is this a good deal, need input please, new to saltwater

[vdubbin95]

I am very interested in starting a saltwater tank. I ran across this add on Craigslist and I was wondering if it is worth the money. I also have heard mix reviews about what the price of starting and maintaining a tank is going to be. I asked a friend who has a Saltwater tank and he said that this set up is basically all i would need. I don't need to run a sump tank or a quarantine tank if i did not need to. If i choose to buy this set up, what else would I need for a start up? I live next to the ocean so I am able to get filters salt water, the tank is coming with a couple of live rocks and sand....
And what do articles mean by a salt water tank is going to run you $50 a gallon. Is that for chemicals?
Sorry about the questions, I just need to know before i drop the money and find out I am screwed because I thought it was a good deal.

Here is the link. Input please

Brand New Saltwater Aquarium/Fish Tank with T5 Light Setup!!!

 

[Trigger Happy]

Hi, from my perspective this is a good deal. It would get you set up to begin with but I expect before too long you'd be wanting to add things, upgrade etc.

 

[FishyReef]

You will want to ditch the canister filter, and will need new sand (never start with old sand from someone else's tank). You should find out how much live rock he is including - you need 1-2lbs per gallon. Your live rock will serve as your primary filtration source. You will also need more than just 1 nano koralia powerhead - you want enough flow in your tank for 20-40x tank volume. I haven't heard of that brand of skimmer before, so I'd recommend looking online for reviews. You should also ask how old the light bulbs are - with those lights you need to buy new bulbs every 6-12 months, and those can get costly over time (this is true for any fixture other than LEDs where you don't have to replace bulbs). You will also need testing supplies (don't get test strips), salt mix, refractometer to measure salinity, and I personally would recommend an RO/DI unit for your water. Getting water from the ocean is just a bad idea - all sorts of nasty stuff in it that will cause problems in your tank. If you do decide to go with this set up, I'd strongly recommend leak testing it while you are at his home before you buy. It's unusual for someone to be getting rid of a brand new set up, so you've got to wonder why.... Good luck!

 

[Bifferwine]

I have no idea where the $50 per gallon cost comes from -- I have never seen that figure anywhere. Making your own saltwater or buying it from a store is cheap -- about 50 cents per gallon or less. Most people do not need to use chemicals, and when they do, they are not expensive either -- usually less than $10 for several months' supply.

 

[Samhain]

That's probably more of an investment figure. And once you consider what we spend on lights, plumbing, skimmers, dosers, reactors, RO/DI systems, chemicals, rock, coral, tank, stand, and fish, that actually doesn't seem an inaccurate figure! Ouch!