Paycheck day is coming up, and I'm looking to buy a 5 to 6 gallon tank and start the cycling process for my Betta boy, Luna.
Inquiry
I'm basically looking for feedback. If there's a tank you think I should look at, please link it in a post below. If you have experience with ether of these two particular tanks, please let me know your experience -- pros, cons, considerations, etc.
I have the Top Fin 5.5g & I love it. I have it sitting on my whatchamacallit under my TV, its the perfect size. The ONLY thing I don't care for is the hood. I'm actually thinking of getting a glass canopy & a different light. The door on the stock hood is too small so you have to take the whole thing off for water testing or to do a water change, works OK when feeding. The filter it came with was for a 10g so its a lot of current for the tank size so baffling is needed if you use that filter. But the tank size & shape is perfect IMO.
I have the Top Fin 5.5g & I love it. I have it sitting on my whatchamacallit under my TV, its the perfect size. The ONLY thing I don't care for is the hood. I'm actually thinking of getting a glass canopy & a different light. The door on the stock hood is too small so you have to take the whole thing off for water testing or to do a water change, works OK when feeding. The filter it came with was for a 10g so its a lot of current for the tank size so baffling is needed if you use that filter. But the tank size & shape is perfect IMO.
I was wondering about that filter...thanks so much for your feedback. :) If I go with the Top Fin 5.5, is there a particular filter that you'd recommend?
I'm using the one it came with, I changed the filter cartridge for sponge, put sponge in the intake tube & also did the water bottle on the output. My Betta boy is all over that tank, he never stops moving.
I'm using the one it came with, I changed the filter cartridge for sponge, put sponge in the intake tube & also did the water bottle on the output. My Betta boy is all over that tank, he never stops moving.
If you already have one available -- I don't want to ask you to go through any trouble-- might you post a picture of what your tweaks to the filter look like? I'm having a hard time picturing what doing a water bottle on the output looks like.
If you don't have one, no worries. It's just if you happen to have a snap shot on your computer.
Thank you very much for your feed back, it's incredibly helpful.
I have the Marineland hex. In some ways I love it, in others I'd happily trade it.
pros:
-fits in a smaller space
-eclipse filters (which this one comes with) are generally pretty solid, it works pretty good.
-everything is prefitted (you don't need to fuss around with tin snips and rules)
-the view is dramatic
-its acrylic (which some people value due to the belief that its sturdier)
cons:
-this is what is considered a 'tall' tank meaning less 'floor' space for decor and things like hiding holes
-incandescent lighting (both starter kits have them) which won't show color well as it will apply a yellow hue and they don't last last long
I replaced the light for a fluorescent, and after a couple years decided to upgrade my filter to a 10gal filter because I am a believer in using a filter rated a few gallons more than your tank actually is :3
I have the Marineland hex. In some ways I love it, in others I'd happily trade it.
pros:
-fits in a smaller space
-eclipse filters (which this one comes with) are generally pretty solid, it works pretty good.
-everything is prefitted (you don't need to fuss around with tin snips and rules)
-the view is dramatic
-its acrylic (which some people value due to the belief that its sturdier)
cons:
-this is what is considered a 'tall' tank meaning less 'floor' space for decor and things like hiding holes
-incandescent lighting (both starter kits have them) which won't show color well as it will apply a yellow hue and they don't last last long
I replaced the light for a fluorescent, and after a couple years decided to upgrade my filter to a 10gal filter because I am a believer in using a filter rated a few gallons more than your tank actually is :3
Thanks for the review, it'll prove a real boon for helping me make my decision. :)
If you already have one available -- I don't want to ask you to go through any trouble-- might you post a picture of what your tweaks to the filter look like? I'm having a hard time picturing what doing a water bottle on the output looks like.
If you don't have one, no worries. It's just if you happen to have a snap shot on your computer.
Thank you very much for your feed back, it's incredibly helpful.
Darn I recently deleted the pics off of my phone, but I do know I've posted them on here before, not sure exactly when. I'll see if I can find it.
I have the Marineland Hex 5g that I recently turned into a planted tank for my DT male betta. I got a really good deal on it on Amazon and like it pretty well so far. Its lightweight (a big pro for me as far as acrylic tanks go), but very sturdy and the parts well-made. It comes with the bio-wheel filtration system and I find the flow to be pretty strong. I replaced the filter cartridge with an Aquaclear sponge as well as cutting another sponge into pieces to fit over the intake tube as well as the out-flow section to baffle the current somewhat as well as aid in biological filtration. I also ended up adding more floating plants to disperse the water flow and now my guy isn't getting tossed around everywhere lol. Here are a few pics of mine shortly after planting.
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