# New or 2nd hand?



## fishermanfriend (Jul 14, 2016)

Hi folks. The kids have been at me for some time now for an aquarium. (2 cats and a border collie aren't enough pets for one household apparently). I know virtually zilch on the subject of keeping fish and fish tanks, other than what I have briefly picked up from this forum. So the first major learning point was that newbies such as myself should stick to freshwater rather than saltwater for the sake of cost and room for error. So I will definitely be starting out with a freshwater aquarium to keep things simple and relatively cheap. I've still to take into account the cost of the fish and ongoing costs such as feed, water, electricity etc. But in terms of equipment, is it advisable to try and keep costs down by buying second hand? There is plenty of used aquarium equipment and second hand fish tanks for sale classified ads wise online. But is it the done thing? Or does it tend to be just money down the drain? Things are tight at the moment so I would prefer to keep things on the cheap if possible. But at the same time I don't want to waste my time or limited funds. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

Second hand is fine is most cases.

For aquariums double check the silicone seals, making sure the silicone seal is strong not brittle and complete no missing gaps. The frames are securely attached. Aquarium light fixtures check the wiring, look for corrosion on the all the connections as well wear on the electrical cord. 

Things like the filter and heater I would go with a new one.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i agree , used is fine in most cases..but i think for a newbie new may be better..the big box stores such as petco and petsmart have $1 per gallon sales 2 or 3 times a year..so you can get a brand new 55 gallon tank for $55.00..i do suggest that you buy as large a tank as you can afford. i think a good filter would be the HOB (Hang On Back).i would recommend the Aquaclear 110..while it is a bit pricey it will serve you well for a long time..and you only have to replace the foam sponge every few years.(about $6-$8) rather than replacing cartridges every few weeks or so at $2-$3 each..
for a heater i recommend Eheim Jager..250 watts will be sufficient.


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## fishermanfriend (Jul 14, 2016)

Thanks guys. All very helpful. Another question I have (as stupid as it may sound) can I use a second hand tank for freshwater that has previously been used for saltwater?


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## metmop (Mar 9, 2013)

You can use a convert a salt water tank to freshwater and vise versa. However the bacteria etc. in saltwater can be bad for freshwater so a clean out is in order. When I did it I used chlorine bleach added to a full tank of water. I Followed with 5 complete flushes (fill tank up and empty) I also disposed of any gravel/sand prior to doing this.. There is probably a lot better ways/safer but that is what I did.


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## fishermanfriend (Jul 14, 2016)

metmop said:


> You can use a convert a salt water tank to freshwater and vise versa. However the bacteria etc. in saltwater can be bad for freshwater so a clean out is in order. When I did it I used chlorine bleach added to a full tank of water. I Followed with 5 complete flushes (fill tank up and empty) I also disposed of any gravel/sand prior to doing this.. There is probably a lot better ways/safer but that is what I did.


Thanks for the advice metmop.


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