Buy new or used Aquarium set up?

[Pikehunter]

OK guys I am 100% rookie Salt Water, never have had a tank. I am very experienced in African fish and had over 3000 gallons of tanks and bred a ton of different species from tropheus to Frontosa etc.

I want to do a new challah and always wanted a Salt water. So I have a chance to buy the tank below, what are your thoughts a good buy? Or start 100% new?

Top Fin 120 Gallon aquarium + plus black stand + Custom built lid with 4x48W HO T5.. Custom built approx 18gallon acrylic sump that fits and hides in one of the cabinet doors- This system was built to be VERY QUIET
$350 pending

Coral life Super Skimmer 220G with needle wheel pump $100

Lifeguard Aquatics Quiet One 4000 Water Pump $30
SCWD - 3/4 diverter from return pump $20
CPR CS90 overflow $80

ViaAqua submersible titanium heater with probe $75

3x Tunze 120v (one is badly wore out and another is getting there too) $50/$25

1xHydor Koralia 120v turbine (big)$40

Piranha cleaning magnet $40

Livestock
Approx 100lbs of live rock $4 per lb
Annenomies
3-4 GBTA ranging from 2-5" - $30ea
2x Tube Annenomies, Atomic Purple, Blaze Orange $50ea
Leathers
Devils hand 7" tall $10 per piece Hand Frags $10 ea
Cabbage coral 3"- $10 per piece
Green Finger Leather 10" - $10 per piece
Assorted mushrooms - Fancy green, brown, purple $ price per the rock they get sold with
Yellow Star polyps- $30
Assorted Zanthoids 5 or 6 different specimens
-Blue, Pink, Orange, Green $1-2 per head

Hard Corals
HUGE frog spawn 40+ heads - Will be cut $4 per head
3" Tricolor Birds nest frags- $10 per frag

FISH
5" Regal Tang -had for 4years $50 pending
3" Coral Beauty Angel- had for 3years $40 pending
2.5"flame Hawk Fish- had for 4years $45 pending
2" Bengai Cardinal- had for 2 years - $30 pending
3" Ocellaris clown fish 4 years- $45 pending
2x 2" Tomato clown 3 years- $80 for pair

MISC
16" Fancy Brittle starfish 7yrs+ old $25
12" Black Brittle Starfish 5yrs+ old $20
3.5" Sand sifting starfish $ 15
4" Sea Cucumber $15
8ish assorted snails and hermits $4-7 per


I have priced the parts, fish, rock and the major pieces and If I parted it out and sold pieces to locals I know I would recover over $2,500.00. I would rather see someone enjoy the whole system and what I have spent alot of time building. I WILL help in the teardown and transport of the system if purchased locally.

I will Sell the whole setup with a few bonuses for $1,500.00

 

[jt17]

Welcome to R2R.
I bought my tank used and I love it. Just the tank though. I ended up replacing all the other equipment so I ended up paying more in the long run than I would have if I would've bought all new.
I would pass in this. The sump is too small for one so that would need to be upgraded. If they've worn out their tunze power heads then this is an older tank and may have some wear or scratches. Top fin isn't exactly top quality even brand new.
Take a look in the forum section here under dry goods for sale to see some examples of quality reef tank set ups and their value. I think there are better deals out there.

 

[Dr. Phil]

I have bought every tank that I have owned used, and much like jt17 I have spent tons of cash on replacing equipment on these. For the price that is being asked I would probably pass on this. I agree with all the other points that jt17 made as well. I think you could probably do better than this specific setup.

You could also post some pics of the setup so others could get a better idea of the setup.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[Robbs Reef]

Hey still got the skimmer

 

[Robbs Reef]

And water pump

 

[Bubba12]

15 years of freshwater and have never had a new tank. I am just new to saltwater and am converting a 90 gallon discus tank and using a used 40 gallon breeder as a dump. The only thin I regret is not having a built in overflow.