I purchased a used Oceanic Biocube 8 gallon tank off of craigslist for an unbelievable $50. The guy I bought it from was using it as a freshwater tank, so cleaning it was a bit of a pain and a long process. First I had to remove the remaining rock (trash), carbon filter (& replace with a new one), thoroughly clean the bio balls, and sanitize the tank to prepare it for a SW (saltwater) habitat.
Preparing a used tank for SW use-
1- empty and trash all debris
2- do a thorough rinse and wipe down with a soft cloth so you don't scratch the glass of acrylic.
3- fill tank, 8 gallons for me, and add some bleach
4- allow to sit for 3 to 6 hours
5- rinse
6- fill and add de-chlorinator (a full bottle)
7- all to sit for AT LEAST 8 hours, preferably 12.
8- rinse, air dry and begin filling your tank.
After cleaning my tank I purchased pre made SW from Aquatic Fantasy (the local fish store here in Redondo Beach), and live rock & live sand. As well as a new light fixture (special order), carbon cartridge, & a hydrometer to keep track of the salinity levels.
The rock I purchased already had established greenish- red mushroom coral growth on it, so I'm one step closer to my reef system. Below is a picture of my tank almost 2 hours after set up..
Total purchases-
- Used Oceanic Biocube- $50
- Bleach- $1.99
- Dechlorinator- $10.99
- Eclipse replacement cartridge- $3.99
- Saltwater @ $.99/gallon- $7.92
- Aragalive Fiji Pink live sand- $23.99
- regular live rock @ $4.99/lb- $15.97 for 3.2 lbs
- fancy live rock with growth @ $7.99/lb- $19.18 for 2.4 lbs
- hydrometer- $12.99
Total- $147.02
Is this an expensive hobby? YOU BET! But I'm pretty lucky for finding a tank in such great condition for 50 bucks! Usually 8 gallon Biocubes retail for $140 (not including taxes and shipping!)
Thank you to my friends at Aquatic Fantasy in Redondo Beach, CA for supplying my current, and future purchases.
www.aquaticfantasy.com
I've been waiting for an update for over a year now! Come on already, show me what you ended up with! I CAN'T TAKE THE SUSPENSE ANYMORE!!!! :D
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