Might purchace a reef tank from craigslist. What should I ask the seller to make sure I'm not duping myself?

[wartooth]

Hello again!
As many of you can tell from my previous posts, I am in the market for my first saltwater tank.
I found what appears to be a nice tank being sold on craigslist near my area. Here is what I know right now based on what the seller has told me:
90 gallon.
Dark Cherry wood stand.
6 bulb T5 lighting system (w/ 3 ballasts) in the hood.
35gal refugium w/ almost new Octopus skimmer.
At the moment I assume included is also all other misc. equipment needed to keep a reef since he says it's equipped with everything I would need. He said he has put roughly 5 grand into this tank over the 2 year period that he's owned it. At the moment he's asking $825 for this.
I'm pretty sure the livestock is not included.
So my question is this, since I may be buying a used setup, what questions should I ask to make sure that what I am buying is actually a good buy? What signs should I look for that would indicate that any parts of the setup may need replacing? Anything else I am forgetting?
Thanks!

 

[meowzer]

ask about leaks...and if you can see it with water in it

 

[gemmy]

And do a thorough inspection of the tank and stand. Be sure to check for water damage, misc nicks or chips to the glass, and check the silicone seals. Always trust your gut and if you do not get that "warm, fuzzy" feeling then do not purchase the setup.

 

[deejeff442]

i always re silicone when i buy a used tank.i dont trust anyone even if it has water in it.the silicone might be getting dried out.
really like said above ,i mostly just look for scratches in the glass.
just like anything its what you feel its worth to you.
i had a chance at a 500 gallon tank recently but the seller wouldnt budge on price and i wasnt willing to pay what he wanted so i passed on it.

 

[wartooth]

Cool thanks everyone. I gave him a call during my lunch break. We actually just talked about the hobby in general for a little while before the conversation moved onto the tank... so I got a good feeling talking to him. Good idea about seeing it run with water... since he offered to show me how to set it up I'm sure if I give him a couple of days advanced notice he can have it running with water when we meet so I can check for leaks.
I asked him if I bought his tank is there anything I would want to replace and he was honest about a couple of things that he said I may want to look into replacing in the near future.
So far I'm having that "warm and fuzzy" feeling that was mentioned lol.
Oh... forgive my ignorace as I have not owned any kind of aquarium since I was a kid... where on the tank is the silicone that I should check for? I assume that is the glue-like substance that any non-glass parts such as the rim is attached with?

 

[meowzer]

it's what holds the tank together....all the walls....

 

[wartooth]

Well, I just spoke to the seller regarding leaks. He said that since the tank and all the equipment has been broken down for transport, it just isnt pratical for him to put it back together and fill it up just to show me... he did say however, that if I still wanted the tank, he would bring it to my place and help me get it set up and running. I figure that a) if there's leaks I can say no deal and he'd have to break it down again, or b) if everything is in good working order then its already set up in my house. I'm not getting a shady vibe at all from this guy so I think thats fair.
Or am I just being naive?

 

[monsinour]

take the tank outside his house, fill it with a garden hose. Once full, look for leaks. Set the tank on cement as that will discolor once water hits it. once done, empty the tank using a syphon. If he is not willing to do this, a big red flag should go up.