Buying a Used Aquarium
When buying an aquarium, why not consider a used one? Think of the money you could save! When you see an ad in the classifieds or go to a garage sale, do you avoid the outdated equipment and only buy new equipment. Believe me, you don't go through 40 years of experience in the hobby without learning a trick or two on how to save money! ? In the following article, hopefully I can address some of your concerns about buying a used aquarium and how to bring it back to life.
When you first bring the aquarium home, keep it outdoors and fill it with water. Let it sit for 24 hours. A slow leak should show within this time frame. If there is a leak, empty the water let the tank dry and scrape out all the silicone (or as much as possible) with a razor blade. After applying silicone, let it set for 48 to 72 hours before adding water again. You must use non-toxic silicone which is made for aquariums only
When you get a "new" used aquarium, the most important thing to remember is what not to do. Do not clean the aquarium out with soapy water or with glass cleaner! You should simply clean the aquarium out with hot water. If you like, you can mix in some non-iodized salt to the water which you are cleaning with. I have always found plain hot water to work fine. You may want to use a razor blade to scrape off any algae or calcium clusters, which you can't remove from the glass with water alone.
You will also need to clean the aquarium hood and possibly the light strip. This is an area that frustrates most people. The solution is simple. Just use vinegar. Vinegar is an excellent cleaner and can make an old aquarium hood shine like new. If you don't have vinegar, you could also use lemon juice, although vinegar works best. The light strip will need to be tested. If the bulb is black on both ends you will need to replace it. You can buy a plant / daylight bulb from a hardware store for just a few dollars, which is much cheaper than the bulbs at your pet shop. If your bulb is new but the light still doesn't turn on, you will want to replace the starter. The starter is very cheap to replace and only takes a quick minute to do. You could take the light strip to the pet shop with you and let them show you how.
Latest Articles