• "Excellent Small Aquarium"

Review excerpt:

I think this is an Excellent Small to Midrange Aquarium set. I've been using this aquarium for 3 years now and am very pleased with it.

It is an acrylic tank - not glass, so that's the first factor to consider. The difference is that it will be lighter than a glass tank but acrylic can get all scratched up when you're trying to do stuff like scrape algae off - just be careful to not scrub so hard or use abrasive cleaners that can scratch or smoke up the acrylic.

I think that 12 gallons is a perfect size for a small area. You can have one larger fish in there, or several small ones. The 12 gallon size gives you a good amount of space so you have more options on what kind and how many fish you want to keep in there.

The hinged lid houses the filtration and lighting system while keeping the aquarium covered so that things don't inadvertently fall in, or critters getting out. I think a good lid is very important for a fish tank, sometimes things drop in, sometimes critters try to get out...and if you want eels - they are notorious escape artists, so you really need to seal up the top of the tank. This lid makes it easier to do so.

The filtration system is one of the best that I've owned. I can't believe how clean it keeps the tank. I only change out the water every 6 months or so, but not because I can see gunk in the tank, but because I know that I should. Actually, I think I'm supposed to clean it more...but the unit runs so perfectly, I just don't see the need...and if I don't see the need, I don't really do it...so the excellent filtration system can be a good or bad thing. My tank is just always so crystal clear, it's wonderful to have such an easy tank to keep up. People are always asking me how I keep my tank looking so clean and perfect, and it's great to know that I don't have to do anything at all! lol, just make sure that the filtration system is plugged in. Of course, I do have to clean the Eclipse carbon filter out every couple of months. That does collect up quite a bit of "gunk". I just rinse out all the gunk and put the cleaned filter back in. After about 6 times of doing this, the filter gets pretty beat up, so I'll replace it. The replacement cartridges are not expensive.

The lighting is great and sufficient to light up the entire tank including some space around it. It's cool to have it in a dark room and have this as the sole lighting. It can act as a night light or whatnot. After 3 years of daily use, I have not had to replace the bulb either.

You have to supply your own gravel, plants, accessories, and of course - the fish. I would highly recommend this aquarium. It's a compact unit for being 12 gallons, the filtration system works perfectly, the light is great, and the panoramic view really showcases your fish well. I have no complaints on this tank whatsoever and would recommend it to anyone.

(5 Stars)

Relevancy: 95% (out of 42 total votes) thought this review was helpful.

(more reviews for this item)