Is this a good deal? 58g Oceanic reef + extras

[alkatraz]

Hi, I'm new and hoping I'm posting this in the right forum. Looking at marine + reef systems and found the deal below. Hoping I could leverage your combined experience and get some opinions on this?

I'm moving away so I need to part with my saltwater setup. Basically everything you need to set up a serious reef aquarium. I will sell everything in two packages ($450 takes everything).

58 gallon reef system - Comes fully plumbed and is ready to be set up -$350
58g Oceanic Reef Ready tank w/custom stand
20g sump
Euro reef RS80 skimmer
Tunze silence 1073.020 return pump
Eheim 250w heater
Battery backup (a must have during power outages)

Saltwater supplies - Everything you need to start making saltwater - $200
25 gpd RO system
Vertex Refractometer
Millwaukee TDS meter
Salifert Alkalinity and Calcium test kits
TLF 150 media reactor
Seachem Reefsalt (80% full)
Eheim 100w heater
Misc Maxijet pumps, algea scrapper, Tom's aqualifter

and

lumenmax 3 250w mh pendant w/ ballast and ushio 20k bulb, i have the kit to suspend it from the ceiling. I could let that go an extra $200.

All that for $650.. is this a good deal?

If I wanted to upgrade the tank to a rimless later, how much could I sell this tank for on its own?

If I wanted to get a larger tank later like a 90g or 120g would the 20g sump & all the other "stuff" support that size or would I need to replace it all?

Thanks!!

[Myka]

If you wanted up upgrade later you would end up replacing a bunch of stuff (like the skimmer, the return pump, probably the sump). The equipment is all good quality, but is brands/models are ones that were popular 6-10 years ago so I would be checking the age of everything. It could be quite new, but the choices kinda make me think it might be an older setup. The third pic looks like it was taken when the tank was first setup and everything was still shiny and new and clean.

That MH pendant is waaaaay overkill for a 58-gallon tank. Is this Oceanic 58 a 36" or 48" tank? I'm not familiar with Oceanic dimensions. It's probably 48" in which case I wouldn't want more than 2x150 watt halides. Maybe if it was SPS-dedicated I would put 2x250 watt halides on it...but then a chiller would probably be needed. 3-250watt halides is way, way too much for 58 gallons of water imo. For a first tank, I usually recommend T5s because they suit the type of reefs that newbies usually want to set up (mostly LPS, Zoas, softies, etc), and work really well on smaller tanks.

The RO/DI system gets half of its value by the life left in the RO and DI cartridges which would require testing with a TDS meter at each of the stages to determine usable life left, and I'm not sure you would know how to do that yet. It sounds like that one may not have a DI stage though. 25 gpd is very slow though, so personally I would want to change the RO membrane (and flow restrictor) to 75 gpd or 150 gpd.

I think the tank/sump setup is a good price depending on condition and age (scratches? scuffs?). I would try to get the tank/sump, plus the refractometer, the TLF reactor, and the heater. I prefer to use 2 heaters instead of one though, so I would use that 100 watt one for my saltwater mixing bucket and buy two 50 watt or two 75 watt heaters for the tank. I don't like SeaChem salt, but if you got it at a good price (like $30) it would be good to start with.

I think offering $400 for everything provided it is not more than 3-4 years old would be a great deal. $450 for all of it is a fair deal.

HTH

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I think there is some confusion here.

Its a "Lumenmax 3" at 250w, not 3 x 250w. Don't buy the light. Not worth it.

Its $450 for the rest of the stuff. A 25gpd means it'll take you days just to fill up the tank - not worth the frustration. Not sure whether the test kits are out-of-date already.

Personally, if you actually want a 90g or 120g, none of this stuff will really be useful when you upgrade other than the refractometer & TDS meter.

I wouldn't get it. I'd look for a really good deal on a 90g or 120g. Buying something you won't be satisfied with for long when you know you're gonna upgrade is an expensive way to reef. Get what you actually want the first time instead of buying and buying again. Resale values drop markedly, especially since all of this equipment is several years old.

Anthony

[Myka]

Hahaha you're probably right about the light Anthony! It was waaay past my bedtime when I replied!

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Resale values drop markedly, especially since all of this equipment is several years old.

If the setup is only a few years old and in good condition he could probably resell it all for the same price he buys it for. That's the nice thing about buying already used stuff. If it's a first tank, I think it's a good size to start with.

[jagermaier]

Keep in mind, you will still need to purchase all your live rock, sand and inhabitants so there will be several hundreds still needed to be spent on this system yet.

[jagermaier]

Third picture down shows a Votex MP10 as well as a two part dosing system and some other controllers/monitors. He is either keeping that stuff or sold it already and to me that is the best part of his system.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Its a "Lumenmax 3" at 250w, not 3 x 250w. Don't buy the light. Not worth it.

Agreed. I've got a very similar setup for sale, and "if" I can even sell it, I'd be surprised. I did run the light on a 50g setup though, and did not need a chiller. So not a bad light for the tank, but I'd offer no more than $75 if the bulb is pretty new.
Upgrading to a 90 or 120 would mean more light though, so you'd have to find a match for it down the road.

[alkatraz]

Thanks so much for the input! I've decided to wait for a larger setup. Btw, Read through the reference Library on here, great collection of info!