I have owned this aquarium for 3 years now. It looks great sitting on my kitchen counter. I could have been more consistent about cleaning the system (about 1x a month), but generally speaking the fish have thrived. Several mistakes I made include: 1) thinking that the bio-wheel needs to be occasionally replaced (don't go there) 2) leaving the light on too much which created an algae bloom, and 3) buying fish that outgrow this small aquarium. I made those mistakes in the first year. Since then it has been smooth sailing except for the light fixture burning out. The light switch is pretty cheap, so repeated use caused it to break. I rigged up another lighting system since I was not able to order a replacement part except for the whole lid unit (which costs as much as the aquarium), but it is not very satisfactory. I am breaking down and buying another aquarium just to get a functioning light. This time I am going to hook up the light to a timer and avoid overusing the switch.
This tank was purchased as an upgrade for my betta. I decided to send this tank set back almost immediately because I found the quality and design of the tank to be pretty disappointing...especially coming form Marineland. First off, the acrylic tank body scratches incredibly easily, especially compared to my other acrylic set by a different manufacturer. Even the foam packing material didn't appear to protect it well. The top and bottom of the tank were both lined with obvious scratches right out of the box! The filter that came with the set is made of flimsy plastic and doesn't sit well in the compartment designated for it. Nearly every time I opened the lid, the filtration system popped up because the cords got stuck in the hinge. The cords from the filter and light have to fit through a really narrow opening near the hinge of the tank. The tank comes with a clip to hold these, but it really doesn't help much. To add a heater, you must carefully thread the cord through a small hole on the opposite side of the lid and drop the heater through a narrow opening in the plastic that supports the filtration system, which is a real pain should you need to adjust the temperature or remove the filter for any reason. As for the lid, I don't understand why they didn't include a little feeding door like many other systems do. It is a hassle to open the entire top (especially if you are limited on space above or behind the tank) just to dump in some flakes. I did like the tank's aesthetics and corner shape when it arrived, and the quality of lightbulb included, but thats about it honestly. In my opinion, there are better tank sets to choose from...particularly if you are shopping for a Betta.
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This is by far the best aquarium kit i've used so far. Ive had it for around 1 month already. The filter and bio wheel do the job with keeping the water clear and ammonia levels close to non-existant, respectively. Fish seem very happy and healthy. I was so pleased with this tank, i bought another one!
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I've had this tank for 6 months now, and it's on the kitchen counter (in a corner) with 5 male guppies in it (one inch of fish per gallon) and have a couple of plants also. I set it up quickly and easily, and haven't had any problems with scratches. The light is bright enough to keep the 2 plants healthy as long as I planted them directly under the light which is near the front of the tank. The bio wheel is perfect-just don't rinse it, replace it, or let it dry out-ever. I thoroughly rinse the carbon filter every Saturday with tap water and replace it every month. 1/2 gallon water change every Sat. too (via a tank vacuum to churn up the rocks a bit-while avoiding plant roots). It's a 20 min. job.
The only thing I don't like about it is the lid isn't well designed for a kitchen counter with overhead cabinets. I wish the lid was a hinged 2 piece! I can't open it fully on the kitchen counter-even when I pull the whole tank to the counter's edge. (Or, at least they should put an adjustable prop up stick in it. So, I have to unplug everything and take the whole lid off-which is a bit tricky in the kitchen and annoying. They could have put more effort into cord management, too. The cords get pinched in the lid if you don't carefully guide them thru the small holes. My 5 gal dream tank would have those retractable cord roller-upper things in the lid.
But, it looks nice, and the fish & plants are happy.
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I have owned this tank for three years now. I originally purchased this tank based on my experience with several of the large Marineland tanks which were phenomenal. The 5-gal system is nice when working, the bio-wheel is unbeatable when it comes to keeping the water conditioned. My three most recurring annoyances which will prevent me from purchasing this same tank to replace mine which has died now:
1) The ballast on the light overheats and melts the plastic casing causing a bad smell and concern re: shorting. Marineland replaced once as a defective part, but the replacement had the same problem, and could not be replaced again because of warranty limitations.
2) The acrylic tank is packed into its box without protections, which means it comes out of the box scuffed up, which can never be fixed.
3) As other reviews have pointed out, the lack of a feeding lid is VERY annoying. There is a hinged access lid, but it opens up to the filer, not the water surface.
Sad that Marineland ditched its usual quality on this system.
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definite requirment if buy the filter itself best to have extra then to have to run around looking for them or to have to have them overnighted if ordering online
