I had a 5 gallon minibow tank. I liked it a lot, and the filter current isn't too much at all. Even in the 1 gallon minibow, the filter doesn't create a current that is too strong for a long finned fish (I currently have a small guppy in my 1 gallon because I'm treating him for ick, poor thing). The only real problem I've ever had with the filters in the minibow tanks (I've had the 1 gallon, 2.5 gallon, and the 5 gallon and they all have the same filter) is that with my halfmoons with longer fins their finnage sometimes would get caught in the intake and rip, but a layer of cheesecloth does the trick to stop that. I absolutely love the bow tanks, and the only reason I got rid of my 5 was because I traded it to a friend for a 10 gallon tank. :P
This is true. But the bow tanks aren't as bad as those halfmoon tanks, which make everything look twice the size it is normally, and rounded, no matter what it is (including the fish lol). And it's nice to have something different than a rectangular or square tank.
This is true. But the bow tanks aren't as bad as those halfmoon tanks, which make everything look twice the size it is normally, and rounded, no matter what it is (including the fish lol). And it's nice to have something different than a rectangular or square tank.
Absolutely xD I can imagine having one and looking over and seeing my tiny pleco be a monster O_O
I kinda want to get a 2.5 or 5g mini bow for my desk or something ._. I can't stop myself I want more fish xD
I've seen an alarming number of fish and other bettas be sucked into the intake tube of the stock filter with the minibows. For that reason I highly suggest using a prefilter sponge with them, or replacing the filter altogether.. but then again it's a very expensive tank if you're not coupling the filter in the price.
I'm a little old school - standard glass aquarium.
... sucked in? No way. The filters are absolutely way too small to suck a betta in. MAYBE if you had fry in the tank, then yes, but even my smallest bettas never even got stuck to the filter to the point of not being able to get off. Like I said, the only problem I ever had was fin ripping. I just can't see that happening, Callistra, at all.
And Kithy, I have one halfmoon tank with my crowntail in it, and he has super long fins anyways, but sometimes I look over and at the right angle, he looks like a giant spider. But, he absolutely loves that tank, and his decorations actually look great (I tried really really hard to find good decorations for that tank). :P
And Kithy, I have one halfmoon tank with my crowntail in it, and he has super long fins anyways, but sometimes I look over and at the right angle, he looks like a giant spider. But, he absolutely loves that tank, and his decorations actually look great (I tried really really hard to find good decorations for that tank). :P
That would scare me xD But it sounds really cool :3 I am having a hard time resisting lol
lol. Off subject, I absolutely hate spiders (whining, crying, kill it with fire, the whole thing) but it really is cool. I'll only ever have the one halfmoon tank though.
I really do like the minibow tanks, though, especially for a different look, I think they're great. (I get really bored with standard rectangle tanks).
The only "bow" tank that I don't care for are the Marina ones with the concacve bow as opposed to the convex bow (or the one that bows in instead of out).
The filter that comes with the Aqueon 5 Gallon Bowfront Aquarium is the same that comes with the MiniBow and 2.5 BettaBow. It's pretty good with the 2.5 as in it handles that amount of water perfectly, same with the Mini, however in the 5 gallon it's far too small. The intake can also be horrible for your Betta's precious finnage, especially if you have a HM or CT. I can almost 100% guarantee you that the intake will harm either of those types of fish's tails.
You can either replace the filter or add undyed cheesecloth around the intake of the original and just make sure you keep up with the water changes since that filter isn't the best for a larger aquarium. Frequently changing the cheesecloth as well, even though it gains BB after awhile it will start to get slimy and disintegrate. You may be able to wrap a spongy bit around it instead, that would work much better.
I have owned 2 MiniBows, 2 BettaBow 2.5s and my 5 gallon Bowfront. I like the Bows as they stand out a little bit more than a normal tank. They are great "desktop" aquariums just as they advertise them to be. They give your Betta (or other fish) a good sized aquarium and are also "stylish." It was a bit of bad designing on the hood VS filter cord though however, you are correct in saying they don't fit properly together (oops!). The filter pads for these are not the best, since they are so close to the light of the aquarium they can grow algae really fast.. To keep this from happening too quickly don't keep your aquarium light on for too terribly long during the day (no 8+ hours of light), him having light from the rest of the house should be fine for his partial lighting.
Oh also, don't worry too much about your Betta jumping from that area at the back I have never had any issues with my Bettas being interested in that area of the tank, though none of mine are much for jumping either. If you have concerns about it you can always set a piece of plastic over it, like 1/2 a broken CD case. It should also be good for if you're worried about your kitty as well, you can even use a small piece of scotch tape to hold it to the lid so kitty doesn't accidentally push it off.
Last edited by TheCheese909; 12-30-2012 at 06:03 PM.
lol. Off subject, I absolutely hate spiders (whining, crying, kill it with fire, the whole thing) but it really is cool. I'll only ever have the one halfmoon tank though.
I really do like the minibow tanks, though, especially for a different look, I think they're great. (I get really bored with standard rectangle tanks).
The only "bow" tank that I don't care for are the Marina ones with the concacve bow as opposed to the convex bow (or the one that bows in instead of out).
Bleh me too. I can't even kill a spider in a video game without freaking out in my chair. The only exception is when I get to beat it up (FFXI) but on Skyrim I run xD
I feel like I'm running out of outlets xD I really wanna put a small tank with like an EE betta or something on my desk but I so need a bigger desk. With my computer, TV and xbox.. I'm out of space /pout
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