Mini-bow 5 Or Eclipse Hex 5?

[dizzied]

I've been thinking of getting a new small tank to place atop this cabinet I have. Footprint is roughly 14.5" and 15.5".

My top two choices right now are the Mini-bow 5 and the Eclipse Hex 5. I'd like to hear your opinions/comments if you have either of these tanks, or if you have suggestions for other tanks.

 

[Lateral Line]

Hex tanks suffer from a number of problems, but depending on what you want to do, they may not apply.

They have a small surface area relative to their volume. This makes gas exchange more difficult so stocking levels should be reduced accordingly - in a real small tank that is a serious limitation.

They are difficult to light. They are deep, so need good lighting, but there is not enough space in the hood to fit long lamps.

Generally, the lack of a long flat side make hiding equipment more difficult.

 

[dizzied]

Right. The hex shape is what's holding me back since it'll be a bit trickier to decor. The Mini-Bow has a more rectangular shape, although it isn't as well-equipped out of the box.

 

[atmmachine816]

Could you just go with a standard 5.5 gallon, filter mini-bow's come with suck and cluter the tank up and it's hard to fit a hob filter on the 2.5 not sure on the 5.5. what about a eclipse

 

[Gazoo]

From an aesthetic point of view, I think a bow tank looks better than a hex. I think all the angles on a hex are distracting.

I can't see where you are from but if you have your heart set on a bow and want to go a bit larger, All-Glass Aquarium (US) makes a 7 gallon. The down side is that it costs a bit more but at least it is glass rather than acrylic and comes with a florescent light. An Aqua-Clear 20 power filter would be a good match for it.

All-Glass Mini-Bow 7

Edit: Forget my 7 gallon suggestion. I think it exceeds your footprint.

 

[dizzied]

Yeah, I would've love to get to MB7, but it exceeds my footprint by an inch or so. I might not be able to get the MB5 either, I just realized I'd have to place it sideways (front of tank facing side of cabinet) and that'd look awkward. The standard 5.5 is too big too. Oh, if I just had an inch, my options would be much better.

The Eclipse 3, Minibow 2.5 and the standard 2.5 all also fit but I haven't really looked into those yet.

 

[blueblue48]

id go with the mini bow 5, the curved front makes the fish look better and my betta is in the 2.5 and he loves it, soon im buying the 5 for him. although i had to cut a little out of the back of the hood for my filter to go on the higher level.. nevermind that it works really well.

 

[dizzied]

I'm thinking about going Minibow, but because I'll have to place it sideways, I'm 50/50 with it and the Hex. Although it might get it fit facing forward if I removed the base, but that might look awkward too.

 

[dizzied]

I'm almost set on the Hex, just wondering if anyone knew any other tanks that could fit the 14x15 footprint.

 

[bjanbkboi]

I have a hex and it's the only problem I've encountered so far is that it does have a low surface volume so if your fish like to swim it wouldn't be the best choice. I guess if you get a labyrinth fish that needs to reach the surface quicker, a mini-bow 5 would be better, but if you really want to save space, the hex is great.