# Back in the US and getting settled



## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

Well I've been MIA for a while getting back from Korea, moving to Florida and setting up a household and trying to tame a landscape that was let go for 3+years in the Florida sun, learning a new job, catching up with family and wife having surgery, well that just hasn't left a lot of spare time to get on here and play. I did finally get a fish tank set up and running, a used 100 gal that was already set up so no new tank syndrome. A few changes I'll make to it down the road but for now just a fresh aqua scape and cleaning and it's looks pretty decent. I need to sand some chew marks on the stand from the previous owner unless someone knows where I can get a wood stand canopy combo cheap :mrgreen: but I'll change the substrate over to the caribsea African cichlid sand eventually. I'll be getting my old 100 gal from my brother in SC as soon as I can get some free time and transportation to get it down here as well as a 75 that my mom's been babysitting for me since 1996 :lol: she's finally ready to down size to just the 46 bow front I gave her last year before going to Korea. 

I'm looking for a few cichlid heads here in the panhandle area so if you are or know of any point me in the right direction  I've only found 1 decent cichlid store here in the FWB area so I'll probably be looking for some of the underground trade and local breeders as well as getting in on some mail orders if anyone around here does that. 

Well just wanted to stop in while I had a chance and see what was up, I see the new logo is finally up and everything seems to be in good order so you guys survived without me  hopefully I won't be as much as a stranger for a while now that I'm getting caught up on things.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

welcome back, Joe. Glad to hear you are back in the US


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Welcome back


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

thanks 

glad to be back that's for sure


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Hey Joe, 
glad to have you back! It sounds like you have some fun fishy things in your future


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

We have a reef club here now, and we usually meet at the Gulfarium. I'll try to let you know when the next meeting is; even if you aren't into saltwater you can get a kick out of the backstage pass you get for the park, and a lot of us are into freshwater fish as well.
I guess you already found that Petland is a pretty good cichlid store. I don't know of any better ones around, but Panama city is supposed to have something comparable as I hear it.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Welcome back Joe :fun:


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

welcome home joe.very happy to have you back.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

thanks for all welcome! TOS ... do please let me let me know when the next meetings are as I think I would enjoy it and my wife & daughter may even come out.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Hey welcome back home Joe!

I have spent quite a bit of time in the Panhandle / Tallahassee area recently (especially TLH). I understand that there is a good community of cichlid / exotic / quality freshwater people in the Florida State University community in Tallahassee. Not too far from Fort Walton Beach and not a bad place to spend a day.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

kool... once I get things settled and get into a rythem will all these TDY's I'll search for them on the net.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

TOS ... anything on the meetings I'm back but heading out again the 13th till the 17th of Jan. Let me know.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The next meeting will be on the second Sunday in February; not SuperBowl Sunday, but the next one. The _place_ isn't yet determined, but we're trying for Pensacola this time, as we like to bounce the meeting around the Panhandle, and most of us want to check out the new big reef shop there anyway.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

Kool definitely keep me in the know. Pensacola is only about 45 min to an hour away to that doable. Hopefully I can find a few freshie stores to visit as well.


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