Aqueon Evolve 2 LED Aquarium Kit, 2 gallons

I own the 2 gallon model of this aquarium which comes (as of this review) in 2, 4 and 8 gallon models. I can only speak towards the 2 gallon version, though it seems reasonable to expect that all three equally share the same pros and cons.

Overall this is a nice tank. Complete with power filter, LED lighting with daylight and moonlight modes and lids (one for the back filter section and one for the overall front aquarium section).

THE LED LIGHT

Is pretty nice. The daylight mode is very bright, impressively so. It shows every ripple of water producing that often sought after dancing affect. Even the moonlight mode is bright enough to produce this affect, yet not so bright as to be mistaken for anything but moonlighting.

THE FILTER

I personally do not like cartridge filtration that I must replace often. Instead I put a small bag of "bio-max" (the AquaClear 20 version) in the filter section with two sponges (also AquaClear 20 version) for the filtration. It does come with a nano sized version of the standard Aqueon filter cartridge, which works really well, I just prefer the former setup. The filter area also has plenty of room for a nano aquarium heater to be put out of sight! Big plus, IMHO, as heaters tend to be an eye-sore, especially in such a small tank as this one (2 gallons).

The pump on mine was not attached to the output nozzle new from the box. The easiest way to get the pump up and out to attach everything correctly will be by pulling on the power cord. Please note that the bottom of the pump has suction cups, and when you put it back down in, it will stick. Sometimes when pulling it back out the suction cups will come off. A very small fish net will easily fish them out, and they are easy to snap back on the pump itself. The pump has a good bit of power for such a small tank as this (2 gallons), but I discovered that the pump is adjustable! There is a circular slider on the side of the pump which will cut the flow down greatly, perfect for a Betta. I've got mine set to the most minimum output.

THE AQUARIUM

Is nicely done, elegant and light-weight. The aquarium is acrylic so one must use all the same cautions and maintenance as any other acrylic aquarium.

THE LIDS

Now this is where I wonder what they were thinking. The lids just don't seem to fit right. They DO fit, and work, but they just aren't right. They are a little too wide and don't seem to be deep enough. I'll try and upload pictures. Nevertheless, they are not cheap feeling. I don't think I'm being picky here, they just need minor adjustments to be perfect. This is not a deal breaker though, and I think most people won't even use the main front lid, but the back only.

I hope that this review is helpful, and I would highly recommend this tank.

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UPDATE

After having this tank for a while now, I did decide, since my original review above, to perform a modification to the flow as I now believe the flow is a little strong for a betta. I simply drilled holes in the small tube that runs from the pump to the outlet, thereby decreasing the water flow a good bit more, and my betta seem happier. He did alright before, but with the reduced flow he is out and about more. I put a good bit of holes in the tube to really reduce the flow for the better. If your betta seems bothered by the flow, then drill the holes! I didn't even use a drill, just a drill bit in a screwdriver by hand, easy. Be sure to wash the tube to remove small particles before putting it back in the tank.

I bought this tank a little over a month ago from the Petco I actually work at. A co-worker of mine told me she was going to setup a SW pico-tank and I told her she was crazy. Well, she quickly convinced me to do the same. Let me tell you, I have no regrets.

I examined all the different size tanks before my purchase and found that all three sizes had the same size lighting arrangements. Wanting to keep corals, I knew I wanted the most wattage per gallon. The tank's actual volume appears to be only 1.7 gallons and, as mentioned in other reviews, the flow is quite strong even at the pump's lowest setting. Because it's so small, working in it can be difficult. Arranging my live rock was a chore ensuring not to scratch the acrylic. I feel the tank design could easily be achieved with glass as well. Filtration is adequate and flexible. I placed some biological media in the bottom of the reservoir in addition to the cartridge designed for the tank. Back to the LED lighting, it has kept my Duncan, Zoanth, and Ricordea in great shape and the blue moonlights really bring out their fluorescence. The lid could fit a little better but it works; though, water evaporates from this thing like crazy. They sell a heater marketed for this aquarium separately but any small, low wattage heater will suffice.

In summary, this is a great package. Somewhat on the level of a very small bio-cube, it has everything needed to sustain a quaint little ecosystem.

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I bought the aqueon evolve 2 because the guy at the pet store recommended it and I liked that it had a filter and a cool design. The problem was, I was going to put a twin tail halfmoon betta in there and the filter was waaaay too strong, even after I lowered the power. It pulled the beta straight to the intake and I was worried it was going to shred his poor fins, not to mention the strength of the current totally freaked him out (they like their water fairly still). I later discovered this is a problem most people have had to deal with with this model. My solution was to put a piece of filter insert foam between the intake and the charcoal filter and then disengage the tubing and the spout from the pump. This lowered the pressure of the current by diffusing the water and is keeping my betta from shredded. I was disappointed that a $60 tank (regular price) needed to be modified to keep my fish happy, but fortunately all it took was only about $3.00 in modifications and a little ingenuity. Hope this helps anyone else in this situation.

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For perspective: I have significant experience with both fresh and salt water aquariums, worked in a pet store specializing in fish for 2 years, and primarily focus on pico and nano tanks. I had been out of fish keeping for several years because of travel, and decided to get back in with a small betta tank, and bought the Aqueon 2 gallon for my office.

I turned the tank into a planted tank for my betta with dwarf hair grass, java moss, dwarf baby tears, etc. The supplied light isn't sufficient for this, but will grow some low light plants. There are plenty of quality replacement lights for this size for sale on ebay or other electronic sellers.

The tank's dimensions are fair for what it is, and it is a pretty design, provided the acrylic does not get scratched. The main problem, however, is the assembly of the rear/filter portion of the structure.

Behind the black wall in back of the tank is the filter section. Prior to purchasing the tank, I expected this to be a typical overflow setup, with two chambers, one for intake, one for the return and pump. However, the Aqueon has a third, and poorly thought out, area. Essentially the typical two chamber system is truncated on the intake side. It is only deep enough to fit the given filter pads, and then flows directly to the return side where the pump is located. Below that area in the tank is a large empty space containing...nothing. There is a small fill hole between this section and the rest of the tank, which I primarily found to be a good way to get small detrius bypassing the filter and being sucked into the pump. This large area, which takes up almost half of the rear of the tank, is empty and has very little water flow. As a result, it is primarily dead water and the perfect location for anerobic conditions that are detrimental to a tank. For two months I struggled with this tank to keep ammonia levels low. They were consistently in the 2.0 PPM area, despite me doing regular water changes, having one fish and two snails in the tank, and sufficient plants that no filtration should really have been necessary at all. The tiny bioload in conjunction with everything else leads me to believe that this area of dead space was at least partially to blame for the problems I had. I eventually gave up on the tank and changed to this tank: Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit. The change has been dramatic. I literally just moved everything from the Aqueon to the Fluval: bilogical media, wood, plants, fish, etc. I added some shrimp and five dwarf cory cats. Since swapping tanks, I have had no ammonia spikes, and everything in the tank is clearly happier. While I cannot say for certain that the design of the tank was the cause of my problems, I find it likely at this point. I find it ridiculous that a fair sized portion of the tank is used neither for filtration or for giving the tank inhabitants extra real estate. Fluval's design is much simpler and better, in my opinion.

I have a crown tail betta that I attempted to put in this tank, but even with the pump on the lowest setting, it was much too powerful for his large fin structure. I came up with various methods to reduce the flow, none of them satisfactory, but since I have learned of the "two little fish" ball valve. Amazon sells this. If you have a betta of any kind with this tank, I would recommend purchasing that valve. It's something I wish these small tank manufacturers would include anyway, given the prediliction to use these tanks primarily for bettas, but as it is, at least there is a solution somewhere. I don't think this tank is really big enough for much beyond bettas, oto cats, and a few other fish that stay small and don't move much. My betta was certainly active enough in it to show his personality, and was constantly searching it. Providing lots of terrain to explore (logs, etc) is key.

So all of that said, what do I think this tank is best for? I think it would be a great little shrimp tank, if kept basic, or a pico reef. Possibly in either situation the pull from the pump (on its highest setting) would disturb the water enough in the wasted area to make that a non-issue. Of course, you'll need better lighting for a pico reef, but information on such tanks is available widely online and that kind of tank is best left to having some more experience with salt water, if you haven't done so.

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Just got off the phone with Aqueon customer service. They were very helpful. I was told that the first generation of the Evolve 2 tanks were packaged with a pump that indeed is too large for that size tank. (this implies that Aqueon has corrected the mistake for the newer generation of Evolve 2 tanks so hopefully consumers won't be having this problem much longer). In any event, as soon as I mentioned that my fish were getting sucked up into the filter intake, she confirmed that indeed the pump is too strong and immediately offered to send me a replacement pump which will be better suited for the 2 gallon tank.

For anyone who has this tank and is having problems with the pump being too strong, call customer service and give them an opportunity to make it right. Their number is 1-800-255-4527. I did not have to furnish receipts, or read UPC numbers off a box (thank goodness b/c I've already thrown it away) .... just told them I have an Evolve 2 tank and that's all they needed to know. Hopefully when my new pump arrives in a few days my last remaining guppy will be much happier.

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