Buying Aquariums on Ebay

SuperScro · 10-08-2006, 09:32 AM

Has anyone ever bought an Aquarium off Ebay? You can most definatly get an aquarium much cheaper than buying a brand new one at a store, even though it was used. Some people even sell filters, heaters, etc to go with it. Anyone think this is a good idea? A little risky maybe?

aar4545 · 10-08-2006, 12:55 PM

welll i have never bought a fish tank on ebay but i have bought a 65 gallon tank for 75 bucks in the want ad an it was only i little dirty but we washed it up. so try the want ad before ebay try to use the internet as a last resort for buying stuff.

Hepcat021 · 10-08-2006, 10:27 PM

It's a crap shoot. You never know what your getting and your agreeing to buy it before you really see it in person. You might get really lucky or swindled.

Good Luck
BILL

Teddy · 10-08-2006, 10:40 PM

I once saw 5 10 gallon tanks on eBay for about $20.00, pick up only. In this case, picking them up can give you the opportunity to take a good look at the tanks, perhaps bargain with the seller if the tanks have minor problems, or just simply back out of the sale if you are not satisfied

Loman · 10-09-2006, 12:30 PM

OPne thing to be careful about is the shipping. In a large heavy item it may cost a lot in comparison expecially if you insure it.

Tommy Gun · 10-10-2006, 07:25 PM

I have bought a lot of things from Ebay, but not an aquarium exactly. I would be leery about 'too good to be true' deals since they could be a trick, but I do buy a lot of software off the site and havent gotten burned yet with a scratched CD or anything.

There are awesome deals on Ebay though and you might be able to get a much bigger tank for less than at you local store, even with the shipping. I would make sure it is shipped with a well known company though. They usually insure the packages.

As a side note, I know a lot of places to get brand new 10 gallon tanks for a dollar a gallon usually. I guess I would be worried about getting a used tank in case it leaked, but you could easily fix that. Thinking back to a recent posting I just read, you may want to be careful of tanks that have had copper problems too since it seems nearly impossible to fix that problem without using a bunch of acids and a biosuit.

trust-e-man · 10-10-2006, 07:49 PM

its cheep and ive though about it but most of the people forshiping a tank prefer to come and pick it up which is the frustating part if there in another state

bigsloe · 10-11-2006, 09:35 AM

i just bought a 150 gallon tank stand and hood off ebay it was a pick up only item which i wanted because like it was said early you cabn see it before you pay for it ask questions and look for a money back policy i got my tank for 570.00 ive see it in a few stores and researched it online and it goes for close to 1800 so im happy i think its a real safe bet when picking up just sort the items by distance nearest first and get something in your area also craigslist has a ton of ads for aquarium stuff from one bargain hunter to another good luck

andy53 · 10-11-2006, 11:50 AM

Just a thought, you may want to buy from ebay with caution. You never know what someone did to the tank before you. What if the used chemicals or something in an attempt to clean it. It would suck to buy a tank and then have it kill all you fish because someone else posioned it.

gm333 · 10-30-2006, 05:58 PM

I bought my 135gal tank off e-bay, the best thing to do is ask all questions in advance before bidding like if the tank leaks, cracks, does all equipment work, etc. Also pay with cash when you pick the item up, if the seller does not want to deal in cash do not bid. When you go to pick up the tank if the seller was untruthful about any of the questions then byou can retract your sell. Like all have said before be cautious when purchasing anything off e-bay.