Get reef tank cleaned up before selling???

john_waggs · 03/16/2019, 06:49 PM

I’ve had a tank for over a decade and lately I’ve let it get out of hand and now I have a ton of bubble algae and green hair algae. I’ve been super busy with my job and realized I need to sell this. Now I’m to a point where I want to sell and don’t want to get tank back in order which would cost a lot of money and time which I don’t have. Question is will I be able to sell it or do I need to get tank looking good before I attempt to sell?

Thanks,

J W

mcgyvr · 03/16/2019, 07:17 PM

Its always best to try to sell clean stuff... The perceived value is less if dirty..

hbrochs · 03/17/2019, 06:29 AM

If I were you I’d consider giving it away dirty. You sound pretty busy and I don’t know what the value is all cleaned up. You could spend considerable time and money cleaning it and still struggle to sell. Just my .02.

Good luck,

Howard

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

on the spot · 03/17/2019, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_waggs

I’ve had a tank for over a decade...
I’ve been super busy...
I want to sell and don’t want to get tank back in order which would cost a lot of money and time which I don’t have...

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbrochs

I’d consider giving it away dirty. You sound pretty busy and I don’t know what the value is all cleaned up. You could spend considerable time and money cleaning it and still struggle to sell.

Howard makes good points. It'll feel like giving it away even if you do clean it all up and get next to nothing for it.

Unless you have some outstanding gear. maybe a few minutes in the selling forums will help you decide if it's worth the effort.

HumbleFish · 03/17/2019, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Its always best to try to sell clean stuff... The perceived value is less if dirty..

+1 If selling it dirty be open to best offers

RioReefr · 03/17/2019, 02:37 PM

I bought an used stocked aquarium from a guy who was working 2 jobs and just had a newborn along with already having a 5-yo son. He literally had no time for anything.

The aquarium had tons of green hair algae and in general looked like he hadn't done any maintenance for months. I got a great deal, bc I said "dude, you aquarium is a disgusting mess". So, I made him a cash offer for 1/2 of what I was really willing to pay. He immediately accepted it as he was just happy to get it out of his house.

Anyway, my suggestion would at least try fluconazole and/or NoPoX for a few days. A very small investment of time/money will make the tank more presentable.
The green hammer colony almost alone was worth what I had paid him.

PCguy21 · 03/18/2019, 08:22 AM

I bought a 1989 jeep grand wagoneer 3 years ago.. guy wanted 8k for it.. i chewed him down various reasons and one was because it had water in the floors and old cheeseburgers and trash in thr back.. if he simply cleaned it up he might have got more for it.

Just saying

Orsamax · 03/18/2019, 03:31 PM

It may help you feel better to think about how much you would have to pay (out of pocket) to hire someone just to come get it out of your house. If you add that to even the most low-ball of offers you get, it might make you feel better about parting with it. Also, just look on craigslist or other similar apps and see that nice big setups go for pennies on the dollar when there are people trying to get big heavy (and sometimes ugly) tanks out of their house. I'm sorry you are leaving the hobby.

tom obrecht · 03/19/2019, 02:50 PM

Please don’t take offense to my thoughts...they are just thoughts. If the tank you are mentioning is 10 years old it is not the most desirable either way. IME used tanks are hard to sell regardless of clean or dirty besides being a decade old. You didn’t mention how large of a tank you are talking about. If someone is actually looking for a used aquarium they probably won’t care if it’s dirty. I’d be more concerned with the age of the tank rather than cleanliness. Good luck.

PCguy21 · 03/19/2019, 06:28 PM

I guess im different i like older tabks.. i always reseal them but the older tanks use thicker glass and are better built..

But i agree most 125-150 gallon tanks on fb marketplace go for like 100-300$. I got my 135 for 100$ with a steel stand it was 37 years old lol and i resealed it and had to sand the stand and repaint it though... i just got a oem wooden stsnd for 40$ to replace the metal one. Metal is just too open and ugly

One thing though is livestock like sand rock seems to make prices go way up.. Dead rock is 40$ per 40 lbs.. and 16$ for a 20 lbs bag of sand. Some people seem to think that because their rock is live they can make prices go wayyyy up.. ive seen lottle 10 and 20 gallon tanks with live rock and sand go for 500$ lol yeaaa ok...

Some people want over 700$ for their 125s with live rock in it... no thanks.. Ill buy one for 100$ and just spend 80$ on rock and 80$ on fresh sand and wait for the cycle and save 500$

03/16/2019, 06:49 PM	#1
john_waggs Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tampa Posts: 19	Get reef tank cleaned up before selling??? I’ve had a tank for over a decade and lately I’ve let it get out of hand and now I have a ton of bubble algae and green hair algae. I’ve been super busy with my job and realized I need to sell this. Now I’m to a point where I want to sell and don’t want to get tank back in order which would cost a lot of money and time which I don’t have. Question is will I be able to sell it or do I need to get tank looking good before I attempt to sell? Thanks, J W

03/16/2019, 07:17 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Its always best to try to sell clean stuff... The perceived value is less if dirty.. __________________ Who me?

03/17/2019, 06:29 AM	#3
hbrochs Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Westchester, NY Posts: 439	If I were you I’d consider giving it away dirty. You sound pretty busy and I don’t know what the value is all cleaned up. You could spend considerable time and money cleaning it and still struggle to sell. Just my .02. Good luck, Howard Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 80 Gallon Innovative Marine long shallow reef 30 Gallon tank for raising baby clownfish Current Tank Info: Innovative Marine SR-80

03/19/2019, 02:50 PM	#9
tom obrecht Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: WI Posts: 3,014	Please don’t take offense to my thoughts...they are just thoughts. If the tank you are mentioning is 10 years old it is not the most desirable either way. IME used tanks are hard to sell regardless of clean or dirty besides being a decade old. You didn’t mention how large of a tank you are talking about. If someone is actually looking for a used aquarium they probably won’t care if it’s dirty. I’d be more concerned with the age of the tank rather than cleanliness. Good luck. __________________ Reef keeping is where Murphy's Law and your bank account collide!! TOTM May 2006

03/17/2019, 02:37 PM	#6
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	I bought an used stocked aquarium from a guy who was working 2 jobs and just had a newborn along with already having a 5-yo son. He literally had no time for anything. The aquarium had tons of green hair algae and in general looked like he hadn't done any maintenance for months. I got a great deal, bc I said "dude, you aquarium is a disgusting mess". So, I made him a cash offer for 1/2 of what I was really willing to pay. He immediately accepted it as he was just happy to get it out of his house. Anyway, my suggestion would at least try fluconazole and/or NoPoX for a few days. A very small investment of time/money will make the tank more presentable. The green hammer colony almost alone was worth what I had paid him.

03/18/2019, 08:22 AM	#7
PCguy21 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 263	I bought a 1989 jeep grand wagoneer 3 years ago.. guy wanted 8k for it.. i chewed him down various reasons and one was because it had water in the floors and old cheeseburgers and trash in thr back.. if he simply cleaned it up he might have got more for it. Just saying

03/18/2019, 03:31 PM	#8
Orsamax Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 60	It may help you feel better to think about how much you would have to pay (out of pocket) to hire someone just to come get it out of your house. If you add that to even the most low-ball of offers you get, it might make you feel better about parting with it. Also, just look on craigslist or other similar apps and see that nice big setups go for pennies on the dollar when there are people trying to get big heavy (and sometimes ugly) tanks out of their house. I'm sorry you are leaving the hobby.

03/19/2019, 06:28 PM	#10
PCguy21 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 263	I guess im different i like older tabks.. i always reseal them but the older tanks use thicker glass and are better built.. But i agree most 125-150 gallon tanks on fb marketplace go for like 100-300$. I got my 135 for 100$ with a steel stand it was 37 years old lol and i resealed it and had to sand the stand and repaint it though... i just got a oem wooden stsnd for 40$ to replace the metal one. Metal is just too open and ugly One thing though is livestock like sand rock seems to make prices go way up.. Dead rock is 40$ per 40 lbs.. and 16$ for a 20 lbs bag of sand. Some people seem to think that because their rock is live they can make prices go wayyyy up.. ive seen lottle 10 and 20 gallon tanks with live rock and sand go for 500$ lol yeaaa ok... Some people want over 700$ for their 125s with live rock in it... no thanks.. Ill buy one for 100$ and just spend 80$ on rock and 80$ on fresh sand and wait for the cycle and save 500$