok guys, hear me out

So, ive wanted to have a saltwater tank for as long as i can remember. I never had the knowledge or means to do so. Not to mention i fell into some tough times when i was in my early 20s and almost threw my life away. Fast forward to 2017 and I'm doing pretty good. Serious relationship, nice upper apartment in the suburbs, and a stable job with a college degree in biology. One day my fathers over to see the new place and says hey why don't i help you set up a fish tank, ill pay for it. So i start looking around and find a decent IM nuvo 20 on craigslist and before you know it i have it running down the basement of my apartment. It turned out to be rather difficult to enjoy down there though and quite frankly it got neglected from time to time. So after a year i get the itch and i say if I'm going to do this it needs to be in the living room. Mind you, I'm on the 2nd floor of a house apartment. So i go all out and order a RS reefer nano and a bunch of gear. I set it all up and 9 months later my reef is doing pretty good for a guy who decided to do all this when his now wife is having a baby. So i have a family now but the tanks on autopilot and i have a nice collection of coral from an amazing LFS here in the Buffalo area. Not to mention my clown pair is a few years old and I'm quite fond of them. So the other day my landlord swings by and happens to ask me if i moved my tank upstairs. I was honest, not like the blue light in the window didn't give it away or anything, and he asked me if i could put it down in the basement. Im soo torn now on what to do. Part of me wants to just get rid of everything and wait till i buy a house, which I'm actively looking for. The other part of me wants to muster up the time and energy to move this operation back into the basement so i can keep my animals! Keep in mind the basement thing didn't work out soo well the first time. So i guess what I'm asking for is some advice. What would you do in my situation?

Thanks!

Katrina71 · Nov 22, 2019

Keep your tank.

Bbfishb81 · Nov 22, 2019

Ouch, that's a tough call. Only thing I can suggest is do what you feel is right. If you're worried about tank being neglected, maybe dont move it, and with baby coming it might be on back burner for maintenance anyway.

JasonK84 · Nov 22, 2019

Leave it where it is if you like it there. How can they say it’s ok to have but only in the basement?

Crabs McJones · Nov 22, 2019

Is there anything in your lease about not having animals or a tank? A nano rsr should be no problem on a 2nd story. Is there anyway you can request your landlord let you keep it?

CasaReefer · Nov 22, 2019

I bet he feels like if there was a problem having in the basement would cause less damage.. How long before you might get a house.. Did you ask why he wanted it moved?

infinite0180 · Nov 22, 2019

Bbfishb81 said:
Ouch, that's a tough call. Only thing I can suggest is do what you feel is right. If you're worried about tank being neglected, maybe dont move it, and with baby coming it might be on back burner for maintenance anyway.

Thanks. Sorry if it wasnt clear, the baby is here is about the same age as the tank. I set it up with the support of my wife right before the baby came.

JasonK84 said:
Leave it where it is if you like it there. How can they say it’s ok to have but only in the basement?

He made some comment about a friends tank that started a fire, blah, blah, blah... kind of ridiculous if you ask me.

Crabs McJones said:
Is there anything in your lease about not having animals or a tank? A nano rsr should be no problem on a 2nd story. Is there anyway you can request your landlord let you keep it?

Pretty sure it says no pets but we have been month to month for a year. Im trying to buy a house but its been pretty tough to secure anything... honestly i look out for this guy and the welfare of his house...

CasaReefer said:
I bet he feels like if there was a problem having in the basement would cause less damage.. How long before you might get a house.. Did you ask why he wanted it moved?

Pretty sure nothing could really get damaged down there, its unfinished... he sees it as a safe place...

CasaReefer · Nov 22, 2019

Do you have renter insurance... Maybe check to see if that would cover an accident ...If not tell him you will get it. I have had it before it's cheap like a hundred bucks a year.

infinite0180 · Nov 22, 2019

CasaReefer said:
Do you have renter insurance... Maybe check to see if that would cover an accident ...If not tell him you will get it. I have had it before it's cheap like a hundred bucks a year.

I actually said something to him about that but he just kind of gave me a blank stare and said, “its not soo drafty down stairs.” I looked into a few insurances but from what i gathered is it would be covered by homeowner/ landlord insurance. Hes already covered...

ReefBeta · Nov 23, 2019

I have always been renting, always no pets, but never got one count fish tank as pets ... I have a 40 gallons.

I would suggest just to have an honest conversation with your landlord. Explain your reason why it would work in the basement, explain your husbandry and precautions you take. Also, go buy a renters insurance that cover water damage. It's usually not expensive, cheaper than a car insurance. I think what the landlord looking is manage the risk of tank, so give them that.

CasaReefer · Nov 23, 2019

Just Buy him a could of bags of " Gold Fish Crackers " and tell him to go bug someone else.... Just kidding I was thinking what would I do if I was in your shoes... But don't listen to be cause I don't live close enough to you to help you move in with me when he kicks ya to the curb...lol

CasaReefer · Nov 23, 2019

couple even

infinite0180 · Nov 23, 2019

Anybody know of renters insurance in NY with this type of coverage?

Bastray · Nov 23, 2019

If your landlord doesn’t want the tank upstairs and you are already thinking about moving I would just take the tank down until you move. I had a tank 10 years ago, then had my first kid and the tank went down hill because I didn’t take care of it. I didn’t have a tank for 5 years or so, but got back into it once my life was stable again, moved into the house I would stay in for a long time, and had some extra time and money to dedicate to the tank. I don’t regret any of this at all.

DMG Reef · Nov 23, 2019

I definitely feel your pain. I was wondering if I would enjoy my tank as much if it was off the beaten path instead of right under my nose and I think it would get less of my attention for sure.

However, since you are actively searching for a house, I would move the tank to appease the landlord for now. Moving a 20 gallon isn't as big a pain as it would be to move 100+ gallon tank. That way you could keep your livestock rather than having to get rid of everything.

That seems to be the most logical solution. Even though your landlord's fears are unfounded, he's just concerned about his property and has no experience to base his fears on other than what happened to his friend's tank.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Sashaka · Nov 23, 2019

I would tell the landlord you're actively looking to relocate as soon as you find a house to buy, purchase renter's insurance for the year to ease his mind, and enjoy the tank upstairs for the short time you're still renting. If the landlord still won't go for it, rather than sell everything you've put your heart into building, see if you can get a friend or LFS to keep tank and livestock up and running for you until you can reclaim everything when you move. I know a LFS who did this for a good customer when he moved and got settled. The LFS kept all his livestock for a good 5-6 months in a separate self contained system from his own livestock...and maintained it all for a renters fee. How cool is that!

DEWreefing · Nov 23, 2019

Do you have another room where he can not see the light?

gotmesalty77 · Nov 23, 2019

Let me start out by saying GO BILLS! Buffalo is my homeland and I started my first reef tank there in 2012 as a college student who didn't realize how hard it was to move and keep up with a bit of "instability" and our unique weather. I can even see his side of the issue with how old the houses are and shotty the conversion to rental property's usually is. This is Assuming you live in the city and not in one of the burbs of course. A major tank failure could cost more than the place is worth to repair depending on time of year. And insurance companies love to find reasons not to pay out. That being said absolutely keep your tank. I regretted for 4 years taking my tank down for nearly the same type of reasons. Don't make the mistake I did. Of course you don't want to be rude and non compliant so try and level with him. I would approach him after doing some serious research and tell him what you have found out about insurances, explain the redundancies you've put into place, how you plan on putting something down like rubber mats to protect against spilling on the hardwood and anything else that may ease his concerns. You should also review your lease agreement before you see him and ensure that there is no Clause that states your cannot have aquariums or things of that nature. If it is not present in your lease agreement he can't kick you out until the contract has ended. He cannot even enter your apartment legally without notifying you before hand (in Writing) and giving you good reasons to do so. You can even demand that someone is present when and if he does need to enter. If it goes this route immediately buy a Google nest camera to be sure he doesn't enter. Even if your month to month you still have renters rights and he would have to go through the eviction process to get you out. That's obviously not the optimal way to go but still an avenue. Renters insurance costs less than $50 a month and I am sure companies would be happy to explain in detail coverage concerning your tank in writing. If you've been there several years a logical landlord would understand his interests are protected and his investment has a reliable paying renter generating income.
Keep the tank, enjoy the animals you've chosen to make a part of your family. I wish i had. Don't be let all of your hard work and dedication get erased.
Lastly I really tool living close to ARC for granted, they really do have some amazing stock. Luckily I have WWC and TSA in my backyard now.
I'd like to know what you end up doing so please post an update when you can. Good luck! GO BILLS