On the hunt for the BIG Tank!!!

Well, the time has come to buy that tank.  I have been hunting them down for about 4 months now and my wife has made the call on the stand and canopy.  Now, comes the fun part.  I really wanted to buy a used set-up.  Much like cars, these tanks lose value the minute you put a drop of water in them.  In fact, here is a comparison of the prices you can get items for NEW versus used:

	NEW	USED
210g AGA Aquarium drilled with 2 overflows	700.00	400.00
Stand and Canopy	930.00	500.00
ASM G3- Protein Skimmer	325.00	150.00
Metal Halide Lighting Set-up (3x250w)	750.00	350.00
Wavemaker	135.00	35.00

So, now you can see why I want to find a used tank.  Well, I have been searching both craigslist and eBay in the Philadelphia area and I have "watched" a hundred tanks change hands. I found one that I really liked, but by the time I realized what a deal it was and how nice it was...it was gone.

So, now I am looking at a used one (see table below).  The color is all wrong for the stand and canopy, but the price is great!  If I get this one, I will have to spend a significant amount of time sanding it, and refinishing it. 

My other option is to order a new one.  If I order a tank, it will not be 210g.  It will most likely be a 150 or 180.  I am looking at two different brands right now.  First, there is the AGA tank with the Classic Series stand (mission Maple).  That is the one that my wife and I both like.  The stand and canopy would look nice in the living room.  The other option is Glass Cages (www.glasscages.com).  They make beautiful tanks and I have only heard good things about them.  The other benefit with them is that they will customize the tank for you.  But, I will have to stain the stand myself.

Here is another chart that shows my options right now.  Maybe you can help me decide.  For comparison, they are all 210g set-ups drilled with overflows.

	Used Tank	AGA	Glass Cages
Tank	$900	699.99	$970 (includes, glass covers, bulkheads)
Stand	included	629.99	475
Canopy	included	299.99	200
TOTAL	$900	$1630	$1695

Now that I have laid it all out, I think the best thing to do is to buy the used tank and move on....  I will talk to my wife an give you an update as to what will really happen.