Is it worth it to buy this tank setup from craigslist?

justslothy · 05/04/2015, 05:33 PM

Recently saw a good deal on craigslist. It's a 90 gallon with the whole setup; a sump, phosphate reactor, skimmer, tank/stand, fish and inverts. I'll be converting it to a mixed reef because as of now it's an anemone tank. Here's a list of the livestock (most of which I will sell off myself):
- 1 snowflake ocellaris
- 1 black ocellaris
- 2 true perc clowns
- 3 regular ocellaris (a lot of clowns, I know)
- neon basslet
- 3 yellowtail/belly damsels
- bangaii cardinal
- yellow tang
- 9 condy anemones
- 3 carpet anemones
- 1 RBTA that isn't doing too well
- 1 cleaner shrimp

There is probably more but for the most part that's it. Now here's the kick, the tank is INFESTED with red planaria flatworms. But the price for the setup is $400, making it a little hard to resist. Is getting red of flatworms too hard? I wasn't planning on using the sand and I also already have a ton of base rock that will make up the bulk of the rockwork. Can I just safely dose with FWE without worrying about toxins? Considering I'm a beginner, would you think it would be a good idea? Thanks for your input.

gone fishin · 05/04/2015, 05:45 PM

It sounds like when all is said and done you will end up with an empty tank and some equipment. Is the equipment quality? IMO it would be a lot of work to move the tank to your place set it up only to try and sell everything off. Depending on your area it may go quick or it may not. Then you need to tear it down clean it up and start over. I think I would take a pass. Good luck on whatever choice you make. Just my 2 cents worth.

JammyBirch · 05/04/2015, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

it sounds like when all is said and done you will end up with an empty tank and some equipment. Is the equipment quality? Imo it would be a lot of work to move the tank to your place set it up only to try and sell everything off. Depending on your area it may go quick or it may not. Then you need to tear it down clean it up and start over. I think i would take a pass. Good luck on whatever choice you make. Just my 2 cents worth.

^+1

justslothy · 05/04/2015, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

It sounds like when all is said and done you will end up with an empty tank and some equipment. Is the equipment quality? IMO it would be a lot of work to move the tank to your place set it up only to try and sell everything off. Depending on your area it may go quick or it may not. Then you need to tear it down clean it up and start over. I think I would take a pass. Good luck on whatever choice you make. Just my 2 cents worth.

Appreciate your response. I agree, it does sound like a lot of work and effort for what it's worth. The equipment is pretty mediocre stuff really, the sump seems well built although I do not know the make or model, phosban 150 reactor, one of the marineland in sump skimmers, not sure about the return pump. Is tearing the tank down the only fool proof way of getting rid of the flatworms? I was hoping that I could keep some of the livestock like the RBTA (if it survives), a carpet maybe, the snowflake and black ocellaris and the tang.

gone fishin · 05/04/2015, 06:07 PM

Look into a product called flatworm exit. I am assuming it is available north of the border. It has been ages since I had to deal with flatworms, I am a bit rusty on them.

Biodork · 05/04/2015, 06:16 PM

I had a minor infestation of red flatworms in a 30 gallon display tank (no sump) with corals and CUC only. I took all of the livestock out and used flatworm exit as a dip. I also ran FW through the system for no more than 1 hour. Can't remember if I removed the live rock or not. If not, I gave the rock a FW dip as well. I'm sure I kicked off a short cycle, but with such light bio-load, it was not a big deal. You could run FW through the system as part of the tank move if you're looking to keep equipment and rock without too much die off.

Mcgeezer · 05/04/2015, 08:04 PM

I bought my entire set up off of craigslist. I ended up getting about $2000 worth of equipment for $400. It was a steal....a 70 gallon Oceanic Tech tank with Starfire glass retailed back in the day for prob $1200.

I got the tank, a used stand, Berlin sump, phosphate reactor and a UV sterilizer all for that price.

What I definitely would not do is by a pre-existing active tank set up with livestock in it. You run the risk of too many issues in transporting the equipment/livestock to its new destination and you will experience a lot of losses in the process from stress, etc

Flatworms are actually not harmful in anyway to fish or corals, however, they are extremely toxic whenever they are killed. They can become harmful to corals if they grow to plague like proportions because they can literally smother them and starve it of light.

Flatworm exit works, but dosing that in addition to transporting the tank is asking for trouble. A massive die off of flatworms at once is like dumping cyanide in the tank.

If you do buy the set up, make sure the system is fully adapted to the changes once you have moved it, and then manually remove as many of the flat worms as possible. Once you have done the manual removal over a period of about two weeks, dose the flatworm exit and then do an immediate large water change along with manually removing all dead flatworms as possible

intyme · 05/04/2015, 08:17 PM

Buy it for equipment only. Get rid of the livestock to a lfs if available

OrQidz · 05/05/2015, 12:15 AM

completely agree that buying it already set up with livestock could be a huge headache. Did you say what kind of lighting it has, and whether that is included? That's a huge factor. I think you are basically paying for the equipment. It could be a good deal, it could not...depending on what quality of equipment it has.
Other things to think about...does it look well maintained? Is there a lot of algae indicating phosphate laden rock that will leach for a long time? Flatworms are a pain to get rid of as described previously. Logistics of taking down, moving, setting up an established tank - think through all the steps (search for moving tank threads). It could be more trouble than it's worth.
Whatever you decide, good luck in your new tank adventures!

Sk8r · 05/05/2015, 08:47 AM

You'll need to buy a separate 30 to hold the livestock during a re-cycle.

For an expert at reefs, particularly one with spare tanks lying about, this would be a good buy. For a complete novice who may not know how to cope with the problems, not so much.

lars65inc · 05/05/2015, 08:53 AM

$400 is pretty good for a full 90gal setup. Just make sure everything is in good working order.

Bpb · 05/05/2015, 10:15 AM

400 is good for a 90 if its got stand sump, plumbing, ect. The skimmer is garbage. The phosban reactor is useable, but those can be found for under $20 easily so it's not a high value item. WHat kind of powerheads and lighting does it come with. I missed the lighting. That's gonna be the big kicker to see if it's an acceptable deal, or a fantastic deal. FWIW I got my 90 in decent condition used for $400 and it included matching stand an canopy, PM R36 sump, and a few random SPS corals. It wasn't an amazing deal but it was an OK deal. 90 gallon tanks seem to go for ALOT of money compared to 75 gallon tanks which can be had for pennies on the dollar if you look hard enough.

justslothy · 05/05/2015, 10:42 AM

I appreciate the advice so far everyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bpb

400 is good for a 90 if its got stand sump, plumbing, ect. The skimmer is garbage. The phosban reactor is useable, but those can be found for under $20 easily so it's not a high value item. WHat kind of powerheads and lighting does it come with. I missed the lighting. That's gonna be the big kicker to see if it's an acceptable deal, or a fantastic deal. FWIW I got my 90 in decent condition used for $400 and it included matching stand an canopy, PM R36 sump, and a few random SPS corals. It wasn't an amazing deal but it was an OK deal. 90 gallon tanks seem to go for ALOT of money compared to 75 gallon tanks which can be had for pennies on the dollar if you look hard enough.

Power heads are 3 hydor koralias, and the lighting was about 6 48" led fixtures that looked okay but I was going to swap them out for my ever grow d120's that I already have. Forgot the brand they were but it wasn't anything special.

justslothy · 05/05/2015, 10:44 AM

A broad question, but how much do you think I could approximately sell all the livestock for?

Sk8r · 05/05/2015, 01:44 PM

As a note, you are not allowed to buy and sell on this site as a new member, so you cannot offer them for sale here, nor sollicit to trade them. TOS forbids same. Caution on that.

That said, you'd be lucky to find a store that would give you store credit for them.

justslothy · 05/05/2015, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

As a note, you are not allowed to buy and sell on this site as a new member, so you cannot offer them for sale here, nor sollicit to trade them. TOS forbids same. Caution on that.

That said, you'd be lucky to find a store that would give you store credit for them.

Thanks for the heads up on that! Yeah unless I can find some buyers on my local forum I'd turn everything in for some store credit. I think I'll pass on this one, thanks again for the advice guys.

ca1ore · 05/05/2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by intyme

Buy it for equipment only. Get rid of the livestock to a lfs if available

Interesting that I have exactly the opposite perspective. The salt water environment is extremely tough on equipment, so unless you really know what you are doing and inspect things very carefully, it's easy to end up with a pile of junk for your dollars. Livestock, on the other hand, doesn't depreciate (well, not really) so it's more likely to have value.

As far as the red planaria worms are concerned, they can be a really persistent problem. FWE works, but it almost always requires at least two doses. Easier is to just get a hoeven or dusky wrasse to eat them all.

BigCountry74 · 05/06/2015, 11:08 AM

400 is a decent deal depending on how much rock is in it? because live rock is not cheap..

tzylak · 05/06/2015, 02:06 PM

IMHO $400 is a good deal. -A chap(er) way to start.
I got a beautiful, established 50g setup with live SPS and fish for even less. I thought it was a steal. But so what?? -After that, I spend well over a $1000 bringing it up to my standard.
$400 is a good start. Keep in mind that you will spend more.
Good luck and HAVE FUN!!

05/04/2015, 05:33 PM	#1
justslothy Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Toronto,Ontario Posts: 42	Is it worth it to buy this tank setup from craigslist? Recently saw a good deal on craigslist. It's a 90 gallon with the whole setup; a sump, phosphate reactor, skimmer, tank/stand, fish and inverts. I'll be converting it to a mixed reef because as of now it's an anemone tank. Here's a list of the livestock (most of which I will sell off myself): - 1 snowflake ocellaris - 1 black ocellaris - 2 true perc clowns - 3 regular ocellaris (a lot of clowns, I know) - neon basslet - 3 yellowtail/belly damsels - bangaii cardinal - yellow tang - 9 condy anemones - 3 carpet anemones - 1 RBTA that isn't doing too well - 1 cleaner shrimp There is probably more but for the most part that's it. Now here's the kick, the tank is INFESTED with red planaria flatworms. But the price for the setup is $400, making it a little hard to resist. Is getting red of flatworms too hard? I wasn't planning on using the sand and I also already have a ton of base rock that will make up the bulk of the rockwork. Can I just safely dose with FWE without worrying about toxins? Considering I'm a beginner, would you think it would be a good idea? Thanks for your input. Last edited by justslothy; 05/04/2015 at 05:42 PM.

05/04/2015, 05:45 PM	#2
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	It sounds like when all is said and done you will end up with an empty tank and some equipment. Is the equipment quality? IMO it would be a lot of work to move the tank to your place set it up only to try and sell everything off. Depending on your area it may go quick or it may not. Then you need to tear it down clean it up and start over. I think I would take a pass. Good luck on whatever choice you make. Just my 2 cents worth. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

05/04/2015, 06:07 PM	#5
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Look into a product called flatworm exit. I am assuming it is available north of the border. It has been ages since I had to deal with flatworms, I am a bit rusty on them. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

05/05/2015, 08:47 AM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You'll need to buy a separate 30 to hold the livestock during a re-cycle. For an expert at reefs, particularly one with spare tanks lying about, this would be a good buy. For a complete novice who may not know how to cope with the problems, not so much. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/05/2015, 08:53 AM	#11
lars65inc Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 31	$400 is pretty good for a full 90gal setup. Just make sure everything is in good working order. __________________ 90 gal/ fuge/skimmer/UV steri. YL tg, maroon tg, YL Wrse, 6 line wrse, eng. gobie, 3 pj cards, 2 chromies, 2 shrimp, 2 flaming scallops, ~6 small hermits, 2 snails

05/04/2015, 06:16 PM	#6
Biodork Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Southern California Posts: 129	I had a minor infestation of red flatworms in a 30 gallon display tank (no sump) with corals and CUC only. I took all of the livestock out and used flatworm exit as a dip. I also ran FW through the system for no more than 1 hour. Can't remember if I removed the live rock or not. If not, I gave the rock a FW dip as well. I'm sure I kicked off a short cycle, but with such light bio-load, it was not a big deal. You could run FW through the system as part of the tank move if you're looking to keep equipment and rock without too much die off.

05/04/2015, 08:04 PM	#7
Mcgeezer Reef gardener Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: DeLand, Florida Posts: 1,205	I bought my entire set up off of craigslist. I ended up getting about $2000 worth of equipment for $400. It was a steal....a 70 gallon Oceanic Tech tank with Starfire glass retailed back in the day for prob $1200. I got the tank, a used stand, Berlin sump, phosphate reactor and a UV sterilizer all for that price. What I definitely would not do is by a pre-existing active tank set up with livestock in it. You run the risk of too many issues in transporting the equipment/livestock to its new destination and you will experience a lot of losses in the process from stress, etc Flatworms are actually not harmful in anyway to fish or corals, however, they are extremely toxic whenever they are killed. They can become harmful to corals if they grow to plague like proportions because they can literally smother them and starve it of light. Flatworm exit works, but dosing that in addition to transporting the tank is asking for trouble. A massive die off of flatworms at once is like dumping cyanide in the tank. If you do buy the set up, make sure the system is fully adapted to the changes once you have moved it, and then manually remove as many of the flat worms as possible. Once you have done the manual removal over a period of about two weeks, dose the flatworm exit and then do an immediate large water change along with manually removing all dead flatworms as possible

05/04/2015, 08:17 PM	#8
intyme Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farmington Ny Posts: 854	Buy it for equipment only. Get rid of the livestock to a lfs if available

05/05/2015, 12:15 AM	#9
OrQidz Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 825	completely agree that buying it already set up with livestock could be a huge headache. Did you say what kind of lighting it has, and whether that is included? That's a huge factor. I think you are basically paying for the equipment. It could be a good deal, it could not...depending on what quality of equipment it has. Other things to think about...does it look well maintained? Is there a lot of algae indicating phosphate laden rock that will leach for a long time? Flatworms are a pain to get rid of as described previously. Logistics of taking down, moving, setting up an established tank - think through all the steps (search for moving tank threads). It could be more trouble than it's worth. Whatever you decide, good luck in your new tank adventures!

05/05/2015, 10:15 AM	#12
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	400 is good for a 90 if its got stand sump, plumbing, ect. The skimmer is garbage. The phosban reactor is useable, but those can be found for under $20 easily so it's not a high value item. WHat kind of powerheads and lighting does it come with. I missed the lighting. That's gonna be the big kicker to see if it's an acceptable deal, or a fantastic deal. FWIW I got my 90 in decent condition used for $400 and it included matching stand an canopy, PM R36 sump, and a few random SPS corals. It wasn't an amazing deal but it was an OK deal. 90 gallon tanks seem to go for ALOT of money compared to 75 gallon tanks which can be had for pennies on the dollar if you look hard enough.

05/05/2015, 10:44 AM	#14
justslothy Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Toronto,Ontario Posts: 42	A broad question, but how much do you think I could approximately sell all the livestock for?

05/05/2015, 01:44 PM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	As a note, you are not allowed to buy and sell on this site as a new member, so you cannot offer them for sale here, nor sollicit to trade them. TOS forbids same. Caution on that. That said, you'd be lucky to find a store that would give you store credit for them. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/06/2015, 11:08 AM	#18
BigCountry74 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,761	400 is a decent deal depending on how much rock is in it? because live rock is not cheap.. __________________ 135g mixed reef (retired) http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2132815 Current 40g reef http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2483250 Current Tank Info: 40g bare bottom reef

05/06/2015, 02:06 PM	#19
tzylak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 457	IMHO $400 is a good deal. -A chap(er) way to start. I got a beautiful, established 50g setup with live SPS and fish for even less. I thought it was a steal. But so what?? -After that, I spend well over a $1000 bringing it up to my standard. $400 is a good start. Keep in mind that you will spend more. Good luck and HAVE FUN!!