Well I have contemplated, backed out, got on here a few times in the past year & 1/2 & closed it back out again. We've been in the saltwater hobby for approx. 18 yrs. now & I'm thinking it's time to get out of the hobby. I still love it, love my fish, but we lead very busy lives, have crazy work schedules, go on trips every chance we get, & we've sadly neglected this hobby. It is a 240 gallon glass tank, about 13 yrs. old, overflows in each corner, sits on a custom knotty pine stand w/matching canopy that is has a retrofit lighting system installed w/4 250 w. metal halides & 8 actinic power compacts. 4 powerheads, protein skimmer, everything one would need to set up a great saltwater reef tank. Approx. 200 plus live rock, 1 large yellow tang, purple tang (they've always been together), 1 very large regal tang, pr. of percula clowns, pr. of pajama cardinals, bicolor angel, 3 talbots damsels, 2 green brittle starfish. The starfish, clowns, cardinals, bicolor angel, we've had for at least 15-17 yrs! The yellow & purple tang we've had since this tank was set up in 2003. The rest of the inhabitants came soon after. There are no corals, (there is a lot of mushrooms & brown button polyps), I have long since given up on buying corals, as we had an outbreak of hydroids. So any interested buyers, I gotta say beware.... something will have to be done w/the rock if you want to keep corals.... it's not as bad as it once was, but there's still some... & it is some very nice rock, most of it about 18 yrs. old. Or that's how long we've had it! We really prefer that we sell the entire setup together, inhabitants kept together. Or at least buy all the fish together. Silly I guess, but they've not known anything or anyone else; at least not for the past 15 yrs! About 5 yrs. ago, we had mishap w/our sump that was set up below the tank in the stand (the glass busted!) & decided to set up a 150g. sump on the outside. Was never a pretty setup but much more effective. But there is ample room to set one up underneath the tank/stand like before. Asking 2800 for the entire setup, as is... Thanks!
Your safest bet is to part it out. I learned this the hard way. A few years ago I had to sell my fully stocked 90 gallon tank because we were moving out of state. It was a fully stocked 90g with stand, hood, lights, power heads, return pumps, heater, sump, skimmer, 150-ish pounds of live rock, all sorts of coral, fish, inverts...EVERYTHING for $500. I put it on the local forum and on Craigslist and no one wanted to buy the whole thing. You see, Reefers already have a set up and probably just want bits and pieces. They know the cost of this hobby and they know that you have a good deal but they don't want everything. Beginners or non reefers do not know the cost so they see the price as too expensive. I wanted $500 for mine and was unable to get it. So , I started selling individual pieces like the masses wanted. I sold my rock for $3 a pound. I sold the corals and fish for cheap. After all the livestock was gone I sold the tank, stand, and hood for $200 or $300. I honestly don't remember. What I do remember is I made $1,200 and kept the lights, powerheads, heaters, etc for my future tank. $500 was too much for someone to pay but $1,200 is what I eventually made. That's just something for you to think about. John
I understand wanting to sell it all together but if the Bicolor Angel is ever available by itself please let me know.
I know what you're saying is true.... guess I just dread the whole long drawn out process.....stressing each fish out as we chase them down to go to a different home... etc... now I'm thinking maybe I should just stay put w/it.... maybe start selling it off after the holidays are over when I have more time.
