This tank is listed on my local Craigslist. I think it's a pretty good deal but haven't quite been able to convince Dh that it is. What say you all?

Tank Link

Also, does anyone know what the length on this tank might be? My space is limited and if it's too long, it would be a no-go anyway as it wouldn't fit.

TIA!

Lisa

Good grief Lisa that is a steal !!!!!! Gogogo!!! That is the price I paid for my 55
And it comes with the unit -you have to get that (put DH behind his favorite book for a few minutes while you smuggle it in..it is furniture tell him..that's what kate/katalyst/vmlola and others do )

About the length I don't know..double your 55 ..at least. Let us know!

I think its length is 72 inches long.

LOL! Oh, Imo, you have NO idea how badly I want to. Unfortunately, aside from convincing DH it's a good deal, there is that pesky problem of scraping up the moola for it. Seems like these deals always happen along when our belts are tight. Why is that?!

It also doesn't help that DH bought a Corvette last weekend. I'm trying hard not to be resentful of that, but dang, it's hard.

If it's still available weekend after next, I should be able to 'go for it'. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't get snatched up! (Yeah, I know. Chances are good that it's already gone.)

Lisa

Thanks, David! 72" would be the max that I could fit into my 'tank space'.

Lisa

Darn time-limited edit feature. I wanted to add some clarification to this comment, lest it be taken wrong. I was full on-board with the 'vette purchase. Dh had wanted to get one for waaaaaay longer than I've wanted a bigger tank. He beyond deserved it, too. He also got a amazing deal on it that happened at the RIGHT time. We are having tons of fun with it.

However, there is only so much 'fun money' to go around at any given time. It always happens that the 'fun dough' goes somewhere else the day before a good tank deal comes out. I do believe I am jinxed!

I did go ahead and email the seller. Perhaps, just perhaps, he hasn't sold it or gotten many inquiries about it and will be willing to work with me? One can only hope!

Keep your fingers crossed for me! If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. If not, that just means a better tank/deal is waiting for me somewhere down the road.

Lisa

good luck! My cousin gave me his 125 gallons tank last summer.

lol...wow, i want it....best wishes withthat...I can see me having 10 goldfish in one tank....wowzer

No prob Lisa.You can all enjoy the car and that's important too. These bargains do come along again and as you say if its meant to be it will be. I know exactly what you mean about only so much fun dough..aint that the truth. I have just had a new front door put in and now am counting the yen till my next paycheck. No extras for anyone till the end of the month. And I also realise that actually my 55 was a lot cheaper than that 150 (ha- just to make you feel better!)- I was figuring dollar to yen and back and was confuzzled. Well,
keep that space free, you'll get your tank one way or the other I am sure. (Is it for the fry ?)

You gotta be kiddin'!! That Corvette thing CAN be a blessing! I would toss the idea at him of getting this BIG WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL tank while standing next to the SUPER COOL WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL Corvette!!!

LOL! It had me a little confuzzled, too! I thought, "Dang, tanks are expen$ive wherever it is Imo lives."



I have 23 gf, including the 13 fry. At the moment, I have tanks all over the dang house. I want a big tank so I can 'downsize' the number of tanks I have to maintain. Plus, I want as many of my gf in our main room (so I can enjoy them more!) as possible. If I can get a 125g+ tank, I can keep more of the fry and sell a few of my tanks, freeing up some much needed space.

I haven't heard back from the seller, so my hope is waning. Maybe he's just out of town for the 4th? *sigh*



Oh, yeah. I am LOVIN' it. It took 6 hours at the dealership to wrangle the deal, but it was worth it. An '04 Commemorative Edition convertible. LeMans Blue. It is suh-weet!

I accidently put a tiny scratch on the mirror last night. Tried to squeeze between it and dh's work bench and the button on my back pocket got it. I cried.

Then I promptly went and cut ALL the buttons off my pockets!

Lisa

In my never-ending search for a mondo-tank, I keep seeing ad5 for tanks that are drilled. I have no idea what that means.

Can someone explain it to me?

Lisa

Im pretty sure it means that there has been a hole drilled in the tank for some types of filters ect.

Yeah, often on the side, or the bottom. I bought 10 15gl tanks from a closing pet store, just to have tanks available for goldfish shows, and they all had holes in the bottom. Nothing a little sealant and a piece of glass wouldn't cure, though....

that brings about an ideal to connect to tanks to have goldies in one and plants in the other...wheels ah turning now

They have holes drilled in them so you can use sump filters...

No worries.....replacement mirror for the Vet couldn't cost more than, an arm, a leg & maybe 2 pinky toes!!

I imagine someone telling you "Hey, your button has come off." & you respond "Oh , I have a Corvette!"

My tank has two holes drilled in the bottom and is part of the Fluval range. It has the inlet/outlet pipes through them that connect to a filter underneath.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I kind of know their drilled for filters, I'm just having a problem 'picturing it', I guess. I'm only familiar with HOB filters, so I'm absolutely clueless about other kinds.



That helps me to envision it better. Thanks, Clair! Question, though: when you need to disconnect the filter to clean it, what keeps the water from pouring out of the pipes?

Told ya I'm clueless!

Lisa

Ha! No kidding! I guess I could live with only one arm and one leg, and my pinky toes are a mess from being broken so many times....

Hey, keep your fingers crossed for me, though! The tank may not be a lost deal - I've been checking Craigslist every 15 minutes all week, hoping something new would hit the top. Nothing was, so I decided to read back down in case I might have missed any other deals.

The seller has edited his title with LISA PLEASE EMAIL ME AGAIN!

So I did! It's only been a few minutes ago that I sent the email with my phone #, but my stomach is in a knot and I can't sit still.

I have no idea when the seller edited his title, but I'm thinking that - if he has sold it - he would edit his title again to reflect that? Most Craigers don't update, but if he edited to ask me to email him, then----?

Man, ring phone, RING!

Lisa

you need to negotiate for the price too. You may get $50-$100 off so that you can use that money to buy more filter

Good luck!

a brand new 150 gallon perfecto brand tank goes for $469 dollars

the stand they show is crappy, its either home made or a dresser.

the lighting is cheap no biggy to replace that

id offer $300

Ack!!!!!!!! I just got an email from the seller! She's going to call me on her lunch break! She didn't explicitly say she still had it, but it's safe to say she does, right? If she's going to call me?

Breathe, girl, breathe.

Lisa

good luck Lisa! You may want to ask for $350? LOL

I like to negotiate

However, $400 is a good deal.

Petsmart sells 125 gallons about $340 (tank only).

Thanks, David! I just got off the phone with the seller and her husband. Unfortunately, they are firm on their price. Perhaps DH may be able to work his 'magic' on that, but I still want to think this is a good deal.

I asked the following and would appreciate any advice anyone has on what else I should ask/look for when go to see it tonight:

Measurements: 72Lx24Hx20D. Acdording to the Tank Calculator, that would be 149.61 gallons.

How old: They told me they'd had about 3 or 4 years.

What is the stand made of: Oak. We'll check that, as we've had people mistake laminated particle board for oak in the past.

Wattage on the lights: 38w each. I'm excited about this as my existing lighting is only 8 watts and it's pitiful. In my searches for better lighting, I've always found 38w fixtures to cost $200+ or more, so this is good, yes?

So, there you have it! I really think I'm going to go for it, but would greatly welcome any advice on other things to ask about/look for when we go over there this evening. Does anyone knwo any 'tricks/tips' on checking the seals? Short of filling it up with water?

Lisa

for just the strip lights
http://thatpetplace.com/pet/group/15465/product.web

thats just for the strip light
on my 220 gallon which is 72" long, i have 3 strip lights, i think they are 24" each
you can use a standard glass aquarium cover that comes in three peices, this is what i have on mine

i used to have a $500 power compact lighting over this tank! too much algae i had to go back to regular flourescent
wanna buy a light? lol just kidding

check out that site, they have many hoods, plastic, glass, everything
i think petsmart has them too, for probably just a few bucks more

Thanks for the link, Beemo! See, I would have passed that up as it only said 'reflector' at first glance. Duh. Upon closer inspection, it didn't give the wattage on the bulbs. Do you know what they are? I will be keeping my 20g and would love to get more lighting on that, so I'm very interested.

Lisa

Lisa,
if the tank is currently on the stand and it is empty, you need to ask the seller to fill water up little bit above the bottom frame. That way you can check to see if the stand is level or not. Using water is the best way to check. Sometimes I don't trust those levels from hardware store.

Some stands are not level though.

If it is not level, you can ask for lower price.

David, thanks for the advice. Now you've got me thinking (and it hurts to do that, lol). The floor itself may not be level (garage floor and well, houses are built overnight here and are notorious for being crooked), so I should check that as well as the stand.


Definitely will check for levelness. You say I should only ask for water fill up to right above the bottom frame? Can you expand on that? Is it just to check levelness or is that a good test for seal integrity?

Lisa

on the previous message, I told you to fill water up little bit above the top part of the bottom frame so that you can compare the water line with the top line of the bottom frame. I am sorry I can explain clearly. English is my second language.

you can ask them to fill water all the way up if you want to. However, they may not want to drain the water. You and your hubby may have to do that. If you want to do that you have to bring a siphon and a bucket with you though. I mean in case the owners do not have any siphon and bucket for you to borrow.

I've got a 30' siphon hose. It's by the door now. Thanks for reminding me of the obvious! It's probably super silly to be this excited, huh? Can't help it, though. I've been on a tank search for months upon months.

Siphon hose and level: Check!

Lisa

one more thing,
you need to put your big tank perpendicular to the joists of your floor. Your tank may be over 1500 lbs when it is filled up with water. My 125-gallon is approximate over 1400 lbs.

I have concrete foundation floors so I'm not sure what you mean about joists? Would that be for a wood/second story floor?

I've never had a tank this size, so keep the advice coming! I'm sure I'll miss the obvious.

Thanks for all your help/advice, David! I really appreciate it so, so much.

Lisa

if you have concrete foundatio, you don't need to worry about that though.

I am not an expert. I just told you what I read and learned on the net before setting up my big tank.

Please ignore if I told you wrong things Lisa.

Oh, neither am I! If you only knew how much I appreciate you taking the time to share these cautions with me. It's possible I may move from this house one day to one that DOES have joists so this information is good to have and I am very grateful for you sharing it with me.

Is there anything else I should look for?

Lisa

That's all I have in my mind Lisa. Hopefully, someone else in here will provide more useful information.

Your info was VERY useful, David, and I thank you profusely for it!

By the way, I see in your profile you are from Illinois - that's where my DH is from! A little town called Joliet. Do you know of it?

Thanks again for your help! I'll post later tonight to announce whether we got it or not!

Lisa

i think the flourescents are 20 watts or under. their the typical "dim" bulbs
i appreciate dim now lol, since having 385 watts blasting down on my tank you can imagine the algae was insane. it worked for awhile when the tank was planted, the plants got huge, but when i removed all the plants, because the goldies would tear it up and it clogged my filters daily, once the plants were gone the light produced a thick mat of algae everywhere. it did look pretty at first but just to be able to see in the tank required daily cleanings of the glass, fine on a small tank but 220 gallons is way too much glass to handle.
my tank is down the basement so if you say you have a concrete foundation youll be fine.
as for leveling?? hehe ive never had a tank in my life that was perfectly level. floors are just off no matter where it is. even my basements floor the tank isnt totally level and im in a new house.
if you put a marble on the floor and it rolls away fast on its own, then yer in trouble
but a slight offness in the level wont be a problem

make sure this sucker doesnt leak! thats a big issue with used tanks
ahh for 400 bux might as well go for it..your goldies will be so happy
and they will get huge fast in that tank!

I know Joliet. It is over an hour north from where I live.

I heard that if your tank is not level, it is easy to crack later. Be careful.

if your floor is not level, you can put something under your stand or your tank to level it though.

I really don't want 150 gallons of water on my floor. LOL

not sure how thick the glass is on a 150 gallon, but my 220 gallon is half to 3/4 inch thick

HOPE YOU GET IT!!!!! ((And go right out and get a 50 ft Python! Makes fillin' & emptin' MUCH easier!

And I don't think the stand looks like an old piece of furniture! It looks like a nice stand to me!!

Sending BIG TANK GOOD WISHES YOUR WAY!!!

I used to have Python Jeana, but it did not work for me. I returned it back to the store though.

I used to use a siphon hose & bucket for my 29 gallon tank (BACK BREAKER!!) When i got my big tank I got a Python & have been a big fan ever since!! I can't imagine cleaning my tanks without one now!! I AM SPOILED!!

I think they should PAY ME for all the advertising I do!!!

((Why did it not work for you?))

hellz yeah get the python!
dang ive had one for ages now since they first came out...must have been back in 91'??

if it didnt work maybe the connections were loose?? just tighten them up
run both hot and cold water to get a better pull and yer done

that's really cool info from david about buying a used tank!!! Checking the level of your floor or cabinet by putting in a small amount of water and seeing if its level is cool info I never thought of it. And about the weight. Remember once its in place thats it from here to eternity. I made the mistake of rigging up a large tank in front of a small in built cupboard...there is still stuff in there including fish tank heaters etc that I can't get to! Duh! Things that fall down the back are impossible to retrieve too.

I'm excited for you Lisa . Yes check its real oak as if its not you can get them to reduce legit.

Be sure to post pics when you get it home! I got a free 125 tank (a little smaller once the measurements are done, but still close), that dh cleaned up for me, and has been begging me to buy PP so he can nuke it for me! I still don't know if it'll hold water yet, and it didn't come with anything at all, so have to buy all the accessories. But luckily we got a nice piece of furniture (also for free) that we refinished that will work great for a stand, so overall, a VERY good deal for us.

Bigger is better!

The tanks use a device called an overflow, which drains water to a sump or tank below the main tank, in the sump theres all the filtration media, heater etc and the waters pumped back up into the main tank.

tis hard to describe what an overflow is, you might want to google that...

Since the tanks drilled, that would mean the overflow is most likely a pipe which goes up the center of the tank.

My tank doesn't have an overflow. When i disconnect the filter from the bottom i have to turn two handles, one stops the water flow, the other releases the connection from the filter so as i can take it out. I dont need to prime it when i put it back as when the handles are released the water just flows back down in to the filter.

See that's me waving.....happy for you getting your big tank....but you notice still GREEN with envy!!