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Review on Fluval SPEC Freshwater Aquarium Kit - LED Lighting & Advanced 3-Stage Filtration for Optimal Aquatic Environment by Melissa Moore

Revainrating 5 out of 5

NICE, SAFE TANK FOR BETTAS IF YOU READ THIS FIRST AND MAKE THESE MODIFICATIONS

This is a nice, safe tank with great cleaning power and we love it. This is after you've gotten over the first 48 hours of sheer panic as he whips your cock, swims almost to exhaustion, hides in his cave to avoid the blast, and even that doesn't protect him enough if you think of one Return thinks him to the store to save him from the Fluval pump. To avoid panicking and spending hours searching the internet for solutions and enjoying it right away, order this along with a tank: Fluval EDGE Pre-Filter Sponge. Put a sponge on the outlet of the filter hose in the aquarium (it's perfect, see photo below) and it will calm and disperse the stream of water, and your betta will have calm and clear water (picture below). Cockatiels seem to "get stuck" in the filtration system as some have mentioned here, it has actually become a feature of the aquarium that I like. They can come off quite well (offer him some food and you'll see) and they don't really stick. Keeping Bettas for years has taught me that they need a leaf or rock near the top to rest. That little suction through the filter is even better than this because it's right at the surface, so my betta uses the little suction on the inlet filter to hang itself up so it can sleep without swimming. He prefers that to his rooster hammock. ! That holds it without having to move the fin. When the lights go out, it falls asleep, swims straight towards it and stays there just below the surface so it can breathe easily without wasting energy, and swims in search of air while it sleeps. When I go to work in the middle of the night, it's always freezing upstairs. He literally sleeps there! He has been doing this for 6 months and his fins are fine. BUT, if you prefer your Betta not to park there, THIS is an easy solution too. Take one of the black zip ties that came with the tank and thread it through the center of the vents, using the sponge's handle to pull the filter sponge down to the waterline. Then also thread the tie through the handle and twist it to attach it to the air vent (see photo below). This will raise the filter up to the waterline instead of leaving it down (see photo). This will prevent your fish from parking there as it will slow down the suction power and they won't be able to use it. It all takes less than 5 minutes and is worth buying this beautiful tank that holds crystal clear water and is the perfect addition to my daughter's room. The repairs were worth owning the tank and I would buy it again. UPDATE 3 YEARS LATER: I can't believe this tank is still in service. The engine still runs perfectly. My daughter got it 3 years ago and now my son wants an aquarium too. I look forward to buying a second one. This is the only tank I will buy. In fact, I checked to make sure the tank is still being made with air intake louvers, which is what the reviewers below complain about cock cocks "sticking" because for cock, that's my favorite feature of this tank. It still functions as a Betta's built-in hammock, which he likes to sleep in. We now have a second rooster as the one in the picture above happily died of old age and the newer rooster goes straight to the grate to sleep using suction cups to stay just under water just like the first fish! In addition, this aquarium has proven to be extremely easy to care for with a weekly water change of approx. 20%. In addition to staying squeaky clean without chemicals, buy some cheap but long-lasting turkey lube and clean a few spots. After a few months, the remains of the fish will accumulate in the gravel, as in any aquarium. Poke a washcloth through the gravel to the bottom and you'll collect a bunch of brown stuff. Clean the spot every once in a while and you're good to go and never have an ammonia spike. Much luck!

Pros
  • Etched glass tank with aluminum finish
Cons
  • No automatic