Although I don't make the pet store rounds as nearly as much as I used to PetSmart and similar stores would be the last places I would look to for decent tank prices.
Sticker Shock!!!
- Thread starter Mr.Firemouth
- Start date
My “big” tank is only a 55. I bought it - as a kit for around $115 on Black Friday at petsmart a few years ago. I have gone back a few times since, and they are much more expensive now. and this is only a few years. I am starting to think I don’t make enough money to really do the fun stuff with the hobby, nah I really don’t think that. Just complaining.
I find great prices at box stores
Weird, I just picked up a 55 last month for $70 at Petco
Really?....there is one close by so it's convenient but I find all of their merchandise to be overpriced compared actual aquarium shops prices.
My current pile of tanks and how I sourced them...
800 gallon
I placed an ad on CL years ago saying that I was looking for a large tank. "Something in the thousand gallon range" and the responses led me to a tank that had been bought years prior, never filled once, and was a smoking deal albeit a 400 mile round trip to get.
106 gallon
Saw it on CL
50 gallon and 20 gallon stainless antique tanks
Saw 'em on CL
60 gallon tall
Saw it and a stand in the beat up and broken pile at a local fish shop, slipped 'em 50 bucks and took it home for a strip and reseal.
On paper at least I appear to be too tight for new stuff. Looking at the costs as new tank prices rise makes me sure I'm too tight for a new tank. I want a 210 next to build a sump with and paying full pop for one seems like crazy talk. I'll haunt FB and CL until I find an owner that's asking what they're worth and hope some other unwashed cretin doesn't beat me to it.
800 gallon
I placed an ad on CL years ago saying that I was looking for a large tank. "Something in the thousand gallon range" and the responses led me to a tank that had been bought years prior, never filled once, and was a smoking deal albeit a 400 mile round trip to get.
106 gallon
Saw it on CL
50 gallon and 20 gallon stainless antique tanks
Saw 'em on CL
60 gallon tall
Saw it and a stand in the beat up and broken pile at a local fish shop, slipped 'em 50 bucks and took it home for a strip and reseal.
On paper at least I appear to be too tight for new stuff. Looking at the costs as new tank prices rise makes me sure I'm too tight for a new tank. I want a 210 next to build a sump with and paying full pop for one seems like crazy talk. I'll haunt FB and CL until I find an owner that's asking what they're worth and hope some other unwashed cretin doesn't beat me to it.
I find their equipment and supplies to be over priced, but tanks are usually pretty cheap
Recently I grabbed a 55 for $70, a 20 hex complete kit ended up being $45 due to a miscommunication, I got a 5.5g aqueon for $11 and nice 3g Rimless all in one for $49
My 75g I think was $130
....it just occurred to me that all of my tanks were bought second hand,with the exception of my 180 combo which I bought brand new from an aquarium shop over ten years ago....that shop has long since closed down.
I did alright second hand in PHX, but since I’ve been in ABQ, either people way over value their tanks or they’re selling crap for cheap. If I was handy I might by the garbage and fix it up, but I’m self aware enough not to lol
