Tips on buying a used 180g acrylic

[Anonymous]

I am looking for a 180g tank and lo and behold I see someone has one for sale in my local paper, he's asking $450 OBO. Can anyone tell me what I should look for, I guess I look for scratches and find out if it leaks??? He also has a SEALIFE, 72" reef light $1400 OBO ... not sure how a system can be that much unless it is Ice Caps or he has extra bulbs or something. Maybe I am missing something but I haven't seen to many systems that cost that much new, maybe a nice canopy is included??? Any tips on buying used equipment would be appreciated since I am new to reefing and plan on giving this guy a call tomorrow.

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Dave,

I just bought a used 180g acrylic tank with a Oak canopy and stand(really nice craftsman work)for $800.00 from my LFS(really great guy, i do most of my dealings with him and occasionally he gets in used tanks for sale that he personally guarantees on leaks etc.), it also came with a coralife NO ballast with water proof end plugs and bulbs.I'm in the process of switching from a 58g Oceanic Reef Ready Tank(bought this used from the same LFS and haven't had any problems for 8 months).I did alot of price searching on the web and different magazine ads to get a comparision(kinda helps me feel better i guess on getting this tank). The average price for a new 180g acrylic tank
was between $700 to $850 just for the tank. prices for a canopy & stand varied between $450 to $600, so you can see how the $$$ can add up.As many reefers have always stated this hobby isn't cheap, but for a budget minded person it can still be rewarding if your willing to do the homework and take the time to find those great deals.Even though i have alot of faith in my LFS i still asked him what is important to look for in buying a used acrylic tank(since this was my first acrylic tank) and he was very willing and helpful.Heres some basics he gave me:

Look down the sides of the tank to see if there is any bowing along the sides and top (possible heat damage indications) and also look along the seams for any seperations(good indication of possible leaks). Also check around any holes that are drilled (ie. bulkheads) for fractures in the acrylic(i guess depending on the length and depth can cause serious problems, ie. flooding etc.)scratches in acrylic are inevidentable, but can be dealt with.Alot of scratches kinda of gives a idea of the previous owners maintenance habits and what he/she new about acrylic.If your still apprehensive about buying this tank you could always ask the seller to give you a guaranttee for leaks for a specified time period.Get it writing to be safe too. (If the seller is confident about the tank then he/she should have no problems with your request)HTH.

Good Luck
GobyMan

 

[Anonymous]

I had a local friend selling a 180 acrylic tank, with 2 400W MH, neptune controller, K2R Ca reactor, sump, pumps, ets skimmer, live rock, sand, etc for $800. Although it's not available anymore, use it as a reference.

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http://members.xoom.com/FriscoReef/

 

[Anonymous]

I bought the tank and have it in my living room tonight full of water. The guy threw in the stand and canopy. Thanks for the pointers Goby ... I looked for bowing, checked the seems, and looked for fractures didn't see anything. It had lots of very fine scratches, but nothing very bad. I understand that you can sand the scatches out using finer and finer grits of paper, but I am not sure if it will be worth the effort ... it doesn't look to bad. I guess I better do it now tho if I am going to do it. Any pointers???

Frisco ... thanks for the numbers you gave, I wish this guy would have had some other equipment to go with it but he didn't. I figure if I say the stand and canopy was worth $150 then I got the tank for $300. I got so much more stuff to buy ... but I am in the hobby now. Yippee!!!

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Congrats Dave, You can get a kit for $20 that is an acrylic scratch removal kit. We had one but we gave it to the buyer of the tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Davo-I spent today emptying most of my 55 gallon and buffing out the scratches. They were driving me crazy every time I looked at it! It will never be easier to do than now for you. I used a 3 part product from Novus (#1 heavy scratch remover, #2 fine scratch remover & #3 shine & cleaner). At first I was disappointed as the scratches did not go away, but it must have made them much finer, because when I added the water, they were not visable and I am really, really happy with the results. Without having to empty the water, it would only take 1-2 hours, time well spent IMO. Enjoy your tank, Joyce