# where are all these good deals?



## denise86 (Nov 13, 2006)

i'm new to the forum and have been reading a lot about all these good deals some of you have gotten on your tanks or equipment for sw tanks, im researching and saving up for a my first sw tank, and would like to go as big as i can as far as gallons for a percula clown tank, without having to sell my car, 
where do u all find good deals, any advice on how to save some money for newbie???


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

Local classifieds, ebay, local aquarium societies all provide amazing deals.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Newspapers and other classifieds (ebay, kijiji, pennysaver), yard sales, local fish clubs, relatives with forgotten tanks in their basements, coworkers, store sales. You just have to keep an eye out for sales.


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## denise86 (Nov 13, 2006)

thanks!
i'm going to keep a look out for deals, hopefully start my tank sw tank within the next year


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Flea Markets! You can find some really good stuff cheap if you have any in your area.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Yep ! And I'm still looking ! LOL !! You can try www.craigslist.org too ! Just got outbidded again on ebay on a 46G BF tank this morning. Oh well gonna keep looking. LOL !!


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

denise86 said:


> i'm new to the forum and have been reading a lot about all these good deals some of you have gotten on your tanks or equipment for sw tanks



Good deals? WHERE!?!

Pssh...I get ripped off a lot more than getting a good deal.

But, one word, EBAY! It's time consuming and you have to be wary of who you buy from, but there are usually some pretty good deals. While I haven't bought fish stuff yet, I did buy a cheap cast net the other day .

Word of advice though, read carefully, if they have a lot of things WRONG with the thing they are selling (even if they say they fixed it), it's best to leave it alone.


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## nickyp91180 (Sep 2, 2006)

I just got a 90gal fish tank with stand and hood for 100$ from www.craigslist.org.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Word of advice - when looking for a tank, watch for whether they will ship it for you. Most times it's local pick up only depending on area. I'd shy away from foreign countries selling tanks and equipment as well (ie : England, Australia, etc ...) because of cost to ship it to the U.S.


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

Ice said:


> Word of advice - when looking for a tank, watch for whether they will ship it for you. Most times it's local pick up only depending on area. I'd shy away from foreign countries selling tanks and equipment as well (ie : England, Australia, etc ...) because of cost to ship it to the U.S.


...Nigeria


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Yeah that country too !! LOL !!!


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## denise86 (Nov 13, 2006)

what about used things like skimmers, heaters, or filters, is it worth the risk, or should i just go new for all of these?
someone from work just got ripped off with a bad filter for his fw.


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## atnixon (Nov 13, 2006)

I personally would never go with anything equiptment wise that is second hand for a few reasons...You dont know its history, You dont know how long its gonna last, You dont know if there have been any traces of copper in the previous tank..far to many unknowns in my opinion..Of course, if budget dictates that second hand is the way forward, then you have to tank that chance..

of course, there is no guarantee that when you buy something new that it is not going to fail in a week or a month's time, but at least you can take it back and swap it...hope this helps

Niko :chair:


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## denise86 (Nov 13, 2006)

it does, thanks, am on a budget, but saving up


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## atnixon (Nov 13, 2006)

Hiya Denise, 

Glad it helps, even though your on a budget, it is always worth putting off setting up a tank untill you have the cash flow to get new..It will be worth it in the end..

Niko


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Yeah, I'd stay away from used equipment.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

lol... it highly depends... I've gotten tons of used equipment, some that have surpassed my expectations for the amount I paid, and some stuff I've been ripped off on. Basically it depends on how honest the person is, and why they are getting rid of it. If its someone who "just needs the money" I stray away unless its a good friend of mine.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

I'd Concur. I saved well over $500.00 buying used (everything but skimmer and bulbs). You just have to be patient when looking. LFS going out of business are a great source for cheap equipment.


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## catluv74 (Nov 14, 2006)

I just saw at WalMart over the weekend that they have a 55G for $148. Almost bought it except I have absolutely no where to put it at the moment.

~C


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

I saw that too. That starter tank is basically is a freshwater set-up rather than a SW set-up. Anyone can get that and use the lights, filter, heater and net for a QT tank. That's one way to save a ton on extra goodies.


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

Haha, i would never pay $148 for a 55 gallon. I would pay maybe $75 tops.

Used equipment is a great way to find deals. Just take a look at the condition the item is in and use common sense. If you look at a filter that has a broken impeller then i wouldnt go near it, but if i see someone selling a brand new 48" coralife power compact fixture for 20 bucks, of course im going to buy it.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Never thought of it that way, harif87. Something I have to look for then. LOL !!


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## vvolfe1 (Oct 9, 2006)

One thing too with most skimmers is the pump is the only thing that can really go wrong. nothing else on them is really mechanical. So If you can find a good deal on a skimmer that is not totaly funtional you might get away getting it dirt cheap and putting another $20=$30 into replacing the pump.


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

Make sure your getting a skimmer made by a good brand, just because your getting a deal doesnt mean you should settle for brands that are known to make lesser quality items.


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## GumboJones (Mar 6, 2006)

> Word of advice though, read carefully, if they have a lot of things WRONG with the thing they are selling (even if they say they fixed it), it's best to leave it alone.


Couldn't agree more. Don't be fooled by those "too good to be true" prices, becuase you often get what you pay for. I once baught a 75 gallon tank for 30 bucks. I thaught it was an amazing deal till i got it home, tested it on my deck and realized it can only hold about 50 gallons before it started to leak. 

My advice is to look in the For Free section of the news paper and craigslist. I would even post a wanted ad on craigslist. The thing is, if someone has no gain other then avoiding throwing it away, its probubly a good bet that they're not trying to screw you over. I picked up a 55 gallon tank, stand, hood, lights, and a 20 year old outdated filter (which I tossed) all for the cost of gas and time. 

The 75 gallon tank that leaked cost me 30 dollars more.


Edit: I later sold the 75 gallon tank to someone who was keeping tree frogs for 50 bucks.. I guess the 20 dollar profit was nice, but not worth the effort and frustration.


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

GumboJones said:


> Couldn't agree more. Don't be fooled by those "too good to be true" prices, becuase you often get what you pay for.


Although many times true, it isnt always the case, especially with SW equipment. Thats because there are tons of people out there who didnt know much about the responsibilities of keeping a SW tank who decided to keep one anyway. They sell their gear in efforts to get out of the hobby. Almost all of these type of people dont know how much their things should go for and would accept a fraction of the price that its worth not knowing the equipments true value. Those are the deals you should look for. Try and find ads with people saying that theyre selling a "UV device" or people who emphasize that the tank comes with a fish net.


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## denise86 (Nov 13, 2006)

i took some of your advise, started asking around, and a friend from work is selling me a 38g tank along with lights, heater, and a filter for like $100!, he's pretty much just trying to make space, he's upgrading it to a 100g, so it will be ready for me to start setting up in a month


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Nice ! Not bad for a Clownfish tank only.


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