Is it Worth Buying a Used Marine Aquarium With Animals?

You are a beginner aquarist and have noticed an attractive offer for the sale of a running marine aquarium on the Internet, but you are not sure whether such a purchase is a safe investment of your savings, and at the same time you feel that a nice offer may pass you by. Would you like to buy this tank and are wondering how to go about it?

If you would like to know what I think about it – you shouldn’t do it! I will justify why in a moment. However, if you buy a working marine aquarium in which animals live, then you need to consider the following things.

Here’s what you should be aware of

After moving to a new place, the environment in the aquarium is likely to destabilise, it may mature again, the parameters will deteriorate. You even risk the death of the animals. It won’t be easy or pleasant and you may become discouraged. There is an option to relocate a well-designed marine aquarium without harming the living creatures in it, but you must have experience. You will have a hard time judging whether the aquarium is well-built and therefore worth buying. You need to think about how to transport the animals. You need an expert here!

The second aspect you should consider is that if you buy a used aquarium from an ad or from a friend you will buy it with the way it was built and maintained. You can’t be sure that the aquarium was well maintained and managed. If the person selling the tank in question made some mistake in its construction, then you will buy it with that flaw. For example, someone may have miscalculated the diameter of the plumbing, so expect to be left with this problem after purchase, and this is just one of dozens you may encounter.

If the friend selling the aquarium had some kind of infestation in the aquarium, for example, Convolutriloba Retrogemma on the corals, or invasive algae you will have a big problem, “free of charge”, as for a beginner marine aquarium enthusiast. Assuming that the ecosystem begins to mature once again and at the same time some kind of infestation has settled in the tank, you will have a hard time dealing with it.

Setting up a marine aquarium should start step by step. First you need to gain knowledge, plan the construction of the aquarium, count the maintenance costs, master the knowledge of maturation and aquarium maintenance and much more. For more, see our dedicated article on what you need to do before setting up a marine aquarium.

Summary

Deciding whether to buy a second-hand animal tank is your decision. The article was written so that you know it might be a risky business.