D-DAY
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
In the past, I have had 80gal and 30gal aquariums but never an aquarium smaller than a 10 gal. I want to start a small freshwater one from scratch but am having a little trouble deciding which equipment to purchase.
My space is fairly limited so I have been looking into the Eclipse 6 gal, the Mini-Bow 7 gal, and even the 6-8 gal bio cubes for my home office. Each have their positives and negatives, as I have been researching here and other forums. I just want a nice looking, semi-easy to care for(maintenance/upkeep), and quiet system.
So far the Eclipse looks like the best bet for the money, but I am not too crazy about acrylic and the cracking/scratching. Also the filter system on these I hear is sub-par.
The Mini-Bow is a bit more expensive than the eclipse, but is made of glass which is a bonus. Only problem here is what filter system do I pair with a 7 gal aquarium??? HOB? Also, is the lighting on these units any good for mild to moderate planting???
Finally, the bio-cubes are one of the nicest and most expensive all in ones I have come across, but I have heard horror stories about them cracking. Unfortunately, I don't know if this is true, because tons of nano reef keepers seem to love them and not have any problems.
I just don't want to come home to dead fish and water on my floor, although it wouldn't be a first!
BTW, I will probably be doing a min/mod amount of planting and have a puffer or 2 as a star attraction with plenty of hiding places for some small shrimp. Oh and maybe a snail.
Any suggestions from owners or previous owners would be greatly appreciated.
My space is fairly limited so I have been looking into the Eclipse 6 gal, the Mini-Bow 7 gal, and even the 6-8 gal bio cubes for my home office. Each have their positives and negatives, as I have been researching here and other forums. I just want a nice looking, semi-easy to care for(maintenance/upkeep), and quiet system.
So far the Eclipse looks like the best bet for the money, but I am not too crazy about acrylic and the cracking/scratching. Also the filter system on these I hear is sub-par.
The Mini-Bow is a bit more expensive than the eclipse, but is made of glass which is a bonus. Only problem here is what filter system do I pair with a 7 gal aquarium??? HOB? Also, is the lighting on these units any good for mild to moderate planting???
Finally, the bio-cubes are one of the nicest and most expensive all in ones I have come across, but I have heard horror stories about them cracking. Unfortunately, I don't know if this is true, because tons of nano reef keepers seem to love them and not have any problems.
I just don't want to come home to dead fish and water on my floor, although it wouldn't be a first!
BTW, I will probably be doing a min/mod amount of planting and have a puffer or 2 as a star attraction with plenty of hiding places for some small shrimp. Oh and maybe a snail.
Any suggestions from owners or previous owners would be greatly appreciated.