$450 for 55 gallon Acrylic tank, stand, and extras

asp762

asp762

Member
I am picking up this tank tomorrow for $450. It's the perfect fit for my bedroom, and I want to know what you guys think. I am kind of bummed that is only comes with 10lbs of live rock and NO sand. This will be my first saltwater tank. Thanks to Snake's informative guides I know how to properly maintain and cycle the tank. :)
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/for/3149701528.html
Thank you in advance.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Essentially your only going to need the tank, stand and some rock. I would try to negotiate a cheaper price but dont lowball him. Acrylic tanks do cost more, so dont expect him to come off of that price too easily.
As far as the other equipment - the canisters, uv and light, your not really getting much. Acrylic is pretty much the only positive going for the tank right now.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Looks like there could be better deals out there. Maybe keep looking. Or try to get the price down a bit. Even if you could get $50 -$100 bucks off, that would help make it a better deal.
Usually tanks go/sell on CL for about a buck a gallon, used. Maybe $2 per gallon for acrylic.
 
asp762

asp762

Member
Thanks a ton Snake and Sweatervest13!
I had the feeling it was overpriced too.
If I pick this tank up, is there anything I should upgrade immediately? IE the 1 - SEACLONE 100 PROTEIN SKIMMER? 1100 GPH powerheads?
Also, from what I can tell and have been told, this isn't one of those acrylic tanks with 1/3 of the rear separated for filtration only. I hate that setup.
I guess this would be a better option: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant/for/3089554935.html
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Well, how old is the tank? How thick is the acrylic? Are there any scratches? Was the tank set on plywood and styrofoam?
The integrity of the tank has a lot to do with the price.
 
asp762

asp762

Member
Good point SnakeBlitz, I don't know a damn thing about the tank.
I decided to go with the 55 gallon for $375. I'll be picking it up tonight.
Thanks for dealing with the annoying n00b questions, and I promise to post pictures when it's running!
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Yeah, the extra equipment is not worth a thing. Sorry. You will have to upgrade.
I suggest that you go ahead and get the tank drilled for an overflow (a type of overflow of your choice) which gives you the opportunity to use a sump to hide all of your equipment. A nice clean tank is impressive while a tank cluttered with equipment can be distracting. Drilling an acrylic tank is very simple.
 
asp762

asp762

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392372/450-for-55-gallon-acrylic-tank-stand-and-extras#post_3483499
Yeah, the extra equipment is not worth a thing. Sorry. You will have to upgrade.
I suggest that you go ahead and get the tank drilled for an overflow (a type of overflow of your choice) which gives you the opportunity to use a sump to hide all of your equipment. A nice clean tank is impressive while a tank cluttered with equipment can be distracting. Drilling an acrylic tank is very simple.OK
I had a feeling that would be the verdict.

OK, well I will make use of the search button and figure out what name brands are recommended as far as all the equipment is concerned. Perhaps I will drill it myself.
Thanks for the input everyone!
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
craigslist here has a hundred 55 gallons on there all the time.i found my 250 gallon for $300 and my friend is a wood worker.he built the stand for $400. just have to keep looking there .alot of people get into fish then are too lazy to keep up and sell their stuff for next to nothing.i have a 540 acrylic tank you can have for free(seriously)
 
asp762

asp762

Member
Jesus man, what in the hell? That's awesome. I bet it's really hard to get rid of it. So, in theory, I would be buying this 55 gallon tank to be used as a sump. LOL That's just too much man. I wish I had the room and money to set up something like that, but I'm just a veteran with a little extra cash in his pocket from a recent motorcycle sale.
Clearly Fort Worth craigslist > Los Angeles craigslist.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
i have been upgrading tanks for almost 30 years. i see people getting into this with their first tank being a 250 and say how can they afford it? then when they get sick of it i buy their stuff for 10 cents on the dollar lol
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
i did a concrete estinmate earlier. i walked in the guys house and there was a tank with no lights on,7 inches low on water shut down. algae all over. i could see live rock.he said there was a power outage and he lost all the fish.never turned it back on.he said he would sell the whole set up for $350.its a 100 gallon,stand,wet/dry sump overflow box,pc lights,skimmer and a reactor. well i have 3 tanks in storage in nowhere to put it.
 
asp762

asp762

Member
Damn that's not bad! Well damn, you make me feel bad about the "deal" I cut. lol
Well here's the 55 gallon set-up. I have the fluvial 305 running, the heater, and that's it. I haven't unpacked the shitty protein skimmer or the UV light.
I threw in a raw shrimp to cycle, so I hope in 30 days I will be able to add fish water chemistry permitting.
Enjoy that crappy pic!
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
jeez dont get so excited.i dont know where you live but there are 9 million people in the dallas/fort worth area thats when stuff on craigs list id so cheap
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Tank looks good.
I like the way you did the rock work. Fill that baby up a bit more, it looks a little low. Don't forget to get a test kit so you can test the parameters to see when the cycle starts and spikes.
Good luck with everything!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top