This looks like a really good idea in theory, but in practice it leaves a little to be desired.
Pros:
It's big enough on both sides for the two bettas
5lb of gravel fills this up nicely
Set up is easy
Divider is sturdy construction
Cons:
Filter is noisy and the water simply travels over the cartridge rather than going through it like is a better idea
Don't put the gravel in first; put the divider in first
Hard to get fish into the filter side once divider is in place
Feeding panel is sort of small
Bettas have a VERY hard time with current of any type. The one on the left in my tank constantly gets caught in the filter output, causing him to flare his fins and gills in fear (bad thing). It also takes up roughly an eighth of the swimmable space in the left. I'd recommend just getting one betta and making it a community tank with compatible fish.
The construction of the tank in general is solid and well done for the price. I wish they included a different filter, and I'm going to get the TOM mini filter () to replace it.
Also, if you have aggressive fish, you'll want to find a way to make the divider opaque. Mine are fairly friendly towards one another, so it's not a problem for me, but they see each other and interact a lot.
I loved the look and design of this tank. It is in my kitchen, and looks great; however I think my 2 bettas hate it!! The "divider" is slatted and does not fit tightly to both sides of the tank. The 2 fish are constantly flairing up and ramming the divider at each other! I emailed the manufacturer to see if they offered a solid or alternative type divider for this tank, but they do not. After having my 2 bettas in the tank after a couple of weeks, I came home one day to find both bettas on the SAME side of the tank! There had obviously been a nasty fight, but they both were still alive in an exhausted state and both very tattered, torn and wounded. The tank has a hood, so I don't think they jumped over. It looks like somehow they were able to get thru "around" the edges of the divider.
The tank is marketed especially for 2 bettas, but during the past couple of weeks my 2 fish have been constantly agitated which eventually led to a fight! I am now looking for a new tank and medication to help my wounded fish!
I gave it one star...it looks nice, but is meant to house healthy fish and does not.
Again....pretty decor but poor design!
Buy Aqueon Aquarium Betta-Bow 2.5 Gallon Acrylic Aquarium Kit Now
Simple design issue scared the crap out of us tonight. The light/hood is directly over the water with only a a cyclinder shaped cover for the light bulb itself. The moisture from the tank goes straight up and into the light fixture. I have had larger tanks all my life, but this was the first where the moisture would condense directly on the exposed electrical components. We bought this small starter set up for the baby's room to use it as a night light. Tonight, the baby monitor started indicating there was a problem....there was no electricity on the transmitting side of the baby monitor. Sure enough, the power had gone out. I restored the power and noticed the light fixture plug was ejected from the wall slightly..when I plugged it back in..bang and a flash! The fish are still alive, but to say the least I have unplugged this tank completely. I knew this design was an issue. Never seen a light dangling over the water and should have known better as water always condenses above and from time to time the fish can splash water up as well. If you must have this tank, get a surge protector...could save your life.
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I bought this tank for my first betta, Blaze. The instructions for set up were well explained and thorough. I filled up the tank, used the included Betta Bowl Plus water conditioner, and set up the filter according to the instructions. Blaze seemed to be very happy in his tank. He swam freely and had a lot of energy. The filter is really quiet, and it never sucked Blaze in the inlet. The current was pretty strong, but he just avoided it most of the time. He lived in the tank happliy for about 6 months. The little feeding door was very conveinient. Then, one day after starting to appear lathargic, he was found dead :(. So, after having a fish funeral, i let the tank just sit there for awhile, to let the water circulate for a few weeks. Then, I took 50% of the water out, replaced the filter cartrige, and re conditioned it, then, put my new betta in, Spark. He acted the same way as Blaze and immediately started making a bubble nest. He is looking good so far! Along the way, i never had a problem with any component of this system, but, i did notice some condensation by the lightbulb during the summer, so i just kept the feeding door open, and i never had that problem again. I am very pleased with this tank. BTW: This tank is actually bigger in person, so the Mini Bow 1 might work just as well for most people.
Nick
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Pros
-Looks nice and gives betta lots of room to swim
-Enough room for 2 bettas
-Nice design
-Good price for tank size
Cons
-Filter is too strong (I recommend taking filter out and doing weekly water changes)
-Filter is loud
The current created by the filter stressed my betta out and caused him to get sick. Therefore, i took him out for a couple of days for his fins to begin to grow back. Afterwards, I removed filter and just placed him in tank.
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Since I purchased these sponge filters for my tanks, my aquatic pets are much healthier. the tanks stay cleaner and they are so easy to clean plus very economical to use. I keep all kinds of tropical fish, axolotyls and crabs. I have tried other companies sponge filters and they do not compare in keeping the tank clean and healthy. They are also much quieter than the other brands even though they put out large bubbles; the current is not bothersome to my creatures that do not like rapid moving water. The Como Biochemical Sponge Filter for Aquarium Fish Tank are the only sponge filters I will buy.
