Buyer Beware - Be Careful Buying Used Aquariums

[@RockhillfarmYT]

Check out this video to see how we normally set up aquariums on a budget  How To Set Up an Awesome Fish Room on a Budget kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYGmepaYrrJrm6s

[@BakedReef]

Hey, that acrylic can be repaired but please don't use duct tape, etc. use (Weld on acrylic bond). It will re-bond the two pieces into one

[@dmc3489]

Exactly! A properly welded acrylic joint can be virtually invisible and as strong as the material itself.

[@harrisonhanson2998]

Who would use duct tape to repair anything involving water?!?

[@newportbeach3621]

Totally agree with you.

[@RockhillfarmYT]

@@harrisonhanson2998 the piece I was talking about is a decorative piece, not structural or poster of the water holding aquarium I definitely didn’t say duct tape I was just reacting in the moment not actually making a plan after evaluating it 

[@rimc4378]

Me and friend used Weld ON to repair 120 gal and reglued every joint to be safer. That Weld ON goes long way.

[@luisabellon5869]

Hello! Good buy! A sump alone will run you more than what you paid for the whole thing! Get the sump running properly and you will NOT need that canister filter. Sell that thing! The U you mentioned looks like it is to move water from inside the aquarium to the Eshopps overflow from the skimmer (you showed a black skimmer box). From the Eshopps go into the sump and try to use 200 microns filter socks. After the mechanical filtration, water should flow into your biological filtration. For biological try to use a fluidized K1….get it moving using air from that huge pump you just bought. You will need at least 1 ppm of air per liter of K1. Try to load the K1 at 60% of the volume of the compartment you place it in. If you use K1 in the proper amount for the bioload generated by the fish, you will NOT need any other biological filtration. For lid, use Home Depot Sunlite Polycarbonate # 174040. Easy to cut, rigid and transparent.

[@ashleywatt8514]

Not a good buy the tank is buggered it has stress fractures all though it

[@Jimsfish]

Ditch the stand especially if not going for looks

[@Cowboy_Steve]

Howdy Brock! Man... unless you have a specific spot in mind that would only work if you used the stand, I'd get rid of the stand and put it on a rack. I know it looks really nice, but the stand is kind of a space hog. Plus if there would ever be a need to replace the sump system you would have to empty the whole tank to remove it. The matching lid and stand looks awesome in a living room, but in an entire fish room like yours... meh... lol. I'm confident you will figure it out! How is the FF tank looking? Thanks for sharing 🤠

[@1993reefblue]

Gotta love Acrylic ! just hustle that 100 gallon off the stand like its nothing lol

[@DekkerLegacyVenturesLLC]

Look for Novus 3 step acrylic polish kit. Should take care of the scratch repair.

[@slangkush4204]

i dont trust that stand, plastic and glue holding up thousands of pounds bad idea

[@MysticWanderer]

exceptional deal at the time the price was mentioned. We shall see what the rest shows. The scratches are totally normal but the buffing out is reputed to be a lot of work and that was a pro that told me as he was doing it in a store I frequented.

[@jasonhare8540]

You can buff out the scratches pretty easily. If you're comfortable with polishing it'll buff right out . I had one that looked so bad when I bought it it looked like there was a blizzard in the tank. Couple of browns using the power drill with a buffer attachment and it looked brand new again .

[@rigidstonerottweiler]

This small boxes with hoses on them are overflow boxes that attach to the back of the tank like a hang on back filter that then allow the water to flow to the sump without it being drilled on the top . Make sure the hoses on the canister filter are tightened as it’s been sitting and maybe have come loose since it hasn’t been running now.

[@awesomeaustin2348]

As long as the tank itself holds water, I would replace all the gaskets/o-rings anyways. I never had a sump but you'll figure that out. Hopefully most of the scratches buff out. I think you did good.

[@harrisonhanson2998]

& this is exactly why I haven’t bought any used aquariums on Craigslist.

[@zzygyy]

New for the tank. Everything else research

[@uncommonaquatics]

I would kind of go the opposite. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy a new tank again unless we’re talking about something like a 10 gallon It makes a huge difference in my decision-making that these are not in my house But I still think used aquariums is the best place in the hobby to save money

[@FishyRocks]

Loving the unique tanks your finding. I've wanted to do a freshwater sump and looking forward to this set up. A shoaling tank would be cool.

[@ebperformance8436]

I build DIY tanks, and I can tell it was a custom job……..usually the measurements, and Dimensions is a dead giveaway. A lot of money has been put into that tank. I just got finished building a dresser mounted tank” the dimensions is 61 inches Length X 16inches wide, and 14 inches deep……l ended up taking a old detolf apart, and used 3 sections, for the bottom, and sides…….The side pieces are non tempered, and the other parts is tempered glass. Building an aquarium is actually very easy. A motorized buffer, and 3000grit wet sand paper will take care of the scratches…….I think you got a good deal” that tank is very easy to repair.

[@kubickiman]

I used to work for a company that made them. One of my jobs was bending the corners over heat pipes, and setting them into jigs. I can buy 30 yr old aquariums for cheap, and not worry about breakage. That stand however, is so 90's. I always make my own, and it has to be a solid surface unlike glass aquarium. The scratches will buff out, inside and out. Just can't remember the specific brand used.

[@uncommonaquatics]

Good info

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

I can tell you that it will never leak. My Truvu 240 gallon is well over 40 years old and twice I've taken it down. One time I stored it standing up in my shed! They are much easier than glass to keep warm and also like people say all those scratches go away with water. Like magic.

[@briananuvattanachai6646]

I refurbished multiple acrylic tanks in the past and it is fairly simple you can just buy novus polish and a drill attachment(the drill attachment is not absolutely necessary.) The fact that acrylic can be restored to a good condition if scratched is a big advantage to me. Reef builders, I think tidal gardens all have videos of them restoring acrylic tanks.

[@dugangant]

Definitely got a hell of a deal. It's a handyman's special but with a little work it will be great! Get that sump working and you won't need that canister filter for that tank. I hope you do set it up with a heavily planted community tank! I think a school of some big discus would look great in it! Can't wait to see what you do with it.

[@oruwatching]

I think you did OK. I had that canister at one time, the seals are replaceable. I've since gone 100% air, I know you have a piston pump, I saw the video. 🙂

[@hkk3656]

Thanks for the warning.

[@razinfishes1918]

Yea I thought long and hard about getting an acrylic tank. but because of cost and the ease of scratching the tank so I would have passed on the tank. The lid on your tank isn't an issue I would ditch it and just make your own lids. And I don't think i could trust an acrylic stand. I wish you the best with your new tank though

[@RocsAquatic]

Good video and good deal on the tank I have two of those filters that’s been running for about 4 or 5 years now They are under rated and looked over for some reason

[@roberth3793]

The crazing you see on it is normal on acrylic. Caused by many things like Windex, alcohol wipes really any chemical. Temperature differences can also cause crazing. That nice curve around the side edges is probably what caused the crazing when they heated it to form the curve. Don't bother trying to polish those scratches. It would take forever to polish and buff that big of tank, even if it's just the front panel and it won't look good anyway. The stand I would toss. That's a LOT of weight for that brittle plastic stand. As for the sump, personally, I wouldn't bother with that either unless your going saltwater. But for freshwater I feel a sump is probably overkill. Also freshwater sumps tend to smell more than salt and you always have to watch for flooding caused by return pumps breaking down, power outages, etc. The top is also trash so $350 is probably a little more than I would pay for a used 110 gallon acrylic tank. The canister filter though just needs some o-rings and the $12 seal around the top but it is a good $200 filter.

[@cloverdog85]

I baught 2 used aqariums for 20 bucks each. They were 75 gallons. I kept the 75 tall for my angelfish and sold the other for 100 bucks. I resealed the one I kept.

[@harrisonhanson2998]

Why would you use tape on that corner that broke off vs gluing it???

[@uncommonaquatics]

I wouldn’t. I just said the first thing that came to mind in the moment, but it wouldn’t make sense to do it. I’ve never worked with acrylic but I can see the repairs on the lid

[@jc49fishniner4lif7]

Good luck with that project,,,i think you need a RAINBOW tank all different types of them full plants believe me those rainbows will shine ones they're full grown

[@chefsteve8381]

That's what i was thinking..😊

[@uncommonaquatics]

You guys talked me into it I want to do it really nice. Aquascape and rainbows would work well for that.

[@douglasnoren3348]

It’s called crazing….look it up….not good….

[@LilMissMurder3409]

Caveat emptor applies to any used purchase. Anyway, you can prepare cracks in acrylic using chloroform, or if you need a structural bond, by making a thin glue by dissolving acrylic in chloroform (which you can buy from a chemist).

[@Anabolic_Ape]

Livebearers brother.

[@BLUEGREEN65]

Personally I would get rid of the stand and put it on racks like your other aquariums. I think it’s going to look beautiful once you get it all fixed up 😊

[@stoneysscapes7544]

If it was mine I would toss the lid and either make a new one. Good luck with your new baby 😅

[@TCS_Aquatics]

Looking at that sump I felt like an average human viewing an alien spacecraft 🤣 if the acrylic is repairable (and eveything I’ve read says it is) the price you paid for that was great and I would have sprung for it almost sight unseen. I just got my first acrylic aquarium the other day. My sister in law gifted it to me before she moved. My son and I absolutely love it and so do my goldfish and dojo loaches!

[@cichlidman559]

Not bad on the setup I would have paid little cheaper but definitely cool if you want to diy some stuff on there. Sump wise can't go wrong and you have the ability to customize your setup with media ect. As for the holes in the back I would put a strainer in the inlet and maybe do a custom spray bar on the output over can't wait to see what you will do with it!!

[@dtw1622]

Seems like a steal for a handyman like yourself. Would be a nightmare for me😂

[@the_DOS]

The acrylic aquarium itself, looks to be well made with thick acrylic pieces.

[@jackmartin7604]

That lid looked like someone had a sizable jumper.

[@aquariumhacksbymarcus5653]

Well I don't mind helping a fellow aquariast Out I probably would not have paid 300 dollars for that type of Acrylic Tank Because of all those holes drilled in the back. like for the canister never would think that would be a good idea. But anyway, you are looking for some ideas. Weld on acrylic Series like weld on 16 Just in case if you got leaks Along with 1/4 Acrylic rods the weld on 16 will also fix a lot of broken pieces. Also, get some flat acrylic pieces just in case you need it for something. Remember to hand cut your pieces with a fine saw blade. Use Novus kit to buff polish. Before you use Novus wet sand, the scratches with a rotating buffer according to how deep your scratches and how thick your acrylic is be safe and start with a 150 grit. I would not go courser than 120 grit . Work it all the way up to finer 300 grit. Then, use your Novus kit with a polishing pad. Test out wet sanding slowly. Tops nothing better then flat poly carbonate and alien tape. I have a video on that. That stand is what I'm worried about. Hopefully, it's Stable If not, build one and make sure you have a solid top of wood all the way across the bottom of acrylic. It has to be supported all the way across then use blue or pink Styrofoam. This project will be a lot of work, and it will cost some money but not as much as buying an acrylic aquarium brand new I promise you that This will give you some experience valuable experience on how to work with these types of aquariums Wish You the best aquarium hacks out, Lol😅

[@uncommonaquatics]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. I won’t spend muchmoney on this. I always find a way to do things in expensively. I would say the main reason I bought this was for the experience of working on it

[@luisabellon5869]

Question: I am planning to buy a Husky storage shelve from HD…..looks like the racks you have in your fish room. Do you use the wire mesh that comes with it? If so, what do you put on top of the wire mesh? If not, what do you use instead of the wire mesh? I just plan to use 2 of the 4 levels. First level will have a 75 G tank and second level will have three 20 G high tanks.

[@uncommonaquatics]

I really like the shelves I got from Menards. They’re super strong for what you pay for them. I do use the metal grid, but I put plywood on top of it How To Set Up an Awesome Fish Room on a Budget kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYGmepaYrrJrm6s

[@luisabellon5869]

@uncommonaquatics thanks for the info.

[@williamadkins2170]

Out of the 15 aquariums I've had in the past 4 years, only 1 was new . I would never have an acrylic tank they scratch way too easily & do exactly what yours is doing.

[@uncommonaquatics]

I have 16 aquarium set up currently. The only ones that are new are the really small tanks. Everything else I have is Glass. I bought this to gain experience working with different types of aquariums

[@nobrainsnoheadache2434]

2:50 THAT is why the lid broke, it's too heavy for the hinges to support it and they just ripped right off, betcha. If you want to do aquariums on a budget, make your own stand, Make your own sump from scratch, use a walmart bin not a glass tank (bonus reduces light and subsequent algae). Get shop lights and hang them over the tank, they are plenty bright for most plants. NEVER skimp on the tank and always get glass. My two cents after 50 years+ in the hobby. edit 3:07 remember you're gonna put over a thousand pounds of water alone in there. yikes

[@TheSocalfisher1]

I bought a aquarium just like that. Took me three weeks to buff that aquarium and bring it back to knew. Best advice I can give you is take your time and use plenty of water and good sand paper.

[@heaven7360]

If you don't do buffing just right it causes cloudiness. I've seen it done before in videos though...I just didn't do it right I guess. After I did it I read I may have used too much Novus and scrubbed too hard. Never will do it again.

[@williamavery1758]

Is it perfect no probably not but if i was putting my money on someone that can figure it out its you Brock. Im sure you will make that tank work just fine. And by the looks of those little drips they dont look that bad and im sure you will have that tank running just right so im gonna say it was a good buy for you. Cant wait to see just another tanks going in your fish room

[@dennisking7633]

Where are you located, I am thinking of buying some more Acara, of different species, what type do you breed, and do you ship?

[@uncommonaquatics]

I’m in Kansas. I do not shop Fish. not trying to start a commercial operation or anything.

[@keithbenson2627]

I’ve been wanting to buy an acrylic tank but after seeing your video I’ll stick with glass tanks !

[@im160bpmplus]

I think you should step into the salt water universe. Was the best thing I ever did and I regret not trying it sooner. Ive bought 2 second hand tanks and they were both great. hard to say with what you got, looks good for now, bit of elbow grease and diy and you could have a trustworthy setup. Good luck with the project

[@uncommonaquatics]

I know that I will eventually, but probably not with this tank When I go saltwater, it’ll probably be brand new equipment

[@im160bpmplus]

@@uncommonaquatics i retrofitted my freshwater african cichlid tanks and went salt, then bought 2 tanks from FB marketplace after a year and some failures. Lots of people quit the hobby and you always get really good deals. I got a 180Gal that had fish and corral and all equipment and been running it as main for 4 years with very little issues. I know what you feel about buying new, as a beginner but dont be so worried, esp if you can go and see the tank is established and not already broken down. Its such a cool journey with so much to do and learn

[@gayefanner731]

Seems like a good buy, for you Brock. All I can offer is that my ex was a jeweller and we used Jewellers Rouge for buffing everything that needed an impeccable finish! Have fun n God bless you 🙏✝️. ✌️🇷🇺☮️🇺🇦✌️. 🙋‍♀️🤍🇮🇱✌️

[@josepolanco1228]

Thank you for the I the info

[@arsenaltvbr190]

Discus will love the sump

[@ashleywatt8514]

Car headlight restorer will take some of the scratches out But I feel the tank is buggered because it has stress fractures all through the front and are a major problem DO NOT USE EVER

[@tropicalstreamaquatics9285]

Acrylic needs to be on a flat surface I would chuck the canopy I had a 180 sold it stick to glass

[@stevemacdonald2303]

Yep you can

[@dustdevl1043]

A new adventure for you!

[@uncommonaquatics]

Yes sir. I’m having fun with it

[@sunbear76re]

I’d get rid of it. Even for a budget build it’ll still have its down sides. Always stay away from acrylic.

[@sseeaahhaawwkkssrule975]

What kind of stock for this tank with all it's issues? 🤔🤔🤔 A reptile tank for a leopard gecko.

[@justsomeguy3467]

You got a very good deal and a diy project,just watch Joey the diy king and you’ll hav that aquarium in tip top shape before you know it

[@uncommonaquatics]

I’ve been watching Joey for 10 years. He is still putting together awesome aquariums

[@justsomeguy3467]

@uncommonaquatics oh ok nice ,well I guess you already know about his acrylic fixes builds etc then lol,well we all look forward to your acrylic adventure keep us posted love the vids!

[@FishTankFrank13]

I have that filter but the smaller one with 2 trays , on my 40 gallon acrylic tank , wish it had a flow valve, I really like my sicce whale 500 , love it major flow and love the flow valve, i’m actually gonna swap the other filter with the sicce

[@FishTankFrank13]

I think it does have a flow valve , 😆 now that I think about it, but one I have is super weak even on the 40g

[@FishTankFrank13]

I do love the see-through blue on that though because you can see when it’s time to get it cleaned out

[@bigtime4794]

I bought a tank off Craigslist once 125 gallon. It was evening and dark and the guy was in a real hurry. I got home and had time to discover chips and scratches everywhere. Dude was a POS

[@sseeaahhaawwkkssrule975]

350? Nah I would have left it and kept looking for another tank.

[@Chuniekun]

8:00 is an overflow box

[@regosilver1147]

I can see why that man sold it but if it holds water you paid a good price.i would go with planted tank with large tetras or a puffer fish tank

[@gregslaski6956]

Can you do fish room tour?

[@uncommonaquatics]

Yeah, I’m about due for that. I have videos on each individual tank, but I don’t have one video that covers the whole room.

[@joejones56]

300 neon tetras

[@carlosvillanueva8530]

Go cardinal tetras, one neon with neon disease and you lose all your fish.

[@uncommonaquatics]

I’m thinking about rainbow fish as the main thing but definitely want something peaceful and colorful

[@joejones56]

@@uncommonaquatics I was just being sarcastic with you bro. Honestly I would do some Geo’s and a like two Sevrums

[@uncommonaquatics]

I’m a big fan of both of those. I have a bunch of Geophagus in another 125 and I have five severum in the 210 gallon. All different color variance on the severum

[@coolgeorgiaboy]

I don't trust the stand... If all of the plastic is very brittle it won't be safe once filled with, water l, substrate and decorations.. Throw the stand in the garbage.

[@uncommonaquatics]

As I look at it, the structural part of the stand is clear acrylic and thicker. The black part is an acrylic wrap for decoration.

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

This is like Amazon charging me 150$ yesterday. Which I don’t even use Prime 🤷 I am hoping I get a refund soon. I canceled that shit

[@whocares4274]

Yeah I don’t buy acrylic. They scratch way too easy.

[@toddcaskey9984]

Morning gents

[@Cowboy_Steve]

Yo! 🤠

[@sylviab.791]

I like it.

[@Jazzy-v7g]

Congratulations on your new setup! My vote for stocking is maybe silver dollars or a variety of rainbows.

[@FishTankFrank13]

Check out the tiger Maury eels I got two on the way should be here on the seventh

[@delonjohnson5907]

To complain about the filter when you have a sump to back it doesn't make much sense

[@uncommonaquatics]

Complain? I don’t think I complained once in the entire video. I’m happy with my purchase. I ordered $12 of O-rings. The only thing I said was I had some things to figure out. I kind of bought the aquarium because I thought it would be a good experience

[@delonjohnson5907]

Solid tank that's a self sustaining build. But figure out how it goes together because the more you talk about change the more you're castrating something that had a world of thought put into it. That thing is built to grow high end sps coral

[@delonjohnson5907]

​@uncommonaquatics bro you literally complains about the flow output. That number doesn't matter because with a sump that number is trippled at minimum.

[@uncommonaquatics]

I just factually stated the capacity of the filter in reference to the size of the aquarium I would’ve bought the tank if it didn’t have that canister. Really couldn’t care less about it. Enjoy your day

[@rogerhuggettjr.7675]

My vote is for betta sorority with assorted loaches.

[@uncommonaquatics]

I’ve been thinking about doing that

[@addamworthy8644]

👀 $350 waterbomb 😂

[@quansingleton9097]

This video must be to teach the newbies because you're way too experienced to make this purchase

[@johncameron4194]

I’d get rid of the stand

[@FishTankFrank13]

I love my 40g acrylic tank

[@GregorMima]

Stumbled upon your vid. FYI, if the acrylic was standing close to a window, it could have sustained major UV damage. That’s why it’s so 'brittle", Would never trust this kind of tank.

[@GuppyDundee]

Rainbow fish Australian & png varieties

[@NorthStarVlogs]

Bro, that's a beautiful looking tank. Frankly, I'm terrified of setting up a high capacity tank in my house if it's not in the basement.

[@uncommonaquatics]

All of mine are in a 30 x 50 workshop that I use as a man cave It takes some of the stress off of putting a large used tank in your house

[@NorthStarVlogs]

@uncommonaquatics I see that. I see all the fish channels I watch have sub-floor tank rooms or rooms apart from the house. It's a pleasure to watch you be able to put these big tanks together. And I wouldn't think twice like you didn't about not buying a thing because you didn't know exactly how the sump worked. Easily figured out. Especially for a big price break. I'll be interested to see what plants you put in it and the fish. Today I've got to take care of Hornwort grown out of control. It's taking up almost the whole tank. A good problem to have, but it really can take up the whole tank. Not many people ship Hornwort because it doesn't ship well, but I got a few strands months ago and now the take up two tanks. I'm going to have to start throwing some away. Make a good day Bro🔥

[@v3n0mnyc]

Rainbow fish different types

[@quansingleton9097]

Nope got all my tanks for free😂😂😂😂 i be dammed if i buy some lemon tank

[@quansingleton9097]

$350???!!!

[@wadesims2000]

I feel like you bought a mess

[@pacae911]

Acrylic aquarium is just trash and waste your $5 bucks

[@ddaquarium3531]

Just buy a 125 for 100

[@uncommonaquatics]

I have three 125 gallon aquariums that I paid $125 apiece for, but then I had to get filtration and stands so it wasn’t cheaper. I wanted something unique for this one

[@tiffanyo3365]

When you say you want to "film" the aquarium, do you mean wrap it in some clear type of film, to prevent more scratches?

[@uncommonaquatics]

No, I mean, I make videos about my aquariums. It’s hard to record without a glare already, and the scratchs would make that worse.

[@tiffanyo3365]

@@uncommonaquatics Ahh right. They should buff out pretty easily. GL

[@leam89]

Used is used 🤷