# Buying used tanks



## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Hello, I'm new to the fish hobby and I've had my fish tank about 3 weeks (did a quick fishless cycle too). I would like to upgrade to a larger tank as my current tank is only 4-5 gal and I got a dalmatian molly as a recommendation by the pet shop but she is very active seems to need more room to swim. Other than that she seems happy. I have a male guppy and a mystery snail as well and they all seem to get along fine. 

As I am a student and have little funds right now, I was going to search in thrift stores and craigs list for 10-15 gal tanks (anything that fits in my apartment nicely). I would like to have a mix of live and fake plants in this new tank as well. What should I look out for? How do you tell the difference between a dry tank and an aquarium? If it doesn't come with a hood and light, can I buy one separately? How do I check the integrity of the aquarium?

Thanks everyone! I just want to keep my fish happy!


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Buying a used tank is IMHO a crap shoot. If the tank had been dry too long the seams can rupture when you fill it. Or the seam will hold but the glass will crack. I have heard, but never tried, placing the tank of some Styrofoam sheets to cushion it some. You can buy tops/hoods and lights separately. I personally would save up and by a new tank. I think Petco or PetSmart runs a sale called "A dollar Per gallon" on their tanks. Good luck.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Ok, I'm going to visit PetSmart and ask about it later but from what I read it's 29 gal+. 

What do you think of this one? I will get a better filter so I can over filter.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12302643&OVKEY=aquarium+sale&OVMTC=Phrase&adpos=1t1&gclid=CNi3-aq05bwCFShk7AodpHAA3A&url_id=148452288&creative=24928838212&device=c&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

I found 2 on craigslist that are brand new with the tags. Are used tanks a problem because they've been filled with water?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

No, just test them for leaks outside before bringing them inside


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

So, PetSmart $1 per gallon sale literally ended yesterday! They have another 3 day sale this weekend though. I did find a 10gal Top Fin tank with lighted hood for $25. What do you think of Top Fin?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I'm yet to have a problem buying used, all the tanks I (or my family) has bought used have hold up great so far, and a lot of money was saved that way. Look for a complete set up on craigslist. Just scroll through the adds. While it might seem more expensive at first (lets say 50$ for a nicely set up 20g with fish plants rock etc) you end up saving a lot of money as the kits really only come with lights and filter (yeah no heater, it sucks). Plus you'd need to buy the gravel, the decor, the plants, etc. 

My first tank was a 5g kit from the pet store, and after 3 years now I have spend probably around 200$ on it to get it just the way I like. Don't do what I did, buy used.


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

I have a long story of the problems that I've had with getting a used 55 that I'm sure you don't want to hear, so I'll tell you this, when you buy used and can't/don't want to fix tanks, check the sealant and glass for cracks. Have fun!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

over the past 40 years i have had hundreds of aquariums...very few were ever purchased new...yes ; there were a couple of occasional leakers but if you can fingerpaint , you can fix a leaker...lol
i think that used tanks are the best deal going..


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

I had an old tank that sat empty for about a year or so. I finally set it up and filled it. About three days later I was asleep and woke to hearing drip, drip, drip. I found the tank had cracked and luckily there was enough water left to keep the fish alive. I found out that my oriental carpet will hold about 30g of water.


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

lohachata said:


> over the past 40 years i have had hundreds of aquariums...very few were ever purchased new...yes ; there were a couple of occasional leakers but if you can fingerpaint , you can fix a leaker...lol
> i think that used tanks are the best deal going..


But if there is a leak in the sealant you should remove ALL of it because new silicone doesn't stick well to old silicone. I didn't think resealing my 55 was difficult and resealing a 10 should be real easy, it's just others may not want to do it and would rather spend the money (although it is worth the money you can save to reseal an old tank). I still wish i purchased an instrument to make the job pretty and even.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

But again, is the problem with used tanks when they were filled and then left dry or is it being dry at all? If it has never been filled is it fine even if it has sat dry for years?


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

The silicone stills dries out. Also, the glass settles


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

some of my tanks are from the 70s..a few years ago i bought a bunch of old 15 gallon thanks that had sat empty for several years. i scrubbed them out and set them up..out of the bunch there were only 2 leakers.
i have often sealed tanks without removing the silicone...although cutting out the old sealant first is the better way to do it..i have even sealed leaks with the tank full of water and fish..


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Something I just realized. Usually the smaller tanks have rigid frames at the top and bottom. When they are put together, they put silicone on the frames and where the glass meet. This keeps them together better. The tanks I had split had frames with mitered corners at the top. This allowed separation.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Ok, I think I found the set I'm getting. What is the best way to test for leaks? Do I leave it outside completely filled overnight, or is there a simpler or quick way to do it?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

set it up outside and fill to the top...let it set for a day or 2 to see if leaks form..


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Ok, I'll have to take it to my friends house and see If I can leave it outside. I'll have to find some way to hide it from the horses...Can I put it in a dark place?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

light doesn't really matter as long as it is light enough to see if there is any spills.


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## v-paw (Feb 17, 2013)

I've never had a problem with used, I bought 3 of mine on Craigslist! Work great, no leaks, all came with everything, lots of saved money! 

To compare:
My 20 gallon was new from petsmart, nearly $200
29 gallon, used from Craigslist, $30 with everything. Including very expensive sand.
45 gallon, $90 Ok.. So the only problem with this one is it has really bad hard water stains that I can't get off and they said it was a 60, but when I did the math, it was 45 (now I can't get the stock I was hoping for!) but it came with a filter worth $100 that has 4 chainbers! Wee!
5 gallon, $20 all good, even had original box and came with fishies, which of course were way bigger than they should be for that tank and I placed them in my other tanks properly.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Went to get a 10gal from a guy...turned out it was a 20gal! So I have a 20gal with hood, light, 30gal filter with 20+ filters, brand new 100wat heater, air tube mounting kit, water testing kit, and a bunch of decorations for $20! I'm going later tonight to pick up a metal stand for $15. I'm taking the tank over tomorrow to begin testing for leaks.

Thanks for all your advice!


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Here is the tank and stand!










And these came with the tank....any of them worth keeping?










is this just aquarium salt? Or is it a conditioner to get rid of chlorine?


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## v-paw (Feb 17, 2013)

I just always keep everything. That ich treatment that it came with came in handy the other day! And yeah, always check measurements! I guess it was a good deal


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Good buy for under 40 dollars. But still need sand/gravel. Leak test for a few days, myself and most would recommend 2-3 days.

Keep it if you'd like but I would personally never use ph adjustment anything. Your fish will 99% of the time adapt to your water, provided that it's stable in itself. If you start messing with it, that's when problems happen and you likely spend more time on your aquarium the necessary. 

The amquel+ will be used and should be used often. Removing parts of the nitrogen cycle before entering your tank is the plus part. The main part of it is chlorines and chloramines. While some people don't care, most suggest and recommend to remove them from water going in. Personally I lean towards the latter of removing it. But I cheat the system by having a whole home filter and change water from my sink(s) lol.

Ph check is a good thing to have but I stopped using it after the first year in the trade. I could check it now and I'd be at a high ph of 7.8 but it's never changed once in 5 years because I do have to take fish back for warrantee purposes every now and then.

algae destroyer is a good product from everything I've heard and read but never used it myself. Nothing I would personally throw away. Like myself, I have a big bottle of it that I've never used but won't throw away till it expires.

The salt is common in the aquarium trade. Mainly your big box stores all have salt in the system. Simply because it works, so many don't like it and I don't either personally. I've only used salt to treat ich and it didn't work sadly. 

I didn't see any ich treatment thing in there, other than salt. I'm guessing you're talking about your purchase v-paw?


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## v-paw (Feb 17, 2013)

blindkiller85 said:


> I didn't see any ich treatment thing in there, other than salt. I'm guessing you're talking about your purchase v-paw?



Yes, my own. I was just saying how something I didn't think would come in handy did. My ph is super high as well, I'd want to naturally get it down (it was even at 8 last time!) but my gh and kh are also high because of where I live. *sigh* 

I also have a ton of declor intros that I got with tanks, but I never use them, because I have the seachem and API water conditioners, and I believe they do everything including chlorine.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

keep the amquel+ (dechlor) and the pH test kit (they last forever). Salt is something to keep in reserve for ich treatment. But toss the pH up and down. That stuff is useless and dangerous. Its just straight acid and straight base. Only use in water Without fish in it.and it won't last long. If you have cause to change your pH, you'll want both pH and hardness test kits and a long-lasting buffer.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Will the amquel+ hurt my cycle in any way by removing the Nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia like it says on the bottle?

Also, My filter came with cartridges that have a (white fluff?) sleeve that you fill with carbon. This is using mechanical and chemical filtration correct? Can I add polyester fluff (like the stuff in pillows) to my filter to let bacteria live in and therefore biologically filtering? I read that stuff is good for breading bacteria in filters. My filter is certainly big enough to fit some fluff.


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## v-paw (Feb 17, 2013)

I'd say the fluff is fine, I have the same thing and I add it as well.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

yes, pure poly-floss is fine for fish tanks. Be somewhat careful with it in HOBs as it can slide down and get twisted around the impeller. You might put it in a mesh bag or use the "batting" which is floss in sheets.

I think Amquel+ is intended to be comparable to Prime and is used the same. It doesn't really remove the nitrate and ammonia just "detoxifies" it. It shouldn't mess up the cycle, but it may confuse your test kits.


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## KDartMedia (Feb 15, 2014)

Cool! Thanks everyone! I think I'm set!


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

The old metal frame tanks with slate bottoms were the ones that would leak if they sat around dry too long. The putty used to seal them would shrink, but a heat gun will fix that issue easily enough. Pretty much any of the all glass tanks available today that are put together with silicone are fine, regardless of how long they may have been dry. Any used tank should be checked for leaks if it isn't holding water when you see it, but I've saved quite a load of cash buying used tanks and/or setups and never had any problems with leaks.

Use the amquel to dechlor your tap water, keep the salt in case of an Ich outbreak (regular non-iodized table salt works just as well) and throw away the rest. Buy yourself an aquaclear hob filter, use 2-3 sponges instead of the carbon, and rinse them out in tank water when you do partial changes.


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