Recommendations for buying a running tank?

[Elo500]

I see ads for neglected tanks for sale that come with fish and rock and was wondering the best way to handle buying a messed up tank (algae , red slime, possible ick) ? Is it best to dump the sand and rock, qt the fish, and start over, or ??

 

[ncaldwell]

I'd never reuse sand but you can definitely quarantine the fish or take them to the store for credit. If the rock looks fine I'd use it but you could boil it, dry it, or give it an acid bath. Chances are if it's a ugly neglected tank it would need a new cycle before it's ready for fish anyway. And probably a couple new pieces of equipment, all the ones I ever see are with cheap lights and a canister filter

 

[shifty51008]

Do not ever boil rock, very dangerous.

That being said i wouldnt hessitate buying a negelected tank if the price is right. You can qt and treat fish. Cook rock (leave it in the dark) to get rid of algae, do water changes to get parameters in check. Most is fixable

 

[Sinocard]

I'd never reuse sand but you can definitely quarantine the fish or take them to the store for credit. If the rock looks fine I'd use it but you could boil it, dry it, or give it an acid bath. Chances are if it's a ugly neglected tank it would need a new cycle before it's ready for fish anyway. And probably a couple new pieces of equipment, all the ones I ever see are with cheap lights and a canister filter

Do not boil saltwater rock.... Ever....

palytoxin....

 

[Sapelo]

Just know that when you buy a used tank you are buying someone's problems. No matter how careful you are, it's highly likely that you will run into unforeseen issues with equipment and setup. Ask every question you can think of asking and then ask again. I've learned more from redoing someone's prior mistakes than I ever wanted to know. Still, there are great deals to be had and if you have time and patience, rehabbing a used tank is not all that hard.

 

[gone fishin]

Depending on the deal, it would have to be a good one, I would consider a messed up tank. However I would not necessarily recommend this approach to a new person. Depending on how or what is messed up with the tank a new person may not have the experience to treat the tank and it may end up being not so good of a deal. good luck just my 2 cents worth.

 

[ncaldwell]

My apologies, I never do aquairium related things in the kitchen for my wife's sake. When I say boil I meant boil outside with an old turkey fryer thing. I'd never do it inside or even in a small yard

 

[ncaldwell]

Though probably still a bad idea

 

[Sk8r]

Keep the rock, dump the sand, qt the fish (if appropriate) or trade them, and cycle the tank for however long it takes.