Used Tank Safety

[newsong]

I'm thinking about buying a secondhand tank this summer (I'll be going garage sale hunting) but I'm worried about the possibility of disease.

What is the consensus on whether getting a used tank is safe for your fish in terms of possible diseases?

 

[Purple]

I would have thought that diseases that live in water wouldn't survive out of water, but it's standard proceedure to thoroughly clean a tank while it's dryed out. Once you've rinsed it, leave it to dry in strong sunlight - this will kill off most bacteria. Same deal for secondhand ornaments - a good scrub and dry in sunlight

 

[revfred]

Disinfecting is relatively easy as suggested. The question I have is how are you going to be sure that the tank doesn't leak before purchasing it.?

 

[newsong]

#1, I shall ask the person - #2, I shall request that they put water in it to prove themselves if I don't feel good about it. Thanks for the replies - that makes me feel better about attempting a secondhand purchase.

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

Secondhand tanks are the way to go, IMO. As long as you are relatively handy, a leaking tank can be an exceptional bargain as long as no pieces of glass are cracked or broken. I got a great deal on a 75 gallon tank, stand and hood this way and fixed the leak (the seller told me about it up front). I posted here about how I did this.

In any event, I would suggest disinfecting (you could use bleach if you wanted to, but probably not needed) and air-drying as Purple said. Then fill the tank outside either on its stand or on a flat surface and check for leaks before bringing it inside.

Good luck and happy hunting