Used Tank Advise

[Honks69]

I found a used tank on craigslist and they seller send me a picture of the tank

She claims it has no chips or scratches

The size of the tank is 72" long x 19" deep x 29" high

She claims it is a 180 Gallon but looking at the dimensions it looks to me to be a 150 gallon

The price is only $150 which is the pro

My worry is if you look at the picture i attached there is no center bracing on the tank. I am not sure if a tank this size normally has no bracing but it worries me.

I am supposed to pick this tank up this weekend but i wanted to get everyone's opinion if this tank should have a center brace or not.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[joemelo]

depending on the brand it won't .... i've seen tanks made by hagen that don't have the brace.
ask him for a zoomed pic of that area. you can clearly see if the plastic has been cut or melted.

[joemelo]

i also say from those dimensions 160 gallon

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by joemelo

depending on the brand it won't .... i've seen tanks made by hagen that don't have the brace.
ask him for a zoomed pic of that area. you can clearly see if the plastic has been cut or melted.

I asked for that so hopefully she can get back to me with a picture of what it looks like.

Thanks

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by joemelo

i also say from those dimensions 160 gallon

If this is indeed a 160 what are people opinion on keeping a naso tang in a tank this size

reason i ask is i inherited a 75 gallon tank that already had a naso living in it

I have been looking for a larger tank ever since i read this is a no no and this is the best deal so far.

My wife said i cant give the fish away so i need to get something that can better house the fish

a 180 long is what i was looking for but i never seem to find with in the price range i can swing plus my skimmer is rated up to 180 so i capped at that size

Thanks

[Chris27]

A naso will be fine for that tank for a while, but given they can get over a foot long, it surely won't be suitable for it's forever home.

[L_Spec]

I keep getting 172 Gallon capacity from your dimensions.

That has no scratches from it? If it was on a stand still, and not sitting on some sand and looking like it was in the middle of a construction site, I might believe it lol.

The thing I hate about used tanks, is that you can never take the seller's words that the tank has no scratches on it.

How long has the tank been sitting around for? When was the last time it held water?

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by L_Spec

I keep getting 172 Gallon capacity from your dimensions.

That has no scratches from it? If it was on a stand still, and not sitting on some sand and looking like it was in the middle of a construction site, I might believe it lol.

The thing I hate about used tanks, is that you can never take the seller's words that the tank has no scratches on it.

How long has the tank been sitting around for? When was the last time it held water?

she claims it had water in it a year ago and its sitting in a barn now

i said i want to see if it holds water when i go to pick it up

the price is only $150 so i am just hoping that one of the long sides has little or no scratches. I plan to build this into the wall so if the sides or back are scratched i really wont mind

I priced a new tank this size and it was closer to $700 locally so this is 25% of that cost

I just need something bigger then my 75 gallon

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by Chris27

A naso will be fine for that tank for a while, but given they can get over a foot long, it surely won't be suitable for it's forever home.

I keep reading that but i have had my Naso for 6 months and the previous owner claimed to have had it for over a year and its still only 6" long

I wanted to give it to my LFS but the wife cried when i told her

The naso is her fav because he swims over when you get close to the tank and dances for food. And he will take nori from your hand

I read a 180 was the min tank size for a naso which is what i really want but i cant find a used tank and a new one was $900 at my LFS which i cant afford right now

[Starfishhater]

I would pass on it. I bought a 140g 4 months ago and didn't check it closely enough for scratches. Now I wish I passed on it because bigger and better tanks keep popping up on CL.

[Ron Reefman]

With the dimensions you were given, it's a 172 gallons. If it's in good shape the $150 price is pretty good. I paid $200 for my 180g tank 18 months ago and it has a few small scratches. The bigger issue to me is it isn't drilled. Do you plan to drill it or run siphon overflows? Mine was drilled and I added 2 extra holes to feed a CL system and a gravity feed to my skimmer. I hate the thought of drilling the bottom of a tank that hasn't been drilled from the manufacturer. You can drill the back glass and do a bean-animal overflow.

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by Starfishhater

I would pass on it. I bought a 140g 4 months ago and didn't check it closely enough for scratches. Now I wish I passed on it because bigger and better tanks keep popping up on CL.

I have been watching CL for at least 4-5 months and all i ever see if 55 or 75 gallons or the guy with a nice setup but wants to sell it for $2000 and will not part it out

I already got a used 125 that i hated and flipped it back on CL for more then i paid for it

It seems like Pittsburgh is not a large tank type of town.

I really wanted to have the tank purchased before christmas because i am off work from dec 23 until jan 3rd and i wanted to get my rough framing into the wall and the stand built so i can finish my man cave

Thanks I really dont know what i should do

why cant i find a CL listing for a new 180 gallon for $100 3 miles from my house hahaha

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

With the dimensions you were given, it's a 172 gallons. If it's in good shape the $150 price is pretty good. I paid $200 for my 180g tank 18 months ago and it has a few small scratches. The bigger issue to me is it isn't drilled. Do you plan to drill it or run siphon overflows? Mine was drilled and I added 2 extra holes to feed a CL system and a gravity feed to my skimmer. I hate the thought of drilling the bottom of a tank that hasn't been drilled from the manufacturer. You can drill the back glass and do a bean-animal overflow.

Another good point. I have been using a HOB siphon overflow box on my 75 gallon and so far it has worked perfectly. I would rather drill but I would hate to shatter the tank

If i didnt have this Naso to worry about i would just keep saving like i have been and buy a brand new tank

I dont want to get the fish all stressed out from being in the small tank and i would never have bought this fish but i was given to me. The previous owner was going to flush all of the fish if no one wanted them so i could not let that happen.

[jerpa]

I"m not sure how far you are willing to drive but if you use searchtempest.com you can find a lot of tanks for sale just across the border in Ohio. I watched our local Craigslist for months looking for a decently priced 120 and ended up buying new because Elmers had a canopy/stand/tank on sale for $800. One other thing is contact any ad that lists a tank over 100 gallons. It seems a lot of people have no idea how large their tank really is. I've seen a 180 advertised as 100 gallon before.

[Honks69]

Originally Posted by jerpa

I"m not sure how far you are willing to drive but if you use searchtempest.com you can find a lot of tanks for sale just across the border in Ohio. I watched our local Craigslist for months looking for a decently priced 120 and ended up buying new because Elmers had a canopy/stand/tank on sale for $800. One other thing is contact any ad that lists a tank over 100 gallons. It seems a lot of people have no idea how large their tank really is. I've seen a 180 advertised as 100 gallon before.

i will try that i have never heard of searchtempest

I know what you mean about the wrong size

The first thing i ask is does it hold water and what are the actual dimensions

I priced a 180 at elmers and for a standard it was like $700 and for a reef ready it was around $900

I keep hoping for some great deal but i dont think i am going to find it

Thanks for the tip on searchtempest

[Jon_Hewett_85]

Definately check very closely for scratches, they will magnify x 100 when they grow a little algae. Also be sure that the center brace has not been removed. Inspect the seams of the tank VERY carefully. Make sure there are no voids in the silicone, as well as check to see if it has been cut or nicked. Make absolutlely sure you can see the tank full of water. If they will not fill the tank for you, WALK AWAY!! Any decent seller should have no problem filling it with a garden hose (may want to do this outside). I will usualy tell a seller that I will buy a tank contingent on it being filled successfully after I have had a chance to inspect it. I would also never buy a tank that has been resealed. Often I see sellers that try to advertise this as a selling point. "NEW SILICONE!!!" can often = it leaked all over my floor so I slapped some caulk from Home Cheapo in and called it a day. You simply have no idea how well the work was done, or even if aquarium safe silicone was used. It's not worth the risk. Be very critical when buying a tank with a stand. Bring a level and make damn sure it is flat and level. IMO this is the number one cause of tank leaks. As a rule of thumb I usually won' pay much more than $1 per gallon for a used tank.

[ibefishy]

Find out if copper has been used in the tank, was it a freshwater tank or a saltwater tank before? I have found that people are a lot quicker to use meds in a freshwater tank than a reef tank. Although I have bought tanks off CL that it looks pretty rough in the photo. I would probably pass and keep looking, eventually something will come up for sale. Just the way the tank looks thrown on the sand, not evenly supported, and having some kind of weight set inside makes not want to trust its integrity.

[Jon_Hewett_85]

Now that I can see the thumbnail, I would pass on it. The equipment inside looks very dated and It apears to have been stored dry for quite some time. Long periods of dry or improper storage can compromise the seams. There are too many unknowns to risk putting hundreds or thousands of $$ worth of livestock in it.

On another note for those of you who have bought tanks off of craigslist: Below is a list of what sellers say and what they mean. (I know there are great deals to be had on CL and I have taken advantage in the past. Below comments are satirical but do ring true sometimes...)

Includes everything!!: Includes 1 florescent light, dirty gravel, 1 plastic plant, 1 rock found in the yard, 1 net, 1/2 can of flakes from wal-mart, HOB filter from the 80's.

Small Chip on the corner: My child whacked it with a large metal toy and the entire payne could give way at any moment.

Held water the last time I checked: Probably leaks

Not sure if it leaks / Would make great terrarium: It definitely leaks. Like a busted sieve.

Top of the line aquarium setup! Must see!: Aquarium and equipment was top of the line in 1983 when purchased new for $1,000. Seller will sacrafice for $950.

Text for pictures: Tank is so terrible it only looks passable on a 2" screen.

A little dirty: All of my fish died 8 months ago and I just left it. Free skeletons included!

Custom stand!: My buddy and I slapped together some scrap lumber in the garage over a 12 pack.

[pelter]

www.statewidelist.com is a really great site to search craigslist by state.

Or www.dailylister.com to search craigslist nationwide.

People on Craigslist don't really like to ship things though.

[gmate]

Some great amateur craigslist tips here. I purchased a 30g tall tank off Craigslist for 20 dollars. The tank looked great, he had it filled with water when I arrived and it didn't appear to leak. Said he had fish in it.

Well upon taking it home and looking closer, he clearly had turtles in it. Scratches all over the glass on the inside. It's too big to fit in my corner bowfront stand, so I can't even use it as a sump for my 55g. So now I'm stuck with this piece of junk.

Buyer beware! Best of luck!

[fishgate]

I promise you she has no other calls on that thing! If you really want it, offer her $50 and not a penny more. You should get it for the price of hauling it off. Especially with that dated woodgrained finish. The stuff inside it is useless.

[pugmommie]

Honestly, I'd save up and buy a new one. There is just to much that can go wrong with a used tank.

[EpicExposures]

I amvery judgemental on Craigslist. I wouldn't dare purchase a tank that is sitting on the ground with crap all around it.