Don’t know where to buy a fish tank? This guide at Aquarium Blueprints will provide a few potential places that you should look into, especially if you are trying to spend as little as possible in the process.
Getting the best value on new fish tanks
If you want to save as much money as possible, then we recommend taking advantage of Petco’s Dollar Per Gallon Sale on Aqueon Aquariums. As the name of the promotion suggests, you only have to pay one dollar (in USD) for every gallon of a fish tank. To get the discount, you have to sign up Petco Pal Rewards Program, which is free. In the previous promotions. the following sizes were eligible for the deal:
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 10 Gallon
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 20 Gallon Long
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 20 Gallon Tall
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 29 Gallon
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 40 Gallon
- Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 55 Gallon
Unfortunately, Petco does not run this sale year round. In recent years, these usually start in the months of January, March, July and September. In the past, however, the sale was also active during other months of the year. To check whether or not the sale is active, you can take a look at your local Petco ad here.
If you looking the most affordable new fish tanks, then the Petco’s Dollar Per Gallon Sale is the deal currently available.
Local Fish Stores
If you don’t live near a Petco, then you should check out your local pet store and/or fish store. You can use a website like Yelp to find an aquarium shop near you. To save you a trip, we recommend calling the business in advance to see if they have any fish tank on sale.
At the same time, you might want to see if there are any type of deals akin to the aforementioned Petco’s Dollar Per Gallon Sale. If not, then you might want to wait until there’s a holiday sale promotions like Black Friday, Fourth of July, etc.
Used Tanks
Another avenue that you can take, if you are looking for a bargain, is by checking out used tanks. Fish keepers often put their tanks on sale for reasons such as having to move, upgrading to a bigger tank, downgrading to a smaller tank or simply getting out of the hobby altogether. Businesses (which includes grocery stores or have tanks in their offices), especially those who are moving or shutting down, may also look to liquate their fish tanks.
To look for used tanks, you can use websites such as Craigslist or Facebook to see if anyone is willing to sell their aquariums. If you are lucky, you may be able to find someone willing to give one away for free. If you area have local fish club meet ups, then you might also finding used tanks on sale there as well.
With used tanks, you should aim to pay lower than Petco’s Dollar Per Gallon Sale on new tanks. The only exception to this is when the seller is willing to throw in extras such as a stand, heater, filter and other equipment. In this case, make sure you do your own research on the prices of the equipment (the used products should costs lower than what you can find new online) as well as test if the products will even work.
As you can see, you have to take a lot into consideration when it comes to buying a used tank. So, unless you can find an incredible deal on a used aquarium or can even get one for free, we recommend getting a new tank if you have the options for both.
Buying Tanks Online
Of course, you can also buy fish tanks online. We recommend doing this if your local area do not have the tank type, shape and/or size you are looking for. If you are lucky, you may be able to find aquariums more affordable online then what your local stores are offering (make sure you also take shipping into account when comparing the prices).
We don’t recommend buying used tanks online unless it is from a reputable seller that offers refunds and/or replacements in case the aquariums arrive damages and/or broken.
What to look for when new buying tanks
When you are buying new tanks, you want to make sure that there aren’t any scratches, cracks and chip offs. Furthermore, you want to take a look if the silicon seams are applied correctly if you are looking at getting a glass type tank.
If you are buying locally, then this shouldn’t be a problem unless the aquariums are heavily packaged with materials that block off your view. In that case, you want to make sure that the store you are buying from have some sort of return and/or refund policy if you do spot something wrong with you tank after unpacking.
What to look for when old buying tanks
Everything we mentioned above regarding new tanks also apply to old tanks. With that said, you should be more critical when it comes to used aquariums, especially when it comes to the silicon seams, which may be worn out over years of usage. So, if possible, you may want to ask the seller to fill the tank with water and then you can inspect it to see if there are any leakage.
Recap
If you want to get new aquariums at the most affordable price possible, then you should take advantage of the Dollar Per Gallon Sale from Petco whenever it is available. If you don’t have a Petco nearby, then you can check out your local fish store to see if they are offering any discounts on tanks. You can also buy aquariums online if you don’t like what the locals are offering.
When buying tanks, make sure to inspect them before purchase. You want to make sure there are no scratches, cracks of chips. For glass aquariums, you should also check if the seams are correctly applied to all the connecting edges. This is especially important if you are buying a used tank.
