Pls help me chose a small tank

[heckofagator]

Hi guys,

Been in salt water on and off for the past 10 years. Deciding to take a break from that and try a smaller all-in-one tank for a betta.

I've done some reading and would like a planted tank with a betta and perhaps a dwarf african frog and a couple small shrimp. Looking around at tanks, I do like the looks of:

Fluval Spec V
Eheim Aquastyle
Fluval Ebi/Flora

Just curious if you guys could help me narrow down which of these might be the better setup? The Ebi/Flora might be a tad on the big side, but if they are the best of the bunch, I don't mind. I do think the Eheim has a good name, but it doesn't look like that one comes with a top, so I'm not too sure if that will even work or not.

Thanks in advance gang!

[FishyFishy89]

Fluval are great tanks, if you've got the money to spend.
In my opinion, you could take that same amount of cash, get a 10 or 15 gal, plant that and put a small community in there. Some neons or mollies or platies, your betta and shrimpies or otos.

Is there any particular reason why you want a small tank? What is small to you?

[heckofagator]

thanks for the thoughts.

While a 10g tank is not out of the question, I'd like to stay around 5g for this one. Although I guess I don't have a super good reason other than I might want something to go on the kitchen counter or on my desk or something like that.

I don't mind spending the money for something nice. If a 10g tank is a better way to go, I'm ok with that. I did see a nice looking rimless 10g at the store today, although the silicone job was a bit messy. I think it was Marineland.

[sandybottom]

i'm gonna get an eheim or zen nano in the spring. i'm gonna have a piece of acrylic or glass cut for the top. there are a few good deals on the truaqua website. $150 nanos on sale for around $70. you'd have to check em out and see if they are your style. the five gallon zen nano looks nice for about $90.00 or so.

[isochronism]

I have the Spec v for about two weeks now, no fish in yet.
I chose it as it fit well on my windowsill. It has a very thin footprint- 7 1/4". I also just bought a 2 1/2 Marineland as it filled the rest of my same windowsill in perfectly. And it does have a sloppy silicone job, which I may clean up with a single edge razor blade.

[FishyFishy89]

Oooohhhhh, i think I see your tank preferences. You want a slick and stylish tank?
Bigger isn't always better. I've seen some bettas do perfect in a larger tank and some have a complete anxiety attack in larger tanks. It all varies with the fish. If you get a large-ish betta(somewhere around a king) then he'll need a decently sized tank to not look squished in there.

[homegrown terror]

for a small tank, i like the concept of "found tanks" provided they're capable of supporting a bettas needs. for instance, i found this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Anchor-Hoc...h-Lid/16486707

planted it first with an emerged dracenia, added driftwood to prop the lid, and put in some rocks, a heater and a terracotta pot:



then added smaller plants such as wisteria, primrose and hornwort, and now my delta boy Genghis lives in it:





the best things about it: the plants provide natural filtration and ammonia removal without the current caused by a mechanical filter, and it takes up about 1.5 square feet of counter space, perfect for a desk or office fish!

[FishyFishy89]

I love that tank!!! So unique and stylish.