For some people, gazing at a two-dimensional screen is good enough. That’s why they opt for wall-mounted tanks which people can look at as if they’re looking at a TV screen.
But others also like the idea of a round aquarium instead.
Who is it For?
Benefits
Drawbacks
Cylinder Fish Tank Reviews
Before you buy one, it is really crucial that you read as many reviews as you can online. That way, you can at least anticipate whatever challenges and difficulties that other owners have experienced before you.
Reading the reviews also offer you the chance to focus on the top rated ones, so that at least you increase the chances of getting a really good cylindrical aquarium.
To help you out in your quest to find a good cylindrical fish tank, start looking
Kollercraft Aquarius Aq360-2g Gloview, 2-Gallon
It’s designed for aquarium beginners, so it is relatively simple.
It measures 10.6 x 10 x 10.2 inches and weighs 3.1 pounds, so it’s very easy to bring it to your office if you want. It also has a 2-gallon capacity, so you’re limited to very small fish, and a single fish is probably a very good idea.
Though it’s affordable, it doesn’t actually look cheap. In fact, it looks great even though it uses acrylic plastic.
That’s because of the lighting, which is truly wonderful. It actually offers you 4 types of illumination. You can go for the simple white light, you can pick a bright blue light, it can emit a blue night light, and you can even combine the white and blue.
Its other features include an under gravel filter with air pump tubing, as well as a custom-designed full hood for its top cover.
Pros
- Many people own an aquarium because it looks great, and the Aquarius is a great example of that. It’s not just because it’s shaped like a circle. It’s also because of the nice lighting options that can really make it look terrific for your visitors. It will also help relax you when you’re working or when you’re at home.
- It’s very inexpensive. If even this is too much for you, then perhaps you need a new hobby. Try writing as a hobby—that’s cheap.
- Its small size also means it is very portable. In fact, even when full you may not find it too difficult to take it from one spot to another. If you’re the sort of person who’s always changing the arrangement of the room, this is very convenient.
- And since it’s small, you really don’t have much to clean.
Cons
- The main problem specific to the Aquarius is that the price does somewhat reflect the quality of the build. You may find something wrong with the pump, for example. You may have to buy a new filter as well.
- And of course, the small size does offer a lot of limitations too. You can’t have large fish or lots of fish inside.
API Aquaview 360 Aquarium Kit, 2-Gallon
This is another Kollercraft aquarium, and it’s actually for those who want to spend even less for an aquarium.
Come to think of it, you may not really want to spend too much if you’re planning to give this as a gift to a child.
You’ll probably find sellers online willing to basically give it away for cheap. Weirdly enough, it comes with lots more features than the Aquarius Gloview.
First of all, this is also a 2-gallon tank. It also has similar dimensions, as its diameter and its height measure 10.5 inches. Perhaps it’s cheaper because it’s not made of glass. Instead, it’s made from clear, impact-resistant acrylic.
Now let’s take a look at the list of features. It starts with the Superclean 10 internal power filter, which can purify the water at a rate of 45 gallons per hour. It also boasts of a research-grade Bio-Chem Zorb 10 resin-carbon filter cartridge. This feature eliminates organic pollutants, so you don’t have toxic gases, heavy metals, and weird odors and colors.
The full hood comes with the LED lighting, and which offer as many as 7 different colors. They’re white, red, purple, blue, aqua, green, and amber. That should really bring a zing to the quality of the view.
Finally, your purchase even comes with fish food and with water care starter products.
Pros
- It’s very affordable. If you can’t afford to spend that little amount for a tank, then I give up. You really need a new hobby. Watch TV instead—if you have a TV, since they’re more expensive.
- The aquarium looks absolutely marvelous. Kollercraft really hit it out of the park with the multiple lighting options.
- It’s also small and therefore portable.
Cons
- Once again, we have quality control issues. This time the main problem is with the lighting attached to the full hood. It’s not water proof at all, which for some reason made sense to the engineers at Kollercraft. Didn’t those wizards realize that the proximity to the water will cause rust and splashing issues?
- Fortunately, some nice reviewers were kind enough to offer remedies. You can try to wrap it with a clear Ziploc bag or a condom. Another reviewer recommended using petroleum jelly on the seams of the plastic part of the light. Personally, I’d recommend you do both to be sure. When you combine electricity and water, bad things can happen.
- That under gravel filter is also pretty much useless. Get another one.
Marina 360-Degree Aquarium Starter Kit
This one measures 10 inches in height and in diameter, and can hold 2.65 gallons. It’s not made of glass, though. Instead, it uses clear plastic acrylic.
So since it’s somewhat more affordable, let’s see what you get. To enhance the appearance, the LED lighting that comes with it offers white and blue options.
As for the plastic, it also comes with that light green-tint so that it seems to resemble glass.
Its cover is designed to be removed easily, so you have no problem accessing the inside of the tank during maintenance. The housing unit already comes with a pump and a filter too.
The pump circulates the water at a constant rate by drawing the water from the bottom and then cycling it back to the top. There are also 2 filter cartridges that act as a biological filter and as a collector for waste. It even came with a water conditioner.
If you’re planning to use this for a betta, however, you really need to buy a heater. Coincidentally, Hagen Marina also offers heaters. You can probably use the 10-watt compact heater the company offers.
Pros
- With the features you get, the price is actually just right.
- This really looks great. Personally, I prefer the blue light myself.
- The filter works silently, so if you’re using this in the office the noise won’t distract you from your work.
- The build is great, and it works reliably in its own way. With the heater, your fish (your betta, for example) will certainly flourish.
- If an issue arises, the customer support is excellent. You’ll get your replacement part very quickly.
Cons
- It’s still a starter aquarium, so that means you shouldn’t expect it to last for more than a couple of years.
- Be careful with the plastic acrylic, as it scratches easily.
KollerCraft Aquarius Sound Machine Aquarium Kit, 3-Gallon
And we’re back to KollerCraft. This one costs a little bit more.
Why is this more expensive? Let’s get to that right now: it comes with a musical element. Yes, you read that right. It’s not just the fact that it’s a bigger tank with its 3-gallon capacity (though you get a 2.5 or a 3.5-gallon version of this).
It actually comes with its own built-in sound chamber.
Now when you watch your fish swim about its home, you’re also comforted by the gentle sounds of nature.
You can choose between the calming sounds of a bubbling brook, the rhythmic beat of ocean waves, or the natural sound of a nature forest, or even the relaxing sound of a thunderstorm. These all come courtesy of the Aquarius Sound Machine Aquarium Kit.
But that’s not all. Maybe you’ve downloaded your own soothing sound effects online, or perhaps you want some piece of music to act as the audio background. If that’s the case, then all you need to do is to buy an auxiliary cord. This will let you connect your iPad, iPhone or Droid smartphone to the sound system of the aquarium.
It doesn’t just sound great, but it looks good too. That’s because the LED light shines brightly through the high quality acrylic plastic. And you also get multiple color combinations with the LED light. In fact, you can even turn the light off without having to unplug the aquarium.
Finally, it also comes with a nice power filter with the standard flow rate of 45 gallons per hour. You’ll just need to replace the filter cartridge every 3 weeks or so.
Pros
- It offers mood audio background, which can really help you if they soothe you to sleep.
- The multiple lighting options offer several intriguing looks.
- The acrylic plastic used here is quite good.
- The price is quite nice.
Cons
- It’s Kollercraft, so the quality may be hit or miss. It’s a gamble, admittedly. Fortunately it doesn’t cost all that much.
Marineland Pillar Aquarium Kit, 6-Gallon
This first came out with a big price tag, but now some sellers are probably offering a bargain at a lower price. Still, is it worth it?
Let’s take a look at what it offers. First of all, it’s quite large with its 6-gallon capacity. It uses a pillar design that measures 12.5 inches in diameter and 13.5 inches in height. That gives you more leeway into the number of fish you can place inside.
It also has a pedestal base, a filter tower, and a clear feeding cover.
It comes with an LED lighting system with both white and blue LED elements. The white is supposed to simulate the color of sunlight, while the blue resembles the glow of the moon on the water. There’s a 3-way switch, so you can turn on the white, the blue or both. You get a total of 15 LED white lights and the same number of blue lights.
Then we have the BIO-Wheel technology. This is supposed to offer an effective 3 stage- filtration system with the replaceable Rite-Size filter cartridge. The system is designed to grow helpful bacteria that can remove ammonia and nitrite.
The filter cartridge offers chemical and mechanical filtration, so you screen out the dirt and debris along with the various impurities that cause discoloration and smells.
You also get the low voltage adapter that powers booth the BIO-Wheel and the lights. Just make sure you get the right 30W adapter.
Pros
- It’s affordable.
- It looks great.
- The Bio wheel works well.
Cons
- The extruded acrylic is extremely vulnerable to scratches.
- The light and the filter don’t really hold up well, so it won’t be long before an issue arises. That’s why it’s so cheap.
API Aquaview 360 Aquarium Kit, 6-Gallon
This is the 6-gallon version of the Aquaview on this list (at #2).
Instead of rehashing the same features, let’s just say that the size is the only difference.
Of course that means the price is different too (okay, two differences) but you might get it for less than regular price if you check on Amazon.
Pros
- As this one’s bigger as it measures 11 inches in diameter and is 19.75 inches high, you can get more fish inside.
- It also looks even better, especially now that it’s bigger.
- The price is okay.
Cons
- Once again we have condensation issues with the lights, so once again you need to wrap it up tight with a Ziploc bag.
- You may have to change the filter too.
Final Recommendations
So which one should you get? They’re all, beautiful and affordable, but in some way or another you’re going to have to deal with some quality issues. And since that’s my own personal pet peeve, I’m going with the Marina 360-Degree Aquarium Starter Kit.
That’s because it offers best chances that nothing will go wrong. What’s more, the customer support is excellent. At least if something does go wrong (which is likely with these things), then at least the customer support people are actually helpful.
This looks great, and the filter actually works (and silently too). You just need to buy a heater, and you’re good to go. Good luck! You’re going to need it.