Probably better options for less.

This tank seemed super cool at first but it isn't without its flaws. The fitted lid makes heaters and other additions super annoying. I'm also not a fan of the open slit in the lit that the light hangs over. My platy was one of the unfortunate souls to get sucked through the filtration hole but thankfully he was fine and no one else has gone in since. Aside from the aforementioned I was rather happy with the tank. I've owned it for about 5 months and now the filtration "chamber" is leaking water from underneath. If it were cheaper, I'd say worth it but as it stands I would not recommend this tank.

Love this tank! Great for my Betta fish

I have used this tank for my betta for years and love it. For those who say there is too much suction pulling fish into the intake, simple solution. As the directions say, you can turn the suction down or up. Pull the motor up from the corner of the tank which is next to the media filters. Once you have the motor in hand, you can see a sliding plus + and neg - bar. Just slid it to the desired intake power water flow coming back into the tank. Bettas like a low flow, so I have mine more on the negative side. I have never had a fish get stuck in the intake with this tank in the many years of owning it

Dangerous to fish!

This tank has a major design flaw that proved to be hazardous to my fish. The tank has a hole used for water intake to the filter. I came home yesterday to find my fish totally sucked onto the side of the tank at that hole. I quickly dislodged him from the suction but it was too late. My poor guy died a horrible death thanks to this faulty tank. I don't recommend it.

Beautiful but not for betta.

I bought this thing for my beta fish, and the filter is just to fish keeps getting stuck to the intake valve. I have to unplug it get my fish off every time.

Quiet and Pretty

I bought this tank and the first thing I found was that it is so quiet! I also loved how the filtration system is a three step filtration. The only thing I found to be a problem is the high out flow from the filter but I remedied this with cutting into a sponge and fastening it over the out put which really helped! I also wish the heater was able to be hidden in the back with the pump and filtration system but other than that I found it to be a good tank.

waste of my time

bought this from petco today took everything out set it up only to realize the clip the light hangs on was missing from the tank. I called fluval customer service was told the piece is siliconed on and there is nothing they could do. I literally threw it all back in the box and returned it. never again 251.00 refunded. on top of all that they charged me $130.00 for the tank when its 115.00 online.

Great value and features!

I got back into fishkeeping after 15 years and went with this tank for our counter. I had a Fluval canister filter before and love this brand. It's an excellent setup—easy to maintain, and the proportions give you a lot of viewing area for such a small gallon tank. I heavily planted it and added a male plakat betta and some shrimp (the water flow nozzle will need to be tweaked if you add a long-finned betta). As some pointed out, the lid cutouts will not accommodate extra cords—but there are some custom aftermarket lids available for not a lot of money if it's bothersome. I have a heater cord, and the cover still lays flat enough not to be noticeable. If you want an all-inclusive nano tank, this is a great option!

Good tank for starter

Just bought this tank recently to replace my broken tank. Overall, the tank look good. However, it's not glass as advertised. It's not easy to install the pump because of the space available. The pump is very strong even with the lowest setting. There is a huge opening on the lid. My beta just jumped right off the tank today. I had to use a plastic wrap to cover the hole for the time being until I can create some wire mesh to cover that hole. With the opening for the filter at the top, instead of at bottom of the tank, food is easily to get suck into the filter area before the fish can even get to it (again due to high flow of the pump)

Great Fluval setup for the price

Great little tank setup. Plenty of lighting for a wide variety of plants if you prefer planted tanks. The cover IS plastic, but seems pretty sturdy. However, if you plan to run CO2, you'll need a very small diffuser to stash in the back with the filtration. The plastic cover is notched at that end, but nowhere else, so it's the only practical place you'll be able to use. Plan for a very VERY small heater to have to fit back there as well.

Better than expected!

I wanted a little aquarium for my boys’ room and did a lot of research on which 5 gallon kit is most highly rated. This one came in #1 on several sites, but after reading about filter issues (too high flow, broke) I was reluctant. I did only set it up today so can’t speak to the longevity of the filtration system, but it does have 3 different flow settings. I set it to the lowest one and it is perfect. Our fish aren’t fighting the current like in our 20 gallon and it is basically inaudible. I love the long and narrow design so the fish have maximum swimming area, and it looks cool. We have Glo Tetras and Glofish gravel and accessories which all look great under the blue light. I didn’t realize the light switch was a touch pad on top of the light - great feature! I had no problem getting a heater in there. I just ran the cord over to the opening above the filter. It does cause the back left corner to stay lifted, but the other 3 corners are secure so it’s really not an issue. So far we are very happy we chose this set!

My Likes and Dislikes

Likes - I love the long, narrowness of the tank, especially for Betta's. Easy set-up. The light gives good coverage across the entire tank.

Not worth the higher price

I bought this for a betta. It’s visually nice, but I’ve had a better experience with other (less expensive) tanks of its size. The filter, even on the lowest setting, is far too strong for my betta so I had to place a tall ornament in the way of the output. The light is also VERY bright, I had to replace it because brown algae was out of control even with just a few hours of light each day. There’s no room for even a small 25 watt heater to hide with the water pump which leaves a cord sticking out the back, preventing the lid from fully closing. Lastly, the lid is a thin plastic and arrived to me cracked. It’s not a bad tank but it’s not better than other similar kits at better price points. I’ve had a much better experience with the Top Fin Retreat.

Awesome 5 gallon

I was hesitant to buy this tank because some of the reviews about the pump being to strong for Bettas... Idk what others were having a problem with but its been great! The pump has a switch to turn it down and you can reposition the outlet so it doesn't blow the surface (where bettas like to rest) around that much. The light is great so far, I will see how the plants do long term - I planted it with baby dwarf tears (dry start) and its doing great! And I added some back ground plants that are doing "OK". I did have to purchase a heater because there was not one include (so only 4 stars). I'm at about 5-6 weeks of having the tank both with just gravel and then tearing it down and putting substrate and plants and haven't had any problems so far (see pic-don't mind the background it got wet when I moved it and I haven't fix it yet). I have had numerous compliments on it so far. I would get another and also recommend it to others.

Looks good

The tank has been set up to cycle for a few days. Set up was easy. Instructions if you need them are clear. The filter is not as quiet as my other tanks which has been noticeably loud the last 2 days, unsure why. The flow adjustment of the filter is very useful.

[Rewarded Review] Buyer Beware the Fishtank of Death

I purchased this tank from Petco a few months ago. The customer service workers and store was fantastic. The tank however has been quite an experience. There is a side slot that you can add a heater on the opposite side of the filter. While the subsections keep the tank looking nice from cords etc., almost every type of fish we have had has found its way into the subsections. Trying to get the fish out is a nightmare. Since the sections have a tiny, you can't see if a fish is in there. Mostly you will first find a fish missing and wonder where it went. Once in, it takes forever to get the fish out due to the small size of the subsection. If you don't notice a fish is missing (fish that hide, darker color fish) and it dies in the subsection, then all of your other fish may die due to rotting fish. If you buy this tank, check the water constantly. This will help you figure out if any fish have made it into the dark subsection and passed away. Good luck taking the tank apart over and over as the fish to try to clean out their little decayed bodies. I would recommend a different tank.

[Rewarded Review] Sleek Betta Mansion!

I purchased this online and it arrived fully intact.

[Rewarded Review] Definitely An Upgrade! Love it!

I had a stupid nano tank that always managed to cause my beta fish to come down with fin rot. I hated it. Constantly medicating and tons of heartache. When I decided to upgrade my dinky little 2.6 gallon nano tank into something that would keep an expensive beta fish alive, I started doing my research on a different online site. THE site. I discovered that many people adored this lovely little show tank, the Fluval 5 Gal. Spec V. After it arrived at my house, broken, twice in a row, from THE site, I turned to Petco. I discovered that I could save money ordering it online and picking it up the same day. Done!

+1 more

Good Buy For The Money

First off, I want to let people know that Petco has the wrong dimensions listed. They mixed up the height and width of the tank. The tank is not 6 inches tall, it is 6 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Hopefully they will correct it.