I've never bought an aquarium before and I was wondering if the tanks they sell at wal mart are any good? Is the quality just as good as all glass, perfecto, etc. ?
Wal Mart tanks
- Thread starter Cyclops
- Start date
The tanks are perfectly fine. All 12 of my tanks are from walmart - including the 55g and 29g complete with stands (which I really like, btw).
The *only* things that are "bad" are:
For the larger tanks, you may want to upgrade the filter. I use the filters that came with the 10g's and they're just fine. Keep things nice and clean. The 29g could use a stronger filter and the 55g's filter was okay but I wanted extra filtration and a canister since its planted.
I use the heaters that came with the tanks ("deluxe" kits) with the exception of the 55g's which did "freeze" and heat the tank to 93 or so. I replaced that one but the rest are all in perfect working order.
As I said, the stands are pretty cool. They're black (for the 29 and 55) and have cabinets on the front. Very nice and quite sturdy.
FOr the 10g's, I use the metal frame double stands. Really good. Very sturdy, but with the bottom tank being so low, siphoning can be a slow process because there is no leverage.
The *only* things that are "bad" are:
For the larger tanks, you may want to upgrade the filter. I use the filters that came with the 10g's and they're just fine. Keep things nice and clean. The 29g could use a stronger filter and the 55g's filter was okay but I wanted extra filtration and a canister since its planted.
I use the heaters that came with the tanks ("deluxe" kits) with the exception of the 55g's which did "freeze" and heat the tank to 93 or so. I replaced that one but the rest are all in perfect working order.
As I said, the stands are pretty cool. They're black (for the 29 and 55) and have cabinets on the front. Very nice and quite sturdy.
FOr the 10g's, I use the metal frame double stands. Really good. Very sturdy, but with the bottom tank being so low, siphoning can be a slow process because there is no leverage.
Does walmart manufacture their own tanks or does it sell from other companies? Seems like a lot of people on this website go there for aquarium supplies
Most of the filters, aquariums are aquatech I believe. For a 55 gl w/hood, filter, heater, and etc is around $158. At LFS 55 gl with just hood is $189(this is in NorCal). I don't like aquatech filters but it's still cheaper. Try to talk to the Dept Manager and see if you can order tanks straight from their suppliers or try to show up when the fish get there and talk to delievery man. It migth work if the DM is cool.
There was a thread at another site where people were saying that the tanks were Allglass tanks, but I have no idea about that.
The 10g filters say Regent on them...
At our Walmart, the tank (including hood, lights, heater, net, small sample of food and dechlor, and filter) cost $150 even. The stand was an extra $80.
EDIT: Here's one of the links I was thinking of...
http://myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13804&highlight=Walmart
A couple of different people said All glass.....*shrugs*
The 10g filters say Regent on them...
At our Walmart, the tank (including hood, lights, heater, net, small sample of food and dechlor, and filter) cost $150 even. The stand was an extra $80.
EDIT: Here's one of the links I was thinking of...
http://myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13804&highlight=Walmart
A couple of different people said All glass.....*shrugs*
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hey, i was gonna by that 55 gallon setup kit at walmart just the other week but i was little iffy as to the quality of the tanks and the equipment, but judging from yer guys's reviews i guess i'll re-consider.
i have a question though. i'm planning on setting up a cichlid (malawi) tank with the 55 from walmart.. i was wondering what filter "upgrade" you guys would recommend. i'm not gonna be planting it.......... so i was maybe thinking about an emperor 400? and what would i do with the filter that came with the kit? just throwing it out would be a waste. maybe save it for another tank in the future?
and what kinda hood comes with the 55 gallon kit? incandescent or flours.?
and oh yeah!! does the kit come with a pump or air-stone? or do i have to buy that separately..
i have a question though. i'm planning on setting up a cichlid (malawi) tank with the 55 from walmart.. i was wondering what filter "upgrade" you guys would recommend. i'm not gonna be planting it.......... so i was maybe thinking about an emperor 400? and what would i do with the filter that came with the kit? just throwing it out would be a waste. maybe save it for another tank in the future?
and what kinda hood comes with the 55 gallon kit? incandescent or flours.?
and oh yeah!! does the kit come with a pump or air-stone? or do i have to buy that separately..
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The two tanks I have I bought from Wal Mart were both All Glass. The filter for the 10 gallon tank actually seemed abit to powerfull for the tank and the lights that came with it heated the tank up to much so I'd suggest replacing them with florestant bulbs and perhaps getting a less turbulant filter. As far as my 29 gallon tank goes I have to agree that the filter on the 29 wasn't that good. I've replaced mine with a Penguin Bio Wheel 170 and I'm happy with the change. The tanks them selfs are well built and with everything you get in the kits you should be able to start out well enough. You'll just need to replace afew odds and ends with better equipment as time goes on. For the price though I think they were both well worth it and much cheaper then buying everything seperate. Just an FYI in case anyone wants to know, all the included equipment was "Whisper" I'm not sure if that's a brand or just a name of the particular model. I can't give much of an opinion on it though since I don't have that much exp in the hobby yet.
-Neo sithlord
-Neo sithlord
I think it may depend on which kit you buy. For example, with the 10gs, there is the "normal" kit and the "deluxe" kit, 27$ and 50$ respectively. I bought the deluxe so I can only talk about those, but:
The lights are standard 15" flourescent bulbs.
The hoods are the black plastic ones that have clear plastic in the back for the light to shine through.
I also really like the filters that came on the 10gs. I've found them to be just right. As I said, I even use them on my nice 10g planted.
As for what you'd do with the other filter, you can keep it running on the tank for extra filtration or can save it for another tank. It'd be just about right for a 29g. (It is just a double version of what *is* on a 29g).
Doesn't come with an airpump, but they're really cheap.
I upgraded the filter to a Fluval 304 from big als...
The lights are standard 15" flourescent bulbs.
The hoods are the black plastic ones that have clear plastic in the back for the light to shine through.
I also really like the filters that came on the 10gs. I've found them to be just right. As I said, I even use them on my nice 10g planted.
As for what you'd do with the other filter, you can keep it running on the tank for extra filtration or can save it for another tank. It'd be just about right for a 29g. (It is just a double version of what *is* on a 29g).
Doesn't come with an airpump, but they're really cheap.
I upgraded the filter to a Fluval 304 from big als...
as neo sithlord and leopardess touched on, the 10 gallon kits need attention. If you get the standard kit, it comes with the incandescent light hood and will overheat the tank a lot. I ended up moving the filter to the center of the tank and tipping the back of the hood onto the filter to prop it open. I then added fluorescent bulbs to the sockets and now I can maintain a desired temp using the heater. If the hood is closed, even with a single fluorescent bulb installed, it gets too hot. If you were to add a thin sheet of glass or plexiglass underneath the lamps, you might be able to eliminate this direct heatsourse. My personal recomendation would be to get the deluxe kit with the fluorescent hood or get a bare tank and buy your own fluorescent hood somewhere else. Check your LFS's because I just found a place in San Antonio that sells 10 gallons cheaper than walmart even. Maybe you have a similar shop. Kyle
I want to eventually purchase a 29 gal. tank. I went to walmart and their 29 gal kit costs $94.66. I also looked at my lfs and their 29 gal kit was $89.96. I didn't check exactly what the kits came with just the prices. I was surprised my lfs 29 gal kit was cheaper than walmart. My lfs also sells the 29 gal tank by itself for $50.00.
I plan on buying the empty tank from my lfs. Then buying filter and other accessories seperately. I'm going to do research on heaters and filters to see which ones are best and buy everything a little at a time. Thanks to everyone who responded.
I plan on buying the empty tank from my lfs. Then buying filter and other accessories seperately. I'm going to do research on heaters and filters to see which ones are best and buy everything a little at a time. Thanks to everyone who responded.