Is this a good deal?

[Shark_Bait]

There is a 45 Gallon corner fish tank it great condition with stand,hood,heater,filter,gravel,food,3 african cichlids and more. It was listed at 250 then re listed at 150 and i got him down to 100$. Here is a pic. Is this a good deal for this tank. Please respond quick cuz if it is good im getting it tomorrow!!!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Looks like a good deal. Seams make it look like it's a glass hex (partial?) which is nice and the filter looks like it's good sized. If you're looking to plant it, that light will most likely need to be upgraded IMO.

If it is glass, I'd check the silicone in the seams to make sure it's fresh looking and pliable, since I'd hate to think what it would be like to re-seam a hex lol.

 

[Shark_Bait]

Very very true. i have no experience with planted tanks but i would like to give it a try!!!

 

[titchrules]

Could just be for a quick sale.
Your best to email the person and clarify it's condition etc before you buy it.
Sellers don't mind you doing that

 

[severum mama]

It's a 44 corner pentagon. Hard to tell from the pic but that looks like an Emperor 400. It's an ok deal IMO. If you want to plant the tank, remember that deep tanks like this are a lot harder to light than regular shaped tanks.

 

[jasurf21]

It's a great deal, new tanks in the store cost $1 per gallon when they are on sale. A cabinet can range anywhere from $100-$400 new from the store, unless you have the ability to build one yourself cheaper. A filter for a 44 gallon tank I would guesstimate would run $30-$40. So I say NICE FIND!!

For a nicer looking tank I'd reccomend replacing the gravel with sand and you'll probably want to pick out your own background/plants/fish?

 

[Shark_Bait]

how do i keep a sand base tank clean? i use undergravel filters for my 55 now but sand would clog that up. how do you take care of sand???

 

[jasurf21]

how do i keep a sand base tank clean? i use undergravel filters for my 55 now but sand would clog that up. how do you take care of sand???

I find sand not only much better looking (personal preference) but also much easier to clean.

This is because things don't get stuck "in-between" the gravel, so my filter is able to whisk away the debris right off the top. I also have a shoal of cory catfish and a couple nerite snails that eat the algae and waste. When I do my weekly PWC's I use the hose to vacuum any remaining waste, and when I put in the new water any remaining waste lifts off the sand and eventually gets filtered out.

I don't know about under-gravel filters sorry!

 

[Shark_Bait]

I am very interested to do this!!! do i need to replace sand during pwc? What kind of fw sand is best? (if any)

 

[jasurf21]

I am very interested to do this!!! do i need to replace sand during pwc? What kind of fw sand is best? (if any)

I have yet to replace any sand, just be careful not to gravel vac any up when you clean the bottom.

My cabinet is black so I used the Carb-Sea Instant Aquarium black sand which is a finely ground quartz material. This also jump-starts your cycle because the bags contain live bacteria already in them, but it is a bit expensive (About $25 per 10lbs, reccomended 1lb per gallon for 1 inch thick base)

Since the one you're getting is brown you can get regular tan colored sand at home depot called "Play Sand" for cheap, only downside is you'd have to fishless cycle for a few weeks. Oh yeah and pre-rinse the play-sand. The instant aquarium sand is already rinsed so it won't cloud the water.

Also they do sell the carib-sea "Instant Aquarium" substrate in brown/tan and other colors.

 

[Shark_Bait]

Wonderful, thank you for all the tips!!!

 

[severum mama]

Pool filter sand is super cheap and less dusty than play sand. You can get a 50 lb bag for about $10 from a pool supply store.

CaribSea uses the same claim for the African cichlid substrates, Eco Complete, etc... it's a claim I find suspect at best, although I can't say I've ever tested it. I've used Eco Complete but always started with a seeded filter and light stocking so no issues.

 

[Shark_Bait]

if i do not plan on planting, is there a sand that will work vs sand for live plants?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

if i do not plan on planting, is there a sand that will work vs sand for live plants?

I'd suggest PFS (pool filter sand) either way, so when you do decide to add plants, you'll be set .

 

[Shark_Bait]

Good thinkin

 

[severum mama]

I'd use pool filter sand regardless because the grains are larger and it's just easier to work with- easier to clean without sucking it up, and easier to keep out of the filter.

 

[Shark_Bait]

a regular gravel vacuum/siphon will work with sand?

 

[severum mama]

a regular gravel vacuum/siphon will work with sand?

Sure! You just need to be careful when you are using your gravel vac. The way I "vacuum" sand is to hover the vac over the area you want to clean, and swish it around a little. You'll stir up the detritus so that you can easily suck it out, but the sand will stay put as long as you don't get the vac too close to the sand. It might take a little practice to get it perfect (because it's a lot different than gravel vacs), so don't get discouraged if you suck out some sand the first few times.

 

[Shark_Bait]

great! Thanks! My family is making me have second thought about getting this tank

 

[severum mama]

Well who knows, if you wait maybe you will find an even better deal that comes along. Sorry you're disappointed, but it is their house and their rules.