I've owned the Marina betta kit "Zen cube" version before, and I have to say it was very pretty but too small for the fish. A betta should have ideally a gallon (or possibly more) for them to be healthy and swim around.
This new one is larger (almost 1 gallon) and a lot nicer.
I got the LED lamp with it and some blue glass "rocks" at the bottom, with a few live plants, it looks very pretty.
My betta loves it, I've even put my miniature heater next to the aquarium at times for him to feel warm this winter (bettas can handle various temperatures pretty well, but they're tropical fish from Thailand originally -so the warm makes them feel good).
He keeps making a lot of bubbles at the top (they call those bubble nest), which is a sign that he is happy.
I think this is just the right size for a betta aquarium, the others are just too small (some of them are horribly tiny for the fish), but this one has enough room for the fish to swim around. He seems to love the live plants as well.
Not to mention that with the lighting, blue rocks reflection, the fish and his live plants, this aquarium really does embellish my room!
EDIT: There has been other reviews of this aquarium, but after reading them I realize they haven't actually bought the product. They're just giving their thoughts. I didn't know Amazon would allow that but anyways, this is what I have to say: There's a rule with most animals cages/aquarium, and that is the bigger the better. Then, it really all depends how well you take care of your pets. Some people would just buy it as an ornament and forget about it, but others will actually take care of it. I've owned many aquariums in the past (including a large 120 gallon) and I can tell you that although the bigger the better, it really depends on how you take care of them.
There's a secret: DO NOT overfeed your fish. In nature, they barely eat anything (if they find something), that's why they naturally spend their lives crawling for food, that's what their life consist of essentially. But in a controlled environment, it can be tempting to give them as much food as they could eat. The problem is, fishes do not store fats like we do. And those pellets and other fish food we buy are nutritionally very, very rich.
I grew up in a home with a 120 gallons aquarium back in the days when I was living in Europe, and we would only feed them once a week. Some of those fishes have lived for longer than 10 years, and others for as long as I can remember off. Bigger is better, but care is key.
The bottom line is, if you're genuinely interested into "adopting" a pet betta fish, then read about their needs. The internet is a wonderful space to learn. Don't get an aquarium too small -they're fishes, they need to swim for them to stay healthy. This one is just the right size for a small betta aquarium.
Bought this for my first betta fish. Thought I knew about the proper keeping of bettas, but after some reading I realized I was misinformed.
While this bowl might be good as a hospital or quarantine, I wouldn't want it as an "everyday" tank. By the time you add a plant, there isn't any room for the fish. Having to do daily water changes (necessary for this size unfiltered tank) is a pain in the rear.
We've since upgraded to a 6.6 gallon.
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From personal experience as well as from research, I would not keep a Betta in a tank smaller than 3 gallons. Bettas actually don't live their whole lives in small puddles; they live most of their lives in vast rice paddies, thousands of gallons of naturally filtrated and aerated water, and only live in small puddles of water for 2 to 3 months a year during the dry season.
What's more, fancy bettas aren't as hardy as their wild buddies, and need more space and stimulation. This 3 liters (I think that was the measurement, but either way I've seen these sold at stores and they're far too small) is not what I would keep a Betta in forever; maybe a temporary home as I cleaned his tank or maybe while setting up the real one, but that's it.
However, this would look awesome with some plants in it! :-D
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Great shape and too bad not a five gallon at least!
45 years experience, background in biology et al and lived in Japan where rice patties are huge systems (and the local rivers are where wild betta's may enter in these systems as well are full of algaes (even the cyanobacteria which works symbiotically with the rice for nitrogen fixing). Wild betters (former reviewer) are tough btw and due to inbreeding for ages now commercially grown ones are not so but none the less their instincts and their psychology demand more space (which means better water quality) just as you could not survive long... as found on a fish forum...
In a cold bathroom, with no room to move, with a toilet that was "cleaned" once in a while (to be determined by outside forces not by your needs) and on occasion bits of dried up solid food you can not recognize metabolically, shoved under the door and labeled "food" UGH.
I am always stunned to see anything under a five actually (better water chemistry esp for beginners, just because they surface breathe (still do through gills btw it is a survival mechanism during drought times not meant for for-ever) does not mean they can do well with amonia (burns delicate multi layered gill tissues OUCH!) and in bacteria laden cold water (or proper temp for that matter and unless you have an expensive small heater you are subject to coming home with cooked fish)...
Betta's tails are a single layer thin and as many find out too later subject to bacterial invasion esp as they languish on the small torture chambers bottom where all the bacteria are brewing.
I am more stunned therefore that in spite of such cups being sold as proper environments for any fish, that any one (who apparently does not do any real research on the subject and this does not mean ask Wahoo! type forums where blind lead the blind) WOULD even consider buying one.
I've done hundreds of betta rescues and it is a horrific way to go.. fish btw have pain receptors just as we do, and some are more sensitive then ours esp around the mouth after all they need this to survive!
Please never put your fish, esp this intelligent, curious, loves to roam and look about lovely fish. They will greatly reward you if you just do some serious research and add plants, and great water quality in a decent sized tank. They are living beings not objects.
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Out of impulse, I bought a liner/pump kit then built a planter-like container to make an indoor pond. One year and one day, the original pump died! I opted for this model as a replacement, it was 4 years ago. Even the original liner gave in and was replaced with a more durable one, the pump was still going, 24/24. Just last week, after some maintenance the pump stopped working. I was about to order another (din't expect that it last 4 years) when curiosity got the better of me. I opened it out, and frankly, it was solid, how would it fail? Turned out, debris had built up and made it difficult for the shaft to make the first turn. Once that was addressed, it started going again. I really don't know how Rio stays in business the way they make their pump this solid!
