Fish are beautiful and interesting creatures, and you want to make sure you create the best environment for them to live and thrive in.
This article is an overview of some of the best aquariums available to help you provide this. There’s a lot to consider when looking for a home for your aquatic creatures- you will want something that both suits their needs and fits into your household. The selection of an aquarium should be made with care. Hopefully, you’ll be getting along swimmingly after reading this rundown of the top 10 best aquariums.
Additionally some of these candidates are also aquaponic systems.
Aquaponics, or the practice of growing fish and plants together in a cooperative and integrated system, is an ancient system whose exact roots remain unknown, but that is currently gaining in popularity, particularly community and indoor systems. In a conventional aquarium, the animals’ waste can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In aquaponics, however, water from the aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products get broken down to be used by plants as nutrients. The water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system.
On the list below are some portable, indoor units available for your personal use. These units provide a fun and rewarding introduction to aquaponics, and we will be taking a look at the best features of each aquarium.
#10. Marineland Contour Glass Aquarium Kit with Rail Light
Buy now from Amazon
According to the manufacturer, this tank is focused on the healthy living of your aquatic pets, and isn’t that exactly what you want? It has an energy-efficient LED lighting system that has a natural daytime effect to mimic the natural underwater effect of sunlight and a relaxing moonlight effect with blue LED’s for day or evening. This aquarium also features an advanced filtration system- mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration help keep things clean. It looks pretty good, too, with its classy, stylish, and sleek design that comes with its very own spotlight.
#9. biOrb Aquarium Kit with LED Light Fixture
Buy now from Amazon
Here’s one baby that’s low maintenance. You want clean and healthier waters for your fish to swim around in, but wouldn’t it be great if your aquarium didn’t require constant cleaning? The baby biOrb combines the looks of a traditional fish bowl with the performance of a ‘hi-tech’ aquarium. It utilizes a 5-stage method combining biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration to keep water healthy and clear for months at a time. It also features attractive silver accents to complement any setting. The lighted tank is easy to set up and is a good home for the solitary beta, or for several small fish.
#8. Tetra 1.8 Gallon Waterfall Globe Aquarium Kit
Buy now from Amazon
Try something a little different with this Tetra tank with a striking and charming “waterfall” effect. It’s a convenient desktop size, and comes with Tetra’s whisper filtration, making this a fish abode, and a human’s decor and space-saver rolled into one! The tank is sturdy and beautiful, and the waterfall flowing into the glass bowl can provide a stimulating effect and make your fish more active.
#7. Back to the Roots Water Garden
Buy now from Amazon
This #1 bestseller in Aquarium Starter Kits is a small tank for a beta and also grows food. It comes with everything you need to get started, such as the silent water pump and organic seeds. The convenient and portable size of this tank with 360° views means it’s perfect for office, kitchen or classroom. It boasts that “no soil or green thumb is required” and claims that all you need do is keep your beta fed and top off the water as necessary. This little lovely is good for growing basil, lettuce, wheatgrass, mint, rosemary, and other herbs.
#6. EcoSphere Closed Aquatic Ecosystem, Pod
Buy now from Amazon
The Ecosphere pod doesn’t grow vegetables or herbs. It is, however, a fascinating and attractive look at a cooperative environment containing marine shrimp, algae and micro-organisms. The maintenance-free pod shows how a closed system recycles its own nutrients without creating excess waste. The pod is made of hand-blown glass and comes in two sizes- small and large. The shrimp live on average 2 to 3 years, and there’s no need to feed them because they feed on the algae and bacteria in the sphere. Bacteria then turns the shrimp waste and carbon dioxide into nutrients for the algae. The algae survives by converting the carbon dioxide and light into useable oxygen for the shrimp to breathe.
#5. EcoSphere Closed Aquatic Ecosystem, Sphere
Buy now from Amazon
The highly-rated EcoSphere comes in a variety of sizes, each its own self-sustaining world in a hand-blown glass globe. Like the pod version, it comes complete with your new pets- live marine shrimp. The modern, minimalist, and classy-looking design can be placed anywhere out of direct sunlight and in a comfortable room-temperature environment for a display of a compelling blend of art and science.
#4. Tetra LED Half Moon, Betta Kit, 1.1-Gallon
Buy now from Amazon
So great for such a bargain price! Keep your aquatic pets happy and cozy in this pretty aquarium with such features as a repositionable LED light that fits either above or below the tank and a convenient feeding hole. The kit includes the tank and lights. The LED light is good for allowing plants to grow, and the aquarium provides great viewing from both the back and front. It takes 3AA Batteries or you can recharge with a micro USB cable. (Batteries and cable sold separately.)
#3. Tetra 29041 Half Moon Bubbler, 3-Gallon
Buy now from Amazon
This effervescent tank involves only a simple setup process, will give your fish plenty of room to swim around, and provides the cool extra effect of producing color-changing bubbles! It also offers 180° views and the ability to adjust the bubbler and the flow of the water coming out of the filter.
#2. Fluval Spec III Aquarium Kit, 2.6-Gallon
Buy now from Amazon
Consisting of an etched-glass tank with aluminum trim and a powerful 31 LED lighting system that arches gracefully over the aquarium to illuminate plants and decor, this contemporary-looking aquarium is focused on form, but also on function. It utilizes mechanical, chemical and biological filtration, and includes everything needed for these methods. The pump and filtration system are housed in a separate chamber at one end of the aquarium for easier maintenance, and the tank runs as quiet as a whisper.
#1. ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit w/ Dual T5 Grow Light
Buy now from Amazon
The ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit calls itself a “plug and play” system; it is a system that has the power to turnany standard 20 gallon aquarium, or any aquarium with a 12″ x 24″ footprint, into a way to raise healthy fish and grow delicious leafy greens simultaneously. Great for home, the office, or a classroom. This is truly a premium kit with well-made parts. Grow plenty of plants year-round with the included 13 pots, and say goodbye to the hassles of weekly water changes and hours spent toiling away, cleaning a fish tank.