Buying a used tank, and have questions!

[Siberwulf]

In my previous Reef life, I bought everything brand new. I was younger and... I've learned a bit since then.

I'm looking at purchasing a used tank now, and I have my eyes on a tank stand combo. I've asked the seller some questions, but want to know if I'm missing any obvious things.

1. Why are they selling? They've upgraded tanks and are getting rid of the old one.
2. Was this always a reef tank? Yes, and hasn't ever been treated with copper
3. How long has it been dry? About a year
4. Are there any known leaks? No.

Did I miss anything obvious here?

My plans is to take this and set it up in the garage in case there are any leaks in it. Don't want to ruin the floors. (If there ARE leaks, is patching those as simple as just getting some silicon and slather away?) Once I know it isn't leaking, the plan is to setup all the plumbing (including sump) in the garage and to let it run in the garage for a few weeks to ensure everything is fine. I can also test some fail scenarios such as the pump shutting off or the overflow getting clogged (make sure my levels are good).

What else should I be thinking about?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lapin]

What else should I be thinking about?

Chips

If there ARE leaks, is patching those as simple as just getting some silicon and slather away?

No if seams are leaking then the panel will need to be removed and the joint re-done
If not you are flirting with a large failure down the road.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think you covered the obvious questions.

Maybe ask "If it leaks when tested, can I get my money back?"

If it leaks, fixing it is no east feat. (If there ARE leaks, is patching those as simple as just getting some silicon and slather away?) is not a good solution. The issue is the silicon between the glass panels, not the inside seal.

 

[Philly Reefer]

I would ask the seller if he can leak test it for you.
1 year dry. Anything can happen.
And if you can come by to check it out. Look for the silicone

 

[Siberwulf]

Is it outlandish for me to ask them to fill the tank and then let me look at it when I show up to ensure it's not leaking before I pay?

 

[Philly Reefer]

Is it outlandish for me to ask them to fill the tank and then let me look at it when I show up to ensure it's not leaking before I pay?

I would be weary if he didn't agree to the leak test at least.
You can ask for pictures of the silicones. But I would rather check it in person.

Btw how big is the tank?

 

[Siberwulf]

It's a 90g with a shadowbox external overflow. I've attached a few pics

 

[Super Fly]

In my previous Reef life, I bought everything brand new. I was younger and... I've learned a bit since then.

I'm looking at purchasing a used tank now, and I have my eyes on a tank stand combo. I've asked the seller some questions, but want to know if I'm missing any obvious things.

1. Why are they selling? They've upgraded tanks and are getting rid of the old one.
2. Was this always a reef tank? Yes, and hasn't ever been treated with copper
3. How long has it been dry? About a year
4. Are there any known leaks? No.

Did I miss anything obvious here?

My plans is to take this and set it up in the garage in case there are any leaks in it. Don't want to ruin the floors. (If there ARE leaks, is patching those as simple as just getting some silicon and slather away?) Once I know it isn't leaking, the plan is to setup all the plumbing (including sump) in the garage and to let it run in the garage for a few weeks to ensure everything is fine. I can also test some fail scenarios such as the pump shutting off or the overflow getting clogged (make sure my levels are good).

What else should I be thinking about?

Thanks in advance!

When I buy used tanks, I only ask Q's 1 & 4 bc I always give used equipments bleach bath to clean/kill everything, this way I know nothing bad will have entered my system from previous owner.
Asking for leak test is reasonable request, if they refuse I'd walk away. By the looks of the pix, it appears the owner took good care of equipment which is always a good sign.

 

[Siberwulf]

When I buy used tanks, I only ask Q's 1 & 4 bc I always give used equipments bleach bath to clean/kill everything, this way I know nothing bad will have entered my system from previous owner.
Asking for leak test is reasonable request, if they refuse I'd walk away. By the looks of the pix, it appears the owner took good care of equipment which is always a good sign.

Only reason I would think about 2 and 3 is that if it was treated with copper, I heard that can leech into the silicone and then come back out over time, which would not be ideal. For the dry length, I also read that silicone will break down over time if it sits dry (if previously wet). I'm not 100% sure either of those are true, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Tell me if I'm wrong, though!

 

[Rubblereefer]

Man I would buy any piece of gear used before buying a used tank again.

 

[csnmusic02]

When I buy a used tank I always strip the silicon and do a new bead so 1 less thing to worry about

 

[Siberwulf]

Man I would buy any piece of gear used before buying a used tank again.

So I for sure have some hesitation with buying used tanks. If you were forced to buy used, though, how long would you fill it with water and let it sit in a garage before you certified it as "leak-free" and brought it inside? A day? A week? A month?

 

[csnmusic02]

Well you can touch the silicon if it still feels like stabil it’s a good way to check, also if it’s clear and you notice the silicon is white might time to replace I never take the risk, it takes a week to strip old silicon clean and reseal it so the peace of mind for me is what matter I just did that with my 180

 

[Super Fly]

Only reason I would think about 2 and 3 is that if it was treated with copper, I heard that can leech into the silicone and then come back out over time, which would not be ideal. For the dry length, I also read that silicone will break down over time if it sits dry (if previously wet). I'm not 100% sure either of those are true, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Tell me if I'm wrong, though!

it doesn't hurt to ask. 99% of all my equipment are used and buying used gear always comes with a risk, it's caveat emptor. Don't know about copper leaching back from silicone but I believe separate vinegar and bleach bath will clean tank of copper or any other residual chems/bacteria.
Don't take this the wrong way but I'm going to be brutally honest- If buying used gear will keep you up at night over leak/chem concerns, then I would highly recommend spending more $ on new tank for peace of mind. Not worth the stress and one less thing to worry about will go a long way to help you succeed in this hobby. GL

 

[Rubblereefer]

So I for sure have some hesitation with buying used tanks. If you were forced to buy used, though, how long would you fill it with water and let it sit in a garage before you certified it as "leak-free" and brought it inside? A day? A week? A month?

Honestly for me it wouldnt really matter. I would say filling it for just a few hours proves it isnt leaking TODAY, but thats it. You have to realize that this glass box we are filling with expensive living creatures has a finite lifespan, whether 5 years or 50 is not immediately apparent and I do not know there is any way to tell other than a current leak. In my case, my used tank was free from a friend, and had no leaks and looked great. I thought I scored... but about a year later, the center brace just cracked from old age. I DIY fixed it as best as I could, but At this point I have thousands of dollars and hours invested in this little undersea universe in a box that at any minute could be 46 gallons of fish and coral soup in my basement, and I REALLY wish I just started with a new tank. Especially in your case, a 90 gallon is a relatively inexpensive mass produced item and with the money this hobby costs, I think its pennywise and pound foolish to mess around with used. But YMMV, it could be just fine. I would just suggest that the peace of mind alone would be worth a few hundred bucks were I in your shoes.

 

[Siberwulf]

Honestly for me it wouldnt really matter. I would say filling it for just a few hours proves it isnt leaking TODAY, but thats it. You have to realize that this glass box we are filling with expensive living creatures has a finite lifespan, whether 5 years or 50 is not immediately apparent and I do not know there is any way to tell other than a current leak. In my case, my used tank was free from a friend, and had no leaks and looked great. I thought I scored... but about a year later, the center brace just cracked from old age. I DIY fixed it as best as I could, but At this point I have thousands of dollars and hours invested in this little undersea universe in a box that at any minute could be 46 gallons of fish and coral soup in my basement, and I REALLY wish I just started with a new tank. Especially in your case, a 90 gallon is a relatively inexpensive mass produced item and with the money this hobby costs, I think its pennywise and pound foolish to mess around with used. But YMMV, it could be just fine. I would just suggest that the peace of mind alone would be worth a few hundred bucks were I in your shoes.

Well this resonated with me. And yeah, the diff between a new and used is only $200 which is way less than my fixing wood flooring if it were to leak down the road. Appreciate this feedback, for reals!

 

[Simply__J]

If you're worried about leaks couldn't you just ask them to fill (partially fill) it with regular degular tap water? I just sold my tank and this wasn't an uncommon request from potential buyers. I even took photos of it filled and would send that as to not have refill for EVERY person.

 

[HJ99]

Our used 125g tank saga was both a fail and sort of a win. $200 with the stand seemed a great deal at the time. It was sold as no leaks and that seemed true by looking at the actual silicon seams. You can inspect them at the corners since you can see through the glass. However, the secondary sealant was bubbling and loose in spots plus nicked up from using a scrapper. So I resealed that which was an hour and a couple tubes of silicone. But there were a LOT of scratches we didn't see when it was all dirty. I was going to try polishing but never ended up doing it. I was also buying an external overflow for another $200. We talked about it and decided that with all the money that would end up inside it, the scratches would always bother us. Plus, the wife really wanted bigger. So we are awaiting a reef ready 180 to come in and the 125 is going to be a basement sump. Sure the new one is $1000 but I don't have to drill and buy a $200 overflow. I'm sure there are great deals to be had used but that was our experience. It seems there is a waiting period on the larger tanks and the wife saw another used setup online. I told her no, we will just wait. Best wishes what ever you end up with.

 

[Rubblereefer]

Well this resonated with me. And yeah, the diff between a new and used is only $200 which is way less than my fixing wood flooring if it were to leak down the road. Appreciate this feedback, for reals!

Glad to help someone learn from my mistakes, I’m usually really smart after I do something dumb

wish me luck!