Marina EZ Care Betta Kit, White

Bettas are very unusual and fun fish to own, and this is a great, affordable way to get started. I have owned several bettas through the years, one that lived to 5 years old. Keeping their tanks clean is the most challenging part of ownership, and it stresses the fish a great deal if you remove them from the tank to do a water change. Many of the "experts" who proclaim that bettas need large, fancy setups and filters, etc. also say that bettas only live 2 years. I was drawn to this product when I was considering getting bettas for my boys and knew that I wanted a convenient way to keep them clean and healthy.The kit includes stones, which is nice. Make sure you give them a good rinse first, as they are very dusty. That could explain the "cloudy water" some people are complaining about. If you add your own stones instead, make sure they are not tiny pebbles or there will not be sufficient gaps for waste to get flushed out with a water change.I added marimo balls and betta beds to our setup. The tanks give the fish enough space to swim around, and they are quite happy. Water became a bit cloudy after initial setup, but that is NORMAL as the fish get established in their new home. We've had no fin rot or other health issues. I like the square shape, which allows us to set the tanks side-by-side so the bettas can see and "fight" each other.For water changes, I bought a gallon of spring water, and added a Jungle "Bowl Buddy" tab to the container. I've been adding new water every other day or so from the jug of conditioned water using the water cup provided in the kit. The tank cleaning mechanism works great, in my opinion. Looking in the waste water receptacle, there is definitely some waste that gets flushed out, and the water looks cleaner after new water is added. People who are expecting a spotless tank after adding new water are expecting too much from the product. You don't NEED to flush out every bit of poop every time. It will break down over time and more easily flush out with a later water change. As long as you are regularly adding fresh water, the fish will be healthy. Bettas need the good bacteria in their bowl to remain healthy. Also make sure you know how much your fish eats in a feeding and feed no more than that. We use Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets, which float and can be easily removed if the betta does not eat it all.Frankly, I think this product is being unfairly panned by people who either have unreasonable expectations, or have their own biases about a proper betta setup to begin with. It's a perfectly fine betta habitat that makes it easy to care for and enjoy these beautiful animals.

This is a very nice little tank for the money, despite all the nay-saying and scolding in some other reviews. It's by Hagen, and they do know something about fish keeping, after all. The tank is good looking, fits neatly on my work desk, and is big enough to comfortably house a betta or 1-2 small guppies or tetras, or 4-5 neocaridina shrimp. I added an Aqueon betta filter to the tank to increase the biological filtration. In the winter, I may also have to add the small Aqueon flat 5-watt heater. Both of these accessories will fit neatly in this tank although there are no cord slots. I just run the air tubing through the top opening of the tank, and AFAIC it does not detract. I also added a light from another kit, which adds greatly to the tank's appearance. I wasn't sure I'd like a white tank with white pebbles, but this color reflects and amplifies the existing lighting to create a truly beautiful microcosm. I put in a tiny betta plant and an even tinier piece of fake coral to complete the scene. The white pebbles which this tank comes with are so beautiful, and my betta likes rooting around them so much, that I've already looked similar pebbles up here on Amazon and intend to buy some for my other tanks as well. They do come dusty, and I had to rinse mine several times before putting them in the tank.Contrary to many reviews, the EZ-Care cleaning system feature of this tank DOES work. I do not, however, recommend the overlarge cup that comes with it. That could cause the collection chamber to overfill, which would result in a spill. I use a smaller 6-oz cup to do my water changes, and I am doing one every day while the tank is cycling. When the proper bacteria become established, I may end up just changing the water once every other day if parameters remain OK. In a tank of this size, changing the water once a week will not be enough to keep optimal water quality, so do keep in mind that while maintenance is very easy and only takes a couple of minutes, there is a bit more work to this tank than there would be to a larger (like a 2-gallon) tank.The big secret to doing the water changes successfully is to pour the new water in SLOWLY. It takes a few seconds for the old water to start draining out the back, so be sure to watch for that and only remove the collection container when it stops dripping. This will not flush out all of the waste in the tank, but it doesn't have to. It will remove some of the contaminants, such as ammonia, that make fish sick.To summarize, I think this is a beautiful and functional desktop tank. I feel it does need a small sponge filter, such as the Aqueon betta filter which I highly recommend, to help maintain a healthy environment; but generally, unless you are keeping a specific style of tank, no aquarium, large or small, should really be without a filtration system of some sort. It doesn't add that much to the expense ($5-$10 for a sponge filter, $5 for a Whisper non-UL air pump) but will definitely improve water quality. With this little modification and frequent water changes, the tank is NOT too small for a betta or a guppy.The main reason I even got this was that I specialize in nano tanks and was made curious about this one by the negative reviews, given that it's made by a manufacturer that has been in the aquarium business for ages. I was pleased by its quality, and now I'll be keeping it on my desk, with happy healthy fish in it, for the foreseeable future. Having kept fish for over 50 years, I know that the number one factor which determines success is the amount of care and attention one gives a tank-- not the tank itself or even its size. You can make a successful aquarium out of just about any container if you are willing to tend to it carefully and regularly change the water. This one has the added bonuses of being both compact and beautiful-- a pretty little desktop tank.

Personally, I would never put a fish in such a small aquarium. I don't care what anyone has to say about what size tank a betta should be in or any of that nonsense. I just think it's cruel all the way around to put any living creature in such a tiny environment. Especially when it's already been kept in such cruel conditions in the first place. Sure, bettas are pretty and males need to be kept separate but still, I mean a little tiny cup? It's just not right. I say charge more for the fish to provide them with adequate housing whilst they wait to find homes.Anyway, I actually bought this aquarium simply because it is so cheap. As any aquarist knows, it's always wise to have back ups in case of emergency situations. But, I had actually started trying to raise brine shrimp to adulthood in it as I've since purchased a more adequate emergency housing for such purposes. The tank really is too small for anything at all really. In my opinion I should say. The concept behind the tank was innovative, sure, but as most reviewers have stated, does not flush much waste out. Obviously I can't use the cleaning system as intended since I've repurposed the tank but I did attempt to use the system after my first few failed attempts with the brine shrimp. I did not implement the gravel since the shrimp don't need it and even without it, most of the matter just got stirred up rather than flushed out.My final thought, it's really cheap so if you want it buy it. If you don't feel that it will serve your needs, check out different aquariums. Or, I believe there are larger versions of this tank available.