FluvalChi II Series Aquarium Set, 5-Gallon - Aquarium Tank with Ambient LED Lighting, Flowing Water, and Elegant Design, White

I purchased my Fluval Chi II back in May when I was looking to upgrade to a 5 gallon aquarium from the 2.6 gallon Fluval Spec III. I had been looking at the Fluval Chi on and off for a couple of years and finally decided to give it a try. I've had the tank up and running for 6 months now and I have to say that I absolutely love it! My betta and nerite snail seem to like it too.This tank has a very elegant design and the combination filter/fountain/light is a really neat feature. I own 3 other 5 gallon aquariums, a Fluval Spec V, a Marineland Contour 5, and a Marina Style 5 Glass Aquarium Kit, and this one is one of my favorites due to it's dimensions. The Chi is 10 inches wide by 10 inches deep, by about 12 inches high (in terms of swimming space for the fish, the aquarium itself is a bit taller due to the filter cube and it's foot) so the fish have quite a bit of space to swim around in all directions, yet the tank has a small enough footprint to fit comfortably on a desk or a nightstand.If you're looking for a nice elegant tank, this one might fit your bill, but it does have some cons:• Like others have said, the filter is just so so. It's not very powerful and personally I've found mine to be finicky. After water changes, I have to rotate it from side to side for a couple of minutes to get it to prime in order for it get up and running again.* The light is another con – it isn't very bright, so if you want a planted aquarium and you don't have any sunlight you're pretty much stuck with having only low light plants. Also, the light is underwater so floating plants are pretty much goners if you don't have any sunlight.• The light is part of the filter, so if either breaks you have to buy a whole new unit. They're for sale here on Amazon, but they cost around $45. Fluval Filter/Light Cube with Transformer and Media Replacement for Fluval Chi 19L Aquarium Kit• The filter cube is textured and a dark color – calcium deposits gather in the ridges on all sides of the thing and become noticeable. On the plus side, it is easy to clean. I just clean mine in the bathroom sink and scrub it down using paper towels.• The lid is made of a thin piece of plastic and it feels a bit flimsy. I'm kind of surprised by that to be honest – I own a Fluval Spec III and a Spec V and the covers for those, while plastic, are thicker and sturdier than the Chi's.• The plastic foot of the aquarium seems to be sturdy enough but there's really not much too it, unlike other aquariums such as the Marineland Contour 5.• Due to the fact that the aquarium has a built in fountain, water evaporates very quickly. I usually have to top off the tank a two or three times a week with some spring water.• The plastic bubble dome lid thing for the filter cube tends to rattle if you don't put it in place before turning the filter on. Also, even after that, it'll rattle for several hours before it fills completely with water before settling down.• The fountain has a built in light that is always on – there is no way to turn it off.That being said, the aquarium has a number of pros:• It has an elegant, stylish design while still providing ample swimming space for your fish.• The aquarium is easy to clean and the filter isn't too bad either.• The lid is made of smooth plastic so it's easy to wipe down and clean.• The filter has a weak output, which is actually good for some critters like bettas and dwarf shrimp.• The light isn't very bright, which is good if you want only low light plants or artificial plants and little to no algae.• Water evaporates from this tank, so it tends to increase the humidity in a room (at least it does in my bedroom, which considering how dry my room is, tends not to be a bad thing.)• Due to the size of the aquarium, it's easier to find decor that fits it, unlike the Fluval Spec V.• Fluval makes a number of ornaments that fit in the filter cube. My favorite is their boxwood ornament, but their waterfall one is pretty neat too, and it really quiets down the sound of the water fountain. Fluval Chi Boxwood Aquarium Ornament• Fluval makes backgrounds for the Chi. I never bought one, but they're designed specifically to fit on the back of the Chi.• Fluval also makes a nice little aquarium stand that fits this tank perfectly. I bought one and it's really heavy and sturdy and it was simple to put it together. Fluval Nano Tank Stand in Natural Oak, 22 InchAll in all, this is a nice little nano aquarium and despite the cons, I love it and I have to say it's one of my favorite aquariums. However, if you're looking for function over form, you might want to take a look at either the Marineland Contour 5 or it's updated version, the Marineland Portrait 5:Marineland ML90609 Portrait Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon My understanding is that the only difference between the Contour and the Portrait is that the Portrait has a better updated light. Price wise, they cost around the same as the Chi, but if you shop around, you might be able to get one for less. I purchased the Contour 5 when it was on sale for around $50 and it's a really nice aquarium. I've had my Contour up and running for about year now and I'm pretty happy with it – it has a pretty sold construction, a sturdy base that is separate from the aquarium itself, a glass lid that can slide back for feedings, the filter seems to be pretty decent, and the light has moonlights as well. I have the aquarium planted with ludwigia repens and I also have some Amazon frogbit and duckweek and everything is doing pretty well with the light – everything is growing, but they're growing slowly. Also, the glass lid is really tight fitting – out of the 5 aquariums I have up and running, the Contour is the only one that doesn't have an evaporation problem. My only problem with that tank is that, while the tank technically holds 5 gallons of water, the fish only have something like 4 to 4.5 gallons of swimming space, since the filter takes up something like, .5 to 1 gallon of water.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––UPDATE: March 9, 2018, Problems with the Light Switch & Warranty Info–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Well, I've run into a little problem with the aquarium; after having the aquarium for about 8 months, the light switch on the filter cube stopped working. The filter is still working fine, but the light switch is apparently controlled by a magnet and for some reason it isn't able to make the connection anymore.After researching the problem, I found a video on YouTube that shows a solution to the problem – you put the light switch in the "ON" position and then you wave a strong magnet behind the filter cube to trigger the switch. YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1GurgaaXqcSince I've only had the aquarium for a few months and it has a 2 year warranty from the date of purchase, I've decided to contact the manufacturer, except I haven't had a chance to do it yet. What I have found out, is that you have to register the warranty online at hagen.com and you need the aquarium's model #, which is 10505, according the Amazon listing page and Fluval's website. (I couldn't find the model # listed anywhere on the User's Guide or the aquarium packaging.)When you register the warranty, you have the option of extending the warranty by 2 or 3 years if you want. The cost of the extended warranty is pretty reasonable – it's $7.20 for 2 years and $9.00 for 3, and from their site, it looks like you can extend it whenever you wish prior to the 2 year warranty running out.

If you love fish do not buy!Round one: When we first ordered this tank we were so excited, loved the sleek and modern look to the tank, but then things started going wrong. We filled it with water, treated it with all the correct chemicals, let is cycle and then added a betta to the tank. Within two weeks the water was super cloudy, and the betta died. Please note we tried doing water changes, treating the water, etc..Round two: We changed out the water, put in new filters, let the tank cycle for a full week. Added three small fish (on the advice from the fish store), even had the water tested prior to purchasing the fish. Everything was a GO! Super excited, added in the fish per all the instructions. Within two weeks the water was cloudy and we ended up losing all three fish.Round three: We did a complete overhaul of the tank, new gravel, new filter, cleaned all the hardware with hot water only. Let everything air dry over a weekend. We put the tank together added water, started treating the water, did a slow start, let the water sit for 4-5 weeks. Had the water tested after 4 weeks it had a high ammonia level so we took out half of the water and added distilled water. Had the water tested again, bought fish, added them to the tank. We are on week two and have lost two fish.I have had fish tanks all my life. I even had a salt water tank for 7 years because I was moving a lot at that time. I have NEVER had a problem like this before. I have read articles, sought and followed advise from professionals, but we always have the same problem. I would not recommend this tank to anyone. In my personal opinion and from what I have been able to gather from research, the filter (not a proper filter) is too small for the tank, thus causing bacteria to bloom and fish to get sick. If you want it for a water feature, GREAT! Do not put fish in the tank.