2nd hand equipment

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shamrock
Posts: 42
Joined: 08 Jun 2010, 17:34
Location 2: northampton, uk

2nd hand equipment

Post by shamrock »

hi

new on the forum, thought i'd start my first thread...

would you buy 2nd hand aquarium equipment? if not, why? i've heard stories of contaminated and diseased tanks, but surely these can be cleaned out properly (very much doubt a seller would admit to it anyway unless you knew them).

what about filters etc? at times you can see some really good deals on high-end eheims on ebay...

any advice or pearls of wisdom welcome! :thumbsup:

thank you
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MatsP
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Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by MatsP »

I've bought things on auction (not ebay, but a "live" auction where you are actually present yourself in the place where the auctioneer and the product is as well) - bargains can be had here. I got a Eheim 1260 pump (2500 liter per hour).

Of course, it's a important to be careful with what you buy, so that you don't buy something that is broken.

And if I were to buy a filter on ebay, I would definitely replace the filter media before putting it to work. This may also make it a bit less attractive than it may seem. For a Eheim Pro II 2028, a complete set costs about £40 - if you buy the individual components, it is even more.

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Mats
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2wheelsx2
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Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by 2wheelsx2 »

I've not bought off things like Craigslist, but have bought from our local hobbyist forum. I have bought tanks, filters, CO2 equipment, fish, plants, substrate, filter media, you name it. Media only if unused, but with filters and tanks, I just disinfect with a bleach solution and then dechlorinate and I'm good to go. No reason not to that I can see, as long as due care is exercised.
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robert521
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Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by robert521 »

I buy most of my stuff used. Craigslist is a great place to find deals. Just clean it well and rinse it out with dechlorinated water. Tanks I usually fill and leave on the patio for a few days to check for leaks. Filters I'll throw out all the media and start with new stuff. I would never use old substrate. Once in a while you'll come across something that won't operate but $50 for a 55 gallon complete set up is worth the risk.
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shamrock
Posts: 42
Joined: 08 Jun 2010, 17:34
Location 2: northampton, uk

Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by shamrock »

fantastic! thanks for your input. i will be on the look-out. i suppose craiglist is a US thing (from what i could find on www)...
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2wheelsx2
Posts: 1018
Joined: 16 Jan 2006, 06:55
I've donated: $20.00!
My cats species list: 71 (i:3, k:0)
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Location 1: Burnaby, BC, Canada
Location 2: BC, Canada
Interests: motorcycles, tropical fish, car detailing

Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by 2wheelsx2 »

Craigslist is definitely North American (I'm in Canada) and as far as I know only US/Canada. But there must be some sort of equivalent in the UK.
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MatsP
Posts: 21038
Joined: 06 Oct 2004, 13:58
My articles: 4
My images: 28
My cats species list: 117 (i:33, k:0)
My aquaria list: 10 (i:8)
My BLogs: 4 (i:0, p:164)
Spotted: 187
Location 1: North of Cambridge
Location 2: England.

Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by MatsP »

I should mention that out of 14 tanks I have at the moment, only 8 have been bought new, and I have a another few empty used tanks (and one tank that has Giant African Land Snails in it).

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Mats
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robert521
Posts: 7
Joined: 28 Apr 2009, 21:55
My cats species list: 12 (i:0, k:0)
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Location 2: Rhode Island USA

Re: 2nd hand equipment

Post by robert521 »

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/
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