# Which setup should I buy?



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

sorry for all the seperate threads, but i need opinions and i need them quick. my fish have quickly outgrown the 30gallon tank i have now, and as such i need to upgrade. i was digging around on craigslist and settled on these 3

60gallon Fishtank + Accessories - Moving Sale must sell

55 gallon freshwater aquarium setup

55 gal complete aquarium set - excellent condition

so my question is - which of the 3 would you guys suggest, and for what reasons? and if there's anything similar that you guys know of that are for sale (either on BCA or craigslist or wherever), my options are open to those too. mainly looking for something in the 55-60g range, selling as a setup (with decorations, filter, heater, canopy, lights, etc etc

atm i have angels, rainbows, some sharks, some clowns, some tetras and just all around community fish

thanks in advance!


----------



## jobber (May 14, 2010)

What type of fish are you keeping? Guppies? Cichlids? Plecos? Goldfish?

Sent from Samsung Mobile via Tapatalk


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

if you are looking for a 6footer, then I can help you putting a whole setup together.


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

jobber604 said:


> What type of fish are you keeping? Guppies? Cichlids? Plecos? Goldfish?
> 
> Sent from Samsung Mobile via Tapatalk


sorry, added info to original post. atm i have angels, rainbows, some sharks, some clowns, some tetras and just all around community fish



charles said:


> if you are looking for a 6footer, then I can help you putting a whole setup together.


what's a 6 footer hahaha. i'm on a bit of a tight budget too but another option would be cool


----------



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

I have a 77 gallon tank available for a pretty reasonable price - See here


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

^ sick looking setup, but a bit too big for my liking  thanks though!


----------



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Go with the Hagen 55g. I think Charle's setup is pretty cheap as well. 

You can always negotiate with Monke as well  Nice light.


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

hagen 55g = best deal? i was thinking of opting out of the filter and getting my own HOB filter too


----------



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Best among the 3 any way  I am biased toward Hagen tanks - far superior quality. 

If you want cheap 55g. Check out package deals at PetSmart, King Ed, etc.

Should also check out The Aqua Nova series at Island Pet Unlimited as well.


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

all the starter kits ive found don't include great filters and heaters and stuff. Not to mention no deco, plants, stands, gravel, etc


----------



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

what's your budget _kT?? it's hard to get any decent stuff in a starter kit, well in some starter kits... normally you get what you pay for


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

pretty much, which is why i'd prefer to buy used. from 200-300? I'd prefer to stick to 200-250 but if i absolutely have to and will get the best bang for the buck in the $300 range then i'll do so


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Picking between those three tanks, I'd opt for the 55 gallon Hagen tank with the nice lights, but I wouldn't buy the filter. The shrimp sound great, though.  I like Hagen tanks. My first tank was a Hagen and I had it for more than 30 years; when I gave it away it was still not leaking.

Charles has said that he might be able to help you; I'd check out whatever he had to offer first, before looking at something from Craigslist. He is pretty amazing.

Some of the Fluval Premium starter kits are very well priced at local stores, and come with warranties, too. Ultimately, for me it would come down to how I was going to get the tank home and the condition of the tank. 

Whatever you decide, it looks like you're going to have a new tank of fish, soon. Congratulations!


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

thanks for the reply! i was hoping charles would reply again in here but he hasn't come back in yet  

Thanks! my fish should be really happy to be getting a bit more swimming room


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi, _KT. You can find Charles in the Canadian Aquatics forum. Canadian Aquatics is Charles and Patrick (Mykiss). He might not see this thread again, so visit him there or send him a PM. I see you're quite new here -- you can send him a PM (message) by finding one of his posts and clicking on his name.



_ kT said:


> thanks for the reply! i was hoping charles would reply again in here but he hasn't come back in yet
> 
> Thanks! my fish should be really happy to be getting a bit more swimming room


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

_ kT said:


> ^ sick looking setup, but a bit too big for my liking  thanks though!


I'd go with a 75g+ or more, it's not that much bigger than a 55g and the extra depth will give you more options and your fish (especially your clowns) will appreciate the space. It will save you time and energy from having to upgrade sooner rather than later.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

in most cases, its better to buy part by part. you really dont save much money buying a kit, especially when places sell tanks for a $1 a gallon


----------



## jobber (May 14, 2010)

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/fres...ds-27/fs-equipment-tank-quitting-hobby-24868/

Maybe interested in these tanks. Email the person.

Sent from Samsung Mobile via Tapatalk


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

hp10BII said:


> I'd go with a 75g+ or more, it's not that much bigger than a 55g and the extra depth will give you more options and your fish (especially your clowns) will appreciate the space. It will save you time and energy from having to upgrade sooner rather than later.


i agree but i find it's pretty hard finding a 75g with the extra stuff thrown in. plus i don't know if i gave the room to accomodate a 75 gal or bigger


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

You can buy the extra stuff somewhere else.

For example, we sell new lights, new HOB filters, new heaters, etc. Tank and equipment is the last thing you want to worry about and believe me, they are cheap compare to the fish you will add in later...

Think about it this way, why get a used 200-300w heaters for $15-$25 when you can get a new one from us starting at $20-$35. You don't have to worry when the used heater is going to break. Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I completely agree with Charles about new heaters versus used. That's an area where you want to have absolute confidence in your equipment.

The link that Jobber604 posted is really good -- it looks like there's a 60 gallon setup with stand and some top notch equipment for $250 from a long-time BCA member. That is definitely worth looking at. A much better bet than any of the 3 options you posted. (In my opinion, of course!)


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

thanks guys. i shot him an email just now, and hopefully he responds soon. fro the looks of things he lives about 10 minutes away from me too - definitely a plus


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

dam he just got back to me. He said his buddy already called for the tank


----------



## jobber (May 14, 2010)

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?p=201811

Hope these tanks are still available for you. Look around the equipment classified sections. There are tons of great deals on tanks you're looking for. I'd list them here for you but that'll just be a waste if my time.

Sent from Samsung Mobile via Tapatalk


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

saw that one too, not really what i'm looking for though. i went thru quite a few pages on the classifieds and didnt find much to my liking


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

So i went to check out the hagen tank last night and learned that it isn't a 4 footer - which was one of the things i was looking for. Now i really don't know what to do


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh, that's too bad! Have you tried posting "Looking For" in the Classifieds section? Maybe someone who has been thinking of downsizing or upsizing will contact you. Another option would be to buy just the tank, new, and then to pick up the other things you need second hand here on the list, or new as well. Sometimes, tanks alone (without canopies) can be quite inexpensive. (I once paid $30 for a new 25 gallon tank at Noah's Pet Ark, for example.) Many people never use the canopies anyway, but go without lids or get glass tops.


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

so i ended up speaking to jackson more and he ended up selling his 60g setup to me instead of his friend who had initially called it because hes been waiting on that friend to pck it up for ages, which was perfect because his setup had everything i needed and was EXACTLY what i was looking for

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/classified-archive-29/fs-equipment-tank-quitting-hobby-24868/

When i got to his house to take a look - turned out we knew eqch other! Such a small world!

Jackson ended up tossing in a HUGE dump of goodies, anything and everything you can think pf, he gave me. so thanks again everybody for all the help, and a huge thanks to jackson for the tank, the goodies, and getting everything together for me so soon!


----------



## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Glad this worked out for both of you. Look forward to seeing a tank journal up for a 60 gallon tank 

Sent from Samsung Mobile via Tapatalk


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm really glad that this worked out. It seems meant to happen. I hope you'll post pics!


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

thanks guys, really glad it worked out too! picking the tank up later, i'll be sure to post photos up!


----------



## _ kT (Feb 22, 2012)

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/my-60-gal-journal-25783/

for those wondering here's the final product!


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi, _KT. Thanks for posting the link. I'm going to check it out right now. It's been fascinating watching you go through the process of making a purchase and I'm looking forward to the journal.


----------

