# Delusional (aquarium) Craigslist posters



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

I Swear some of these people are out of their minds with what they ask for their aquariums. I've sold some nice set ups on Craigslist at reasonable prices. I've seen other people sell some nice tanks cheap but I get a kick out of the people that are delusional with what they ask.

Theres always the person that adds everything up what they paid retail then tries to sell it for what they paid. Why would I want to buy your used junk set up? when I can buy a brand new set up cheaper. Some people need to understand when they sell something you never get back what you paid into it.

When I sell something I usually add everything up at current retail prices then sell it at half. Buyers are taking a risk when purchasing used equipment so I usually price things so they sell.

I sold a 125 gallon set up a few months ago. It was sharp it had a oak stand and canopy with led lighting and a fx5 filter. I had about $1700 invested in it. It was less then 6 months old. I was asking $600 a lot less then half of what I paid. I had ding dongs contacting me with low ball offers. Then they would try to argue with me over what I paid. I had pics of the receipts. They were telling me I got ripped off and they would never pay that much.

I did a lot of shopping around and was pretty frugal on how I spent my money. I couldn't beleive the audacity of some poeople.

Anyone want to share their craigslist experiances?


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## NeptunesNeighborhood (Apr 19, 2012)

I look for tanks on occasion and I find it delusional when anyone asks more than a dollar a gallon for used tanks, no setup..


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## AulonoKarl (Mar 9, 2012)

What they don't get is that one of the most enjoyable parts of being an aquarist is making your tank your own. If I buy a tank, stand, decorations, filters, lights etc... from somebody, I'm really only buying a tank and a stand. Depending on the quality of the stand, that might be replaced as well. I will probably not agree with your filtration choice, your lights choice, and how you chose to decorate your tank, and therefore, I'm not paying much for that part of the deal.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I see it all the time where I live. I have been looking for a 125g just the tank and stand for a reasonable price. However the people selling them want to sell their gravel, old junk heaters, old t12 lights, air pumps, and misc other junk that I have no interest in. They then ask for $900. I reply back that I will give them $300 for the tank and stand if it is in good condition. They scoff. I tell them I can buy the tank and stand new for that price and it comes with tops. New. Frustrating.

The reason in my area it is this way is because of the lack of LFS's and the competition. They sell very few large tanks and the ones they have are just outrageously overpriced. The last large tank I bought I bought from glass cages and they met me close to the local interstate and I loaded it in the truck and brought it to the house. No delivery charge. It is looking like that is what I am going to have to do again.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

I always get very nice replies to emails I send saying, "I wish you luck and hope you sell your tank for $600 but if you don't, my maximum budget is $300... if you would ever consider $300, let me know otherwise I hope you get your $600... I'm sure it's worth that or more!"

Approximately 50% of the time, my price gets accepted within $20 or so...


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Number6 said:


> I always get very nice replies to emails I send saying, "I wish you luck and hope you sell your tank for $600 but if you don't, my maximum budget is $300... if you would ever consider $300, let me know otherwise I hope you get your $600... I'm sure it's worth that or more!"
> 
> Approximately 50% of the time, my price gets accepted within $20 or so...


OK...that may be what I am doing wrong...my last reply went along the lines of "you moron...do you actually think anybody would pay full retail for that old tank with scratches and don't get me started on the colored gravel you are obviously pricing as though it was gold instead of colored rocks"? 

Kidding...

I am usually really nice about it. I am not in a huge hurry so I can be picky.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

and then you find that once in a lifetime person who is selling... we just bought 2 75G acrylic tanks/stands/equipment AND fish (which I was a little surprised at as I was just expecting the tanks and no livestock) for $300

Being that it was going to take us 2 vehicles and it was a 3 hour drive one way to get them, the guy offered to deliver them, said he needed a day out...he brought everything to us and helped us set everything up spending another 2 hours with us...one saltwater tank with a pair of breeding clownfish and 2 other little guys and one freshwater with two angelfish larger than my hands and 2 crawfish. And buckets of equipment and food and supplies (extra filters, python, dead corals, etc etc).

We have no experience with saltwater but we are learning. Tanks are in good shape (not perfect) with saltwater having the built in wet/dry system and the freshwater being setup for HOB/Canister. The only expense we have had so far is to buy some new live rock for the saltwater tank. We gave the freshwater fish to our local pet store and they were so excited they put them into their display tank. Oh and best part is because of the way these tanks were transferred to us cycling was complete on them.

Now on to the transitioning of our auratus and some others to the 75G freshwater tank. We know everything is not exactly as we would have it but we also know that if we had tried to purchase all of this stuff we would have spent a small fortune with the tanks alone costing close to $1,500.

Moral of the story...sometimes you find the other type of delusional sellers on craigslist...and of course THESE are the types we want to find


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## Shizark (Mar 26, 2012)

I just bought a 100 gallon after 2 1/2 months of looking. $250 for everything he has (stand,lights, filter, powerheads). I thought it was a great deal.

I once posted an ad in the wanted section saying I would pay $1 per gallong for a 90 Gloon or bigger. I had 2 people contact me but niether ended up selling.

And lastly  There was a 125 gallon for $500 with stand. I told the guy my budget was $300, he came down to $400 but ultimitly it didnt work out.

It takes alot of patients and you better be the first guy in line  I pick up my 100 gallon tomorrow and until its in my hands I am worried!!

I have had great luck buying and selling on craigslist. it stuff is overpriced I don't even bother. if its close I'll throw out an offer. You never know.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

you think thats bad? *** seem before trying to sell 20g for $500. most recent rediculous price is 100g for $950.*** seen good prices and *** seen prices where people would profit for selling use


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

jd lover said:


> most recent rediculous price is 100g for $950


Fairly difficult to determine if $950 is a great, or terrible price for a 100g, unless you know what it is coming with.

I have a 175 gallon bowfront that I picked up off a friend. If I sold it, I'd probably ask about $3000-4000 for it, but then it has a heck of a lot of salt water equipment, that cost over $20k to purchase new.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

I was talking just tank stand and canopy nothing else not even filtration


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

What frustrates me is how many people here are selling them fully set up with fish in them. I don't want THEIR fish. I want to stock it myself, and I don't want the irritation and inconvenience of trying to move a huge tank with water and decorations and all that in it already.


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## Taratron (Mar 17, 2004)

There is a guy on CL in my state always selling cherry shrimp at pretty high prices for a private seller. They aren't red Sakuras, just your standard phase of shrimp. I guess people buy them as he's always posting!

I sold some of my Kenyan sand boa babies on CL too, and I swear the crazies go nuts with pricing! Dude, if I am rehoming/selling babies for $40 for orange and $50 for anery, don't offer to take the former for 25 and the latter for 30. If you're a pet store, we can work out a deal but when these guys sell for $60 at their lowest at reptile shows, don't be a dick.

I also despise repeat offenders. I dealt with a girl who kept emailing for more pictures and finally said she wanted to meet in two weeks. Two weeks later I asked her if she still wanted the anery female I had left, as all the other ones had been sold and she never put down a deposit or contacted me, and she was furious when the price I told her wasn't the price in the ad. She kept being furious when I compared the ad to the snake, that this was not the same snake in the ad and we had discussed this in earlier emails, and in fact I would only sell her this snake that I'd been keeping for a future breeder because she didn't seem like a flake. After some ranting and raves from her she threatened to flag my ad. Go ahead, lady, it's removed!


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

most recent i saw is a 90g fresh water set up with basic for 1200 and they even stated they bought it for over 2000. seriously? for 2000 in my area you cn get a 240 lol


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jd lover said:


> most recent i saw is a 90g fresh water set up with basic for 1200 and they even stated they bought it for over 2000. seriously? for 2000 in my area you cn get a 240 lol


Brand new.....


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

yea i priced out a brand new 240 in my area and with canopy and everything its 1800


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jd lover said:


> yea i priced out a brand new 240 in my area and with canopy and everything its 1800


Yep....I see all the time the same thing...."used 55g with stand and hood bought new $1000 but selling for $450".

Here is a prime example from my local area CL I just found today and it is titled "fish tank - $5000".

_200 gallon salt water aquarium for sale...comes with lots of rock....3 fish...and a red serpent
starfish.......also comes with real coral and other real anenemes...custom built stand...well worth it...between the fish and rocks its about $2000..the tank if u buy it with the stand and proper equipment is at least $2500.....SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!!!_

I could buy a new 200g tank with stand, sump, metal halides, calcium reactor, live rock, return pump, etc...new for $5000.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

some of my poster actually profit from selling things use (if theres a sucker that buys it lol) maybe im in the wrong business lol.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jd lover said:


> some of my poster actually profit from selling things use (if theres a sucker that buys it lol) maybe im in the wrong business lol.


Nah...nobody and I mean nobody will pay him $5000 for it unless there are many many extras he is throwing in with it and even then I doubt it. The last time I sold my entire 240g SPS reef tank with everything I think I got around $2000 or so. It had DE HQI metal halides, calcium reactor, protein skimmer, 30g refugium, 75g sump, return pump, lots of live rock and lots of very expensive SPS corals and fish.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

13razorbackfan said:


> jd lover said:
> 
> 
> > some of my poster actually profit from selling things use (if theres a sucker that buys it lol) maybe im in the wrong business lol.
> ...


well there has to be some sucker buying these as i hardly ever see them being reposted. i mean it stays on for awhile but then its gone. maybe they just give up or they found a sucker lol


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jd lover said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> > jd lover said:
> ...


I think many people negotiate the price down or they put them in storage but I am sure there are people out there not doing their research first. I know before I spend that kind of money I am going to know for sure what I am getting and comparable prices.


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

you know what they say... a sucker is born every minute lol


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## Michael_M (May 31, 2012)

Around here chain stores and dodgy LFS have ridiculous mark up on tanks. And I mean ridiculous. All the overpriced used tanks here are usually purchased from these stores, where the person has already been ripped off and either doesn't know it or doesn't believe it.

I bought my 6x2x2 everything included $500. Tank was 3 months old and barely used with a large sump. I bought a 4' new for a little over $100 yet i constantly see them advertised for $200+ used. A gentlemen wants $1500 for a 5.5x2x2.5 setup, 5 years old. Freshwater not marine, no sump just a single canister.


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