Buying a secondhand tank?

[z4k26]

Hi All,

New to the forum and thanks for having me.

I am in the process of selecting my first marine tank setup. I have decided to go for a FOWLR to start with.

Also have decided on the Aquareef 300 as my tank preference.

I was told you can pickup some real bargains on these tanks second hand with savings in excess of £400!

Would anyone advise against buying a secondhand tank? What should I look out for apart from the obvious leaks, scratches, faulty equipment etc? Is there a good list of tests I can run through to check the tank is worth purchasing?

Many thanks,

Z

[fishmad85]

Hi, are you looking buy a full set up?
My opinion is as long as the tank is water tight and you are happy with the glass/acrylic you wont go to far wrong, a little note on cleaning, I use a potassium solution as it kills every remaining bit of bacteria hiding in any of the mastic joints.
I would also advise starting from the the bottom I.e live sand, buying fresh live rock from a local lfs, and a good oversized canister filter (sutible for twice the size of your tank) going this way will be more beneficial to you in the long run as you will have a better understanding of your own tank, hope this helps



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[z4k26]

Thanks, that's great advice! I was going for the full setup but then realised that takes a lot of the fun and personalisation out of the process. As a result I am going for an empty tank, with original Aquareef equipment eg skimmer, lights, return pump and heaters. The 2 examples I have found look in good aesthetic condition and glass shows no signs of scratches. My only caution was on the fact that they have been left standing dry for a few months. I didn't know if that would do anything to the seals or pipe work?

I will follow your sequence on sand then live rock as I am not going for a deep bed so not much for the critters to disturb and destabilise my aquascaping.

Thanks again and will keep you posted.

[fishmad85]

Any time, one small piece of advice would be to buy your large base rocks and place the sand around them (it stops the chance of rocks sliding and falling on the glass as they settle in the sand) I would use a deep sand bed, in the long run it will harbour 50%+ of your beneficial bacteria

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[z4k26]

Ah ok. Is a DSB ok for a FOWLR? I thought they are more used for coral keeping? If that's the case I better get some more sand. Thanks again

[fishmad85]

Yea a dsb will be fine it will only be good for the tank

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[z4k26]

Thanks again. Got the tank yesterday. Was very excited although it was second hand, it's had one owner from new and very good condition. I got it home but then noticed what seemed to be trapped water at the base. I thought it may just be condensation?

I have filled the sump to the max level and also about 4 I he's of water in the main tank so far. No leaks at present.

Is this something to be concerned about?
Is the

[z4k26]

Sorry that was supposed to say 4 inches of water in the main tank

[fishmad85]

Dose the tank sit on a gel matt? I Would fill the tank half way with tap water, get a piece of masking tape and mark the water level on it and keep an eye on it for a few hours to see if it drops, that said if it is sat on a gel matt I wouldnt have thought that your tank would be leaking, as gel mats mould to the bottom of the tank to absorb pressure

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[fishmad85]

I thought I would send you a few pics of a tank I set up a few years ago, I added a few pieces of rock weekly along with fish, it takes a little bit of playing around to get your aquascape to look how you want but its worth it in the end

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[z4k26]

Thanks. Have given this a try a try and so far so good on the sump and tank. Next is to check the wire and return pipes at the connection point. Need to wait for my RO parts to arrive to make some water.

The pics are awesome, thanks. I am starting some ideas on the aquascaping side. Will post pics when I start getting things in place. Thanks again

[z4k26]

Also, fired the skimmer up today and was faces with uncontrollable leaks from the base of the cup and the red control valves. It's a 16 month old proskim g220 that came with the tank. It was left standing dry for 2 months.

My immediate guess is the salt may have corroded the plastics/rubbers when it's dried?

Not sure what to do? Try and order spares or replace.

Same skimmer new is £69. Or should I take this opportunity to upgrade to a new hang on skimmer? If upgrading, what should I go for and how much is a reasonable price to pay for a good and reliable piece of kit?

Many thanks