price tags are far to high for a kid to afford
- Thread starter easy88
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kholly
New Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
You have to start somewhere check the locals or just get your feet wet with a glass tank before moving to acrylic.... You can find used tanks pretty cheap and for the stand and canopy you and dad make it a DIY project
That's what we did, We bought a 75g glass tank, and hubby built the stand and hood. Saved us alot of money and it looks great ( except he hasn't put the doors on yet lol). Plus you will have something to brag about.
You have to start somewhere check the locals or just get your feet wet with a glass tank before moving to acrylic.... You can find used tanks pretty cheap and for the stand and canopy you and dad make it a DIY project
That's what we did, We bought a 75g glass tank, and hubby built the stand and hood. Saved us alot of money and it looks great ( except he hasn't put the doors on yet lol). Plus you will have something to brag about.
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by kholly
That's what we did, We bought a 75g glass tank, and hubby built the stand and hood. Saved us alot of money and it looks great ( except he hasn't put the doors on yet lol). Plus you will have something to brag about.
It's always more rewarding when you do something yourself in this hobby. DIY projects make you closer to your tank, in my opinion.
That's what we did, We bought a 75g glass tank, and hubby built the stand and hood. Saved us alot of money and it looks great ( except he hasn't put the doors on yet lol). Plus you will have something to brag about.
It's always more rewarding when you do something yourself in this hobby. DIY projects make you closer to your tank, in my opinion.
speg
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Watch the classifieds and the local paper. People often unlaod tanks at an outrageously low price. I would go acrylic...glass tanks scratch too, but at least you can buff them out of acrylic. I don't think they are more likely to fail or anything. You have to take certain precautions, but I would definitely consider an acrylic tank. :yes:
This is truely the way to go! If you really plan on buying a tank just buy someones failed reef tank that they are selling in the paper! They are probably selling due to finding out how expensive the hobby actually is.. and how delicate the stuff is etc... so you probably wont find anything wrong with the tank/equipment they are selling. Last week in the local paper here in FL the (St. Pete Times) someone was selling a 110 gallon tank with hood+sump/overflow/skimmer/lighting(didnt go into detail on it) and 40 lbs of live rock for 400 dollars! I cant afford another tank right now but I tell you I almost took this deal when I saw it!
Watch the classifieds and the local paper. People often unlaod tanks at an outrageously low price. I would go acrylic...glass tanks scratch too, but at least you can buff them out of acrylic. I don't think they are more likely to fail or anything. You have to take certain precautions, but I would definitely consider an acrylic tank. :yes:
This is truely the way to go! If you really plan on buying a tank just buy someones failed reef tank that they are selling in the paper! They are probably selling due to finding out how expensive the hobby actually is.. and how delicate the stuff is etc... so you probably wont find anything wrong with the tank/equipment they are selling. Last week in the local paper here in FL the (St. Pete Times) someone was selling a 110 gallon tank with hood+sump/overflow/skimmer/lighting(didnt go into detail on it) and 40 lbs of live rock for 400 dollars! I cant afford another tank right now but I tell you I almost took this deal when I saw it!
easy88
Member
actually i ahve scouted the papers only a few things 3 tanks to be exact and 2 of them expected me too take the fish that were in the tanks! yeha right. i i could go the diy project but im alittle cramped since im kinda in the midst of a major car build. i ahve checked ---- but most is local shipping only. also getting back to what this thread was originally about i wrote the company asking how much room thier in tank filter and protien skimmer set up took up. they ahvent replied its my third email in 6 days and its making me angry. also i went to the pet shop becuase they have deals on tanks that are scratched or have a defect but there was nbothing that really interested me. things were either to beat up or not what i wanted
zeromus-x
Member
SPELL SOMETHING RIGHT. ANYTHING. PLEASE
Gah.
That said, go grab a copy of the Trading Post. There's tanks in there all the time. None of the local stores that I know of sell used tank setups or anything (though I don't really see why not). You're in Va Beach, head down to Animal Jungle on Holland Road and take a look at their stuff. Find things you like and things you're going to need, and price it all out. Remember that buying used can potentially mean buying into someone else's problems. Does the tank leak at all? If it's acrylic, are there any scratches? Did they ever use anything with copper in it? Most of the time, IME, there's a reason people are selling it, especially if it's really cheap.
If you're looking for advice on stuff, Fish Safari in Va Beach seems to have the most knowledgable people, and they've got really nice live rock. And a trigger that can do tricks! They occasionally have $4.99/lb cured live rock specials too, mostly unannounced.
You mentioned the people you've called want you to take the fish as well. So? Sell them to one of the LFS in the area and get some store credit towards what you want. At least that way you'll probably get the live rock too.
Gah.
That said, go grab a copy of the Trading Post. There's tanks in there all the time. None of the local stores that I know of sell used tank setups or anything (though I don't really see why not). You're in Va Beach, head down to Animal Jungle on Holland Road and take a look at their stuff. Find things you like and things you're going to need, and price it all out. Remember that buying used can potentially mean buying into someone else's problems. Does the tank leak at all? If it's acrylic, are there any scratches? Did they ever use anything with copper in it? Most of the time, IME, there's a reason people are selling it, especially if it's really cheap.
If you're looking for advice on stuff, Fish Safari in Va Beach seems to have the most knowledgable people, and they've got really nice live rock. And a trigger that can do tricks! They occasionally have $4.99/lb cured live rock specials too, mostly unannounced.
You mentioned the people you've called want you to take the fish as well. So? Sell them to one of the LFS in the area and get some store credit towards what you want. At least that way you'll probably get the live rock too.
stone
Member
I have to agree with Zeromus-X. Trust my im the worst speller, but its allmost like you are trying to miss spell? I may be an old fart but I play alot of online games and I know spelling that way is fine when your in game spelling isnt important, getting your point across is. I think when you post you should take a little more time. Not just here , but anywhere. Trust me im not preaching, I just think it will help you out in a lot of things in life.
Mike
Mike
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by easy88
actually i ahve scouted the papers only a few things 3 tanks to be exact and 2 of them expected me too take the fish that were in the tanks! yeha right. i i could go the diy project but im alittle cramped since im kinda in the midst of a major car build. i ahve checked ---- but most is local shipping only. also getting back to what this thread was originally about i wrote the company asking how much room thier in tank filter and protien skimmer set up took up. they ahvent replied its my third email in 6 days and its making me angry. also i went to the pet shop becuase they have deals on tanks that are scratched or have a defect but there was nbothing that really interested me. things were either to beat up or not what i wanted
If the company you tried to contact is to busy to return your email.... then I would say that the company your trying to do business with will probably give you the same type of customer service as well and with them not returning emails it's definitely not a company I want to do business with!!!!!!
actually i ahve scouted the papers only a few things 3 tanks to be exact and 2 of them expected me too take the fish that were in the tanks! yeha right. i i could go the diy project but im alittle cramped since im kinda in the midst of a major car build. i ahve checked ---- but most is local shipping only. also getting back to what this thread was originally about i wrote the company asking how much room thier in tank filter and protien skimmer set up took up. they ahvent replied its my third email in 6 days and its making me angry. also i went to the pet shop becuase they have deals on tanks that are scratched or have a defect but there was nbothing that really interested me. things were either to beat up or not what i wanted
If the company you tried to contact is to busy to return your email.... then I would say that the company your trying to do business with will probably give you the same type of customer service as well and with them not returning emails it's definitely not a company I want to do business with!!!!!!
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Watch the classifieds and the local paper. People often unlaod tanks at an outrageously low price. I would go acrylic...glass tanks scratch too, but at least you can buff them out of acrylic. I don't think they are more likely to fail or anything. You have to take certain precautions, but I would definitely consider an acrylic tank. :yes:
Acrylic will scratch easier than glass, but with alittle care you can avoid the scratches in an acrylic tank
Watch the classifieds and the local paper. People often unlaod tanks at an outrageously low price. I would go acrylic...glass tanks scratch too, but at least you can buff them out of acrylic. I don't think they are more likely to fail or anything. You have to take certain precautions, but I would definitely consider an acrylic tank. :yes:
Acrylic will scratch easier than glass, but with alittle care you can avoid the scratches in an acrylic tank
saltyfishy
Member
Originally Posted by dragonfli
you ever tried walmart. 180.00 for a 55g set up. hood, filter,etc. not the best hood, but get that and addon when you can. my friends and i did in the begining.
Yeah I just bought that and its a great deal for the money. The stand is only 70 bucks more. You should really go check it out.
you ever tried walmart. 180.00 for a 55g set up. hood, filter,etc. not the best hood, but get that and addon when you can. my friends and i did in the begining.
Yeah I just bought that and its a great deal for the money. The stand is only 70 bucks more. You should really go check it out.
dskidmore
Active Member
Originally Posted by easy88
actually i ahve scouted the papers only a few things 3 tanks to be exact and 2 of them expected me too take the fish that were in the tanks!
You could always take the fish straight to a store that does trade-ins, and start out with a little credit towards whatever the setup is lacking.
Before I had a job, as a kid, if I wanted something my folks would set up an additional chores schedule. Each chore above my regular set was worth a certian amount, and I earned my way to summer camp a couple of years that way. Would your folks be open to such a thing? They might be more willing to help fund the tank if they get something significant out of it.
actually i ahve scouted the papers only a few things 3 tanks to be exact and 2 of them expected me too take the fish that were in the tanks!
You could always take the fish straight to a store that does trade-ins, and start out with a little credit towards whatever the setup is lacking.
Before I had a job, as a kid, if I wanted something my folks would set up an additional chores schedule. Each chore above my regular set was worth a certian amount, and I earned my way to summer camp a couple of years that way. Would your folks be open to such a thing? They might be more willing to help fund the tank if they get something significant out of it.
zeromus-x
Member
Originally Posted by Beth
This thread is not about anyone's spelling or grammer. Helpfulness is appreciated, so lets stay on the topic and be helpful.
I think I mentioned quite a bit that could be considered "helpful". Since this person is local, I figured I'd mention a bit about the local stores that they might not have tried yet, and give a couple suggestions, as well as my experience. However, if they weren't local, I'd have closed the thread and backed right out, because it was nearly impossible to read the first time through. I mean, seriously. If you have a serious question, learn to present yourself seriously. dude soryr wanst being hostile just liek there are certian things i ahte when my dad dose and i have certian preferences about what iw ant to buy.
The Wal-Mart tanks they sell are All-Glass Aquarium tanks, which are going to be just as good as any that you get at a fish store. While I was there last, they had a pretty darn nice bowfront tank, I'd guess it's probably 55-70 gallons without having looked. The price for the stand and the tank was less than I've seen the tank alone sell for at a LFS. It's not acrylic, and if you do want to go acrylic, then yes, "price tags are far to high for a kid to afford" for a lot of people. Hell, I'm 24, and I couldn't afford an acrylic tank -- I couldn't justify the extra expense from a glass tank. In the end it's a giant container of water; weight wasn't an issue because you only have to move it once, and once it's full of water, the weight of the tank is negligible anyway. Acrylic might be a little clearer, but I'm looking at my tank right now, and it looks clear to me! Most of the time there's a small bit of algae on the front anyway, so that's going to defeat the "clearest possible" thing anyway.
Wal-Mart has a 55 gallon aquarium for $164 on their site, plus $70 for the stand = $234. Comes with hood, filter, heater, net, and a couple other little things. A quick Google search for acrylic 55 gallon tanks comes up with $293.54 as the first price listed for a 55 gallon acrylic. A black pine acrylic stand runs about $159.39 from the same site. Add in the filter (about $50), heater (about $15), hood (about $60 for a standard Fluorescent, which is all the Wal-Mart one will come with anyway), and add $10 for the other miscellaneous crap, and that's $588, assuming you can find it locally and don't have to get it shipped. $588 - $234 = a $354 difference. Is it worth $354 to you? Maybe... but if you're complaining about it being really expensive, maybe it's time to reconsider what you "need" and what you "want" based on what you can "afford".
This thread is not about anyone's spelling or grammer. Helpfulness is appreciated, so lets stay on the topic and be helpful.
I think I mentioned quite a bit that could be considered "helpful". Since this person is local, I figured I'd mention a bit about the local stores that they might not have tried yet, and give a couple suggestions, as well as my experience. However, if they weren't local, I'd have closed the thread and backed right out, because it was nearly impossible to read the first time through. I mean, seriously. If you have a serious question, learn to present yourself seriously. dude soryr wanst being hostile just liek there are certian things i ahte when my dad dose and i have certian preferences about what iw ant to buy.
The Wal-Mart tanks they sell are All-Glass Aquarium tanks, which are going to be just as good as any that you get at a fish store. While I was there last, they had a pretty darn nice bowfront tank, I'd guess it's probably 55-70 gallons without having looked. The price for the stand and the tank was less than I've seen the tank alone sell for at a LFS. It's not acrylic, and if you do want to go acrylic, then yes, "price tags are far to high for a kid to afford" for a lot of people. Hell, I'm 24, and I couldn't afford an acrylic tank -- I couldn't justify the extra expense from a glass tank. In the end it's a giant container of water; weight wasn't an issue because you only have to move it once, and once it's full of water, the weight of the tank is negligible anyway. Acrylic might be a little clearer, but I'm looking at my tank right now, and it looks clear to me! Most of the time there's a small bit of algae on the front anyway, so that's going to defeat the "clearest possible" thing anyway.
Wal-Mart has a 55 gallon aquarium for $164 on their site, plus $70 for the stand = $234. Comes with hood, filter, heater, net, and a couple other little things. A quick Google search for acrylic 55 gallon tanks comes up with $293.54 as the first price listed for a 55 gallon acrylic. A black pine acrylic stand runs about $159.39 from the same site. Add in the filter (about $50), heater (about $15), hood (about $60 for a standard Fluorescent, which is all the Wal-Mart one will come with anyway), and add $10 for the other miscellaneous crap, and that's $588, assuming you can find it locally and don't have to get it shipped. $588 - $234 = a $354 difference. Is it worth $354 to you? Maybe... but if you're complaining about it being really expensive, maybe it's time to reconsider what you "need" and what you "want" based on what you can "afford".
easy88
Member
hey you are form va beach, thats sick. its quite a nice place. but anyways i have been to animal jungle and fish safari and i did not know that they took trade ins a fish for store credit. i went to walmart and did not find that 55 gallon setup i actually went to 2 walmarts. sorry bout the spelling and such but school is out and i dotn really care. also i called on a 75 gal tank yesterday but it wasnt what i was lookin for. and i haven't bought a trading post im so dumb i should have went thier first.
zeromus-x
Member
Glad I could help. You can usually find pretty much anything in that thing. Plenty of people with aquariums around here because it's near the ocean, most of them set them up and realize it's not as easy as freshwater and end up selling them. I'm actually from Suffolk, about 30 minutes away.
Not all the local stores buy them back; I think Fish Safari does, I'm not 100% certain. Either way, that's the place to go if you want advice. Animal Jungle is really good too, if anything just because of the sheer size of the place. That's where I got my dwarf Lion.
Not all the local stores buy them back; I think Fish Safari does, I'm not 100% certain. Either way, that's the place to go if you want advice. Animal Jungle is really good too, if anything just because of the sheer size of the place. That's where I got my dwarf Lion.