Review on 🐠 Marina Easy Care Betta Aquarium Kit by Knate Scarpelli

This is a very good little tank for the money, despite all the scolding and criticism in some of the other reviews. This is Hagen, and after all they know a bit about fish farming. The aquarium looks good, fits well on my desk, and is big enough to comfortably house a betta, 1-2 small guppies or tetras, or 4-5 neocaridina shrimp. I added an Aqueon Beta filter to the aquarium to increase biological filtration. In winter I might need to add a small, flat Aqueon 5 watt heater. Both accessories fit nicely in this tank, although there are no wire cutouts. I just run an air hose through the top opening of the tank and as far as I know it doesn't get in the way. I also added a light from another kit which greatly improves the look of the tank. I wasn't sure if I needed a white aquarium with white pebbles, but this color reflects and enhances the existing lighting, creating a really beautiful microcosm. I added a tiny chicken plant and an even tinier piece of artificial coral to complete the scene. The white pebbles that come with this aquarium are so pretty and my betta loves digging in them so much that I have been looking for similar pebbles here at Revain and intend to buy some for my other aquariums as well. They get dusty and I had to rinse mine several times before putting them in the tank. Contrary to many reviews, this tank's EZ-Care cleaning system works. However, I don't recommend the oversized mug that comes with it. This can cause the collection chamber to overflow, resulting in a spill. I use the smaller 6 ounce cup for water changes and do this every day while the tank is running. Once the right bacteria have settled in, I can just change the water every other day if the parameters stay normal. In an aquarium of this size, a weekly water change is not enough to maintain optimal water quality. So keep in mind that while maintenance is very easy and only takes a few minutes, it requires a bit more work. more than in a larger tank (e.g. 2 gallons). The big secret to a successful water change is to add new water SLOWLY. The old water starts to run out after a few seconds, so keep an eye on it and only remove the collection container when it stops dripping. This won't flush out all the waste in the tank, but it doesn't have to be. It removes some of the contaminants, like ammonia, that make fish sick. In summary, I think this is a beautiful and functional desktop aquarium. I think it needs a small sponge filter like the Aqueon Betta Filter which I highly recommend to keep the environment healthy; But in general, no aquarium, large or small, should be without some type of filtration system unless you keep a specific type of aquarium. It doesn't add to the cost that much ($5-10 for a sponge filter, $5 for a non-UL Whisper air pump), but it definitely improves the water quality. With this slight modification and frequent water changes, the aquarium is NOT too small for bettas or guppies. The main reason for this was that I specialize in nano aquariums and was intrigued by the negative reviews on this aquarium considering it is made by a manufacturer that has been in the aquarium business for years. I was pleased with its quality and will be keeping it on my desk with happy, healthy fish for the foreseeable future. Having had fish for over 50 years, I know that the primary factor in success is the care and attention a person gives to an aquarium, not the aquarium itself or even its size. You can make a successful aquarium out of almost any container as long as you are willing to take good care of it and change the water regularly. It has the added benefit of being compact and beautiful - a cute little tabletop tank.