Nanocube vs Eclipse aquariums vs Aquapod

(repasting as a separate thread)

i am looking to set up a 12gallon aquarium for fresh water fish and plants. based on the postings it seems that the nano cube and aquapods had cracking issues......on earlier models...what is the consensus now? are these safe to buy. i am also considering an eclipse system. the only difference between the cube and the pod i could find is that there are three individual switches in the pod and only on in the cube. is there any value in that?
i visited one store and the cooling fan on the display unit of the pod made quite a loud humming noise. any comments on that? i was wondering if that was a defective unit...

any comments especially regarding the noise level comparison would be helpful.

Those all in one aquarium kits are very popular, but their limited capacity makes them impractical for most freshwater species of aquarium fish. In addition, they're expensive when compared to larger glass aquariums. A 12 gallon tank is suitable for a small group of guppies, some of the smaller rainbow fish, small gouramis, etc. Just be sure to keep up with weekly partial water changes, and avoid over feeding or over crowding.

As for one brand versus another, it's probably more about personal taste than reliability. You've done the right thing by inspecting working versions of each. I hope some other forum members can provide details of their experience with both brands.

Thank you very much for the reply. I decided to go with the Nano Cube -12g, much quieter. I Will keep the number of fishes small to prevent throwing the tank off balance.

Final question...are Nano Cube aquariums made of glass (SiO2) or plexiglass or acrylic? The tank came with a magnetic scrubber which i dont want to use if it is going to scratch the tank. the owners manual only says Glass aquarium.

Most of the all in one aquariums are made of Plexiglas (acrylic) so they're easy to ship. In a glass aquarium you can see the individual glass sheets by looking at the corners. Acrylic aquariums usually have molded corners with no seams, and they are not as thick as glass aquariums. They make two types of those magnetic algae cleaners, one specifically for acrylic and one for glass. The magnetic cleaners are handy, but they cannot exert as much pressure as other types of cleaners. Live plants will limit algae growth.

Good luck with your new aquarium. If you can, send us a picture when it's up and running.

Awesome. I will share the photos in 1-2 months once i get it all established.

Can't Wait to see pictures!

Welcome Aboard!

so far, i have just cycled the tank for 2-3 weeks and added one cory dora.....one week and counting...it it still alive....so the water must be okay.

BTW, from my other tank...two cories died in the past 2 weeks, each had a really swollen belly ...is that the cause or were they just old (~1 yr)

Bloating can be caused by a disease or parasite, and those things are caused by inadvertently introducing bad organisms into the aquarium or failure to do regular maintenance. Regular, partial water changes are especially important if you tend to over feed or over crowd. Cory cats should live for several years, so you need to correct whatever is wrong with the aquarium. If you don't have a water test kit, aquarium shops will often test the water for you. Of course, they may also try to sell you different "cures." A few partial water changes usually work better than the cures.

Cory cats live a lot longer than 1 year.

I'm like John, I would try to figure out what was wrong with the tank.

Good Luck!

If you have any questions... just ask.

no other loss of fish. three cory's that were in there made it. although one of the harlequin rasboras is looking a bit shaky. i have 4. these are 2 years old. it seems to be getting worse every day. do you think i should do a couple of water changes over the next week?

You should do a partial water change now. Because the aquarium is relatively small, careful maintenance is relatively more important. I'm assuming it's a small tank; what size is it?

30 gallons.

I just reread your first post. From what you are saying, you have a 12 gallon and a 30 gallon, which seems like a good combination. Please don't move any fish from one aquarium to another unless you're sure the fish are healthy. Just moving them can be a shock to fish. The partial water change advice still applies. If an aquarium is in trouble, daily partial water changes will help.

Looking for 1st Aquarium-need 12 gallons, no bigger - freshwater I suppose, as a working dad with a 3 and 5 year old, i'm really looking for quick & easy. 3-6 fish/critters and a few plants. I understand saltwater is a whole different thing...Eclipse? I read good things & have seen them-nice! But some feel they are low-end...please advise, Thanks!

Welcome to our aquarium club.

A saltwater tank has more parameters to watch, and the residents are expensive. It's best to start with a simple freshwater tank. For less than an all in one setup, you can buy a 20 gallon glass aquarium with a fluorescent hood. After that, a small air pump connected to an under gravel filter, some gravel, and a few cheap plants will complete the setup. Let it cycle for at least a month, then add a few inexpensive fish. It's a good way to learn about aquarium keeping, and we'll be happy to help with the rest of the details.

Welcome to the forum.

I would not think of Eclipse as a low end tank...

A lot of folks I know, myself included have tanks that originated at Wal Mart...

The glass itself is not a big deal... Get a nice filter, flourescent light... Good Heater... (I prefer to use the STEALTH)

I would stay away from the All in one stuff... If something goes out, it's all gone...

Run the cycle, get a few cheap fish... See if they make it... Kids can be hard on a tank... Watch them about overfeeding.

If you don't care to spend some money... You can get some of the planted substrate... Flourite or something similar. That can make a striking planted tank...

Good Luck and feel free to ask questions!

A friend of mine has the eclipse and i have the nanocube. both 12 gallons. both systems work fine. both have enough light to grow plants. so go with either. if you go with 30gallons, then it does not come as one kit, but you would have to build it yourself...which is fairly easy. tank, hood, pump, heater, gravel, filter to start the set up.
the main difference is that these 12gallon kits are acrylic tank and are more sturdier than glass if someone bangs against it. but acrylic is easier to scratch.

so for your first tank, my recommendation would be to just go with a kit type deal. the cycling time is the key 3-4 weeks. there are various ways of doing it. ...can read posts on that.

good luck and let us know how it worked out.