Mini-Bow 2.5 Aquarium...any comments?

Now that my son (1 year old) has his fish tank set up, my daughter (11 years old) is wanting an aquarium for her room as well.

I've tried to talk her into the 3 gallon Eclipse tank my son has ( ) but she likes the following: . Mainly because it's colorful and the purple one will match her room.

Can anyone comment on the quality of this tank?

Thanks.

TripleB

 

If you're gonna go with a Mini-Bow, get her the 5 gallon. It still comes in purple, but has more room for a heater, decor, and a FISH.

Also, purple is a wonderful color choice! Not that I'm...biased...or anything.

 

I agree, try to get the 5g...

 

i'm new to keeping freshwater fish and always read that these minI tanks are not recommended, but I never see specifically why. are they generally discouraged even if you're able to keep the water in healthy ranges with a couple of small fish?

 

It is harder to keep small tanks going but the main problem, at least the reason I don't like it, is they are really hard to keep stocked correctly, for example that 2.5 is probably to small for even a male betta! The only thing I can think that could fit in there is a lone dwarf puffer... maybe. and also sckrik, WELCOME TO FISHLORE

Triple B. Why don't you get the 5? even better you could get a 10 or twenty but I won't push it...

 

In addition to the fact that the minI tanks really can't hold anything other than really tiny fish (of which there are only a few) or inverts, there is the fact that maintaining water chemistry gets easier with larger tanks. In anything smaller than a 20g, it takes quite a bit of work to keep water chemistry stable.

I agree that the 5 gallon would be good, unless you were going to do something that didn't need a heater and didn't need a lot of space (all I can think of are inverts, though).

 

thanks angelfish220! we really love angelfish by the way as they seem to be so cool and have so much personality. i'm sorry to be dense, but is it that the size is just too small for the fish to swim around and be healthy regardless of water quality?

 

thanks angelfish220! we really love angelfish by the way as they seem to be so cool and have so much personality. i'm sorry to be dense, but is it that the size is just too small for the fish to swim around and be healthy regardless of water quality?

Swimming space is also important for many fish. There are some small fish that need a ton of space, and need a larger aquarium than a fish their size would normally indicate.

Welcome to the forum.

 

I have the 2.5 gallon and it works fine.
u can't have aton of fish but its a good size.
I am satisfied with it.

 

Hey fish-rocker-chick! welcome! I dissagree with your idea of a 2.5 tank.
I am willin to bet that TribleB can tell you exacly what will happen to the 2 platys 2 guppies and algae eater in your tank. it is way to overstocked and your fish are going to suffer because of the fact your tank isn't even cycled yet. I would take all of them back read around the fourm and set you tank up right. I suggest that you read the article on the nitrogen cycle first. Really I'm not trying it be mean I'm just trying to get you to do what is right for your fish.

 

I have 2 of the Minibow 2.5 gals, and 2 of the 5 gals.

Agree that the 5 gallon is much better. I have one female betta in a 2.5, and feel it's too small for a male.

On the whole I do love these tanks because of the bow front and the pretty colours!

 

Hi!

Get her the 5gal! I think if you can find her a nice Cambodian Betta (They are either solid pink body with red fins, or a whitish body with purpley/turqoise/red fins! Great for girls as they look really purple.) for her tank your other kid won't feel left out as he has a Betta to. Really in a 5gal you only have the same options you would in the 3gal - but you'd get 5 Endler's in there instead of 3. You could start a Red cherry shrimp farm! Or, just put a collection of dwarf shrimp in there. They are fascinating critters - and it doesn't take much to build a real addiction to them. Plus - with their tiny Bio-load, you could get 10-15 small shrimp in a 5gal comfortably. is brill on shrimp!

Jess - Angel is right about your tank. Your tank is real bad overstocked, and not cycled yet. Click the 'Extra essential cylce info' link in my sig to find out some more. I'd take all those fish back to the store, wait until the tank is cycled then get yourself a Betat for it.

 

Welcome to Fishlore, Jess!

 

I have it!

I have the 5 gallon mini-bow aquarium...and I got mine from Wal-Mart too! Anyway, I'd get her the 5 gallon. I think it was a really great set when I first started out. I have three zebra danios in mine, and I really enjoy just watching them swim around.

 

I just wanted to ask if I could put 2 or 3 guppy fish in one of the 5gal ones?
I want to start a 2nd tank (even though I have barely any space) but need something that fits right in the corner of my "office" at home.
I have a stand I would like to put it on but the stand goes right in the corner and i'm looking to buy a 5 or 10gal tank.

 

I just wanted to ask if I could put 2 or 3 guppy fish in one of the 5gal ones?
I want to start a 2nd tank (even though I have barely any space) but need something that fits right in the corner of my "office" at home.
I have a stand I would like to put it on but the stand goes right in the corner and i'm looking to buy a 5 or 10gal tank.

Hi!

Guppys need 10gal minimum to thrive. If you could get the 10gal - you would be able to get 4-5 Guppys as long as they're all males.

 

We have about a half dozen of those tanks. They are good tanks and the filters that come with them do a great job but they also take up a significant portion of the cubic space in the tank. We actually run those tanks with Azoo palm filters instead of the one that it comes with, when we run them.

I'd agree that the 5 gallon would be a better tank to buy, but it would depend on what fish she was interested in.