3 gallon eclipse

tuthelimit

tuthelimit

Renewed Member
May 19, 2002
102
0
16
Charleston, SC
Good afternoon AC,

I am interested in Marineland's Eclipse 3 gallon tank, but I have some concerns and questions for the board.

How much heat does the light put off, and thus affect the water temperature? Does the same issue exist with the 6 gallon model?

What heater would be recommended for such a small tank? I am attracted to the Marineland 10 watt, but I am concerned with the accuracy of the thermostat. My other option would be a 25 watt heater. Any suggestions on a brand?

How powerful is the filter? I am interested in keeping a calm, peaceful tank and thus I want to avoid a torrent.

Finally, am I wasting my money? Would it be better to get a 5 gallon with a sponge filter and call it a day?

Thanks,
Richard
 
I have had really bad luck with Eclipse 3 tanks. I've owned three of them as planted invert tanks -- and they ALL leaked. The problem is with the black plastic frame that holds the hood. Water gets pulled up underneath the frame and it leaks back down the side. It takes awhile before this starts happening, but once it starts you can't stop it.

The filter is just like any HOB filter but it sits on top of the tank instead of hanging on the back. I never had any problems with the filters and the flow rate is good but not overwhelming for the tank size.

The light doesn't heat up the tank any worse than other lights I've used in other tanks. I used 25 watt submersible heaters, lots of different brands over the years, and never had any problems keeping a constant temperature. I like Visitherm Stealth heaters for those tanks because you don't have room to hide them.

The other thing with Eclipse 3 tanks is feeding. You have to lift the entire hood off to feed. It's not a huge hassle but it seems like a design flaw to me. There is a lid on the top but that's only for changing the filter media - which I never used because everytime I changed or cleaned my filter media I had the hood off anyway because I was cleaning the whole tank.

Because of the leaking issue, I would recommend you go for the 5 gallon instead. I've talked to other people who have had the same problem with leaking, and others who have had no problems at all. And at $40 a pop for the Eclipse 3, you would get a lot more bank for your buck with the 5 gallon and sponge filter.
 
Thank you for such an excellent and timely reply. I will take your advice!
 
I offer a differing opinion. I have the six and two threes and love them. I also have a 5 standard that I like. The Eclipses are perfect for a betta and snail, and the filtration is terrific. I don't use the cartridges. I buy small rena ammonia lock bags and use them instead. The water stays crystal clear and they are much cheaper. I really like the Eclipse tanks. However, if I had had a leaking problem like the above poster suggests, I would swear off them, too!
 
Interesting take.

I used one of the eclipse lids back in 2001. I really liked the look. But, I found that if the aquarium wasn't perfectly level, water could pool around the filter. Also, as time went by the gunk built up, water was diverted all over the place. It was never a problem because I had tile floors and loved doing maintenance. However, this aquarium is going on my desk!

For your betta, do you use a heater? What brand/model? Any problem with heat?

Finally, how long have you had your eclipses up and running?

Thanks!
 
I do not use a heater in my 6. The light (replaced with CF to grow plants) keeps the water at a comfortable 73 degrees. I do not use a heater in my 3's either. The room temperature that they are in is always a little to the high side, so with the light, it is unnecessary.

The 6 has been set up for about a year and a half. The threes were set up about a month ago.

You are correct about the water pooling. If the cord is not correctly placed, condensation can form on the cord and trickle down. Likewise, you have to be very careful if you are choosing to replace the Z cartridge with replacement media. It can cause the trough to overflow if the biowheel becomes clogged.

Still, I am satisfied with mine. I have noted that this year, the Eclipse explorer has changed hood designs, so maybe that had something to do with the condensation problem. Hope this helps. By they way, I love my small, regular 5 almost as much, and it is glass.
 
i have had no problems with my Eclipse systems, and the models from the 2 gallon explorer all of the way up to the 7 gallon hex all have the same filtration setup. the laking from the frame could have been from a number of things, such as overfilling the tank. that is the only time i have ever experienced something like that on any of my Eclipse tanks.

feeding can be an issue, but the Hex 5 eclipse tank has pretty much remedied that issue with its small door on the front of the tank that allows for easy feeding. unfortunately, you'll still need to take off the entire hood to get to the tank for water changes.
 
well i have one idea for possibly preventing the water leaking issue before setting up the tank you could try sealing the top trim piece to the tank itself with some aquarium silicone this might help to stop the leaking from there
 
I bought my first two Eclipse 3s in May 2001. One was up and running through May 2007 but it had leaked on-and-off since February 2004. The second started leaking really badly in December 2005 and was replaced with the third Eclipse 3. The third started leaking in November 2007 and ruined my granite countertop. That's when my husband said "no more" and bought me a JBJ NanoCube for Xmas.
 
Mustang Boy said:
well i have one idea for possibly preventing the water leaking issue before setting up the tank you could try sealing the top trim piece to the tank itself with some aquarium silicone this might help to stop the leaking from there
Click to expand...

I tried that but the silicone eventually comes loose and it secretly starts leaking again. I also tried keeping the water level an inch below the top (which looks ugly and makes the filter noisy) but that didn't work either.

I was at Petco a week ago and checked out the new Eclipse 3 -- because I really like the look of the tanks. They've changed a few things but the black plastic rim that gave me all the problems is exactly the same.
 
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