New Tank Advice

[TitusvileSurfer]

I was browsing my LFS's new shipment today after work and gazed upon a 185 gal reef ready tank with those longing puppy dog eyes. Stand, hood, and 60x30x24" tank come for a "great deal" of $1600. The salesman went on and on about how he usually pays $1900-$2500 for such a setup wholesale. I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical, but hey...I'm posting in the "New to the hobby" forum right? This is a huge investment and I don't care to screw up my initial tank purchase so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bertoni]

Is this a glass tank? Does that price include a stand or canopy? $1500 is about right for an acrylic 185g tank with a built-in overflow.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

This is a glass tank with custom stand and canopy drilled twice in each back bottom corner.

 

[jer77]

A 180 glass AGA with 2 overflows and with stand is around $1100 at the LFS by me. But for a custom aquarium your probably gonna pay a little more. There are places where it is cheaper like www.glasscages.com but you have to pick up the glass tanks at delivery cities across the country.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

$1600 gets you a stand, canopy, and tank. I don't particularly care for the stand but I loooove that aquarium! The owner was making it sound like a very very inexpensive deal, and compared to the rest of his tanks it was, although $1100 sounds a heck of a lot better.

 

[kayaaandjaden]

If I were you I would look around a little before taking that plunge. You are most likely going to be buying a skimmer, a ro unit, and several other dry goods purchases, before you even get to livestock. And if you are doing a reef tank there is live rock too. I found out very quickly that wehat I thought was going to be my most expensive startup purchase, was soon superseeded by several purchases I had to make before I could even add anything to the tank.
My recommendation:
Check out ebay....there are a lot of people in FL that sell and part out of the hobby.
Check out the Coastal Trader. Same deal as above. You are in a good location (I am guessing youare in Titusville) to travel a little north, south, east, or west to get a good deal.
Unless he can't get another tank just like that one (which he may tell you he can't) I wouldn't jump on it.
Save where you can now, then you will have more cash to put into things like lights, skimmers, etc...
If the lights are strip florescents, and you are doing a reef.....then a new lighting system is costly as well.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

That is very good advice, and I've been patiently waiting for a good deal to come along for about 4 months now. This seems to be the best I have found thus far. I did pick up a 55 gallon tank for $10 at a garage sale which, save some minor discolorations in the glass, was perfect. Unfortunately, I was too afraid to drill for an overflow! My turtles and largemouth bass moved into it from a 35 gallon hexagon. :sigh: They didn't need the upgrade immediately, though in a year or two it would have been necessary.