I would say keep your options open. You can often find really great deals on used or slightly used tanks/stands/etc, both with live rock and livestock or without anything but the equipment.
The thing you need to do is not jump in too quick. Figure out exactly what you are looking for (not just footprint) but also type of lights, skimmers, etc. Much of this will depend on your "must have" livestock wishlist (ie. sps vs mixed reef vs fishonly), as well as your budget.
You can also do a mix. Buy some stuff new and look for great deals in the classifieds.
Also, go visit Ken at Blue World Aquatics. He's a great guy and can give you some good pointers and you can then make arrangements to take him up on his offer of free delivery to Bonnyvill in the future.
If you've been doing salt for a long time like some of us, getting everything used is a great option because you already know what to look for and what to avoid. If you're a newbie looking to go big (or go home
), then its a lot trickier to find what will work for you long-term.
You took the right first steps which is to find a tank system and then ask for help before making a commitment. One of my newbie friends didn't do that and ended up being terribly ripped off (not from a Canreefer, but from another buysell site).
180s and 210s come up for sale reasonably frequently. The bigger tanks are usually slower to sell so if you're not in a rush, keep checking the classifieds. Also, post a LF thread asking if anyone in your part of the world has a tank with that footprint for sale.
If you were in BC, I know of a couple tanks that would fit your space.
Good luck,
Anthony