Biorb 30Litre Stocking?

[Tooombsy]

Hi guys
 
My girlfriend has decided she wants her first tank but only a small one.
She likes the look of the BiOrb 30 litre sphere tank to go on the bedside table.
First off, does anybody else own one of these and are they any good?
Secondly, what stocking options are available for such a small tank?
I told her i wouldn't put anything other than a single betta in there but she wants a few fish to watch.
 
Thanks for any replies

 

[DrRob]

Pretty tanks, run on airpumps for the filter, so not exactly ideal for a bedside table, although there are some who like the white noise of the airpump at night to drown out other background noise.
 
Personally, I think they're not brilliant tanks, the shape leads to reduced surface area for the water volume, the curved sides distort the view of the contents and the filter isn't brilliant. They're also a pain to clean as the access at the top isn't that large. My other gripe with them is that they take up more room than other tanks for the volume that they hold, so what could have held a more practical tank is only a 30l.
 
For stocking, I'd generally aim at shrimp, who should tolerate the tank and gentle filter nicely. Several of the smaller fish like to shoal, so you need the room for numbers. Betta's are not ideal due to the reduced surface area, but they're quite possible in a biorb. Otherwise I'd probably consider things like celestial pearl danios, sparkling gouramies or ember tetras.

 

[Ch4rlie]

A nice looking tank but it is restrictive in what you can stock that with as well as what substrate you can have.
 
You can only use the specific media rocks for these little tank, you cannot change that media for sand or fine gravel as this would block the filter intake and ruin the filtration
 
But if you're happy to use that media only and not have a lot of options plant wise, would suggest simple plants such as java fern, anubia and moss type plants as all these can be tied to wood or rock, plants that require planting is tricky in bi orbs.
 
Personally I would only keep shrimps or a betta in such a tank bth.

 

[TallTree01]

I had one of these for several years and while they do look nice, the shape and filter mechanism is largely unsuitable for aquatic life.
I found them to scratch very easily. The filter is a pain to clean and is not strong enough to cope with more than a few fish.
In a 30 liter biorb I wouldn't put any more than some guppies or shrimp.
The lighting system makes it difficult to grow any but the most basic plants and because of the filter you can only grow things in pots or attached to something.
Best to stay away in my opinion. Conventional tanks are far more practical and are a good deal cheaper too.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I would buy one, remove all the fish-related material and use it as a bottle garden with ivy, ferns and other humidity-loving plants; I certainly wouldn't use anything that contained only 30 litres of water for live fish. But that's my opinion as a person who also bought an entire 8x6 shed (and a six foot outside run) in which to keep two rabbits.