Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon

Great tank for an office or bedroom. Looks very stylish and the filtration system is silent and discreet. There's even a place to hide a water heater. The only thing that needs improvement is the included light. Don't get me wrong, it illuminates the tank evenly and adequately, but the way it's mounted causes the thing to sag on one end and it's not bright enough to grow most plants. Because of this I replaced the included lamp with a Finnex Ray 2 and it fits the tank perfectly!

I didn't get this tank through Amazon, but the reviews on this site gave me the insight to make the purchase anyway, so I thought I should give back to the great customers who educated me.

I give this tank a 5 star rating, even considering the strong filter pump. The pump can be adjusted to a setting that is quite manageable when you adjust the swivel output nozzle to point towards the bottom and against the glass. There are quiet spots in the water, even in this 5.5 gallon aquarium, that my Half Moon Betta can hover in and look very peaceful. Plus, I put in a large piece of hollow driftwood to give my Betta a place to escape if need be. Actually, he seems to enjoy the water output (which is 1" from the top of the water line) as he often swims directly up into the stream all the way to the top of the tank. He'll do this three or four times, then pull over and rest. I imagine he's getting some fishy exercise. Reminds me of a dog hanging his head out the window of a moving car. In still water, Bettas tend to be calm swimmers, but this tank provides just enough room and water circulation to keep my Betta quite active. And he's not being pushed around, he's patrolling the tank like the Type A personality that Siamese Fighting Fish are know to be.

The construction is clear glass. I have 5 small live plants, a moss ball, smooth gravel and the driftwood. The underwater pump is the quietest I have ever had, and I've been maintaining aquariums for over 20 years. It's on my desk and I sit about 2 feet away. I hear the air conditioning, the refrigerator and conversations outdoors before I can hear this pump. Perfect for an office environment.

The filtration is biological and physical with the water running through a corse sponge, a small bag of charcoal and a bag of porous coral pellets. The pump is amazing. At full speed it could easily keep a salt water reef healthy. But by reducing the outflow and adjusting the nozzle, the surface of the water is so calm that my Betta can easily grab some air wherever he is in the tank. Remember to adjust the pump's output BEFORE you put it in the tank, because it sits on the bottom and you'll need a long stick or the handle of your net to push it down.

The LED light is pretty, but not strong enough for the plants I have, so I have the tank near a window to pick up some indirect sunlight throughout the day, and some direct sunshine for a few minutes in the early AM. Once my tank is biologically stable, I plan to add an African Dwarf frog and a couple of Rainbow Tetras. That's close to being overstocked, so I will probably have to do a 20% to 25% water change each week. We'll see how the water tests out.

To recap, this is perfect Betta tank with lots of room for his highness to roam and a little more space for some tank companions (especially when you consider the strength of the filtration system). But, from a name like Fluval, it had to be great, right?

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I actually have this tank in Black, not that the color makes a difference in how it all works, which is very well indeed.

The sponge filter medium is HUGE for the size of the tank, and has two good-sized cutouts to hold the bio-beads and any other medium you might want to put in the filter. I added a second bag of bio-beads as this tank was replacing a "standard" 5 gallon that had a betta and a couple oto cats in it. By using the bio-beads from the existing tank's filter I had no concerns about cycling the tank before moving my fish into it.

The filter pump is surprisingly powerful for its small size, even on the lowest setting, so much so that I had to make a spray bar return for it to reduce the force of the water coming back from the filter. My betta was getting "blown" around the tank because the current was so strong, and it made us both unhappy. With the home-made spray bar my betta was much more comfortable.

Because the center of the lid is open (so it doesn't block any of the light from the LEDs) the tank is prone to evaporation loss more than it otherwise would be. As I do weekly water changes this isn't much of an issue, and it is common with open-topped tanks anyway. But I wanted others to know that it is something to deal with if that matters to you.

The light works well and my live plants are growing nicely with it. The screw that holds the light bar in place is only plastic, and seems to have stripped the threads even with careful handing, so I will probably have to replace it with a metal screw so the light bar is more secure. I have the light on a timer, so the 2-way switch for white vs. blue LEDs is not an issue to me, but if you don't use a timer on the light you'll have to manually switch from white daytime to blue nighttime lighting.

Everyone who's seen the tank comments on how good it looks! I'm very glad I bought it even with having to make the minor modification of the filter return. For fish that like a strong current or a nano marine tank the powerful filter pump would be ideal.

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The all in one design and stylish look are what made me notice this tank. I had fish when I was young, and its a hobby I have been out of for many years. I bought the smaller version of this as a gift for a friend (2 gallon), putting a betta and 2 dwarf frogs in it along with some decorations. After seeing how nice the small desktop version looked and functioned I was hooked and decided to get one for myself. I went with a slightly larger version since not being kept at the office, but fits really nicely on a desktop and adds life to the room. Definitely think this would make a great "first" tank for a child or novice.

One small problem was that the original item had a leak (Pinhole leak at the front bottom right corner). Amazon and Petco were very accommodating and I could return/exchange at the store. Replacement tank had an issue with the blue LED and Petco manager allowed me to exchange just the light without having to take down the entire tank. I am appreciative of receiving reasonable customer service and would say that despite my challenges Petco really made an impression by making the exchange process as painless as possible.

My own Betta seems thrilled to have so much space to swim. 1" of fish per gallon is always the recommended max capacity for an aquarium, so I may add a few ADF's and couple ghost shrimp or a snail to clean up as I have a bad habit of over-feeding. I would very much recommend adding a 25 watt heater as it fits nicely in the filter compartment and most fish will be more active if they are kept at tropical temperatures of 72-80 degrees. Additionally, the filter output is very strong so if you have fish (like a Betta) that prefer still water remember to set the air pump at its lowest setting.

Overall: If not for the 2 minor manufacturing defects (Not the fault of Petco or Amazon) this would get 5 stars not 4. For a solid glass aquarium the Fluval Spec V makes it easy to enjoy having a tank with minimal maintenance or knowledge required. I expect to enjoy this for years to come.

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I like this tank. A lot. The dimensions are interesting and attractive, without being impractical. It's an expensive 5 gallon tank, but a standard 5 1/2 with a glass canopy, filter, and LED light wouldn't be all that much cheaper to put together. The hidden pump and sponge filter block are a big plus, as is the ability to hide a heater in the same compartment. The plastic lid is fine, a bit more trouble than a hinged canopy but nothing major. The narrow footprint makes it possible to situate in places a tank this size wouldn't normally fit. If it's a close call however take note, the tank is indeed less than 7 inches wide (the stated measurement) but the plastic frame around the bottom is almost 7 1/2 inches, so it needs to sit on something wide enough to support the frame.

I like sponge filters and simply toss out the carbon and redundant ceramic rings. Neither is necessary. I do slice the filter block about one third of the way down so I can remove and rinse the top part of debris without always pulling the entire thing out. A little 8 watt "Betta" type always on heater has been more than sufficient right now, in the winter I'll use a thermostatic type. I haven't needed to buffer the filter as I do with the 2 gallon Specs, the extra space makes it quiet enough for short finned plakat and giant bettas. For heavily finned Bettas, a piece of sponge over the duckbill exhaust nozzle works perfectly.

The light is just bright enough for low light plants, the blue LEDS are pretty, but even for "moon" light, a bit dim. In a lot of pictures I see the light fixture seems to sag, if the screw is tightened it seems to stay perfectly straight for me.

I really like this style of tank by Fluval, I hope they expand the line with more sizes.

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