Questions on purchasing a used tank and accessories

[ffk_pennywise]

Hello everyone! This is my first post here on AA. I am looking to setup a freshwater tank starting this weekend. A friend of mine has an empty tank that was saltwater sitting in his basement for the past 4 years. He has offered to sell it to me with all the filters, etc. for $50. I havent seen it yet and dont know what all it comes with so I dont yet know if he's ripping me off or giving the stuff away. My question is this: can a filter that ran saltwater be used for freshwater or would it be more convenient/cost effective to just purchase new stuff? This equipment is probably anywhere from 4-8 years old by my guestimation. From his description its probably a 40galonish tank. I'm not too concerned about saving a few bucks if it means compromise. Should I seriously consider equipment this old or just go buy new stuff? If I pass on this tank, I'd like a 75gal. from petsmart so any recomendations on filtration? I know all of this has been answered before (I've read the posts), I'm just a little nervous about jumping into this and I dont want to spend cash on things that I dont need or are the wrong type, etc. Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[zacusmaximus]

$50, nice! Yeah, you can use all that stuff. I'd clean everything well, but that's really all you'd need to do. As long as the tank doesn't leak and all the gear works it sounds like a great deal. You might ask if you can leak test the tank first before forking over any of your hard-earned cash.

Edit: Oh, almost forgot! Welcome to AA!

 

[punky]

Welcome to AA, as zac said clean the equipment well. Reseal tank if it leaks. For filtration I recommend Eheim cannister filter, I use it and never had problems at all. They are a bit expensive though. Cheers.

 

[ffk_pennywise]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I'm probably going to check out the stuff tonight, he lives down the street. I grew up with this guy and we're pretty good friends so I'm not worried about him keeping the money if it leeks.

 

[shayfish]

You will spend SEVERAL hundred dollars on a 75 gal setup from petsmart. If this guys stuff is decent you should definately steal it from him for $50. I wish I had a friend who would give me that kind of deal!!

 

[JohnPaul]

Welcome to AA, you have a whole resource of really wonderful (and knowledgable) people here more than willing to help. Once you get the stuff to your house and start developing specific questions (which is inevitable, especially if this is your first time setting up a tank), please come here and ask away, and don't be shy!.

It's a much more pleasant experience to ask the, "how do I set this up properly..." questions, then to come and ask the, "Why did all the fish I just bought die in 24 hours" questions... 8O

One small thing I thought of, even if the filter overall looks good, then if it is well used and the filter media is gunked up, you might want to consider just getting some new media so that's starting out fresh. But who knows, when he broke down the tank he might have thrown the media out himself. You'll have a better sense of that once you actually lay eyes on the filter.

 

[Jchillin]

Just another thought. There is a chance that the tank was a true reef tank, which may mean that it had been drilled out in the back for sumps/fuges/etc. You can ask that question and they will tell you.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Sounds like a good deal to me: the time spent cleaning things up is well worth it.

 

[ffk_pennywise]

Well I saw the tank and equipment on Saturday. A LOT of buildup on everything. I wouldnt have bothered to clean any of the accessories because it all looked like cheap parts. It was a 40ish gallon tank that had a crack on the inside but could not be felt externally. A cheap looking filter and a hood with light. Tons of mineral buildup on everything. Went to petsmart and the wife about blew a gasket after she saw the price of my project. Went home empty handed. Such is my life.

 

[jamesrm]

I would recommend checking local aquarium, pet stores in your area. I spent ..alot.. of money at Pet Smart on tanks, (135 and 150 gal) just to find out I could have got a better tank for less than half the money at a local shop in Nashville, TN.

Check around, its worth it, especially on a 75 gal.

 

[ffk_pennywise]

Great advice! I will do just that. Thanks for the heads up.