baron1282
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
- Messages
- 936
Betta Falls, the wonderful looking tank by Aqueon that houses three unique Betta's for your viewing pleasure, but is it?
First let me say, I like the tank. It's a really cool looking design and I am hopeful. Out of the box you will be stunned that this tank is bigger than you think, and each of the three compartments are bigger than you would expect.
Let me dispel some of the nonsense spewed out by people that only have reviewed the tank from a picture and not first hand experience.
One: To much flow for your Betta's. Causing the Betta's to get into
the other tank.
The Aqueon Betta Falls tank instructions specifically tell you to turn the pump all the way down to the lowest position. This causes the pump to not pump much at all. There is still a little current, but not enough to cause your betta's harm nor any real stress. Plus, the company tells you that plants help break up the flow for your betta's. Plants put into the proper position is important for this tank to work correctly. There is also lids to each separate tank. Each with small greats where it covers the fall part perfectly, there is no chance your betta's can get into another tank.
Two: No place to put a heater, the tank has no where to put anything.
Not only is this utter nonsense, the company tells you that you can buy their LED curve light to put in the base of the unit for lighting. So naturally there is space to put a heater. My tank a lone has a little heater that I put into the base. The cord come out where the pump cord comes out.
Third: Their too small for the Betta and therefor Betta death traps.
let me make something straight here. Each individual tank is larger than you think. Each holds almost a half gallon of water each with enough room for the fish to swim and gain access to the top for oxygen breathing. it took me two gallons to fill the whole tank with base. Hardly the death trap it's made out to be. Having said that, I do believe each compartment could be bigger and this tank would be much better if it only two compartments where used for the tank instead of three.
Fourth: The Betta's will see one another and flare up all the time and stress
out constantly.
Simply can't happen. Each tank has the side that is against the other tank frosted. If the Betta sees anything it's just a floating blob and not another Betta. Your Betta's will not see one another at all, and no flare up.
Final thoughts so far:
All my pictures can be found in my album here.
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - baron1282's Album: Off
Tank is extremely well built and it's your standard size small Betta tank. The plus side of the tank is it's filtered and has space under the tank for a heater and lighting. The downside of the tank is each compartment is just barely big enough for each Betta to live. Aqueon has a winner of a tank here if they made some adjustments. For starters give more space, make the tank bigger if you want three Betta's in one tank. Each compartment should at LEAST be a gallon and not barely half a gallon. Keep the same pump as each tank being a gallon would also allow for less flow.
Aqueon could keep this tank as small as it is, because this is meant to be a desktop tank or counter tank. The only improvement I would make is get ride of the center tank and combine the first and third into two tanks. This simply means you would have two Betta's and not three.
Would I recommend this tank?
In it's current state, not really. I got excited when saw it and I bought it. I am stuck with it now and I do intend on putting Betta's into the tank. I plan on getting smaller plants as well, the ones I got were to large, and I am adding Moss Balls to each tank. I also added Bio-Rings into the filter. If someone were to ask me at work would I recommend this tank to them, I would say no. I think a one gallon starter kit is better for a Betta owner. I think a 5 gallon tank is the best for the first time Betta owner. I do tend to see Betta's freaking out in larger tanks, I think they just like an area they fill is theirs.
I would however feel a little comfortable if someone where to buy this tank for Betta's. It's a lot better tank than what I have seen Betta's go home to. As long as they listen to the instructions and turn down the pump and put plants to block the flow even more. This tank will make a fine Betta home, better than 90% of the homes our there for Betta's, and trust me, I have seen them all. Even the horrible pocket tank, which I refused to allow a Betta to go home in.
It's hard to dispel the myth that Betta's need no heaters, or that they LOVE really small space's. They think of rice patty's as puddles and not the LARGE area of water they are. People grow food in rice patty's, do you honestly think their going to be puddles? Some can be six feet deep, and the Betta fish lives happy. I think they do well in small places because of the dense vegetation their use to. To them, their territory is small, but in reality they can live in large bodies of water. I just think where a lot of people go wrong with Betta's in larger tanks, is they don't mimic their environment well and they freak out.
My first Betta lived for six years in a one gallon tank, he was my buddy and he moved with me. It was a small one gallon corner tank I had on my head board. The second Betta I owned was in a 2.5 gallon and he freaked out and jumped. I am hoping with this tank, I can get three Betta's to live long happy lives. I think it's possible, but I might end up moving them out of the tank into something bigger for each. Working where I work it will be easy to make sure my Betta's will be happy!
Give some recommendations, I think if this tank can't be really used for Betta's, it can still be used for something, but what? Please feel free to leave recommendations as well as your comments about the tank.
One recommendation I saw was to add guppies (by someone that called this a Betta death trap), so please make it a serious recommendation someone can really use.
First let me say, I like the tank. It's a really cool looking design and I am hopeful. Out of the box you will be stunned that this tank is bigger than you think, and each of the three compartments are bigger than you would expect.
Let me dispel some of the nonsense spewed out by people that only have reviewed the tank from a picture and not first hand experience.
One: To much flow for your Betta's. Causing the Betta's to get into
the other tank.
The Aqueon Betta Falls tank instructions specifically tell you to turn the pump all the way down to the lowest position. This causes the pump to not pump much at all. There is still a little current, but not enough to cause your betta's harm nor any real stress. Plus, the company tells you that plants help break up the flow for your betta's. Plants put into the proper position is important for this tank to work correctly. There is also lids to each separate tank. Each with small greats where it covers the fall part perfectly, there is no chance your betta's can get into another tank.
Two: No place to put a heater, the tank has no where to put anything.
Not only is this utter nonsense, the company tells you that you can buy their LED curve light to put in the base of the unit for lighting. So naturally there is space to put a heater. My tank a lone has a little heater that I put into the base. The cord come out where the pump cord comes out.
Third: Their too small for the Betta and therefor Betta death traps.
let me make something straight here. Each individual tank is larger than you think. Each holds almost a half gallon of water each with enough room for the fish to swim and gain access to the top for oxygen breathing. it took me two gallons to fill the whole tank with base. Hardly the death trap it's made out to be. Having said that, I do believe each compartment could be bigger and this tank would be much better if it only two compartments where used for the tank instead of three.
Fourth: The Betta's will see one another and flare up all the time and stress
out constantly.
Simply can't happen. Each tank has the side that is against the other tank frosted. If the Betta sees anything it's just a floating blob and not another Betta. Your Betta's will not see one another at all, and no flare up.
Final thoughts so far:
All my pictures can be found in my album here.
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - baron1282's Album: Off
Tank is extremely well built and it's your standard size small Betta tank. The plus side of the tank is it's filtered and has space under the tank for a heater and lighting. The downside of the tank is each compartment is just barely big enough for each Betta to live. Aqueon has a winner of a tank here if they made some adjustments. For starters give more space, make the tank bigger if you want three Betta's in one tank. Each compartment should at LEAST be a gallon and not barely half a gallon. Keep the same pump as each tank being a gallon would also allow for less flow.
Aqueon could keep this tank as small as it is, because this is meant to be a desktop tank or counter tank. The only improvement I would make is get ride of the center tank and combine the first and third into two tanks. This simply means you would have two Betta's and not three.
Would I recommend this tank?
In it's current state, not really. I got excited when saw it and I bought it. I am stuck with it now and I do intend on putting Betta's into the tank. I plan on getting smaller plants as well, the ones I got were to large, and I am adding Moss Balls to each tank. I also added Bio-Rings into the filter. If someone were to ask me at work would I recommend this tank to them, I would say no. I think a one gallon starter kit is better for a Betta owner. I think a 5 gallon tank is the best for the first time Betta owner. I do tend to see Betta's freaking out in larger tanks, I think they just like an area they fill is theirs.
I would however feel a little comfortable if someone where to buy this tank for Betta's. It's a lot better tank than what I have seen Betta's go home to. As long as they listen to the instructions and turn down the pump and put plants to block the flow even more. This tank will make a fine Betta home, better than 90% of the homes our there for Betta's, and trust me, I have seen them all. Even the horrible pocket tank, which I refused to allow a Betta to go home in.
It's hard to dispel the myth that Betta's need no heaters, or that they LOVE really small space's. They think of rice patty's as puddles and not the LARGE area of water they are. People grow food in rice patty's, do you honestly think their going to be puddles? Some can be six feet deep, and the Betta fish lives happy. I think they do well in small places because of the dense vegetation their use to. To them, their territory is small, but in reality they can live in large bodies of water. I just think where a lot of people go wrong with Betta's in larger tanks, is they don't mimic their environment well and they freak out.
My first Betta lived for six years in a one gallon tank, he was my buddy and he moved with me. It was a small one gallon corner tank I had on my head board. The second Betta I owned was in a 2.5 gallon and he freaked out and jumped. I am hoping with this tank, I can get three Betta's to live long happy lives. I think it's possible, but I might end up moving them out of the tank into something bigger for each. Working where I work it will be easy to make sure my Betta's will be happy!
Give some recommendations, I think if this tank can't be really used for Betta's, it can still be used for something, but what? Please feel free to leave recommendations as well as your comments about the tank.
One recommendation I saw was to add guppies (by someone that called this a Betta death trap), so please make it a serious recommendation someone can really use.
