I really like this little tank. I've just finished setting it up and haven't any fish in it yet, but the tank itself is a little beauty! The lid is easy to remove if you put you finger back behind where the little cut-out for the air hose goes. However there is a little hole at the front of the lid that I think I can drop food in when I feed my little critters so I won't have to be removing the lid that much. I removed one of the perforated areas in the back of the lid (there are two of them) so the top of the little 25w heater can poke out. The color variations are a delight and I'm really pleased I went ahead and purchased this.
EDIT!!!! My tank has been set up now for almost a week. My beta is in there and happy, but, please do not buy this tank. The other reviews that mentioned the faulty light are correct. The light is now shorting out! There is water in the light. The light changes color on it's own, then the light will totally shut off, then back on, then different colors, then off again. Finally I just took the light out and will buy a new tank.
Please note, Amazon was great and tried to help with this situation. They offered a replacement, but I don't want the same tank. They offered a refund if I send the tank back, they have tried in every way possible to rectify this situation, so again, I'm happy I shop on Amazon. But please do not buy this tank, I believe it's dangerous. Water and electricity do not mix well!
The tank is just as advertised. My betta LOVES it! In his half gallon enclosure he was just sitting at the bottom all the time with his fins folded up. In this one, he's always on the move and strutting his stuff. Its really nice to look at and the different lighting modes are neat too. There's no filter so keep an eye on ammonia levels!
UPDATE: I am sorry to say I have to downgrade my initial review. I originally gave this 5 stars but now I cannot. The hood light is the worst design I have ever seen. Its is not remotely waterproof and after 2 months, not only did the nuts and bolts which hold it together rust and break apart, but water can easily get inside, just from minor spatting from the air bubbler. I noticed that the lights were flickering, so I took a look. The unit practically fell apart in my hand due to corroded bolts. There was water inside the bulb assembly. No gaskets or sealed electronics of any sort. Portions of the printed circuit board had its insulation burned away due to arcing. Being somewhat savvy, I was able to repair it, but then had to put a clear plastic condom over it to keep it dry. Just a terrible design.
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I just want to share my method for keeping water out of the light. Use petroleum jelly on the seams of the plastic part of the light exposed to water. It's not an accident your lights start to do wierd things. water will get in there if you dont waterproof it. I have a three gallon and a two gallon on the way. They are cool little tanks.
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Although the description would lead you to believe it is filtered, it is NOT and I may have killed my betta because I thought it was. The air pump does create a suction that pulls debris under the undergravel plate so it looks clean. The problem is that all that left over food and poop sit there, trapped under the aquarium bottom plate, polluting the water and increasing the nitrates to toxic levels. You can't suction it out easily, you have to pull everything out of the aquarium to do a full weekly water change. I didn't realize this until my fish very suddenly developed fin rot for no apparent reason. I had been doing 25% water changes biweekly but apparently I wasn't even touching the debris that had collected. Now, in trying to treat the fin rot by doing 100% daily water changes, I might have killed my fish by damaging his swim bladder trying to net him in this tank. It is round, which means a square net will not form to the sides to easily net the fish without damage or over-stressing him. It takes a lot of work to net him.
The tank looks cool and we read all reviews before purchasing but thought we would try it anyway. As mentioned in most every review, within the first week there was condensation on the inside of the lighting tube so it was only a matter of time before it shorted out. One review mentioned putting petroleum jelly on the seams of the light, so I dried out the light and did this. It seems to work wonders for keeping condensation out, but I've found that it needs to be wiped down and redone every few weeks.
Another problem is that the tank scratches really easily. After the first full water change, when I pulled everything out, there were scratches everywhere from smooth rounded marbles and paper towel.
Something else to consider if you have a betta, the current from the bubbler is really strong. I had to not only buy a valve for the air hose but also stuff a piece of aquarium sponge down the center tube to keep a somewhat smooth breathing surface for him. If we keep this tank, we are leaving the bottom plate and center tube and bubbler out of it. I will try to find a true filter to fit the inside to keep the water clean. It would be a neat tank if they fix some of the major problems, but there is no excuse for leading people to believe it's filtered. Knowing what I now know, I would not purchase it again.
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Received this quickly and in good shape with a very reasonable price list for replacement parts.
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Fits my 38G (36in x 12in top) well. Back is a bit difficult to cut, so you'll need something heavier duty than standard office scissors to cut holes for filtration equipment.
