Congrats on the planned move to the Big Island! That is our home-away-from home. In-laws live there in Hilo, been going several times a year for a couple decades.
Every time I go back I try to come up with some scheme that lets me move there but at this point I think I’ll just have to settle for visiting.
One of the downsides is that it is strictly against the law to have a reef tank with coral. You can’t import or export coral, and you can’t collect locally either. Even for livestock you can legally own like fish, there are severe restrictions since they are justifiably worried about invasive species. Hawaii is literally the most remote land mass on Earth, has a unique biome, and they are trying to keep it that way.
Consequently, there are no coral stores, no easy way to buy supplies, and as far as I know no reefkeeper community
