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The Easy Aquarium
I'll start off by saying I own this tank and am happy with it. The filtration system, once established with beneficial bacteria, is very effective. I tend to push the limit a bit with stocking (while making sure the fish have plenty of room) and I never have a problem with my ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite levels being out of whack - I attribute this to the excellent filtration. The tank is spacious for it's size and is attractive as well. My only problem is with the lighting, it's very dull and doesn't illuminate the tank very well (you could try a white substrate which will help the tank look brighter). It is also unsuitable for a planted tank if you want a wide variety of plants. I got around this by using plants that are good in low light as well as adding a Hagen Co2 system.
[Friday, December 21, 2007]
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Ignore the aquarium snobs
Some people seem to think that this is the worst tank they've ever used and all the good reviews are merely a product of overhyped propaganda. They're welcome to think that, but don't let that deter you from the Eclipse (and Aqua-Tech) aquarium systems.
I've been keeping freshwater fish since I was old enough to say "fish." I've used every tank setup with every filtration method. Until seven years ago, I always used the "beloved" standard glass tanks (20+ gallons) with the usual filters that sit on the side or back of the aquarium. When I tried out this aquarium system, I abandoned all other systems and now any new tank I add will be compared to this. So, why do I like this tank system if it's not just overhyped propaganda?
1. It's QUIET. Power Whisper (and similar type) filters are noisy. They make loud humming sounds and if you're unfortunate enough to have a pump that sits out of the water, will vibrate it's way off anything it's sitting on or just vibrate incessantly against anything it comes into contact with. The Eclipse filter and pump is so quiet that the only time I notice it's on is when I look at it. There is no splashing noise.
2. Speaking of splashing, unlike the standard power filters, this system does not splash water. Every Whisper-style filter I've had has splashed water out the back or side, no matter what I did. Even if it was only a tiny amount, you can imagine what happened after several months of sitting on top of a bookshelf. The Eclipse system is enclosed. There is no water splashing out. Escape artist fish can't escape. Shrimp can't jump out. Fiddler crabs can't climb up tubing and out of the tank. You can set it pretty much anywhere and not worry about getting things wet.
3. It keeps the water clear. In standard systems, I had constant problems with cloudy water. I was always changing the water, adding clearing chemicals, everything I could. Nothing worked for very long. It drove me insane. The ONLY time my water got cloudy in this tank was when the temperature reached 90 degrees in the house (AC was out) and the goldfish started stressing. As soon as they had cooled back down, the water cleared and has been clear ever since.
4. Easy to set up and use. You plug it in and go. No hooking up pumps and filters, no worrying about tubing. I don't know why the other reviewer said you can only feed the fish from the top panel; I've always been able to easily change the filter through there. Just takes a few seconds.
5. Easy to maintain. All I need is some aquarium salt, bowl buddies, and nitraban and my tank will run for months before I need a full water change. In fact, with regular filter changes (once a month), I only need a 25% water change once a month. And when I do a full water change, the parts come out easily, go back easily, and it's light enough to carry outside or to the bathtub to drain and wash down.
6. The lighting is bright and illuminates the entire tank clearly. The only downside is the lights tend to heat the tank a bit, but it has no impact on tropical fish. It's only a problem to coldwater fish (like goldfish) when the room temperature reaches 85 or above, but then the room temperature is already the problem.
Only cons I have are the motor assembly and getting parts. It would be nice if it wasn't sealed together, in case I needed to fix a part and is a pain to clean ONLY IF I'M NOT DOING REGULAR TANK MAINTENANCE. Getting replacement parts is kind of a pain since it's an all-or-nothing thing, but so far, I haven't had one of these break on me (and I have several for the past 7 years).
Yes, the hood and lid can be annoying to deal with, but no more or less annoying than any other standard tank hood I've worked with.
Yes, the lights are integrated and the tank goes "dark" when it's removed, but that's why I usually turn the lights on in the dining room when I clean the tank. A magnetic cleaner doesn't even require the hood to be completely removed and I've found it to be the best option for quick algae cleaning.
Yes, the water isn't going "through" the filter, but the filter is actually working. If it didn't, all that gunk that builds up wouldn't be on the filter and would just go back into the water.
Yes, the biowheel sometimes stops. However, I've discovered it only stops when I turn the power off or I've neglected to change the filter for months (which happened only once because I was out of town). If you properly maintain your tank, as you should every tank, then the wheel won't stop.
I absolutely recommend this tank to beginners and anyone who wants an easy tank to maintain. It's simple to set up, easy to maintain, easy to clean, quiet, and can be placed just about anywhere.
Standard systems may be cheaper if you build it yourself, but I'd rather pay a few extra bucks to pick up a box that has everything I need in it. Aquarium snobs might say I'm not a true "enthusiast," but unlike them, I'd rather spend my time enjoying the fish than maintaining my tank.
[Friday, November 30, 2007]
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