Newbie First Tank Setup

[06Honda]

Looking to setup my first FW tank. Does anyone have or recommend the Eclipse kits by marineland that come with a bio-wheel.

[dan2x38]

I bought a small one 6g. They are a pain to work with. The lid doesn't allow you access inside the tank. Once you lift off the lid there is no light. I did not like the filter either the water had to be right to the top to cover part of the filter tube in order to prevent it stopping or reducing flow. I would not buy another one. IMO There are some kits that come with everything at Big Al's and other stores. If you are a club member you get 15% discount Big Al's. Your doing the right thing researching and asking Qs.

[Quatro]

I don't think that BA's offers the discount on their complete packages.  Keep your eyes on the classifieds here.  Best deals around.   

I have 2 small 2gal eclipse type tanks and I love the portablility of them. I wouldn't buy a larger one though just because I like to be able to select all the components.

[06Honda]

Thanks for the helpful info, sounds like a standard setup would be easier to work with, thankyou.

[Pistol_pete]

Which eclipse are you thinking of?
I have an eclipse 1 and 3. They're OK. Not great or not bad. I don't have any of the problems Dan mentions except for the fact the light points right in your face, not the tank when you open the front lid. The access doors on the bigger models open up about 2/3 of the tank and was never a problem for me. I've also run mine with the water level about 1 1/2 inch down and they kept going strong. I agree with Dan as I don't like the smaller ones but the 1,2 and 3 models are easy to live with and keep the water clear. They are easy to modify so you can use your own media bags which gives you more flexibility. Mine don't make much mechanical noise but they do make a constant water trickling sound which isn't loud but I didn't put it in my bedroom as was the original plan (I'd have to get up and go to the bathroom every 30 minutes ).

[06Honda]

Thanks for the response Pete, I was considering the 6G.

[Pistol_pete]

I've seen a kit from All-Glass that is 7 gal and it's cute. It's a glass (not acrylic) bow-front tank with a base and canopy. I don't remember if it's a fluorescent or incandescent bulb but if it's incandescent, you can always use a screw in compact fluorescent (which is what I did with my smaller one and there is no heat issues). It doesn't have a filter in the kit but you could buy a small Aqua-Clear hang on back filter or something similar for not much (you can maybe find a used one in the classified ads).
If you go with the Eclipse, get the bigger ones. They are not that much more expensive from what I've seen. As I said, they are not perfect but they do have some unique advantages.
Advantages: Some find it sleek looking. There is nothing outside the tank, no hoses and there is a cable guide so you don't even see the power cords. You don't have to remove anything to do maintenance as the top opens up big enough to get almost anything in or out. The filter is great at oxygenating the water as it falls three times through the filter (it gets dumped on the filter pad then onto the bio-wheel and then drops into the tank). Everything is serviceable without tools. The trickling water sound can give a little Zen atmosphere.
Disadvantages:Some find it bulky looking. If you need to remove the whole unit from the tank, it's a little bulky but not heavy (no worse than a full canopy). Can't adjust the flow rate of the filter. On my small one, I have to leave the small access door off in the back so condensation doesn't build up inside the lid. You should use a fully submersible heater unless you want your heater right in the corner. The trickling water sound can make you go to the bathroom often.

[Laura]

Is there a particular reason you're getting such a small tank - have you already got an idea of what you would like in it?   Because it is small, you'll be very limited with what you can put in it; whereas, if you get something larger you'll find you have much more flexibility.

My personal bias is for nothing smaller than a 15 gallon unless it's for a specific reason such as limited space or as a small species tank (my work doesn't mind my 4 gallon, but if I brought in a 15, I don't think it would go over well....).  A 15 gallon gives you enough footprint that you can have a small school of little cories, and a wider variety of fish in a community set-up.

A 15 gallon will also need the same or less maintenance depending on your bioload.  I know a 6 gallon may look big right now, but it is a very small tank. 

[06Honda]

Just looking for something to put in my home office, mind you a 15 gallon would work also, hmmm. I 'll get out the measuring tape and see what is the max size I can go with.

[Fishnut]

Oh yes, go with something bigger .  The 6 gallons are nice, but as soon as you put a few fish in there, you're full...plus since it's such a small space you really need to make sure the fish are extra friendly towards each other.

If you want to have plants in this tank, you also need to look at the lighting requirements.

Good Luck!

[06Honda]

I want plants for sure. 

[Laura]

Both large and small tanks can be planted and look very nice.  The extra footprint in a larger tank provides for more aquascaping than you can do in a smaller tank. 

Depending on the light setup you get with your tank, a low-cost solution is to just switch out regular incandescent bulbs for the twisty low-wattage ones you buy for your home.  I have those in a 15 with plain gravel and I'm not growing anything fancy, but lots of plants do very well in the tank.  There are other folks on the forum who use specialized substrate, fertilizers, CO2 and better lighting who can advise of those if you want to go that route.  Or after you get the tank, if you decide you want to upgrade components then you can also do that later.

There are many plants that are simpler to grow (many of which are very beautiful).  I think there is a list of low-light plants on the forum, or you can google for a list.

Have you thought about what you want to keep?  This will really guide your tank size.  Again the advantage of a larger tank is that even if you just want a betta, you can put one in the bigger tank, and then in a couple of months  when something else catches your eye, you can get that too.