Buying a used Tank:

[lrg]

I have been running a simple 55G tank for 4 years and am looking to move to bigger and better things!

I am in the market for a used tank but I am not really experienced to know what to look out for when buying a tank.

Is there any particular areas that should be looked at closely when buying a used tank? (Evidence of disease? Signs of Previous leaks?...)

I have seen the word 'dipping' used when talking about curing live rock issues and coral issues - sorry to be dumb but could someone explain this to me? Would it be a good idea to 'dip' all live rock that may be included with a used tank set up?

Thanks in advance.

[Kristy]

Welcome to MAAST.

When buying a used tank, I would ask some questions, including when they got it and how long they have had it. It would be better to see the tank up and running with water in it to confirm no leaks. If not, I would inspect the tank carefully for any cracks or issues with the sealing. Look for evidence of the tank being resealed around the edges, not always bad, but might give a clue of a leak if obviously patched in one area. If you do buy it, I would recommend cleaning really well with regular water, including filling it completely to leak test it. If it is going to leak, better out in the garage, lawn, or driveway than in the house. Make sure you reseal all in/out connections once you get it moved, to make sure they don't leak (see below :)).

Concerning the disease thing, I do not think there is anything you would notice. Others can correct me if I am wrong. I would ask if they have ever used medication for anything in it. Some freshwater set ups use copper to treat diseases, which I have heard can linger in the tank and especially in sand/substrate/rock.

Concerning the dipping. Some people dip new corals in Lugals or other solutions to minimize introducing new parasites or bugs into thier display tanks. Once in the display it becomes much harder to treat any such outbreak.

With all that being said, we bought our 210g used from another MAASTard. We did see it full of water, but beyond that we didn't do any of the advice I gave you and everything is fine. We do have a small drip around our Calfo in the back (where we cannot get to it), but it drips into the fuge underneath so is fine for the moment. If it got worse, we would need to empty it to move it and do the repair. Not something I would be looking forward to.

Anyway, hope that helps. Check out the forsale section for some used tank options.

Welcome to MAAST. This is a good site with a lot of good people with years of knowledge and experience on our hobby. If you stick around, please consider become a charter membership. It is worth it to support the hobby and enjoy the benefits, including discounts at different LFS around the area.

-Mike (& Kristy)

[Europhyllia]

I bought a used tank off craiglist and the only thing I would do different is look for scratches in the glass. Those would go towards the wall rather than in front. ;)
Now that it's set up of course there's no way to turn it around...

[Bill S]

Tanks DO have an effective life. As Kristy noted, look for signs that it's been resealed. Make sure that the silicone that's on the corners isn't curling up at the edges, or any discoloration. On a big tank, crossbracing and/or eurobracing - glass across the top or around the edges of the top - are placed there for structural support. These are critical.

When buying a big tank, the glass thickness is important. Ours is a "brick", which means it has no bracing at the top, at all. It's made out of 3/4" glass - and it's consequently very heavy. Brick tanks have LOTS of advantages when used for saltwater (lighting and saltcreep among them). Pet Store (notice I didn't say Local Fish Store) tanks tend to have thinner glass.

Just remember, 100 or 200 gallons on your floor is a whole lot more water than you think!

[Gseclipse02]

Just remember, 100 or 200 gallons on your floor is a whole lot more water than you think!


30g is enough to flood multiple rooms :angry:

[corruption]

My 5 gallon betta tank getting pulled down by my wheelchair was MORE than enough.... ;)

-Corruption

[sampsonndelila]

Scratches in acrylic will drive you crazy; if I had it to do all over I would have bought a glass tank.

[Pennies2Cents]

Kristy, hit the nail right on the head!

Way to go Kristy! :)

[phippsj]

I bought a used tank, broke a glass panel, and then got the whole thing re-sealed. Now I feel like I have a brand new tank :)

Probably best to not do it that way!

[wesheltonj]

I bought a used tank. The tank had water on arrival and was one year old according to the SN & receipt. It was a Oceanic Tank built in Dallas, before they move to the north. I would highly recommend glass. Make sure you get a good stand to support the tank I would not recommend going over 3/4" if you want to use a Vortex powerhead.

[msmith619]

I agree with all the above and would like to emphasize, see it set up! Make sure it holds water, doesn't make too much noise, etc. A dry tank in a garage is an unknown. A tank set up and running cuts out a lot of the guess-work. I bought a tank with fish and corals in it and saw it functioning before I bought. I knew there were no leaks or problems because I saw it working.