[MistersMom]

I haven't seen a thread like this yet, so here goes!
I bought a 1.2 gallon National Geographic tank today, set it up, very disappointed, i hate it, and as soon as i can i will be replacing it with something better.So,here to those worthless purchases! Share on this thread the tanks, ornaments, lights, caves, etc, that you found worthless after purchasing! share pictures and comments!

So here goes!

Here is the tank, and notice how LARGE the filter is? The tube reaches the floor of the tank basically,theres like hardly any room for anything. its less than a foot tall/wide. It's really just a disappointment. and added in here is the picture on the box, how you think itll look! but then put together and feel cheated!!! and it had a crack in the bottom! its not leaking yet so i just put tape over it, hope it keeps.

 

[Piyoteru]

When I purchased a rehomed betta and his tank equipment, I ended up eventually replacing the heater and gravel (the heater wasn't enough to heat the tank size and the gravel was... tacky an fluro). Even now I'm considering just making my own sponge filter to replace the one that it came with- the suction on the tube holding the sponges for bacteria is weak or non-existent, yet the filter is somehow sucking water from somewhere else. The only thing that will definitely stay the same is the glass tank itself and the little half-log ornament he came with.

 

[MameJenny]

So many filters. :-( This filter: http://www.walmart.com/ip/AquaTech-Power-Filter-5-15-Fish-Aquatic-Pets/10313136 broke within five minutes. I returned it, and got a new one. The new one didn't work from the start. I returned that one. Eventually, I decided to give the filter another chance. Why, I really don't know. This one worked, but the extension broke off and killed two fish. I threw it out.

The Tom's Deco Kit. http://www.bigalspets.com/deco-aquarium-kit-3-gal.html Mine is the 2 gallon version. Now, in its defense, the tank is a nice shape, and the light is good quality. But the filter broke after a week, the lid cracked, and the tank scratches very easily. Not worth $50.

Aquaclear 70 filter...never try to adjust the impeller. It will snap in half. I have a nice, useless $35 plastic container now. :-(

Plastic pad heaters...I forget which brand it was, but it was about 10 watts. It was worthless for heating my 3 gallon. One day, not long after I got it, I reached into my tank to adjust it, and discovered that the covering had melted off. It's a wonder that I didn't get shocked or burned.

 

[MistersMom]

aquarium things are such a hit or miss thing. Can't anyone perfect it? Like jeez

 

[MistersMom]

and oh my gosh!! All my filter like the first one broke too! Sometime after a month other times after a couple of months but they never last 6 months for me!!

 

[MistersMom]

When I purchased a rehomed betta and his tank equipment, I ended up eventually replacing the heater and gravel (the heater wasn't enough to heat the tank size and the gravel was... tacky an fluro). Even now I'm considering just making my own sponge filter to replace the one that it came with- the suction on the tube holding the sponges for bacteria is weak or non-existent, yet the filter is somehow sucking water from somewhere else. The only thing that will definitely stay the same is the glass tank itself and the little half-log ornament he came with.

Oh my gosh, when i first read this i thought it was some fancy betta pronounce like 'rey-hom-ed' lmfao. rehomed... sometimes im so stupid.
and it sucks that it cost you so much to get to where you are now!

 

[Tony2632]

I like very few equipment for aquariums, not all are bad. I just feel DIY is cheaper and better.

 

[lilnaugrim]

My Aqua-Tech lasted me a good year before it broke but maybe it was just a fluke? haha.

Marineland Single Brite LED Strips are okay for no plants or low light plants but nothing else. I still have two of them that I'm looking to sell for cheaper price since I deal with higher light plants. They are okay as far as LED's go but if you go LED, go for the expensive one. It will hurt your wallet at first but in the end it pays for itself; I'm selling plants left and right and my electric bill isn't half bad either!

Any non-adjustable heater is no good in my eyes, even all my QT's have small adjustable ones!

 

[givemethatfish]

This isn't strictly worthless, but I should have thought it through before buying them. I bought a 6 pack of digital thermometers for my 6 tanks, and then I realized that 3 of my tanks are Fluvals so they have a fussy, fiddly light/lid combo thing that makes it impossible to put the thermometer sensor in the tank and then still take off the lid without having to worry about yanking on the cord and either pulling the sensor out or the display unit off the side of the tank.

They work well, but I should have just bought 3. Or none because I also hate the look of the stupid black cord trailing out of the tank. I wanted to be able to watch temperature fluctuations (just out of curiosity), but right now I only have it on one of my tanks because they are ugly.

 

[mpooyan83]

well... why dont you just return it if you just bought it? If you bought it from petsmart... which is the only store that sells that brand, they have a 60 day return policy.

plus, i agree with you on that National geographic kits are put together HORRIBLY!!! I bought the 8.5 gallon tank they have, the filter was so strong and not adjustable, it made frikkin mini cyclones in the tank. the heater would not fit in it, it was too tall by over an inch ( the lid wouldnt go back on....).

so yea, never again will i buy one of their Kits.

 

[MistersMom]

I can't return it because I don't have the money for gas, the only petsmart around me is a 45 minute drive, and i have nothing else to put Dolcie in.

 

[TheAnimaLover]

i got this slim filter that keeps developing mold and made the water smell it was so horrible that i got rid of it I'm surviving with large sums of plants to remove the chemicals+water changes

 

[givemethatfish]

I would like to revoke my previous complaint about the digital thermometers. I put one in my 54 gallon tank, and good thing I did because I forgot to turn the filter and heater back on for about 5 hours after my last water change. The only reason I noticed when I did is that the thermometer was reading almost a full degree low. I have now put them on all my tanks. I don't care that they're ugly. I now consider them a great buy.

I obviously did have glass thermometers in all my tanks, but the digital one is much more obvious and I can tell at a glance if anything is off.

 

[iElBeau]

My 10G tank. I learned not to buy used aquariums off kijiji…

It came with a heater, filter, lid, and the tank itself. The heater broke after 2 months, the filter vibrated like crazy and broke after about 6 months, the lights vibrated out of the lid and broke one of the sockets pretty badly, and then the tank cracked. I had to fill it about 3 inches short of the top, to avoid it leaking all over the new hardwood.

Also several decorations I've had just had their paint etc. peel when rinsing.

White gravel was one too. That stuff gets algae once, and it's permanently brown for ever haha.

Leaf hammocks and floating thermometers - Actually anything with a suction cup - the hard water in my area destroys suction cups.

Really… quite a few things have just turned out awful but I replaced the tank piece by piece (I should have just caved and bought an expensive new one, I replaced it with all cheap stuff - whoops) and made my own decorations

 

[MistersMom]

You always have more appreciation for something you enjoyed decorating and making the decor yourself! it means more! i feel like it help to bond the fish owner to the fish!

 

[Tish]

What I don't like about National Geographic tank's they have a filter, but no heater, but they say it's good for a betta! Someone isin't doing their research on Betta's..lol

 

[iElBeau]

Ahaha I had a little betta heater already so it's not a big deal to me. I really think the tank depends on who's buying it though. It didn't even come with real instructions.

Oh I didn't mention that. It doesn't tell you to rinse everything in hot water first or how to set it up etc. It just kinda says "here's a tank - plop a betta and some water in this" lol. I found that a little frustrating, knowing not everyone will know what to do with that info.

 

[Tish]

That's good you had a heater, It just seems that a tank that is for betta's and is made for National Geographic would have a heater or a sheet to tell you that buying one is recommended. I looked at them a while ago and was stunned to see they lacked that very important item.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

I don't know of any kits which come with heaters. Does anyone?

I love the digital thermometers for the same reason ... read at a glance. To keep the wire out of sight, I ran it along the top edge to the back of the aquarium. Then I dropped the sensor in the water behind some decor.

 

[givemethatfish]

Some of the Aqueon kits come with heaters.