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Is Marineland Eclipse 5 a Good First Aquarium?
By Dog Lover | October 24, 2009
When you decide to buy your first aquarium, there will be several choices you will need to make. Let’s go through these choices with Marineland Eclipse 5 as an example. This will organize our buying process.
Size
The first decision will be about the size of the aquarium. For some people a 1 gallon tank is “enough”. Others insist that nothing below 10 gallons is big enough. I like the “scientific method” – 1 gallon of water for 1 inch of adult fish. This is an objective and easy to understand way to decide on the needed size of an aquarium.
So, since an adult Betta is approx. 2 inches long, we can calculate that 2 -3 gallons is a minimum tank size. I assume that you are interested in more than just the bare minimum. That would make Marineland Eclipse 5 a good starter aquarium for a single Betta fish.
Marine Eclipse 5 comes in several variations – there is the Marineland Eclipse Hex 5 Fully Integrated Aquarium Kit, Marineland Eclipse Hex 5 Aquarium Kit and the Eclipse System 5 Corner Combo.
Glass or Acrylic
Another choice will be between glass and acrylic. Aquariums used to be made mostly of glass and it is still the material of choice for many aquarists. But there are several qualities of acrylic which make it a superior material to glass. High quality acrylic, such as that the Marineland Eclipse 5 is made of, also maintains its clarity and does not lose its color. Scratches on acrylic are easy to repair. The polishing kits are easily available, but should be used only on the outside of the tank.
A glass tank will break on impact, while an acrylic tank would be much, much more difficult to break. Especially if you are buying it for a small child, an acrylic tank like the Eclipse 5 is a safer way to go.
Acrylic is a stronger material than glass. So it will be thinner than glass. And an acrylic tank, in contrast to a glass one, can be drilled, if there ever is such a need.
Set-up
The design of Marineland Eclipse 5 aquarium lends itself to easy set up. The instructions are easy to follow and most customers write rave reviews about this product.
Appearance
Marineland Eclipse 5 aquariums attractively combine functionality and design. Many people like the hexagonal shape, which gives them a panoramic 360 degrees viewing area.
Price
Marineland Eclipse 5 is definitely priced for people on a budget. It comes with a bio-wheel filter and mini-compact fluorescent lighting system. Both are housed in the hood. Purchasing all the components separately would add up very quickly.
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