We have had 2 of these tanks and they seem to be OK at first. They don't look bad and it's small so it doesn't take up much space on top of a book shelf or a dresser. But we have and 2 of them. I never put the trees in because I was afraid the fish would hurt themselves on them seeing as the space is limited as it is. The first tank we used the "water release cap" every time we changed water unless I was going to clean the whole tank. One day I cleaned the tank and the next morning the water was almost completely drained, poor fish! And the DVD's, VHS videos, and the CD's I had in the shelf that the tank sat on were all wet! I was extremely unhappy so I took it back to the store and got my money back. I went back to the pet section of the store and talked to the department manager who said they have never had a problem with them and sell several. So she convinced me to get another one. I brought it home and set it up but this time I haven't used the water release cap in the bottom of the tank, I only poured the water out of the top of the tank to change it. Well, I will say that this tank lasted a little longer than the first one but again, this morning I woke up and found the poor fish almost dead in about a quarter of an inch of water and again, my shelf of CD's, DVD's, and video tapes all wet again! I have called the company this time but of course, they were busy "helping other customers" and I had to leave a message for them to get back to me. They have yet to return my call.
So, the bottom line with the product, if you value your pets and your furniture and don't want to put your fish bowl in a bowl to catch the draining water, is don't waste your time and money on this fish tank. It will cost you more in the end to replace the damage that it does than buying a decent tank to begin with will.
I was pleased with the design of this small beta tank, although ultimately it has the same limitations as the Betta View Hex.
The Penn Plax Betta Bow-Front Kit is surprisingly well-thought out: the bow-front makes for the best view possible, without the slight distortion you see in the Betta View Hex. Both come with a little gravel and tiny plant.
A nice improvement is the undergravel sifter (I can't call it a filter; there are no mechanical parts) with the drain hole (water release cap). This hole makes it easy to remove debris and water from the bottom, since it's really too small to get my gravel vacuum in.
I had to force my gravel vacuum into the Betta View Hex to clean it, which disturbed my white female housed inside and quickly sucked out half of the water before I could properly vacuum the gravel. With the Bow-Front, this isn't an issue, and it's easy to replace 20% of the water weekly, or as needed.
Another improvement is the little slot to slide the fake plant bottom into, so it doesn't float free and drift around above the betta, like the plant does in the Betta View Hex.
I like the top better, too. It has two depressions for easy lifting, and larger air holes than the Betta View Hex. I can even feed my betta through these slots, and help keep the warm air inside by not removing the cover.
The Bow-Front Kit's gravel is marketed as 'waste-absorbing crystal', and the manufacturers recommend monthly replacement.
Unfortunately, the Betta Bow Front Kit I brought home from Wal-Mart had a crack along one of the seams, and it is growing. I didn't notice the crack until my steel blue boy was already housed in it. When I purchase his larger home, I will exchange this product for a new one. As always with Wal-Mart products, look over your purchases carefully. I've seen too many imperfect returns placed right back on the shelf.
To sum, if you have a choice between the Hex View and the Bow-Front, the Bow-Front is a superior product.
Note These tiny betta homes get toxic for your fish very fast if you don't change the water on a near-daily basis. If you can keep up with this level of care, this is a very nice mini-tank. Alternatively, you can remove your sick bettas to this tank from their larger homes if you need to treat them for an illness like ich.
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I actually suctioned this sideways at one end of my betta's tank and turned the leaves a certain way so that they look like little hammocks. She loves sitting on the leaves this way. I also have a betta leaf in the tank, but she prefers to lay on this plant.
