The deal with my tank

[Tanner]

Alright so you've all seen my threads on that 30 gallon tank. Well here's the deal,my lfs has emailed me and told me for 300 dollars they will set me up witha kit , the 30 gallon with the pump, filter , sand etc .

Also with my choise of a fish or two that would be suitable in a tank that size. What I don't understand was , he offered to cycle it for me? Like what does he mean, he'd cycle the tank at the store then I'd just take the water out and put it back in at home? Is this a good deal or is he just trying make a sale.

 

[yote]

What EXACTLY is in the "kit" ?

 

[Tanner]

The 30 gallon with overflow, pump ,filter, sand, rock and I'm pretty sure lights

 

[yote]

Thats not bad when you consider the price of live rock.But make sure your getting the lights you'll need if your deciding to do a reef set up.

 

[Tanner]

well they specialize in Reefs so i would hope they give me the right lights. I will just be really clear on what I want when I talk to him again.

Also though, my mother just found one of my old larger tanks I used for freshwater, its a 55 gallon I believe, would it be a good idea to ask them if they can use that to put a kit together for me? They would have to install an overflow and whatnot right?

Cause' how it works there, is you choose the tank size you want, and they put the kit together. Would giving them my own tank shave off some of the cost maybe? Seeing as I would have to pay for the construction of the tank if I wanted a new one.

 

[dcantucson]

I would NOT buy a kit a LFS puts together. I think you would find a much better deal off Craig's list or something of the like. LFS are just trying to get your business with the idea of a 'complete kit'. Don't settle for what they want to sell you but what you want to buy. JMO

 

[Bifferwine]

You may want to pass on using the 55 unless they will drill it for you. A drilled tank is always better than a non-drilled tank.

 

[Tanner]

Yeah thats what I was gonna ask him, and if he wont I guess ill pass then, its just, a 55 is 25 gallons more then a 30 :(!! lol bigger the better right?! :p

 

[yote]

See if they'll drill that 55.

 

[PufferGuy]

i would go ask them for a list of everything they would include in this kit... including brand names, sizes of everything, etc. and then price it out online and see if having them do it is a good deal or not.

Like Yote said, live rock is really expensive on its own, but if your LFS is anything like the ones around here, i can see them giving you some crappy brown rocks and probably not enough of it for your tank...

So bottom line, price it out on your own and match it to the list they would give you about what their "kit" includes.

 

[dcantucson]

Best advice PufferGuy. :bowdown:

 

[Tanner]

im going tomorw so i will get the specifics then :)

 

[PufferGuy]

Best advice PufferGuy. :bowdown:

Thanks, I got sick of my LFS telling me how great their "deals" were too...

You should let us know what was on their list, i'm curious to see what they are including in that kit.

 

[dcantucson]

I hate LFS. Usually they are just full of BS

 

[wontonflip]

I still love my LFS :) Of course they want to sell me stuff, but aside from that, as long as you go in educated, they give me spot on advice. +1 everyone about getting more details on their "deal". The live rock thing is definitely a good deal, but make sure they're not just giving you one rock LOL make sure if they're selling it w/ live rock that they're giving you enough rocks. As far as "cycling" the water, they'll probably give you already-cycled water from their existing tanks. Probably nothing wrong with that as long as they had no sick fish in that water, or doing copper treatments in there. Sometimes "package deals" usually mean you get the cheapest equipment, which means you end up spending extra on better equipment.

OH P.S....no skimmer????

 

[Tanner]

Alright well I checked and there deal was, ahem..not the greatest.. lol it was like, 2 pieces of TINY live rock, a pump, sand, and a heater.

I just grabbed my own stuff instead, I have a build thread now.

OH P.S....no skimmer????

They weren't gonna give me one, because they said I don't need one on a tank that small... >_>

But I'm picking one up tomorow (FROM A NEW LFS), because I know I will need one.