buying used....

[footballdude2k3]

hey everybody, so i have been on craigslist a lot looking at different things that are on it, and there are some killer deals on tank set ups, as long as i take the time to clean them up, is there really anything bad? i would obviously check for leaks and things like that but is there anything else to look for?

[Iraf]

um, I buy as many used setups as i can, the more experience you get with SW setups the easier it is too. Basically just look for pics, you'll notice algae blooms, stuff like that, alot of if not all of them are not properly maintained (atleast around here) personally i try to pickup the 50-100g setups with LR and sand, if they have livestock I'll try to assess the health of the livestock and go from there, most of it I just resell or trade in to a LFS

[footballdude2k3]

if there is an algae bloom and it comes with the lr and sand would you just drain all the water clean everything and start over or would you try to use as much as possible of what is set up and then see if you can get the inverts to take care of the problem?

[kimmy]

Make sure to ask if they have ever used copper in the system. Inverts and corals are sesitive to copper, and it is very hard (if posssible) to clean it out of the system. Algae blooms, it really depends. Red cyno, you can scrub off the rocks, vacuum the sand , check the levels. Most used tanks will have some kind of algae due to the fact that most people are getting out of the hobby and are to busy to maintain. IMO, if there are fish and they are healthy, guage from there. Ask what the water prams are, # of fish, how long set up, what kind of water (RO, salt mixture), how old are the lights (depending on set up). Just a few. I love craigslist, bought 2 of my last 3 setups off of there.

[lunatik_69]

Nothing wrong in buying used set ups, mine is. I bought mine thinking it was a 75g and later found out it was a 90g. The guy didnt know what he was selling. My main concern would be leaks, silicon(good/bad shape), how many scratches, in essense, the integrity of the tank. You can always clean up the tank with some water and bleach(if necessary). As for the livestock, unless you know what to look for or know what your doing( I dont know your exp. level) I would stay away from those complete(fish and all) set up sales. I always like to start from scratch. Luna

[Calawah]

I bought nearly all my equipment used on craigslist. It's a great way to break into an expensive hobby! So far so good with everything I purchased, I made sure to plug everything in at the sellers house to make sure it worked. I also got a great deal on fully cured liverock that came with a ton of cool hitchhikers.

[wareagle35031]

My tank,was used, got it and rock and stand with a skimmer for 75 bucks. but with that said i have since bought new skimmer, more lr, lighting, substrate. but still a buy.

[nemo1991]

i personally LOVE stuff off line, what i ahve done many times, just make sure ebverything works and always ask how old things are

[footballdude2k3]

hey guys thanks for all the help, you have all been extremely forgiving of the newb questions and helped immensely

[lunatik_69]

Good luck with your hunting and keep us posted. Luna