Have you ever bought an aquarium WITH fish in it at an estate sale?

I have a client who runs an estate sales and auctions company and as I was surfing her site I noticed an estate sale by me so I clicked it on a whim. Believe it or not, included in the listing was "Aquarium already set up with fish and everything". Of course I emailed the client to ask them the size of the tank, if it has a stand, what kind of fish it has, and what equipment it comes with. I have no clue what kind of tank it is, what the stocking is, or if it even has the right equipment. However, the fact that an elderly lady died leaving her fish behind really tugged at my mushy soft heart and I want to see if it would be something I could save. I am probably crazy, especially since this is such an unknown situation, but I wanted to know if any of you have seen or experienced something similar. I will update this thread as I get more info from the auctioneer.

 

Maybe see if they can take a picture of the tank and the fish for you? Could give you an idea of about how big a tank you're looking at, the equipment included, the fish type and size (and stocking ratio), etc. If they've got a tape measure handy and can give you the exact dimensions of the tank, even better, as you now know what size tank you're dealing with and the suitability of the stock for it. You're basically buying a secondhand tank with fish already in it like you would on Craigslist, and would probably want to take all the precautions you would in that situation.

 

That's a first for me. I saw the link to your post and assumed you meant an empty tank. The logistics of moving a filled and stocked tank are a little imposing. Then again, the fish need someone to take care of them. Who better than someone on this site? I think you should move ahead with at least checking it out.

 

People sell stocked tanks on Craig's List all the time. It's not that uncommon, really. I would go for it if the deal is good

 

Worth checking out. But if you do take it home with you with the fish, I would recommend treating it like a QT for 2 months or so. It probably hasn't been well-maintained for a while and could be harboring a lot nitrate-producing gunk. if that's the case, you'll have to keep an eye on these fish and get them healthy before getting to the point where you can feel free to make it over without taking chances on unknown bacteria.

 

It may be more than I bargained for but I can't pass on an unknown adventure. Unless it ends up being saltwater. Lol.