Review on 🐠 Fluval Chi II 5 gal White Aquarium Set (10505) - Enhanced Features and Stunning Design by Cathy Blount

I bought my Fluval Chi II in May when I was upgrading from a 2.6 gallon Fluval Spec III to a 5 gallon aquarium wanted to upgrade. I've been watching Fluval Chi for several years and finally decided to give it a try. I've had the tank for 6 months now and I have to say I really like it! My fighting bettas and erotic snails seem to like it too. This aquarium has a very elegant design and the filter/fountain/light combination is a very useful feature. I have 3 other 5 gallon tanks: Fluval Spec V, Marineland Contour 5 and Marina Style 5 glass tank set and this one is one of my favorites due to its size. The Chi is 10 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and about 12 inches tall (in terms of swimming space for the fish, the tank itself is slightly taller due to the filter cube and its legs), giving the fish quite a bit of swimming space. Space to float in all directions, yet the tank is small enough to fit comfortably on a table or bedside table. If you're looking for a nice, sleek tank, this one might suit your needs, but it does come with a few downsides. :• As others have said, the filter is so-so. It's not very powerful and I personally find it finicky. After a water change I have to turn it back and forth for a few minutes to get it to fill up and start working again. If you want an aquarium with plants and you don't have sunlight, you only have to be content with plants in low light conditions. Plus, the light is underwater, so floating plants practically disappear when you don't have sunlight. • The light is part of the filter. If one of them breaks, you'll have to buy a whole new device. They're on sale here at Revain, but they cost around $45. Fluval Filter/Light Cube with Transformer and Media Changer for Fluval Chi 19L Aquarium Kit • The filter cube is textured and dark in color – limescale collects in the ribs from all sides and becomes visible. On the plus side, it's easy to clean. I just clean mine in the sink and dry them with paper towels. • The lid is made of a thin piece of plastic and looks a bit flimsy. To be honest this surprises me a little - I have a Fluval Spec III and Spec V and the covers on them, while plastic, are thicker and stronger than the Chi. • The plastic base of the aquarium feels solid. enough, but not really much, unlike other aquariums like the Marineland Contour 5. • Since the aquarium has a built-in fountain, the water evaporates very quickly. I usually have to add some spring water to the tank two or three times a week. • The plastic dome cover for the filter cube tends to rattle if you don't replace it before turning the filter on. Even after that, it rattles for hours before completely filling up with water and then quieting down. • The fountain has a built-in backlight that is always on - you cannot turn it off. The aquarium has a number of advantages: • Elegant and stylish design, while the fish have enough space to swim • The aquarium is easy to clean and the filter is not bad • The lid is made of smooth plastic. so it is easy to wipe and clean. • The filter has a low output flow, which is actually good for some creatures such as chicken and dwarf shrimp. • The light is not very bright, which is good if you only want to grow plants in low light or artificial plants and almost no algae. • The water evaporates from this reservoir and therefore tends to increase the humidity in the room (at least in my bedroom, which isn't too bad given the dryness of my room). )• Unlike the Fluval Spec V, the size of the tank makes it easier to find the right decoration.• Fluval makes a number of decorations that fit inside the filter cube. I like their boxwood decoration best, but the waterfall is pretty pretty too and really muffles the sound of the fountain. Fluval Chi Boxwood Aquarium Decoration • Fluval provides the backdrop for Chi. I never bought them, but they were specifically designed to fit on the Chi's back. • Fluval also makes a nice little aquarium stand that's perfect for this aquarium. I bought one and it's really heavy and sturdy and was easy to put together. Natural Oak Fluval Nano Tank Stand 22" Overall this is a nice little nano tank and despite the flaws I love it and I have to say it is one of my favorite tanks. However if you are looking for the functionality of the form above then you should check it out View either the Marineland Contour 5 or its updated version Marineland Portrait 5: Marineland ML90609 Portrait Aquarium Kit, 5 Gallon The only difference between the Contour and Portrait is that the Portrait has a better updated light Price wise they cost about the same as Chi but if you look around you can get them cheaper.I bought the Contour 5 when it was on sale for about $50 and it's a really nice aquarium.My Contour has been running for about a year now and I am very happy with it - it has a well selling design, solid base that is separate from the tank itself, glass lid that k slid back for feeding ann, the filter seems pretty decent, and the light has moonlight too. I have an aquarium with Ludwigia repens and a Revain frog and a duck, and the light is fine - everything is growing, but slowly. Also, the glass lid is very tight - of the 5 tanks I have, the Contour is the only one that doesn't have evaporation issues. My only issue with this tank is that while the tank technically holds 5 gallons of water, the fish only have 4 to 4.5 gallons of swimming space since the filter holds approximately 0.5 to 1 gallon of water. --- --- --- ––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––– ––––– UPDATE: 9. March 2018, Light Switch Problems and Warranty Information–––––––––––––––––––––––– –– ––––––––––––––––– ––––––––– Well, I had a little problem with the aquarium; After the aquarium had been running for about 8 months, the light switch on the filter cube no longer worked. The filter still works fine, but the light switch seems to be controlled by a magnet and for some reason has stopped connecting. After researching the issue, I found a YouTube video showing the solution to the problem. - You flip the light switch to the "ON" position and then pass a strong magnet behind the filter cube to activate the switch. Video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1GurgaaXqc Since I've only had my tank for a few months and it has a 2 year guarantee from the date of purchase, I decided to contact the manufacturer. , except I haven't had a chance to. What I learned is that you need to register your warranty online at hagen.com and need the aquarium model number which is 10505 according to the Revain listing page and the Fluval website. (I couldn't find the model number listed in the owner's manual or on the aquarium packaging.) If you register for a warranty, you have the option to extend the warranty to 2 or 3 years if you wish. The cost of the extended warranty is pretty reasonable at $7.20 for 2 years and $9.00 for 3 years, and on their website it looks like you can always renew before the 2 year warranty expires .