[Bam204]

Hey wasup guys....

I wasnt really sure where to make this post, but i though this would be the best place. I found a local add for a 120 gal tank with hood and filter for $200. I was really considering buying this tank. I have not seen it, and i was wondering what i should check for when buying a used tank, since i have always bought new ones, any help would be greatly appreciated thank you.

Bam204

 

[TheeMon]

see if its cracked... look for scratches, if its "clean" ask them what they cleaned it with, i had some1 clean one of my new tanks with wind-x

thats about it

 

[Bam204]

Thank you,

I know if it is not cracked, then it still could have leaks in the silicone. But they can be
re-siliconed , am I corect?

Thanks,

Bam204

 

[remarkosmoc]

thats true the silicone seal can leak. when I buy a used tank I ask them to fill it so i can see that it doesn't leak. $200 is a good deal if it doesn't need repair, but if it leaks not so much.

 

[Big Den]

You can re-silicone but remember that silicone does not stick to silicone. You would have to strip the old stuff off completely before doing it.

 

[Bam204]

I was thinking about asking the person to fill it up so i could see the tank full and check for leaks. Do you think people mind filling up a tank just to empty it back out again?

thanks,Bam204

 

[Turtlemaxxx]

if they mind that much they have something to hide or dont really want to sell it. Or they are really dumb and are a terrible sales person.

-matt

 

[TheeMon]

well i dunno, personally if i was selling a huge tank i wouldnt fill it up. and im a honost kind of guy so... not so much as i dont want u to see it, its just 125gals=$ ++ alot of time

call ahead and ask them to have it full... i would be more then happy to leave the tank intact untill u came then had u help me dismantle it

 

[Toby_H]

I just bought a 75 gal off craig's list and I asked said, "Although by first impression you seem like an honest guy, could you have the tank filled up with water when I come pick it up just to remove any concerns?"

He complied without question... the tank was broken down ready to go sitting on the back porch, except filled with water. I happily drained the water myself in just a couple minutes, loaded the tank and was on my way... no big deal to either of us (since the tank held water)...

 

[TheeMon]

see a 55 i would do, a 75 well prolly... bigger then that.... but on the other hand if i was the buyer i would want it filled to see

 

[stslimited84]

If you are buying a used tank, you should ask to see it filled. If the seller wont do it, dont buy it from them. Plain and simple.

 

[Bam204]

Thank you all for your input. i will definitly ask tosee it full.

 

[lestatak]

If the leak is extremly slow and you ask them to fill the tank, I would imagine you won't notice it.

 

[emtbmike]

i actually charged someone $10 extra to fill the tank with water to offset the cost of the water. I understand there are alotof scam artist out there but if you dont want to take my word for it then its not going to cost me anything.

 

[remarkosmoc]

i actually charged someone $10 extra to fill the tank with water to offset the cost of the water. I understand there are alotof scam artist out there but if you dont want to take my word for it then its not going to cost me anything.

I'd have to give up fishkeeping if water cost me $.10/gal

 

[spotmonster]

For me, I don't worry much if a used tank leaks or not. Although I don't enjoy resealing a tank, it's really not a big deal and iis pretty easy to do. If the price is right, a leaker would not ruin the deal for me.

I do take into consideration how the seals "look" when deciding how much I will pay. Generally if it's a clean tank that you can tell was well taken care of and the seals look like new, then it probably will not leak. But always be prepared to reseal. And if they look bad, reseal them anyway, if they don't leak now they will in the future.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

It always boggles my mind how people fret so much over water. Unless you live in an area that has a drought order in effect water isn't that expensive.

This is the price of water where I live.

0-11,000 gallons per month (gpm) costs $1.81 per 1,000 gallons. 0.00181 cents per gallon
12,000-30,000gpm costs $3.62 per 1,000g 0.00362 cents per gallon
31,000-40,000gpm costs $5.43 per 1,000g 0.00543 cents per gallon
over 40,000gpm costs $7.24 per 1,000g 0.00724 cents per gallon

This of course varies by location but anyone using Denver Water pays those prices above. So filling a tank under 1000 gallons to prove it doesn't leak doesn't cost you all that much. I think you can include that cost into the selling price of the aquarium. You can even use cold water so you don't use up the water in your hot water heater. Then you can drain the tank into your yard using a hose thus watering part of your lawn with that water.

This gives the buyer peace of mind and isn't that big of a deal.

 

[TheeMon]

so whats your monthly water bill like?

sorry my landlord pays my water bill

 

[IrkedCitizen]

I am in the low/middle of the $3.62 bracket. Laundry, showers, water changes, dishes, toilet flushes. It varies from month to month.

But chances are high that no one is selling a 1000 gallon tank and even if they were the most it might cost is under $10 to fill it. The price of a 1000 gallon tank is also nowhere close to the price of say a 125 even used. I would definitely want to see a big tank full to know that it doesn't leak. Unless I am being told that it is a leaker.

 

[bentcountershaft]

My water company charges by the cubic foot. According to them, 1 cu. ft. = 7.5 gallons. I'm charged $2.405300 for every 100 cubic feet or about .003207 cents per gallon. Plus customer service charge. Plus sewer charge. Plus storm sewer charge. Plus garbage pickup. Plus fuel surcharge on garbage pickup. Plus tax.