Good Deal or Not?

[nate_lockhart]

Does this sound like a decent deal...All new...55 gal tank (glass), Whisper 60 filter, Cover(s) (Fluorescent lights), Heater (of a brand I can't remember, but definitely not the usual junk you get with a kit), and the usual junk you get with a kit (book, food, and a variety of other cheap stuff you already have anyways). $200. Just wondering cause I saw this at the LFS and it looked good (or at least not bad) to me, but I don't really know.

[K9Decoy]

My LFS has a 55gal tank for $70, and the hoods for $60 each, so your "deal" sounds about normal. The fact that it includes a filter and heater is ok, but the quality of these extras is usually not the best because they sell them along with the total package. Look in your local newspaper for deals on tank/stand/light combos. My local paper has a guy selling a 125gal tank/stand/light combo for $100. THAT is a deal, my friend. One that might be just too good for me to pass up! Hope this helps.

[BrianH]

Is this for a SW tank? If so, most of the "junk" included (including the whisper) is not used in SW set ups.

Brian

[K9Decoy]

Nate, think of it this way if you're intending to make this 55gallon a SW tank:

-The Whisper filter you're going to run without filter media and use to circulate water anyways, so that's a waste. Might as well spend the money on a powerhead instead.
-The lights that come with it probably aren't sufficient enough to sustain many corals and inverts in a tank that big anyways, so more money wasted.

Of course, I don't know what you do for a living, or your income, or how much you want to spend on this kind of stuff, but I'm on a fixed income, and for me, the best deals are always found in the newspapers. Even if I get a tank from a person who was using it exclusively for FW, the money I'll save by buying a used tank/hood/stand combo can be used to buy the SW equipment I'll need to sustain a tank of that size.

If you intend to make this a FW tank, then use your best judgement, and remember, you can make any tank you find in the newspaper a FW tank with very few, if any, extra costs. JMO.