1 Gallon Mini-Bow

[Jessiefish]

I thought I'd pass on this review in case anyone might be considering this tank...

The 2.5 gallon mini-bows seem to always get such great reviews, so I picked up one of the new 1 gallon mini-bows that's currently housing a betta I'm having personality and fin issues with (he suddenly went all emo and started tailbiting, etc.) -- not the most ideal size, I know, but I needed something portable and easy to clean.

The tank itself and filter are OK, but the hood and the light SUCKS. It's got a 7-watt incandescent bulb that puts off really unflattering light (though not much of it) -- not only that, but it gets so hot that it melts the hood! It's ridiculous; there's no way to really modify the hood to change the lighting, either. And there's hardly any room in the slit in the hood to fit any other cords (I have a Hydor mini in there).

Great concept, poorly executed; it wasn't worth the price. I'd like to see small tanks move toward LED lighting to avoid the heat/melting issue.

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

One of my hospital tanks is the 1G mini-bow and I haven't had any issues with it. I also have 2.5G mini-bows and I absolutely love them. The one bad thing about them is they scratch easily. Be careful with heating a 1G. You really shouldn't because it could fry your fish, but if you have a thermometer in there and are closely watching the temperature, it should be fine. IMO a filter in a tank that small is a waste because you're going to have to clean it 2 or 3 times a week regardless so you're killing the cycle anyways so there's no point. But, it's up to you.

[AlexXx]

Glass > Plastic