Tetra Cube Aquarium Kit, 3-Gallon

The Tetra Cube Aquarium Kit is a great starter aquarium. The tank is essentially a cube made of lightweight but good quality plastic that looks great and is just the right size to be noticeable without taking up too much space. The only downside to the aquarium is that the included in tank filter is really not effective. The filter essentially uses the included air pump to push bubbles through an intake which also forces water into the filter and then through a filter cartridge. The design is simple but the end result is only basic filtration. Fortunately the notched lid easily accommodates the Azoo Mignon external filter AZOO Mignon Filter 60 which works very well to keep the tank clean without the costly filter cartridge replacements.

*** Positive Points: ***

Attractive cube design on a small black pedestal

Inlcuded light has bright LED's so you have good illumination without excessive power consumption

The Lid is pre-notched so it is easy to hang an external filter (such as the Azoo Mignon)

The Lid has a notch for easy feeding.

*** Negative Points: ***

The included in tank filter is not very effective at keeping the tank clean.

The lid easily falls into the tank when you try to remove it.

The LED light is not adjustable.

The included pump is rather low quality and known to fail after 1-2 years use.

I purchased this tank for my beautiful half moon betta Samuri, his gold mystery snail pal, & his newest pal as of yesterday an african dwarf frog. I had him in a 1.5 gallon & just really felt he needed more room. I researched every 2.5, 3, & 3.5 gallon on the market I could find. I was going to purchase the aqueon mini bow 2.5. I have the 5 galllon with 6 guppies and a mystery snail all living together & i love it! But after reading customer reviews on the 2.5 gallon version i quickly changed my mind. The mini bow 2.5 light is directly over the filter cartridge, which A) caused extreme algea blooms very quickly rendering the filter cartridge useless in only a weeks time & B) since the light is directly over the filter the whole tank is not properly lit up. Way too much of a design flaw more me. Then I was leaning toward the fluval spec 3, but its $70, & only 2.5 gallons. I just couldnt justify that kind of money for just 2.5 gallons. I was weary about this tank because i feel tetra products are cheap. It is cheaply made, but it looks very nice. The LEDs are suprisingly bright! The "whisper" filter is decent so far. More of a dull hum, with a soft like rain effect from the bubbles. I set it up about 24 hours ago. My betta has been happily swimming around, & the african dwarf frog is lazily sleeping on the mystery snail (lol). The betta likes the bubbles from the filter. Idk if i will keep the filter i havent decided yet. All depends on how often i have to change the catridge. The tank looks 3 gallons (sometimes it says 3 gallons, but it will only hold 2.5). The black base is cheap but doesnt look too bad at all. The lid is pretty thin. Im just going to be extra careful too not drop it, im sure it would crack easily. Overall I am very pleased with this purchase, and so are my pets!

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When I first set up this tank, I was thrilled with how it looked vis-a-vis the lights and "magnified" appearance. I bought it for my betta before I had the opportunity to read too much about aquarium set ups, maintenance, etc. Initially upon setting this system up, I had a problem with the filter, which came with no instructions. I didn't know which way the filter should face -with the wood back facing the back of the tank and the substance facing the water or vice versa. Turns out it doesn't matter -the water doesn't flow through the filter, it simply bubbles to the top. I sent an inquiry to Tetra -nothing. So, the filter doesn't work as it should and my tank is very dirty in just 3 days. Then, when I was looking around Amazon some more, I saw this same tank in the 5-gallon version for less money than the 3 gallon! I would have so much rather had bought the 5 gallon. Be warned ... the footprint of this is very small; the tank goes up, not sideways. You can't really see your fish from a few feet away. I have since bought ghost shrimp and one is giving birth right now (I finally segregated her to try and save the babies after numerous were eaten). I wish I had a bigger tank!

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I do like the tank itself, it's very pleasing to the eye and great to keep betta fish. What I dislike about it is the filter...too noisy and the outflow is too strong for a betta IMO, hence the 4 stars. I just ordered a second one of these tanks along with the new filter that I love to go with it. Of course not everyone would be willing to do this as it isn't cost effective, but since I keep multiple bettas, having these set up side by side looks great and I much prefer them over keeping a larger tank with those ugly mesh dividers...it also eliminates any danger of any one of my fish jumping the divider and contamination of any possible parasites/diseases. The lighting is great and maintenance is a breeze...of course you do need to be careful because plastic/acrylic tanks do tend to scratch easily...but filter aside, for my needs, these are very nice little tanks!

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This small tank is very attractive and well suited to small fish species. The LED light is not very strong but accentuates the fish colors well. I noticed that some had been critical of the filter that comes with the tank but I was impressed with its simplicity and effectiveness I think it is necessary to install it with the top spout just above the surface of the water. I suspect that those who have complained installed the filter in a fully submerged position.

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