Buying a "running reef aquarium"

[UB400]

Sorry for the long post, thought it would be better to give everyone here a fuller picture. I recently joined R2R and am really grateful for the warm welcome I've received. I live in Switzerland and recently came across an Ad in the local classifieds posted by a an Aquarist that is looking to go "big". He is selling the Tank, Stand, Lighting (early Gen LED 1watt LEDs), the filtration i.e. Sump, Skimmer, some kind of phosphate remover, he is keeping his Calc Reactor). He is also including all the live rock, some soft corals and frags of some hard corals. He will keep the fish and some Corals. The price he is offering is reasonable and more than anything I'm hoping to get him to include his support especially in the early days.

The tank looks like it was custom made to accommodate a pillar in a wall i.e. a rectangular section is "cutout" at the right rear corner, while not ideal it's not a deal breaker, also the LEDs are only 1 watt LEDs and will only work for a shallow tank and not something that can be used should I choose to get a bigger tank in the future, the stand is also not well conceived with only a little space for the sump, but other than that everything else looks good. From what I can see the Corals and livestock are thriving (but then again what do I know).

I have zero experience with reef or Marine tanks and while I've been doing a lot of reading on reef keeping I have no idea what to look out for, what should I look out for? I've attached pics.

 

[alvintran]

I'm also a beginner and have no knowledge whatsoever also, but if the price is in your budget, and there's no usage with the set up, then I don't think there's any problem with you buying it. Just ask a lot of questions about the set up to the seller to know the history. And good luck moving it, I can only imagine how hard it is to move a set up that has all the components in it unless you break it down.
Best of luck!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[UB400]

Thanks Alvintran, the move is the part that has me most worried. No way to move it as is. It will have to be broken down.

 

[Paul C.]

First welcome to R2R.

What size tank is this? Only advice i'd give you is this. Within a years time, you will probably be out of space. I currently have a 75 gallon thank thank is stuffed with chalices and plays/zoas. Im getting quotes now for a 180 rimless tank. I'd be concerned with the"cut out". It is valuable tank real estate that you cannot get back. If its a killer deal, i know its tough to say no to. However, waiting, saving and learning here will get you the tank that you really want. I should have waited and got the 180 from the start. The thought of that big of a tank ( and my first saltwater tank) scared the crap out of me. Looking back, waiting another few months would have saved me the aggravation of having to shut down, move the current tank, set up the new and cycle it, then hopefully move thousands of dollars in corals with minimal loss... Hope this gives you something to think about.. Good Luck. Paul C.

 

[Tylermacdonald15]

I purchased a 150 gallon tank like this, was up and running with fish and coral. As long as it is a good deal go with it! Transportation isn't to hard. Just save some of the water.


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[UB400]

Thanks Paul for your words of wisdom, the tank is 125 US Gallons. I'm probably where you were at when you started, totally daunted by the prospect of starting from scratch. The main attraction for the running system, would be that I could call on the seller for support and advice. The other attraction is getting Corals that are established, not having to worry about pests coming in on live rock etc. Having said all of that I can totally see myself wishing I had gone bigger a year from now as you say. In my case either way I'm not rushing, the seller is still getting all the bits together for his new setup and will only part with the tank towards the end of the year, which fits in with my plans as I'm likely to be travelling a bit this year.

Thanks Tyler, when I compare the costs of buying a setup from the LFS, this setup is 50%, but then again prices here are always astronomical. If I buy Skimmer, Reactors, Pumps, LEDs etc. online from brands such as Bubble Magus, Jebao, LEDs such as the dimmable ones from Ebay, I could probably get it at the same price, but I lose out on potential support from a "nearby" reefer. As for moving it, that scares me plenty. I would love to hear how you went about your move.

 

[180galreef]

Hire someone to move it.......trust me

 

[cdness]

So this is just my opinion... Used equipment is a wonderful thing in this hobby as it helps get people started for a significantly lower initial investment. I always recommend people to check the classifieds and CL for good deals.

Now in your situation, you are looking at going from zero knowledge of marine and reef tanks to a full-blown SPS reef tank. I would hate to see you purchase this tank only to lose the corals due to a beginner mistake. We all make them or have made them and you will too. It is just a matter of time. This is also why I tell people to go extremely slow while learning and don't jump in too fast.

If it's a great deal then I say go for it, but at least consider re-homing some of the corals with the arrangement to get some frags back in the future when you know you are all set to go...

For moving the tank ve aware of the following:

1. Do not re-use the sand. There can be nutrients built up that can cause a cycle. Use new sand (rinsed) and a couple scoops of sand from the old stuff to seed it.

2. Save as much water as you can. I used all new water in my first tank move and lost 90% of my SPS corals. Beginner mistake, but it cost me a small fortune.

3. Keep the corals wet and not touching. Buckets and troughs work well for this. Rubbermaid totes are also good.

4. Do not feed the help until the move is done. This also goes for the drinks if you will be providing as a thank you for assisting with the move. Motivated people tend to move faster and time is of the essence when moving a currently running tank.

 

[Tylermacdonald15]

Thanks Paul for your words of wisdom, the tank is 125 US Gallons. I'm probably where you were at when you started, totally daunted by the prospect of starting from scratch. The main attraction for the running system, would be that I could call on the seller for support and advice. The other attraction is getting Corals that are established, not having to worry about pests coming in on live rock etc. Having said all of that I can totally see myself wishing I had gone bigger a year from now as you say. In my case either way I'm not rushing, the seller is still getting all the bits together for his new setup and will only part with the tank towards the end of the year, which fits in with my plans as I'm likely to be travelling a bit this year.

Thanks Tyler, when I compare the costs of buying a setup from the LFS, this setup is 50%, but then again prices here are always astronomical. If I buy Skimmer, Reactors, Pumps, LEDs etc. online from brands such as Bubble Magus, Jebao, LEDs such as the dimmable ones from Ebay, I could probably get it at the same price, but I lose out on potential support from a "nearby" reefer. As for moving it, that scares me plenty. I would love to hear how you went about your move.

I must say the hobby is addicting! You will always want upgrades, I have already changed a bunch of stuff that the tank originally came with! Moving it isn't nearly as complicated as it seems. I had two big trash cans for live rock and all the corals went into coolers. The hardest part is being rushed moving the tank into the house and setting it back up in one day! This is were starting your own tank build is easier, you can take your time adding coral and fish.


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[harley]

DITTO CDNESS, well said. With that in mind, I'd offer less, its hard to sell a whole system, they'll likely take less. What equipment comes with it? RODI unit, extra pumps, refractometer, what skimmer, reactors, etc etc etc Looks great though

 

[UB400]

Hire someone to move it.......trust me

Thanks for the advice 180galreef, I'm trying to get the seller to do the move as part of the sale.

 

[UB400]

So this is just my opinion... Used equipment is a wonderful thing in this hobby as it helps get people started for a significantly lower initial investment. I always recommend people to check the classifieds and CL for good deals.

Now in your situation, you are looking at going from zero knowledge of marine and reef tanks to a full-blown SPS reef tank. I would hate to see you purchase this tank only to lose the corals due to a beginner mistake. We all make them or have made them and you will too. It is just a matter of time. This is also why I tell people to go extremely slow while learning and don't jump in too fast.

If it's a great deal then I say go for it, but at least consider re-homing some of the corals with the arrangement to get some frags back in the future when you know you are all set to go...

For moving the tank ve aware of the following:

1. Do not re-use the sand. There can be nutrients built up that can cause a cycle. Use new sand (rinsed) and a couple scoops of sand from the old stuff to seed it.

2. Save as much water as you can. I used all new water in my first tank move and lost 90% of my SPS corals. Beginner mistake, but it cost me a small fortune.

3. Keep the corals wet and not touching. Buckets and troughs work well for this. Rubbermaid totes are also good.

4. Do not feed the help until the move is done. This also goes for the drinks if you will be providing as a thank you for assisting with the move. Motivated people tend to move faster and time is of the essence when moving a currently running tank.

CDNESS and Harley, thank you for the advice, I totally get it, I am under no illusions that this is going to be plain sailing, your suggestion to re-home the SPS is a good one. On the sand I understand that, I had read about that as well, couple of scoops it is. I'm thinking of doing a very shallow sand bed maybe half or one inch with new "live sand" (I forget the brand).

On the water my intention was to try and get at least half if possible.

On the transport of the Corals, I hadn't thought of keeping them apart, that is really sound advice.

On the help, you're a wise man. I did the same when I moved apartments last year.

 

[UB400]

DITTO CDNESS, well said. With that in mind, I'd offer less, its hard to sell a whole system, they'll likely take less. What equipment comes with it? RODI unit, extra pumps, refractometer, what skimmer, reactors, etc etc etc Looks great though

Harley, sorry I missed your questions. In terms of equipment, it comes with a RODI Unit, Stand, Sump, Skimmer (new Bubble Magus), a GFO reactor (don't remember exactly what he was running in it), he is keeping the Calcium Reactor, I will have to buy a new one. You can't see from the photos, but the LEDs are individual strips covering the tank from Coast to Coast. Tunze 6045 & 6025 pumps, Tunze return pump, UV filter. One big caveat is that he wants to sell it towards the end of the year, which is ok by me. Maybe in the meantime I should start a Nano to get some practical experience?