My daughter (6 yr) and I setup a minibow 5 in her bedroom a little over two months ago. The tanks contains neons and amano shrimp and is planted with live plants.
She (and I) love this little tank. I would have opted for the minibow 7 which is made of glass but only comes in black. She wanted a Teal tank so a Minibow 5 was the way to go. However, I had to make the following modifications:
1. Replace the filter - The Whisper filter is a dog so I replaced it with an aquaclear mini with double sponge. IMO, the AC is an infinitely superior filter.
2. Replace the lousy 10W incadescent light - Tried a 19W CF which was too much light. Tried a 15W CF and algae problems continued unabated. Currently have an 11W CF (6500K) from Drs Foster & Smith which seems to be just right.
3. Readusted splash shield - drilled new hole in splash shield so I could center if over the bulb. It does cover the whole bulb when you use a CF.
In summary, it's a nice looking little setup (algae problems aside), but it's unfortunate that it's bundled with a lousy filter and light. I only wish I could have purchased the tank, cover, and base separately.
