used tank?

Ray Laneville · Feb 5, 2018

Hello,
I am just starting out and was wondering if anyone had opinions on buying used setups off craigslist or something. Seems like it would be way cheaper than buying new.

Matthew Frost · Feb 5, 2018

My entire setup save a few small bits is previously reefed gear from offerup/Craigslist. Just be careful, try not to buy a tank you can't see with water in it. Be wary of "fixer upper" deals, they are rarely if ever deals. If somebody is selling a brand you don't recognize, research it. I try to avoid buying anything that hasn't been cleaned, people who don't clean something before they put it up for sale probably didn't maintain it.

Jesterrace · Feb 6, 2018

Ray Laneville said:
Hello,
I am just starting out and was wondering if anyone had opinions on buying used setups off craigslist or something. Seems like it would be way cheaper than buying new.

Personally, I would go with a setup from a trusted LFS as you get the lower cost of a used setup but are more likely to get one that is in better shape. The two biggest things to check with used tanks are leaks and scratches. You definitely want to make sure that it holds water. In my case I got a good deal on a used stand, pump, skimmer, plumbing, sump but had to replace the tank because it was badly scratched. So I have a new 90 gallon tank with corner overflow hooked up to a bunch of used equipment and it works great. Saved me around $300-$400 by going that route.

Susan Edwards · Feb 6, 2018

Okay, here's my experience. I have bought 2 from craigslist.

The first one was a red sea max c250. Brand new, never used. Tank was too heavy to put in a mobile home. It was a great deal at 800 bucks.

The second one was this last November, a 125 twin megaflow. Was listed at 135. That was wrong...

First mistake: didn't get the stand measurements. Stand ended up being 4 foot tall. I'm only 5 foot tall. Add another 2 feet for the tank and my set up would have been 6 feet tall! No way I want to be on a tall ladder to do anything to tank. We took it anyway, tossed out stand which also had more hidden rot. So had to buy a stand. Oh, now the diy sump won't fit. Oh well, I'd have had to remove all baffles and redo anyway (set up in a very odd way). So out of that 450, I have the tank and the skimmer the guy threw in for me.

Second mistake: Not checking the glass in the sunlight or with a flashlight. Hazing on inside. Either etching or from manufacturing (tin). Won't come off... Hoping it won't be obvious once I have water in.
Third mistake: Not checking silicone seals. Ragged edges. Still good but a bit unsightly. Has some scratches as well but it's glass so prob. won't be too bad.

Lessons learned. Still an ok deal but not as good as I'd thought. And after I bought that one, one came on craigslist that I had wanted. Too late for me. I figure I'll use this a year or 2 and either replace with same tank if I don't like it or upgrade.

Ray Laneville · Feb 6, 2018

Jesterrace said:
Personally, I would go with a setup from a trusted LFS as you get the lower cost of a used setup but are more likely to get one that is in better shape. The two biggest things to check with used tanks are leaks and scratches. You definitely want to make sure that it holds water. In my case I got a good deal on a used stand, pump, skimmer, plumbing, sump but had to replace the tank because it was badly scratched. So I have a new 90 gallon tank with corner overflow hooked up to a bunch of used equipment and it works great. Saved me around $300-$400 by going that route.

Thanks for the answer. What is an LFS?