Review on Fluval Vista Aquarium Kit Gallon by Carmen Santos

FINALLY an aquarium that is truly an all in one set, well made and great looking! I recently bought this as my 10th aquarium and it is definitely one of my favorite aquariums. All you need to buy is a substrate (I used UNS Controsoil), decorations (I have live plants and Ohko Dragonstone online) and fish! DIMENSIONS: 24" wide, 15" deep (including rear filter) above aquarium lid) BENEFITS: - Large 16 gallon capacity - High quality AquaClear hanging filter with three types of filtration (many filters are bio-free but not this one) - QUIET FILTERS ! loud but quiet when they break in but all I hear is dripping water) - Includes Fluval heater (temperature ADJUSTABLE) - Hinged lid for easy cleaning and maintenance - Hinged front feed door - Removable rear lid panel for filter and cord heater ( could also be installed tubes for CO2 injection etc.) - LED lighting with multiple touch settings (day, day with blue, night) - Timed light (sold separately. Woods brand digital timer purchased from Revain) - Curved The front of the side is made of thick glass, the aquarium is well packed in a cardboard box and shipped in an inner container with styrofoam. Tolerates low/medium light plants such as Anubias, Java Fern, Sagittarius, Aponogetons, Monte Carlo and more. No hard-to-clean rear storage compartments. Rinse filter sponge and biocarrier, replace carbon bag after a few months, done! The bottom plastic frame means you don't need to buy an aquarium leveling mat. CONS: Clear rear window. This is my only real complaint. If Fluval had tinted the rear glass to hide the cables, this tank would be near perfect. - The curved sides distort the view a little but looks better than the silicone seam - The LED bulb is placed near water and is prone to condensation. sure how long it will last or how much it will cost to replace it. I compared this tank (for hours) to others like the Fluval Flex and the new Spec 16 gallon before buying but both have a rear pan which takes up a lot of room for the fish and makes cleaning difficult. Yes, you can see the Vista filter and heater, but they may be partially obscured by rocks or plants (real plants, not fake ones if you don't like that). Many other aquariums of similar capacity lacked high-tech features like a lid or hinged lid, LED lighting, silicone seams on the front panel, poor plant lighting, and the list goes on. In my opinion the Vista is currently Fluval's best tank (I have a Spec III and I don't like it), but the Vista is mostly ignored in their lineup in favor of the Spec and Flex series. Call me old school, but Vista does almost everything a fish farmer needs and doesn't cost a tidy sum. FWIW: Other tanks I own are the 30 gallon Innovative Marine Nuvo Black (aesthetically my favorite but no lid and light), the Cobalt C-Vue 18 (huge sump taking up a lot of space, no light), two Imagitarium 3.7, two Aqueon Tri-Scape 3 gallons (cheap), Aqueon Ascent 6 gallons (fragile lid), Fluval Spec III (bulky backplate, hot light), 10 gallon Dennerle Scaper's Tank and 16 gallon Fluval Vista (second favorite aquarium). Vista Aquarium and bought a second 16 gallon Vista for our family room (see last picture). If you plan on putting a betta in an aquarium this size, I highly recommend a TON of live plants, especially on the surface. I had to put two girls in breeding boxes for a week to acclimate them. Very happy with this aquarium so far!