Tank tear down?

[Rafaepark]

Hello guys

We just bought a house which came with a massive 5k gallon salt water tank.

I and my husband do not own any pet and barely have enough energy to keep our kids alive.
We called the person who was managing the tank for then previous owner and he is charging 600 a month for 2 visits and we decided that it is something we cannot afford unfortunately.

We decided to tear down the tank but i am not sure where to start.
1. Donate/sell the fish (ASAP)
2. Get the water out (i am not sure how and where to dump the water)
3. Donate/sell rest of the system i have no idea of.

we would really appreciate any advice and suggestion!
Thank you

 

[blaxsun]

1. Post a fish list or some pictures and someone can give you an idea what they're worth.
2. Basically just syphon it out with a hose and down the drain.
3. Take some pictures of the equipment in the cabinet to see what you have. Some of it might be worth something.

Not really sure what you can do with the tank. Maybe turn it into a planter?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I see a yellow tang, a blue hippo tang and maybe a trigger. All can be sold or given to a reputable local saltwater fish store. Where are you located?

If your not sure what to do with them please at least feed them until you find a solution. If those fish are still in there I can’t believe the previous owner just left them. Not very nice.

 

[G Santana]

A fish only saltwater tank is the easiest of all to manage. You might decide to keep it with very little investment of time learning about your fish.
That guy charging $600 to "Manage" a fish only tank is a THIEF in maintenance clothing.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Oh I didn’t see the tank maintenance fee. I agree. Do not use him. what the heck. If you tell us where you are located we may be able to Google some reputable stores for you.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Can we see pics of the sump? I want to see what's going on behind those cabinets.

 

[F i s h y]

You might also call any local public lic aquarium, university, or even high schools... a donation of the tank and equipment might be welcomed.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Can we see pics of the sump? I want to see what's going on behind those cabinets.

The sump is the holding tank under the cabinet, just FYI.

 

[Chrisv.]

There is a southern California marine aquarium society. I bet if you posted it there, people would be thrilled to pick up a good deal on a used tank.

 

[Chrisv.]

Also if you have any interest at all in keeping it, the folks here will be happy to coach you through the process.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'd love to know what the glass thickness is.

That would be my dream coldwater aquarium in which I could finally have that kelp forest! Although it's be better off somewhere without all those hardwood floors...

 

[Rafaepark]

1. Post a fish list or some pictures and someone can give you an idea what they're worth.
2. Basically just syphon it out with a hose and down the drain.
3. Take some pictures of the equipment in the cabinet to see what you have. Some of it might be worth something.

Not really sure what you can do with the tank. Maybe turn it into a planter?

I will take a better picture tomorrow and post it. Thank you for the reply.

 

[Rafaepark]

I see a yellow tang, a blue hippo tang and maybe a trigger. All can be sold or given to a reputable local saltwater fish store. Where are you located?

If your not sure what to do with them please at least feed them until you find a solution. If those fish are still in there I can’t believe the previous owner just left them. Not very nice.

I am giving them frozen shrimp every other day like the previous owner instructed but am unable to do the bi-weekly maintenance and feeding. I would like to find the fish new home asap. I am located near Los Angeles, CA (Burbank and Glendale border to be specific) Would really appreciate your help.

 

[Rafaepark]

Can we see pics of the sump? I want to see what's going on behind those cabinets.

I will post it tomorrow

 

[Rafaepark]

The sump is the holding tank under the cabinet, just FYI.

Thank you! Will post more pictures tomorrow.

 

[Rafaepark]

You might also call any local public lic aquarium, university, or even high schools... a donation of the tank and equipment might be welcomed.

Great idea! Thank you.

 

[Rafaepark]

Also if you have any interest at all in keeping it, the folks here will be happy to coach you through the process.

I feel so touched by everyone's comment. Thank you!

 

[mdb_talon]

A fish only saltwater tank is the easiest of all to manage. You might decide to keep it with very little investment of time learning about your fish.
That guy charging $600 to "Manage" a fish only tank is a THIEF in maintenance clothing.

Oh I didn’t see the tank maintenance fee. I agree. Do not use him. what the heck. If you tell us where you are located we may be able to Google some reputable stores for you.

Haha you guys are tough. We have no idea what the maintenance visits encompass, but really this sounds very reasonable to me. Heck 5% WC a month is $375 just for water at $1.50/gallon not counting any labor. Throw in some glass cleaning(no small task in a 5k tank) and basic equipment maintenance/ATO topoff and $600 seems like a bargain. Again though just guessing that this would be what bare minimum maintenance would look like.

 

[Rafaepark]

Haha you guys are tough. We have no idea what the maintenance visits encompass, but really this sounds very reasonable to me. Heck 5% WC a month is $375 just for water at $1.50/gallon not counting any labor. Throw in some glass cleaning(no small task in a 5k tank) and basic equipment maintenance/ATO topoff and $600 seems like a bargain. Again though just guessing that this would be what bare minimum maintenance would look like.

Sorry! I am not sure how to edit.. it is 500 gallon not 5000.

 

[mdb_talon]

Sorry! I am not sure how to edit.. it is 500 gallon not 5000.

Oh haha ya big difference. $600 does seem really pricey then i agree.