BiOrb 15L Flow Aquarium, Black

When my two boys asked for betta fish, I started looking into desktop aquariums, since I didn't want to keep fish in tiny bowls. After a lot of debate, I decided on the Biorb Flow 15 and ordered two of them. Wow, are they pretty once they're set up and all decked out with plants and accessories! I originally thought our only option would be a cheap-looking old style aquarium, but the Flow is so cool looking, it actually adds to the decor of their rooms.

But pretty is only good if it works, right? Set up was a breeze, really couldn't have been simpler. I bought Hagen 25 watt mini heaters for the tanks since the Biorb heater kit is so expensive, and they work great. Clamped the tubing with paper clips to minimize the flow of the filter (bettas don't like to be tossed around) and was pretty much ready to go. A few days later, we brought home our fish.

In the first hour they were out of the bags, we had a disaster. The Biorb ceramic media is very large, and if you aren't careful to lay it properly, you can wind up with some fairly large gaps. One betta went exploring down in the media and got wedged in the corner of the tank, between the media and the glass. I got him out, but he was pretty shell-shocked. Fortunately, he recovered within a day and is doing fine.

I worried about the size of the tanks, since they're on the small side, but these little guys seem very pleased with their new homes. I've added lots of plants, grass rings, Feng-shui pebbles, topiary balls, and leaf hammocks, so they have numerous hiding places and things to swim around and investigate. I think the lighting is just fine, and the opening is more than big enough to do whatever you need to do in there.

The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is the price. After the initial expense (which isn't small), you pretty much have to purchase all Biorb accessories if you want them to work with the tank. And they're pricy. It took three packages of pebbles per tank to get the look I wanted, three topiary balls apiece, two grass rings, and three plants (each). At Biorb prices, that's a chunk of change. But I'm not sorry, because they look great and our new little friends seem to be thriving!

Pros: Sleek looking design

Small footprint

Cons: Poor lighting. (very small LED light that only lights the middle of the tank not the sides at all.)

not enough lighting for live plants

You need to remove the light in order to get into the tank which makes it near impossible to see what youre doing inside the tank.

The small opening also makes it extremely difficult to catch fish in even a small net.

I could go on and on but honestly I've given this tank enough of my time. Save some money and frustration, if you're looking for a nano tank, and buy a fluval chi or nano.

JMHO

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It's really am attractive tank and has room for a few plants and a fish. If I was going to have more than 1 fish I would def get the 30. Cons: the "corners" can be annoying to the eyes, the instructions say not to cover the filter base-it gets very dis colored so you're pretty much forced to buy a cover or go against the instructions and cover it with rocks.

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I just have a Betta fish in there and it seems to be a perfect fit. The light is plenty bright for me and I don't mind the size of the opening. The only downside is the little pump that comes with it is kind of loud. According to the website it will get better with time and I also clipped the hose so not quite as much air is pumping through...this helped. It is a great aquarium if you want something compact and light...it is plastic and plastic can scratch, though.

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i dont know what this other person is talking about there is plenty of room to put a net and also plenty of light in this tank. i love it i'll post a picture once i add my fish and plants!

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