This arrived from Petco (who also sells through Amazon) within 3 days of ordering.Pluses:
+ LED lamp with both day and night settings and separate power cord. A benefit so that the light can be hooked up to its own timer.
+ a plastic cover that covers the tank, and a separate cover for the filter area
+ quiet water pump included
Negatives:
the included water pump at its lowest setting still creates a whirlwind of turbulence in the tank. Definitely not working out for my Betta fish. This really isn't a negative fish or coral that do require water movement so YMMV.
The accessories to my tank include a 7" tetra heater which nicely fits inside bank of the tank filter compartment and Eco-Complete substrate. Its not clear if the lumens on the LED is sufficient for plants with moderate demands but time will tell. I am considering either modifying the current water pump or replacing it with a lower flow unit.
This is a great small tank package for all the reasons listed above.
UPDATE Jan 19, 2012***
After much fiddling with the water pump intake and directing the return head to the heater, I have managed to find a calm water flow setting which seems to not upset my Betta. Since my last post, i have placed some marimo moss balls and dwarf hair grass in the tank. The LED seems to be bright enough to sustain plant life which is a good sign. Overall, i am very pleased with this tank.
Despite other reviews I have seen for this product, it is actually not that bad. Especially for those that either have limited space or are just looking for that "Nano" aquarium.
Some may be skeptical about the lighting for this aquarium as well. As some may know, plants and live corals rely on a sufficient amount of light and light spectrums in order to properly live and grow. And even though LEDs are bright, expensive, and produce nice effects, not all are well suited for the job needed. I can assure you however, that the LEDs included for this kit are intense enough to allow my two live corals (whisker coral and candy cane coral) to continue to do very well. The only main issue, which other have indeed pointed out is the water flow rate coming from the output nozzle. There are two things you can do to adjust this flow and how it affects the water in your tank. One way is adjusting the flow rate via a little slider, located underneath the water pump motor, to a rate that you desire. I currently have mine set to a little under the max. Another way you can control the flow is adjusting the output nozzle itself. With this aquarium, you have the freedom to direct which direction the water flows out. Depending on what fish you have or the setup of your tank you can easily fix this to better suit your needs. I have aimed a little upwards to cause some nice surface tension which not only causes some disturbance on the top of the water, but also helps oxygenate the tank.
In conclusion I feel that this is definitively a great tank for new or experienced aquarium hobbyists. The sump on the back of the tank is a great barrier between what makes your tank run and what you actually want to see. And the LEDs are intense enough to support life that requires a certain amount of light. If you have any questions about my review or about your tank let me know.
I was also going to include a product review video, but due to the limits of video uploads onto Amazon, I have uploaded the video to YouTube. Since I am not allowed to post a link to the video, if you are indeed interested in a video review please search for AquariumHookup and you will find my product reviews.
Cheers -
Buy Aqueon Evolve 4 LED Aquarium Kit, 4 gallons Now
The tank looks real nice, the filter is built in and you can get a small heater in the back no problem. Fits perfectly in our ikea desk hole. The pump is full of dumb though. Way to strong like putting your fish in an endless toilet. Easy to fix though just drill a couple holes through the pump hose.
Initial Tank
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I purchased this tank recently, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I have it on a 2'X4' end table and it looks terrific. I don't have fish in it yet as I am allowing it to cycle which is highly recommended for new tanks. The LED lighting is beautiful, it replicates natural underwater lighting and provides enough light for plants. I plan on adding 5 or 6 glofish when cycling is complete.I would give this tank five stars except it was difficult to find out some things about this aquarium on the Aqueon website. To save you the trouble I'll give you what I found out:
1. Although it is listed as a four gallon aquarium, it will only hold about 2 3/4 gallons of water with plants, a small decoration and about 4lbs. of gravel. Nowhere on the package or website will you find this information. I purchased distilled water in gallon jugs, and that is how much water I put in.
2. It does not come with a heater. Again, this info was not on the package or website. A heater will greatly expand your choices of plants and fish you can use in this aquarium. I purchased the Aqueon mini heater ($15) which fits nicely in the back which hides it from view. This is a nice feature.
3. It also doesn't come with a thermometer which is pretty much necessary to monitor your tank. Small tanks like this are susceptible to temperature fluctuations due to the small amount of water compared to surface area.
4. When I set up the tank, there is no instructions or illustrations of the pump. You must connect the tubes from the pump to the water outlet. I had to search youtube videos to do this correctly.
5. You will not be able to add as many fish as it shows on the packaging, which seems a bit deceptive (I know, it's advertising). 5 or 6 small fish will be the max.
Aside from these oversights (the website and instructions offer little help), this tank has many positives. It is easy to set up; having the pump, filter and heater hidden from view is great and the cover on top is easily accessible as the LED light pivots on its stand. The pump is strong, but I like this as it adds additional movement from the plants. I love the fact that you can (and should) use live plants. I have 2 small onion plants, 2 small frill plants and a small moss ball. It looks great and the motion is an added aesthetic benefit. It looks fantastic already without fish. The filter cartridges are super easy to use and replace. The pump is fairly quiet and you'll hardly notice it is running. The blue lights that simulate nighttime is a nice touch. They also include some fish food and water conditioner. The direction sheet is easy to follow and thorough, aside from the pump and tubing explanation omitted. I enjoy this aquarium already. I would recommend it to anyone, although be aware that a larger tank would be better for beginners as this will require some weekly maintenance.
I will update my review after I have added fish.
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What can I say, I am a fish addict? I originally had a little 2.5 gallon tank I picked up for $13 new on my desk at work, but it was so small it was difficult to put any filtration into let alone a decent heater.The nice thing about this little tank is that it has the filter built in and it is SILENT. The only time it ever makes any noise is if a bubble or piece of sand finds its way into the filter. If you turn it on and it makes noise, you just need to rotate the pump a little bit so it isn't rubbing against the side.
The water flow IS a little bit strong, but that can be VERY easily fixed by placing the pump on the lowest setting and putting a small $0.99 filter bag over the outlet. With the filter bag, I can easily keep a little dwarf puffer without much fuss. If you decide to keep a salt water tank (not recommended, but possible) the high flow can be a very good thing.
The light is decent and attractive to look at. I have some chain swords and a marimo growing fairly well in the tank.
The only note that I can give is that the filter is sensitive to sand. If you plan on putting sand in the tank, put a filter bag over the vents of the pump to keep sand out of it.
This is a great little tank. All of my coworkers love it and come check out my fish from time to time.
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