MACNA buying advice?

[Fishmommy]

I am weighing whether to put off coral purchases to see what I can find at MACNA, or just buying online now.

Anyway, how does buying at MACNA work - how do you keep things alive when you're gonna be there three days and then fly home to the east coast?

I have been to other conventions where you can rent holding tanks during the show to keep your purchases in, but I don't see anything like that on the MACNA page.

Should I bring a bucket, heater, and airstone? What is your advice?

 

[rwb500]

i definitely wouldn't be buying any livestock if i was staying for 3 days and then flying home. that would be a huge hassle.

 

[Dustin1300]

Many of the vendors will keep the coral for you for the duration of the event. It's also not hard to set up a bucket with small heater and airstone that'll keep the coral happy for the duration.

If you can pick up coral from some until the end you just grab the day of...I fly southwest so I can check a cooler in and it's really not much of a hassle IMO.

 

[Fishmommy]

cool, that is what I was hoping to hear.
I have flown back from cichlid cons with fish and such, and I figure corals are even easier.

 

[hogfanreefer]

How do you get past security with "fluid" in your carry on? Do they just look at it and let you through?

 

[Fishmommy]

last time I flew with fish in my carry on it was before 9-11, so I don't know.
My plan this time was to check the coral in a styro and hope for the best. I doubt you can carry anything like that on anymore.

anyone know for sure?

 

[scottwhitson]

Yeah no carry on but checked luggage is ok.

 

[vanmo92]

Checking a cooler is probably the best way to go unless you want to ship, and if you go this route put the cooler in one of those large plastic bins they have at airports so the luggage handler will have to actually pick it up and carry it rather than just chucking it on the conveyor.

 

[myreefcentral]

With carry on, as long as they see the fish swimming around, then it's fine...not sure about corals though.

 

[d2mini]

How do you get past security with "fluid" in your carry on? Do they just look at it and let you through?

They use specimen containers (like you pee in) to hold the coral frags. Small enough to get through security requirements for carry on.
Larger things you'd have to be local to purchase.
And you'll get the best deals on the last day. The vendors don't want to take that stuff home.