What to look for in a used tank?

As far as used tanks go, IME many people have enough trouble finding someone who will come and take them away, much less buy them, so keep that in mind when considering price.

One thing that I'd recommend is asking if you can see it filled before you buy it. It's the best way to check for leaks.

It depends. When I got my 75g setup, the previous owner wanted nothing more than for me to come take it away. That's the same way that I got a 20g Long setup, a 30g tank, and a 29g setup.

Then you have some people who think that they should get almost as much money for a used setup as they paid for it new. They're far less common in my experience.

Used fish tanks are definately a "buyer's market".

Its a good thing if the person your getting the tank from has a for sale sign in front of their house. Thats the best reason for selling a tank. You should always question why they are selling their tank. You might also ask if they had neons if you plan to keep them. You don't want a tank that has had neon disease.

Next, check to make sure if everything works. The heaters and filters should turn on when plugged in. If the tank is up, then there is nothing to worry about. It should be obvious if it works.

Before you setup the tank, test it first especially if it was empty at the place you got it from. There could be new leaks or leaks they didn't tell you about. The garage or outside is a good place to test it.

It might not be such a good idea to use a tank that was used for saltwater if you want freshwater fish either. It will take some work getting all the salt off.

Some people sell the tank and the fish. I prefer to buy the tank and stand only because its a long shot that someone has the tank, fish, filter, etc. that I want. You can expect to get some decorations and gravel usually in the deal too. It all depends though. One guy gave me about a years worth of fish food with the tank I got from him plus a bunch of extras. Some people will throw in a lot of extras that aren't advertised.

Besides the tank, look at the stand. If the stand is wood, make sure it isn't rotted anywhere.

try ebay too, I've had good luck on there!! You can search in your local area only, so that you can pick it up. Check that the silicone (?) sealing around the edges looks intact, not peeling, or chipped away. It is also good to know if the tank was FW or SW that way you know how to clean it out!

another good suggestion is to bring a flashlight and get someone to hold it on one end and really get down and look for scratches and cracks,. a flishlight that is even with the tanks glass on one end will make any scratch or crack stand out like a white shirt under a blacklight,. just a hard learned suggestion,.
knowy