Prices

[Scorpion]

What is the avg price for a 120 and 125 gal tank from your LFS? Would you buy a 120 or 125 gal and why?

[DLeDeaux]

For just the glass or the whole kitten kaboodle? Stand, hood, etc.

[metallhd]

Scorpion - before you splurge for lighting and heating the mall, have you considered the buy&sell or some such?

mine this week has a 230G fw setup complete for $900 cdn, about $500 us, a steal at any conversion factor. sure, it's used, sure, it might leak, but if it ain't cracked you've just saved enough to buy all the bits, fish plants and what have you - wait 'til you start pricing canopies!

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by metallhd

Scorpion - before you splurge for lighting and heating the mall, have you considered the buy&sell or some such?

mine this week has a 230G fw setup complete for $900 cdn, about $500 us, a steal at any conversion factor. sure, it's used, sure, it might leak, but if it ain't cracked you've just saved enough to buy all the bits, fish plants and what have you - wait 'til you start pricing canopies!

That is not a bad deal. I would not mind used as long as it is not all scratched up. As for the canopies...I do not wanna go there...

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by DLeDeaux

For just the glass or the whole kitten kaboodle? Stand, hood, etc.

Right now I am just curious for the glass only.

[Wasserpest]

I would expect to pay around $300-350 for a new glass tank that size, not considering any great deal of the week.
After I bought my 100 gal tank that same LFS started to offer a 100 gal tank with stand and hood for $450... which I think is a good deal.
I would have gotten a 125 gal tank, but 72 inches just so didn't fit into the space.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

I would expect to pay around $300-350 for a new glass tank that size, not considering any great deal of the week.
After I bought my 100 gal tank that same LFS started to offer a 100 gal tank with stand and hood for $450... which I think is a good deal.
I would have gotten a 125 gal tank, but 72 inches just so didn't fit into the space.

Ummm not bad. I think around xmas petsmart puts some good deals.

[jonah]

I paid about $500 for a 125g with stand at Petsmart a few years back. That's with just a couple of strip lights and the glass canopies.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by jonah

I paid about $500 for a 125g with stand at Petsmart a few years back. That's with just a couple of strip lights and the glass canopies.

Pricey :shock:

[jonah]

About 9% of it was sales tax. :x

I paid $200 for a used one with no top, but with a stand. I've seen them around $250-$400 in the paper.

[Scorpion]

Originally Posted by jonah

About 9% of it was sales tax. :x

I paid $200 for a used one with no top, but with a stand. I've seen them around $250-$400 in the paper.

I tend to peruse the classifieds for them. What do you look for on a used tank? I would say that I would inspect the seals to ensure they are continuous and that there are no cracks in the silicone... what else?

[jart]

i expect someone to chime in and say that it's really a bonus if the tank is full. who's going to keep a tank that leaks full of water? also, is there not a chance that sealant can dry out/ lose its usefulness if the tank is kept empty for prolonged periods?

also obviously check for excessive scratches.

[jonah]

I only worry about breaks in the glass. I'll reseal it anyway before I use it so the silicone doesn't matter to me. Why take a chance when it's easy to do before you set it up?

[jart]

is it really that easy? would you actually remove all the old silicone, or just silicone over the old (the latter doesn't seem to be a realistic option)? i've always avoided caulking whenever possible (can never get it right). i've got an old 22 in the attic that's been there for 4 years or so. jonah if you were me and you were going to set it up down the road would you actually reseal it, knowing that it never leaked in the first place?

good topic, btw.

[jonah]

If it's been dry for 4 years I'd probably reseal it. Scrape off the old silicone with a razor, then wipe it down with some alcohol so the surface is extra clean. There's some other sort of glass cleaner that's used, but I can't remember the name. After you put the silicone on, wait a couple of days for it to cure. Make sure you have good ventilation. The silicone odor can make you sick. I've resealed a 55g, a 125g and a bunch of 20g's.

It might not be that big a deal with a 22g, even if it leaked it would probably only be a couple of gallons before you caught it.. My used 125g dumped that much from one split seam. That's when I started resealing my used tanks. You could just set it on some paper in the garage and fill it up for a week or so. If it doesn't soak the paper it's probably okay.