A BiOrb 60L Life or a Fluval Edge 46L

cazs

Good evening,
I'd like to start keeping fish as a pet and have been considering tanks.
Due to lack of wall space in the lounge I need a tank that will sit safely on my sideboard (i.e don't want one too big as it will weigh too much for the sideboard to support it).
I would like something aesthetically pleasing and therefore would appreciate comments / opinions on the two possible tanks above.
I am yet to decide if I want to go the cold or tropical route...
I am interested in other's experiences with both of these, good points/bad points, advice on fish I could keep in them etc etc. All thoughts/advice of interest and appreciated.
Thank you

pawsies

Fish shouldn't be kept in round bowls

http://finatics.hubpages.com/hub/why-fish-bowls-are-bad-for-your-fish

So on that basis the second one is probably slightly better although I prefer the traditional rectangular ones.

cazs

pawsies wrote: »

Fish shouldn't be kept in round bowls

http://finatics.hubpages.com/hub/why-fish-bowls-are-bad-for-your-fish

So on that basis the second one is probably slightly better although I prefer the traditional rectangular ones.

Neither of them are round bowls.

CFC

Pawsie doesn't know what she/he is talking about.

OP there's nothing wrong with a Bio orb providing you don't overstock it. I have 5 white mountain minnows, a really nice planting arrangement and a couple of snails - very low maintainance temperature water fish. I only need to do a partial water change every couple of months as the stocking level is so low. You can turn it tropical, you can turn it higher maintainance, it's just up to you.

If you don't mind spending the money you can have a wonderful marine reef arrangement in a Fluval....corals/sponge/couple of very colourful shrimp or some clown fish, they look wonderful. I suspect converting the bio orb into a marine would be quite a bit more.

It's just going to depend how much you want to spend and how much stock you want in it. Look into it and make sure you do not overstock the tank, these are both small tanks (with the fluval being smaller but really looking the biz). Please dont keep goldfish in them, goldies are dirty fish and get pretty big, they really need a fair size tank if you ask me.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2011Q4/IMG_2443.JPG

pic of a very nice marine set up wit the fluval

pawsies

CFC wrote: »

Pawsie doesn't know what she/he is talking about.

My post could be helpful to someone considering getting a round bowl regardless.

shegirl

CFC wrote: »

Pawsie doesn't know what she/he is talking about.

OP there's nothing wrong with a Bio orb providing you don't overstock it. I have 5 white mountain minnows, a really nice planting arrangement and a couple of snails - very low maintainance temperature water fish. I only need to do a partial water change every couple of months as the stocking level is so low. You can turn it tropical, you can turn it higher maintainance, it's just up to you.

If you don't mind spending the money you can have a wonderful marine reef arrangement in a Fluval....corals/sponge/couple of very colourful shrimp or some clown fish, they look wonderful. I suspect converting the bio orb into a marine would be quite a bit more.

It's just going to depend how much you want to spend and how much stock you want in it. Look into it and make sure you do not overstock the tank, these are both small tanks (with the fluval being smaller but really looking the biz). Please dont keep goldfish in them, goldies are dirty fish and get pretty big, they really need a fair size tank if you ask me.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2011Q4/IMG_2443.JPG

pic of a very nice marine set up wit the fluval

That's a tropical set up,not marine

I'm not a fan of biorbs at all,many people aren't.Have a look and see what you can find.Just don't overstock,make sure you cycle the tank before adding fish and remember you will need to maintain and test the water.

pulliptears

I had a tropical Biorb running for many years and loved it. I had a few neon tetras in there and a few guppies, nothing too big and not too many. It looked great and tbh it was the easiest thing in the world to maintain.

I was considering setting it up again with a couple of guppies but managed to crack it

Froglet

Some opinions from a very good fishkeeping site by people very experienced in these matters.
http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=89730&highlight=biorbs

It will help you decide.Personallly I hate the things,they are pleasing only to the eye,not the poor fish having to live in them.

OP take your time,have a good read of all that this wonderful site has to offer,sign up and ask questions BEFORE you start and you won't go far wrong.The fish you start with will be the fish you keep for their natural life span,and not replacements for the ones that die through incorrect conditions.Which is what happens so often as most people don't realise that keeping fish properly is nowhere near as easy as they think it is,or are led to believe by poor advice in pet shops,and even aquatic centres.

Froglet

cazs wrote: »

Good evening,
I'd like to start keeping fish as a pet and have been considering tanks.
Due to lack of wall space in the lounge I need a tank that will sit safely on my sideboard (i.e don't want one too big as it will weigh too much for the sideboard to support it).
I would like something aesthetically pleasing and therefore would appreciate comments / opinions on the two possible tanks above.
I am yet to decide if I want to go the cold or tropical route...
I am interested in other's experiences with both of these, good points/bad points, advice on fish I could keep in them etc etc. All thoughts/advice of interest and appreciated.
Thank you

Good on you for asking first,and not believing the advice from your nearest pet shop.This sounds harsh but most haven't a clue on the proper conditions for fish.

Basically the bigger the better and don't even THINK about goldfish unless you have at least a 4ft tank holding 60 + gallons.Otherwise they get stunted and suffer before giving up and dying.

EDIT i see you have been asking on the PF forum and getting some very good advice.Best one out there in my opnion.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Little fish and more of them can be far more rewarding visually than one sad looking stunted thing.

White cloud mountains are very nice little fish, and seeing them in a group, in a more natural behaviour, is very relaxing.

You may want to check how much weight the furniture can take. A 60l tank will be holding 60 kg or just under nine and a half stone of water in it. Would you stand an adult woman on that furniture?




I've got a small tank with CMMs. It's planted, has driftwood, sand, gravel and substrate. It's very much like a river bed and has plenty of filtration and aeration running 24 hours a day. I have never seen fish look so happy. OK, there may be a bit of a snail population explosion going on, thanks to one of the plants, but they look genuinely happy. Especially as they're spawning.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Little fish and more of them can be far more rewarding visually than one sad looking stunted thing.

White cloud mountains are very nice little fish, and seeing them in a group, in a more natural behaviour, is very relaxing.

You may want to check how much weight the furniture can take. A 60l tank will be holding 60 kg or just under nine and a half stone of water in it. Would you stand an adult woman on that furniture?



I've got a small tank with CMMs. It's planted, has driftwood, sand, gravel and substrate. It's very much like a river bed and has plenty of filtration and aeration running 24 hours a day. I have never seen fish look so happy. OK, there may be a bit of a snail population explosion going on, thanks to one of the plants, but they look genuinely happy. Especially as they're spawning.

buy 2 assasin snails jo jo and you snail population will deminish and they are not awfull looking like the giant red ramshorn you often see attached to live plants.

if you dont want to keep the snails after their termination of population you could always resell them back to the pplace you bought them with prior agreement upon their purchase (make sure they write refund or credit agrees upon return on the reciept).

i used to be a frequient forum visitor to TFKforums (as linked by froglet), there were many against the bio orbs.

visually stunning i agree, but dont get nothing bigger than 2inches long to put in it or over populate one, also you wont get a visual look into one of them either due to its orbital shape, the obly way you can view it perfectly is to stand well back and get level with it get close and you fell like you looking through glass bottle bottom glasses, or just severely drunk and dont look at it closely while drunk either will make you chuck up (a friend has one and new years went over to look at fish and threw up everywhere and wasnt even drunk but a little merry).

do your research write allot donw in a planning diary and make your mind up on what fish to keep that is suitable, i would go for a traditional square tank, and over filter it with an external fluval 304 or fx5 to maintain water quality longer and clarity. all the best on your new venture.