2 Gallon, is it a waste?

[Alpha7Bravo]

I was looking at the Top Fin 2 gallon kit(http://tinyurl.com/zjcrj) and I am looking for some opinions on it.

- Is it a waste of money?
- Does the UGF work on it? It seems like there would be very little suction from that airstone.
- And, what would one put in it? A betta or 2 small fish?


Thanks a lot.

 

[CaptnDan]

I'd go with maybe a Betta and a snail, but certainly no more than that. Probably a good low-light plant too, to give the Betta some security.

Actually, when UGF's were popular :::ducking::: all that was used to run them was an air stone near the bottom of the tube. Keep your airstone fresh and clean to be sure it puts out copious amounts of tiny bubbles and it will be OK considering the small tank size.

 

[bettagurl]

i have seen those tanks,they arent worth it,you would be better off getting a ten gal.

 

[amyandlars]

I had one of those, and believe me, even a betta or snail, will overload it. Not to mention I don't think they have a heater right? Mine didn't. Not good for a betta. They say you can put in 2 goldfish. <---You can't!

 

[webcricket]

I have that kit, and I like it. I was actually considering getting another.

I don't use the UGF though - I bought a Whisper 3i internal filter (Petsmart sells them) to get some mechanical filtration in there (in a tank this small most bacteria will be in the gravel). You'd also want to get a heater (25 watt) and switch out the incandescent bulb (runs way too hot) it comes with for a screw-in compact flourescent. Mine houses a betta, a big pond snail he hasn't killed, and an anubias nana plant.

 

[webcricket]

i have seen those tanks,they arent worth it,you would be better off getting a ten gal.

This is true as well, after the filter, heater, light bulb, and gravel my set-up cost was about $55, just for a 2 gallon tank! You could certainly get one of the Eclipse systems (better included filter) or set-up a 10 gallon for that cost. It fits where I wanted it to though. :

And I disagree about it being high maintenance. I do a 75% water change/gravel vac once a week at the same time I change my other tanks. I just change more water on this one. :huh:

 

[CaptnDan]

I do a 75% water change/gravel vac once a week at the same time I change my other tanks. I just change more water on this one. :huh:

LOL, I bet you do! By the time you get done vacuuming the gravel it's a wonder there's any water left at all. You must work fast!

I really like the look of your little Betta tank. And the plant looks like it's lovin' every minute! Very cool.

[SCHEMING]My mother-in-law has a little tank about that size that she isn't using... And I don't have a Betta...[/SCHEMING]

(She bought it at Pet Supermarket and they sent her home with 8 Tiger Barbs, a Pleco, and a Cory of some kind. They all died. Imagine that. She gave up)

 

[CaptnDan]

Is it a waste of money?

That's really a difficult question. If it fits your needs, i.e. the space you have, etc., it's a good thing.

Another question is, how much enjoyment do you anticipate from this tank? In other words, how much time spent looking at it, and enjoying it would justify the expense?

With the additions that webcricket did to the out of box setup the total cost was $55. Dinner and a movie will set you back more than that, and that's only good for a few hours.

So, is it worth it? If you get enough enjoyment out of it to offset the amount of work you have to put out to get the money to buy it, the answer is Yes.

 

[webcricket]

LOL, I bet you do! By the time you get done vacuuming the gravel it's a wonder there's any water left at all. You must work fast!

I have about 45 seconds to vacuum...I keep the bucket almost level with the tank on a stool to slow the suction. If I get stuck manouvering around the driftwood, I clamp the hose until I'm back in the gravel. It gets the job done, LOL!

You should definitely steal, er, borrow, that tank from your mother-in-law, if only so you can master the art of the quick vac.

 

[Alpha7Bravo]

Thanks a lot everyone! Webcricket, I really like the look of your tank(well, all of them actually) and the internal filter is probably better than the UGF. CaptnDan, you are right $55 is definitely worth it in the long run.