Tanks and Prices

hI as some of you know I'm buyin a big tank soon... I'm lookin at a 140 g on ebay for 755 with stand / canopy of unstained oak

my LFS is selling a black pine 125 w/ stand and canopy for around a grand but I'm sure theyd throw in some fish or salt or something if I bought it.

my questions are what are good places to buy cheap tanks/ where / how do you buy them?

 

The problem with anything on eBay is shipping. You either have to pick it up or pay ALOT to get it shipped to you.

I'd get it local no matter what just for gaurantees and in case any issues come up.

Basically, any local pet store will have tanks. All you can really do is look around for them. Personally, though, I'd rather get them local than shipped.

 

ebay is a good place you just have to keep looking my friend got a 125 gallon tank for under 200$ and he picked it up too so just keep looking another place maybe aquabid or freecycle

 

ive been callin some tank manufacturers because my bro who knows lots about tanks wants me to get acrylic... most 125 G acrylics are around 700$... ne ideas?

 

I'm going to buy a 125 gallon 60x20x24 x 1/2t acrylic soon I believe for 700ish dollars from a local manufacturer... my whole saltwater setup will cost me about 1700$, 700$ tank + 125$ Protein skimmer + 200$ w/d filter + 350$ stand + 200 $ canopy + 35$ heater + 125$ r/o filter... + on lights once I find out how much they wiill cost.... :'(

my dad will pay me 12.50$ or 15$ an hour to work for him... he will pay 500$ for my b-day on the tank and I have 400$... so I need to work around 60 hours... argh why must this be so expensive ... not to mention sand coral live rock fish salt yadayadaydada... awww I'm going to die

 

that seems a bit much a 125 a my lfs only costs 456$ all glass with cabnint glass hood and some lights

 

What how is that possible? are u sure its not each part is 456$? I can't find anything close to that cheap...

 

Yeah - $456 seems really cheap for 125 gallon. Acrylic tanks are really nice but be careful when cleaning the sides of the tank. Be careful not to get any sand in between the cleaning device and the tank walls. They can scratch and I don't think you can buff out the scratches...

What about live rock? To be really effective for biological filtration, a 125 gallon would need at least 125 lbs of live rock (preferrably more) and that would run anywhere from $500-$1000 depending on the type of rock, where you live, shipping etc. Live rock for a fish only setup might be the biggest cost. For reef tanks the lighting and rock costs can be fairly similar.

https://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm

Are you planning on making this a fish only setup?

 

I haven't decided yet... I'm just looking at tanks and stands and basic stuff right now... I still don't have the money so I'm just takin this one step at a time... my lfs has lots of liverock

 

See if you you can get your dad to haggle with the lfs dude and he might take $100 off the price or throw in some accessories.

 

ive looked around some more and am thinking about a 75 gallon reef... I could get 90 lbs of fijI live rock partially precured for 169$ per 45 lbs shipped to me. ( 169$ includes shipping). I think I could get a 75 gallon set up w/o fish for around 1,200$ maybe cheaper... I'm also looking at a 125 still though... the acrylic tank makers near me have some ridiculous prices so I'm still shopping around... I hope to have the tank fully set up with fish and reef by early september (later than I originally planned but I will be gone for the summer)

 

Just look around and check the local newspapers...that's what Ive done and so far Ive ended up with a 55gal for $20 and a 75gal (the guy didnt even know what size it was!) for $75. Its a complete freshwater setup with stand and lights. I'm doing saltwater with it, but hey for $75 Ill take it! It really pays big to be patient! I'm the lease patient person I know, but even I learned to wait for a great deal!

 

https://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm

Are you planning on making this a fish only setup?

sorry for my ignorance - but what is a fish only setup?

 

A fish only setup does not have live rock, anemones or corals. More info here:
https://www.fishlore.com/saltwater_aquarium_types.htm