Should I buy this tank I was just offered??

seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
I've been offered a 37 gallon Oceanic cube that has 1 pre-drilled hole. It would come with a basic stand, sump, and MH lights. He said make me an offer, but I can't find much information about this brand when I search.

Does anyone know anything about these tanks? What would be a good price to offer?

I'm seriously considering it as I was just about to take apart my 29g standard tank(not cube) to start building an overflow, sump, redoing the aquascape, etc... I haven't bought the equipment I was going to buy yet as I was still researching exactly what would be best. So this may be coming at a good time if it is a good tank at a good price!
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
LOL, doubt it! I have a velvet neon and yellowtail together. The velvet isn't as mean as the yellowtail, but the velvet is about 3 times the size of the yellowtail. So they get along well, but I don't see either tolerating another of any type. I'm making this tank my reef tank. I have another that will be a little bit more community style, but no coral.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
It all depends on the price, the predrilled is a plus. Make sure it doesn't leak.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
I have to make an offer, so what is a good price?

How do I make sure it doesn't leak if he has it stored away? Ask him to do a leak test or have him fill it up with the hose when I show up to get it?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
seecrabrun said:
I have to make an offer, so what is a good price?

How do I make sure it doesn't leak if he has it stored away? Ask him to do a leak test or have him fill it up with the hose when I show up to get it?
Click to expand...
The bulbs on a metal halide runs around $50.00 to $70.00, actinic bulbs are much cheaper, around $20.00..so if it's been in storage, it's a sure bet right off you will need new bulbs for the light. Absolutely have him fill the tank while you watch and let it sit an hour to look for slow leaks. Get on-line and see what the brand cost new...it should be worth at least half price to be fair, but used equipment you can get the guy to go down farther then half. That's the sad fact of the hobby, if you sell out, you will never come close to what you invested in it all.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Sadly the brand isn't around anymore for the most part. They used to make all sizes and customs, now they only make the all in one cubes in 14 or 29.

So I can't get a good idea. I'm thinking of offering $150 for everything. Let's assume it is just the tank, stand, empty Berlin style sump, and empty MH housing. And everything is in proper working order without many blemishes.

Does $150 sound fair? Too high or low? I have to drive over an hour to pick it up. I'm actually not sure I will even be able to pick it up. I hope it isn't so big I can't lift it alone. My 29 gallon is almost too heavy but this is only slightly taller.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Well this ended up resulting in me deciding I'm going to do a 75g build. It'll be months in the making, but after all the thinking I did, it seems like a good idea.
 
john suh

john suh

Member
Scope Craigslist for bargains. There are many who are moving and don't want to lug their stuff around and/or getting out of the hobby, take advantage of it.
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
seecrabrun said:
Well this ended up resulting in me deciding I'm going to do a 75g build. It'll be months in the making, but after all the thinking I did, it seems like a good idea.
Click to expand...
Good thinking. Buying used stuff can seem like a good idea at the time, but then when you get it and see all the changes you want to make it to meet your standards, it can get expensive... really fast. I ran into a similar situation with my 125. I bought it on Craigslist, drove several hundred miles to get it, and was fairly pleased with what I received (it came with a few fish, so I'm thinking this will save me some money!). Then I got home with it, thought about where I wanted to go with the tank, and immediately spent $300 more dollars buying new sand, more rocks, plumbing, and pumps. After awhile, I upgraded the MH/PC lamps with T5 HO. Another $250. I bought a refugium to replace the tiny sump with bioballs... another $250. Then I needed a bigger skimmer, as the one that came with it was undersized and I wanted a "stocked" tank. Another $500+. 4 powerheads? Another $300. Then I needed an RO/DI unit, GFO reactor, UV sterilizer, etc... After I had more than tripled my initial investment, I wondered why I didn't start with all new stuff to begin with. If I had it to do over again, everything would be bought new. It might take a lot longer to get it all together, but I wouldn't have to replace everything piece by piece. Just my 2c...
 
john suh

john suh

Member
pegasus said:
Good thinking. Buying used stuff can seem like a good idea at the time, but then when you get it and see all the changes you want to make it to meet your standards, it can get expensive... really fast. I ran into a similar situation with my 125. I bought it on Craigslist, drove several hundred miles to get it, and was fairly pleased with what I received (it came with a few fish, so I'm thinking this will save me some money!). Then I got home with it, thought about where I wanted to go with the tank, and immediately spent $300 more dollars buying new sand, more rocks, plumbing, and pumps. After awhile, I upgraded the MH/PC lamps with T5 HO. Another $250. I bought a refugium to replace the tiny sump with bioballs... another $250. Then I needed a bigger skimmer, as the one that came with it was undersized and I wanted a "stocked" tank. Another $500+. 4 powerheads? Another $300. Then I needed an RO/DI unit, GFO reactor, UV sterilizer, etc... After I had more than tripled my initial investment, I wondered why I didn't start with all new stuff to begin with. If I had it to do over again, everything would be bought new. It might take a lot longer to get it all together, but I wouldn't have to replace everything piece by piece. Just my 2c...
Click to expand...

So basically you bought a bare bones used tank and had to buy the rest?
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
john suh said:
So basically you bought a bare bones used tank and had to buy the rest?
Click to expand...
I bought what the previous owner called a "complete set". After I bought it, it was okay for a "starter tank", but I wanted to do much more than keep a few fish and a few corals. I wanted a reef tank. The two MH lamps were 250W each, and the two PC lamps were 94W each. I did the math and realized I'd be burning 684W of electricity for 10 hours every day, so that would add to my electricity bill pretty quickly. I also realized I needed a bigger skimmer, which required a bigger sump. I opted for a refugium. Then I needed powerheads for flow, as this is extremely vital to a healthy tank. I bought what would be a basic setup for a fish only, with perhaps a few small corals. I upgraded things over the course of a couple of years, and it's finally getting to where I want it to be.

I learned the hard way... don't jump on the first thing that comes along. I wasn't having much luck running down a 125 gallon tank in my area, and I wasn't willing to travel 500 miles to get one. This one came along, we negotiated a price, and I bought it. If I could do it over, I would have held out for one that had newer components, and was set up for my needs... or I would buy new and build it as my budget would allow. It was a piece of cake setting up the 40B last year, because I knew what I wanted beforehand, mapped everything out, and I had a little more experience at setting things up. If you are in a good location where decent systems come up for sale, shop competitively, and know what you want before you purchase, you can get lucky and score a great deal. I thought I had a great deal until I replaced everything, but if I figure what a 6' 125 gallon tank, stand, and canopy are worth, I don't think I overpaid... but it didn't turn out to be such a great deal after all. With a little more to go with it, I could have bought everything brand new, and set it up the way I wanted from the beginning. Be aware, though... it's hard to know exactly what you want out of your saltwater tank. I like to think of it as an ever-evolving hobby. There will always be that "one more little thing" that you'll want to do to it. You've been warned... lol!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top