Would you?

My roomate has been looking for a tank of his own recently, and found a 55g setup on craigslist for $100. It includes:

• Undrilled 55g tank
• Mag 7 return pump
• nice overflow box
• wet/dry sump
• Seaclone Skimmer
• Coralife VHO 2-bulb retro
• Piano black hood (with fan) and stand (both in very rough shape)
• Bag of Aragonite sand
• 20# of dry rock
• Typical tank chemicals
• Mag-Float

He's waffling because the stand is in rough shape and it uses VHOs, but I keep trying to tell him that no matter what he does he'll easily make is money back by selling the stuff he doesn't want. Hell, the Mag 7 is worth more than that now. Personally, I'd probably scrap the stand and hood, sell the lights, and sump for more than $100. Buy a used metal stand and put some doors on it, then DIY a glass sump/refugium and drill the tank. That way he'd be basically getting a 55g tank, Mag 7, and a beginner skimmer for free.

I'd like to hear what you guys would do.

 

55 Gallon Fish Tank, Stand, Pumps, Filters, and Lighting

 

Nah he won't "easily make $ back" by sellin some stuff.

good thing about this tank is it has everything you need to get started out of the gate... 2 vho tubes can keep softies/lps not a bad start.

for 100 bucks it's a good deal... if the stand is iffy i'd either repair or replace it...

that's one thing you don't want to skimp on.

dude for $100 that's a sweet set-up after looking at pics.

 

When it comes to buying used items, you cannot judge the price by the name/brand. It depends on the condition. There are a few things you should look out when you buy a used tank - significant scratches, silicone, chemical used (especially copper). How are the conditions of mag 7 and seaclone? It is a OK deal if what you want to keep is in great condition.

 

For $100 i'd buy it just to keep as a spare. Comes with everything he needs right out of the box. He would be stupid not to buy it.

 

Looks like a good deal, and worth having a look at.

You may want to replace the stand. If it is in "very rough shape" after only 3 years, it probably means water damage. And I'd want to know the cause of the water damage.

Searching used ads is funny. People either seem to want way too much for a system, or they are practically giving it away.

 

I think that you could easily sell the tank for $40, the pump for $40, the overflow at least $25, and the sump for at LEAST $50.

We already saw it once, and the tank was a FOWLR, and the silicone was in good shape, definitely wouldn't need a reseal. No scratches to the front panel, and no obvious scratches on the side panels. The pump looked to be in very good shape, basically brand new. The VHOs are showing some age, the ballast is rusting, and some of the bulb holders are missing parts (could currently hold 2, but there are bulb holders for 4 tubes). The SeaClone looks to be in good shape, and the Maxi-Jet that powers it does also.

That's how I felt.

He claims that when he had it at his parents house, it flooded during a storm (or something to that affect) and that's why the baseboards are messed up so bad. The other problem is that you could see the particle board beneath the laminate on a number of the edges. It's possible that he had a sump overflow somehow, but we intend on taking a closer look at the stand tonight.

 

dump the stand, the tank + pump is worth $100.

You could probably re list anything you don't want on CL for $50 and get half your money back...

and seriously... waffling over $100 when you can spend that on a coral, a light bulb, or a fish.... seems silly.

 

+1 to greysoul

 

Good call