Used Aquarium Equipment Questions

I have a 55 gallon freshwater setup (many of you know all about it, and for others wanting more info, please feel free to check out other threads by me as I've been all over the forum). This thread is going serve as data collection for myself and others who are considering an aquarium upgrade. If anyone can provide some info on some or all of the following questions, I'd appreciate it.

As mentioned, I currently have a 55 gallon, and I'm hoping to upgrade to anywhere between a 90 and 125, with probably a 120 (I think that's what would be 5 feet long) being ideal. Since this setup will be purchased piece by piece as I can afford it, and as I can find it (much, if not all of it will be second hand), I wanted to ask some questions.

1. Age of tank: How long do tanks last without having issues? What age tank should I look for? What age tank should I not consider? I don't want to buy an old tank and risk having it spring a leak because of its age.

2. Price of used equipment: I'm aware of an article out there that describes approximately what used equipment is worth, and what a buyer should pay for it. But, it seems to only talk about equipment that's less than one year old and over one year old. Still, I can't imagine a 2 year old tank is worth the same a a 20 year old tank. Does anyone know what other drop off in price there would be other than the one year mark?

3. Lighting: I'm specifically referring to the LED strip light bars with this question. Many of them, including the one I have expands to sit a range of tanks, but the light itself only spans the smallest size tank in the range, while the "arms" expand out to fit larger tanks. For example, my tank is 48" long, and my light expands from 48" to 60". The light itself spans the entire 48" tank, but if I were to upgrade to, say 1 125 gallon (6 foot) tank, the light would only cover 4', while the arms would reach out one foot on either side to fit the top of the tank. That being said, my question refers to the lighting inside the tank when using a light for more than the smallest tank in the light's range. If I were to use this same light on a 125, would I notice a significant drop off in the lighting in the tank? It seems to only make sense to me that in this example, the lighting on the sides of the tank would really suffer. But, without being sure, I wanted to ask some other folks, hopefully with some experience with using lights like this.

Thanks so much!

 

I have a 125 5' tank with two of those 48" lights that expand like your talking about, my lights are pretty powerful and fill the tank well enough to grow plants from end to end.

 

I'm not a fan of the lights that expand, if the expanding arms are needed. The reason is that I feel it centers the light to the middle of the tank but the remaining 2 sides where the arms are, don't get much light.

I think it's hard to give an objective hard number about how old something is that you should avoid, because different care and maintenance by the owner should be taken into consideration. In general, I don't want to pick up a used tank that needs a lot of cleaning, because time is something to consider also. But for filters, as long as they were verified working (or that you are getting it as is) then you can possibly rejuvenate filters with your own media, even if the cartridges for that filter are no longer on sale.

 

For the lights, you can use two smaller fixtures to cover the entire length of the tank, rather than one that's too short. As yes, you would notice dark spots on the tank if you used lights that didn't cover the entire length.

 

It is recommended to reseal glass tanks every 10 years so if you find a good deal online for an old tank you are not sure of then just buy it and reseal. Usually when tanks sit dry the heat-cold shifts of the day seem to hit the silicone seals hard to the point I would not risk it and would prefer to reseal the tank. At least this is true for where I live which is semi-desertic.
Technically glass sheets last a pretty long time so a glass aquarium should last your entire life with proper care and proactive resealings. Even if the tank had a pretty bad leak you could still take it down and start from scratch with the glass sheets, how practical that would be is up to debate.

Anyways, the take away is: Dont let an old aquarium scare you away from a good deal. I got a leaking 36 gal tank for dirt cheap and I had to reseal it, I don't regret buying it to this day, it works perfectly now and I wouldnt classify myself as very bright when it comes to DIY craftmanship so resealing a tank isn't very hard, just takes a pinch of patience.

 

The more important point is not how old an aquarium is but how long it has sat without water in it.

 

Thanks, all! So, using the light I currently have would be an issue as it won't work well on a larger tank. I suppose I could consider using two lights, but then they'd just be resting, and I'm not sure that's the best idea, unless I'm missing something about this option. This being said, I suppose a 90 gallon may be my best bet for tank size as it's also 48". I don't want to have to upgrade my light, if I can help it, only because it's only a couple of months old, and wasn't too cheap, plus it works really well.

I'm good with filtration as I picked up an FX4 for a good price, and it's pretty new (less than one year), plus I have an Aquaclear 110 that I'll be moving over from my 55. So, the biggest thing I need to figure out is the age of the tank thing. I've seen tanks on Craigslist ranging from 1 year old to over 20 years old, which is why I posed this question. It seems like I can get a good deal on an older one if I'm patient about it, but I'm just not certain that buying a 20 year old tank is a good idea (unless I find out that they can last 40 years without issue).

 

You can easily rest lights on a tank lid. Not a big deal at all. So you could add another light with your current one on a longer tank.

You're so worried about overstocking, and a longer tank would give your fish more swimming room.

 

Yes, previously overstocking a tank to the point of death has had that effect on me. Giving my fish more room, and possibly being able to have more fish is exactly why I'm considering a tank upgrade.

 

And that's why I think you should upgrade to a 5 or 6 ft tank, and not simply a 90 gal Don't let the light stop you!

 

I don't have any dark spots in my tank.

 

Yes, but simply laying the lights on top without using the arms probably forces one to have a canopy for aesthetic purposes, no?

 

No just a glass top.

 

Regarding the value of any tank, you must consider the type of glass. Tempered vs not tempered. Acrylic vs glass. Thickness. Many times, an older aquarium is better built. Remember slate bottoms and chrome edges? Silicone is cheap and it's easy to reseal any tank. One you like will come available. Be patient while keeping that moldy money in your wallet.....LOL

 

Or even a screen or egg crate top if you don't want glass.

 

Thanks, all! I've got glass tops currently. I like them. I just didn't think it would be a good idea to use the strip lights without anything holding them on, but perhaps I was wrong, especially since it seems that several folks have done this without issue.

Regarding age of tank, it seems from the feedback I'm getting that I can go with literally anything and be in good shape. This is a surprise to me, but it's certainly good to know.

 

I have two cats who think they must sleep on the tops of my aquariums, so I do use glass tops as I don't like cat hair falling in the tank. Lights are better with no tops at all. Makes sense. Enjoy the search for your next tank (s)!

 

Hey, folks. I'm back, looking for thoughts and ideas regarding how much I should offer as a fair price for a setup I've found. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've found a complete setup for sale. He's asking $800 for everything, but I only want certain pieces. There's a lot of expensive equipment that he's got, but I'm not interested in. I want to offer a fair price without paying more than I should. Pieces I want are as follows...120 gallon tank, pine stand painted black, glass tops. Maybe heater and driftwood. He said it was new in January, 2016. For what it's worth, he's got a light, two filters, media, and various other things he was including for the $800. But since I don't want those items, he's willing to listen to an offer. I'm waiting to hear back from him with some photos to prove the shape the items are in, but for this question, I'm assuming it's in "like new" condition.

 

PetSmart is selling a 125g ensemble for $499, including tank, stand, glass top, and lights.

 

Thanks, Geoff! So, I'm assuming the quality of at least the stand I'm looking at is better, but it's a year and a half older than the new Petsmart ensemble. Lastly, the light won't be part of the deal I'm considering. With these variables, what's a fair price to offer?

 

Personally, depending on the condition of the stand and how nice it is, I wouldn't start any higher than $499. Unless he agreed to something significantly less, like no more than $400, I'd probably just go buy the 125g. Bigger tank, bigger footprint, brand new. I don't know how often these set ups come up for sale in your area though. Maybe something cheaper will come along if the guy doesn't come down a lot. The PetSmart ensemble is on sale from $699, so it won't be $499 forever.

 

To be honest, I don't have an extra $400 right now, anyway. I'm just trying to determine what a fair price to offer would be, and then if I can, I will. Unless I'm missing something, it's my understanding that the stands that come with the Petsmart ensembles are complete junk, so I'd never purchase one of these. I'm looking for my "forever" display tank.

 

I have a PetSmart stand and I don't think it's complete junk. Not as good as a homemade solid wood stand, but definitely not complete junk.

 

And even then, homemade wood stands aren't automatically worth a lot. $100-$150 for the stand, $150 for the tank. I'd offer $300, and not go above that, based on what's available around me. A guy was just selling a 135 with stand, sump, glass lids, pumps, etc. for $200 near me. People don't realize how quickly aquarium stuff depreciates. It's not your fault he was ripped off before.

 

Wow, TexasDomer, I'm always shocked at how low stuff goes for in your area! I'm jealous! I was also thinking around the $300 mark, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't off base first. Stuff does seem to go for more in my area, but I still want to get a good deal if I'm going to buy something. Thanks for the advice!

Any other thoughts? tyguy7760? Anders247? Anyone else with a thought?

 

Check with Dave75g as he just set up a 125g and lives in upstate NY too. Maybe he can give you some insight into what tanks and stands and other stuff typically cost up there. I'm sure he did a lot of searching.

 

I am selling a 90 stand that I built if you want to take a look in the BSTF section of the forum.

 

Thanks! Dave75g, out of curiosity, what part of Upstate are you in? I'm in Albany. I might be interested in that stand, but first, what do you think is a fair price for the 120, stand, etc mentioned above in this area?

 

Petsmart deal is much better. I think 500 or so is a good asking price for his entire package...so I'm thinking something like 350 is a fair price for the tank, stand and lids. That pine stand painted black is not much better from a structural stand point than the cheap pressed board stand at petsmart...though I'd rather have the pine stand. but the petsmart tank is 1 foot longer and better for stocking.

 

Thanks! Dave75g, out of curiosity, what part of Upstate are you in? I'm in Albany. I might be interested in that stand, but first, what do you think is a fair price for the 120, stand, etc mentioned above in this area?

I'm 30 minutes south in Catskill NY. A fair price for a high quality stint for that would be around 500 bucks.

 

tyguy7760, so it sounds like you believe the pine stand would look nicer than the Petsmart stand, but that either should be about the same in functionality? Am I correct?

Dave75g, a stint? Was that a typo? You'd pay $500 for the tank, stand and glass tops for the 120?

 

Yes the pine stands ( at least the common ones) look nicer than the stand that I think comes with the petsmart one. The petsmart one also only has one center cabinet and open space on the ends. It's better to have a full cabinet IMO.

That being said, it doesn't make thatsetup worth what he's asking. 400 would probably be my top price for his tank, stand, and lids.

 

tyguy7760, so it sounds like you believe the pine stand would look nicer than the Petsmart stand, but that either should be about the same in functionality? Am I correct?

Dave75g, a stint? Was that a typo? You'd pay $500 for the tank, stand and glass tops for the 120?

Lol yea that should be stand. No I don't have a 120. I'm just saying a quality stand for a 120 will cost about 500. When I was building the 75 some top quality stands for that were over a thousand. A good used stand for a 120 should be around 500 bucks. As far as the aqueon glass tops for the 125 those were 90 bucks new.

 

Dave75g, thanks for the info. So, what do you think I should pay for the 120 tank, pine stand, and tops, all new in January, 2016? Since you're very close to me, and you seem to have much more knowledge about this, I definitely appreciate your feedback.

Also, in regard to your stand, is it just a stand? Do you have any tanks? Can you give me the link?

tyguy7760, as always, I appreciate your help! Thanks!

 

If you can get a 120 tops and stand for 400-500 that's a good price. I got my 125 pine stand and tops new for 800. All I have is the stand. I sold the tank already.

 

See, I would think a good used stand for a 120 at $500 would be way overkill, as it's just the stand. Used tanks, stand, equipment, etc. should be much cheaper than new.

 

Guys, don't forget, I'm also looking at the tank. So, tank, stand, and glass tops, all for a 120. Not just the stand and tops.

Dave75g, can you please share pics or the link for the info on your stand?

 

I didn't forget, just commenting based on Dave's comment that $500 for a stand is good haha

 

I understand. That comment was actually more for Dave, sorry. It seemed like he wasn't including the tank in his price.

 

I didn't forget, just commenting based on Dave's comment that $500 for a stand is good haha

For a quality stand for a 120 the materials would cost about that much.