Second-hand tank market

Hi everyone

In my need to free up some space/time/resources, I need to sell off not only a few of my tanks (various sizes), but also much of the equipment and decor that's associated with it.

Having been out of the hobby for a few years, and only having ever sold off one of my tanks, I'd like to use this thread to get an idea of what appropriate prices for tanks are in the second-hand market. I'd like to be able to sell these tanks in a way that's fair to both parties - a bit of a bargain for the buyer, but not so much so that I get ripped off and can't restart the hobby on my side.

So what would you say fair prices for tanks and equipment be, such as listed below?
Various tanks - 2ft, 4ft, 5ft, 80cm
Air powered filters, and pumps, old piping
External 'hang-on back' filters
Gravel, various grades from fine to 'regular' to coarse & rocky

Thanks your time and helping out.

Regards,

 

I would say, sell everything as a whole. The lot for probably R1000 - R2000.

 

Market has tanked ... no seriously, maybe it is better in Durban but in JHB very few tanks are changing hands. Even new. Equipment you might get a ok price on, but then it need to be something special.

Later Ferdie

 

Here stuff fetches low prices. 4 x 60cm tanks on 2 stands with air filtration, lights and all sold for 1k

 

I think you can safely assume around 10% - 20% of new prices for second hand tanks.
In some cases you can't even give them away.
Decent filtration can still sell at a seasonably good price, but decorations and gravel / substrate is a matter of personal choice and are very difficult to sell.

 

If I wasn't broke I would have bought a lot more tanks and equipment I see for sale. I have seen 2ft tanks with stand and equipment often go for around R500 - R750 in our area. 4ft complete go for about R1000.

 

Have a look in the for sale section and also look at gumtree and olx. There are various types of fish tanks available and it boils down to the preferance of the buyer.I have bought and sold a few tanks over the years and the market in jhb is indeed bad.I sold my juwel Rio 300 which retails for around R15000 for R5500.The tank was flawless.

I would say If it's a juwel,boyu etc in a cabinet you could fetch around 30 percent of the retail price.If it's just the tank ,then around 10 to 20 percent of retail depending on the condition.If it's low iron glass and in excellent condition ,it will definitely fetch a higher price.

Hope this helps

 

Yikes.

From what I can gather, I won't likely get much for it, but at least there's a little hope of actually being able to move it along. Now it just comes as a matter of what I want to keep and what gets sold.

@Reedfish - fortunately, I won't need to buy too much when setting up again, as I have a lot to choose from amongst my old stuff. It would be nice to get more for my other stuff so I can do more with what I have, though.

Regards,

 

Mmmmmm.......I don't think I'll ever get rid of any fish keeping stuff unless theyxare useless and needs to be tossed out. I had a fightcwith hubby after I found out he gave away a box with some of my fish tank equipment. I'm not a pack rat in general butmy aquarium stuff is completely something else lol

 

@Ladysphinx the problem is that I have nearly 10 tanks, many of which are occupying an entire room. I know at first that sounds like heaven (it used to be a fish room, and it was fantastic), I cannot afford to set up that many tanks again, in terms of money or dedicating the time. And the space is needed for other stuff.

My plan is to keep, at most, 3 tanks. There's stuff I want to try out, but with the extra space and money I might be able to do so more comfortably.

Regards,

 

I guess that's true. Difference with me is I have the time but I don't have the money. I need a fish room since all my tanks are occupying my daughters bedroom and they still need their space. But hopefully by the time summer comes I would have been able to convert our one store room into a fish room,hubby just needs to do the ceilings in some rooms of the house as the ceilingboards are mostly occupying the store room

 

@Reedfish i think part of the problem is that people get scared of bying second hand stuff especially if you have had bad luck before

Sometimes you lucky and it lasts years and sometimes you not and a few months down the line you find yourself having to spend money again..
Then you start thinking twice about buying second hand..

 

I usually wait untill someone offers me a free tank. My last tank, stand, equipment and fish was free. My first one as well.

 

I only bought my second tank with all the equipment for something like R400.

 

Lol my first one was a salvage - the other 2 I build myself from scratch.

 

I still need to build one from scratch.

 

Yeah but disassembling and cleaning an old tank is not for sissies. I just did it to my first tank a few days ago - glass cracked on the corner and several chips on the edge so going to find someone in town to cut the glass and then put it back together.

 

My dad doesn't want to build tanks