Used aquariums in Melbourne typically sell for A$48 to A$345 (about $34 to $240). A complete running aquarium is a different sale from an empty tank — the filter, heater, lighting and cabinet are most of what the buyer is paying for, so inventory the equipment before you price it.
Selling an aquarium in Melbourne
Students arrive in February and leave in November, which inverts the northern-hemisphere rhythm. The inner suburbs also carry a lot of share-house accommodation, and share houses reshuffle constantly rather than seasonally.
The tram network covers the inner suburbs densely and is how most small handovers happen. The city is flat, which makes collecting a bike or a chest of drawers by car straightforward, though inner-suburb streets are narrow and permit parking is tightly enforced.
On anything stored in a garage or shed, check for damp. The winters here are wetter and colder than the city’s reputation suggests, and fabric and particle board both suffer for it.
Melbourne, in Victoria, has around 5.1 million people, which means a buyer pool big enough that almost anything finds someone, and close enough together that collection is rarely the obstacle. Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo are close enough that a buyer there may well make the trip for the right thing.
Handing it over in Melbourne
Australia Post covers everywhere, but distance pricing is real and interstate parcels cost meaningfully more than local ones.
What aquariums are worth
What lifts the price
- Larger volumes, which are disproportionately expensive new
- Recognised brands with spares available
What pulls it down
- Chips at the corners, which risk failure under pressure
- Missing lids and light units, often model-specific
Working out what yours is worth
- Fill it outdoors and leave it standing to check for leaks
- Confirm the filter, heater and light all work
Getting it ready
- List every piece of equipment: filter and model, heater wattage, lighting unit, air pump, substrate, decor and cabinet.
- Fill the tank and leave it standing for a few hours to check the seals, then drain it. A seal leak found by the buyer at home is a very bad outcome.
Photograph
- The silicone seals along the inside corners, close up
- The glass edges and base, plus any scratch, chip or limescale line
Put in the description
- Age of the tank and the silicone, and whether the seals have been tested
- Whether the cabinet is included and its condition
Volume and completeness: “180L Aquarium with Cabinet, Filter, Heater and Lights”. Litres is the search term. Naming the filter model matters because external filters are expensive and buyers recognise the good ones. Say tropical, marine or coldwater if the setup is specific to one.
Listing is free and there is no selling fee, so the whole amount the buyer pays stays with you. You and the buyer agree the handover between yourselves.
Same region (Victoria)
Common questions
Where can I sell an aquarium in Melbourne?
List it free here and arrange the handover with the buyer yourself. The tram network covers the inner suburbs densely and is how most small handovers happen. The city is flat, which makes collecting a bike or a chest of drawers by car straightforward, though inner-suburb streets are narrow and permit parking is tightly enforced.
How old is the silicone?
Give your honest best estimate. Tanks over about ten years old are often resealed by the buyer as a matter of course, and saying so is better than being asked.
How much is an aquarium worth in Melbourne?
Most used aquariums change hands for A$48 to A$345 (about $34 to $240). Condition and completeness move that figure more than anything else.
More: selling an aquarium across Australia, what aquariums are worth, everything second hand in Melbourne, or Pet Supplies in Melbourne.
Guide range converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not a quote — sellers set their own price.