The Innovative Marine nano's have a filter and LED lights that work great for growing plants. I have the 4 gal. version and all you need is a 25w heater and your good to go.
I like finnex 4 gallon. The light is strong enough to grow anything and the tank itself is quiet nice. You can get their kit with tank light and filter for 40 + shipping
I love the fluval nanos, ive never had any reason to complain about any of them. For the lights, I dont find it a problem, I modded mine/used different lights, however the tanks are beautifully designed so I feel it compensates for any negatives people say with the light source. I also love Eheims Aquastyle tanks. Awesome looking and their unique lighting setup is just plain cool.
The 3 gallon, JBJ Picotope is my favorite nano. You have to buy a different light bulb than the stock bulb but other than that, it's great! Its my favorite tank.
I've got a aqueon evolve 8.
It's set up in dry start now.
I emailed aqueon and they assured me the LED lights would grow med light plants.
Still have a few more weeks until its filled up I like the look of it.
Got some pic on my profile page. Check them out if you want
I have the shuber wright 6 gal with the finnex cannister and pc light. Nice seams and pretty clear glass. Light is on the stronger side if you do not plan on running co2/excel.
Do you prefer your nano to have a hood/lid or not? I find that fish jump out of tanks that are uncovered of all sizes.
I have a generic 6.6 bookshelf tank and I have a minibow 6 (not sure if they make this tank anymore). both tanks needed a light upgrade. the 6.6 used a upgraded corallife and the minibow just a bulb replacement. both tank kits less than $40.
I like the JBL 6 gal too.
I would highly suggest buying glass for your nano, plastic scratches way to easily.
I've had large and small tanks over the years and prefer nanos. My Picotope is the easiest of all to care for. I feed my Betta and top off his water daily with bottled spring water. It had just enough nutrients in the system to keep the plants happy and I dont have CO2 since its low light. That means I don't have to trim much. I clean the glass and rinse the filter media weekly but that's it. I did replace the bulb in the stock fixture and bought the Red Sea Nano filter. It's WAY better than the stock filter and still inexpensive. Honestly, it's my favorite tank. Yes, larger tanks are more stable but, if you are careful, even a nano can be easy to maintain.
I had a thriving Petco 6.6 gallon bookshelf tank with cherry shrimp and celestial danios (took it down when we moved). Easy as pie to maintain. Added a Coralife fixture and an Aquaclear filter and did a small water change every 2 weeks. I didn't even have a heater on it. My plants went crazy and I had very happy shrimp and fish. Don't be scared of nanos, they're not so bad Just make sure you have really good filtration, add a bunch of easy to grow plants (I had tons of anachris and different types of moss) and don't overstock or overfeed and you'll be fine
I'm considering reviving the 6.6 (after we moved, I set up a 29 for the shrimp and fish), it has really nice dimensions.
I started out with goldfish in a bowl, then a 3 gallon, then a 10, then a 20, finally a 55...very addictive hobby!
I wish I had splurged more on my nano tanks. I got 2 minibows and while they are cheap and readily available, they are, well, cheap. I enjoy looking at my standard 10 gallon tank a lot more. The 10 gallon is easier to stock, easier to decorate, and accommodates standard-sized equipment. I think a 10 gallon is a great beginner tank. You don't need to start with anything larger like a 29 gallon as long as you understand its limitations. IMO, a 2.5 is pretty small. Although if all you want is a betta, that'll work out fine. Maybe think about a 5 gallon?
Recently I've been eyeing the Eheim Aquastyle tanks. They come in 3 sizes: 4 gallon, 6 gallon, and 9 gallon. They look very nice and come with a lid, filter, and light. The light is an LED which should be sufficient for growing non-demanding plants and from what I hear, Eheim makes quality equipment so I assume their filter is pretty good too. It does not come with a heater. These tanks are a bit pricey but if you turn out like me, it'll be worth it to buy a quality tank once instead of a shoddy tank once and replacing it with another tank.
I just love the Fluval Spec w/ built in filter and light. I wish I could invest, but 5.5g at Walmart is only $10, I have 3.
Maybe if I got for a present it'd be worth the $40.
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