IntroductionA long-time fish keeper, my last purchase, a 3-gallon Tetra tank, was a complete disaster. The plastic was too flimsy for any series hobbiest and was likely to fall apart in a matter of weeks. I returned it and finally picked out this 12-gall tank by the much more respected Fluval company.
Where I bought it
This one I bought on Amazon.com here: Fluval Edge 12-Gallon Aquarium with 42-LED Light, Black
It's a pretty expensive tank in comparison but is likely to last me my whole life and then some. I received free shipping on it and used some saved up points on my Amazon credit card so it was much cheaper. The price though is pretty fair for what you get.Taking it out of the Box - Initial Thoughts
This is definitely a cool tank. You will not find anything like this in design. It looks like the designers of Edge were going for that edgy look. I felt like a professional aquascapper. As opposed to the previous tank I bought, this one has some weight to it. The material is heavy and sturdy. Everything appeared there: instructions, no damage, little assembly.
What this Tank Comes with
The Filter
This tank makes use of the same filter as the 6 gallon version, only a little taller. It is not the best and will need an aeration system as I can see, a few weeks in algae buildup at the bottom is beginning. With that said, the entire system is spotlessly hidden making this an aquascapers dream come true!
The LED Lights
These lights really make this aquarium shine. Oftentimes with LED you get either really cheesy colors that are not at all practical for raising live plants or you get a light that is just so weak, it's hardly good for anything. In this case there are 42 high power lights! They are definitely powerful. The optional blue hue for nighttime use is a great addition.
Final Thoughts
Setting this thing up was a bit tricky. First of all, the little space to fit your hand in, to do the basic set-up is not very wide. That can become a bit frustrating. Similarly, I noticed that doing any kind of rearranging or cleaning is also troublesome. The 3d effect is only accomplished by filling the water to the top of the tank. When you stick a hand in a whole mess begins.
These are things I can live with though. I bought this tank for two reasons: it looks so unique and it is well-built like many of Fluval's products. I will be keeping this one, hosting a very tranquil aquascape, relying mostly on mosses. A few zebra dainios would be fitting.
