New 300 Gallon Tank, cosmetic damages... your thoughts please!

[landmineyouth]

Hello guys. Proud to say I will soon be the new owner of this 300 gallon tank. Craiglist is finally good for something! I just went to see this beast, and am excited! It is an 96x24x30. The stand and tank itself need some work, the stand most noticeably being all wooden and was painted by the previous owner. Since then the paint has taken some damage, seems chipped and cracked, I will probably strip/sand and refinish/stain the entire stand and canopy before moving into my house. Back of the tank as well has a paint job that is peeling off, and will need a fresh one.

Also, I noticed a small 'gouge' in one side at the bottom near the finish of the glass. It seems cosmetic to me, I've included a photo for your guys input. I guess I could just fill it in with some silicone if I was paranoid, but it doesnt seem like it will compromise the integrity of the tank itself. What do you guys think???

All other inseams and everything else seem solid and the glass is THICK! I'll be sure to post after pictures, here is what I snapped today the guys house.

*Please note, the tank is on the stand backwards in these photos, if you seem confused this is why!


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[rideit6578]

 

[alexpie001]

 

[Egon]

Looks like you have a project ahead of you. Does it hold water?

 

[landmineyouth]

According to this owner yes, I am going to have it transported to my folks garage and give it a test-fill before moving it into my own home for sure. Besides that one small ding in the trim which I think is cosmetic, there are no cracks or warped seams or anything else, upon first inspection.

Hopefully fixing up that stand won't take more than a few weeks and then I should be good to go. Never had a tank this large before, my biggest now is 125, I hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew!

 

[Egon]

According to this owner yes, I am going to have it transported to my folks garage and give it a test-fill before moving it into my own home for sure. Besides that one small ding in the trim which I think is cosmetic, there are no cracks or warped seams or anything else, upon first inspection.

Hopefully fixing up that stand won't take more than a few weeks and then I should be good to go. Never had a tank this large before, my biggest now is 125, I hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew!

LOL 300 is not that large. After you have it a while and, of course, take a picture of yourself inside the tank (we all do that) then you will want an even larger tank. I don't see an issue with that chip, good idea to test fill it anyway. Scraping off the paint on the back is simple.
I would repaint it flat black or just put a background on it and don't bother scraping the tank. http://www.designsbynature.net/products-page/deluxe-3d-bgs/ I just bought two backgrounds from this place and I will be starting a thread soon on the background install. Also in my sig I have two tanks that I installed backgrounds and it looks awesome!

 

[landmineyouth]

Just spent the last 90 mins reading both of your tank build threads. You my friend are very knowledgeable in all things I am not (plumbing, carpentry, etc.). Wish you lived in FL because I would gladly pay you hundreds of dollars (in beer and or money) to help!

 

[landmineyouth]

Oh and thank you for that heads up that the chip is nothing to worry about. The guy who sold the tank, despite its size, was one of your average "yeah I had a big tank.. put a shark in it" type guys... so I cant really trust his opinion TOO greatly on the tanks integrity. Nice to hear from a pro that it looks like a non-issue!

 

[Ajno]

Nice tank! Do a DIY background! Thats what I'm doing for my 75 gallon. Can't wait to see your tank finished

 

[Egon]

Just spent the last 90 mins reading both of your tank build threads. You my friend are very knowledgeable in all things I am not (plumbing, carpentry, etc.). Wish you lived in FL because I would gladly pay you hundreds of dollars (in beer and or money) to help!

Thanks, your going to learn a lot on here, just keep asking questions and we will help you out. I like beer

Oh and thank you for that heads up that the chip is nothing to worry about. The guy who sold the tank, despite its size, was one of your average "yeah I had a big tank.. put a shark in it" type guys... so I cant really trust his opinion TOO greatly on the tanks integrity. Nice to hear from a pro that it looks like a non-issue!

LOL it's funny when you buy anything used, car, fish tank, whatever, it's new and exciting to you but the guy selling is over it. lol
To reiterate, I think it's a good idea to test fill that tank in a garage! Also keep it filled as long as possible, silicon glue goes bad when it’s out of the water for extended periods of time. Also, if there isn’t a sump with the 300 I would continue to look on Craig’s list for a cheap large fish tank, up to a 125. I just bought an old 125 for my 210’s massive sump! I got the 125 (tank only) for $100! I’m going to glue some baffles in and hang on a filter sock bracket and give the latest filtering gizmo a try. I will let you know how the filter socks work.
Good luck with the build, I’m looking forward to your updates J