Eclipse or Mini Bow? Are you satisfied?

[Delia97]

I've been oggling the Eclipse and Mini Bow tanks (5 gallons) and I was wondering about the filtration and I wanted to see what you've been satisified with. I know someone mentioned having a problem with an Eclipse 3 hood and leaking/dripping and I wasnt sure if this was also true for any of the Eclipse 5 tanks.

Im looking at an Eclipse Hexagon 5 gallon tank and an All-Glass mini Bow 5 tank and Im not quite sure what the bio wheel is and how it works. Any positive stories or horror stories?

 

[SomethingFishy]

My daughter got a MiniBow 7 gallon tank for Christmas and it has been working really well.

It came with a TopFin filter and everyhting seems to be fairly well made. The bow front really make s the tank look bigger than it really is.

The most difficult part is temperature fluctuations. We have been getting some really hot days this summer (105F and up) and that causes the tank to get too hot even though it is not in any direct sunlight.

Good Luck

*celebrate

 

[colesea]

I've always been satisfied with all my MarineLand products. I have the System Six bowfront, and it has been wonderful. All my filters are Marineland Penguine biowheels. If you are going to spend money on a quality product, Marineland is the way to go. Their customer service and website are also wonderful resources to talk advantage off.

Biowheels do what sponges in other filters do, except more effiecently because your bacteria are getting better airation, and as long as the filter is kept moist, the culture on it can last indefinately. I like the biowheels because instead of having to take apart a filter to move sponges, you can simply move wheels and it is alot easier.

I know about the dripping problem some of the Eclipse tanks have. Water collects via capilary action on top of the filter housing, then drips over the backside of the tank. This can be avoided by always making sure your water levels are proper and the tank is on a level surface.

~~Colesea

 

[Twinbot]

I have a 5gal hex made by Marineland for Walmart under the Regent brand name. It's $20 cheaper, does the same thing and it's a great system. I also have a 2.5gal mini-bow that works just fine as well.

The over-heating problems are caused by the impeller motor being submerged in the tank on the Bio-wheel system as well as the tiny, internal Whisper filter in the mini-bow. I also have the same issue on my 12gal Eclipse tank, although not as severe.

Just keep fish that can tollerate higher temperatures.

 

[colesea]

I don't use a heater in these small tanks, I find what Twinbot is saying to be just the right temperature for tropicals. It doesn't give you as much temperature control, but most tropicals don't mind cooler temps as much as goldfish mind hotter temps. I would not recommend either of these tanks for goldfish.
~~Colesea

 

[wooglin]

I have an Eclipse 6 and it is very nice in my opinion. Dont need a heater, and it works well. I raise the lid in the summer during the day when the light is on to help with the heat. It stays at a very constant range of 76-79 degrees.

 

[Franky099]

I have a mini bow 2.5 for my betta and LOVE IT.

 

[MrMup04]

i'd say the eclipse

 

[shewlett]

We have two MiniBow 5 gallon tanks which we use for bettas. Right now they have no fish in them (the bettas got upgraded to larger tanks) but have gravel, plants, and snails. We are using Azoo Palm mini filters on them. Fairly soon we will get a betta apiece for them but each betta will have to spend a couple of weeks in our 2.5 gallon quarantine tank to make sure he is okay (not at the same time).

We like the tanks. The Whisper 5-15 filters (90 gph) that came with them are okay but the cartridge thing is a turnoff ... we use sponges and filter floss in the Azoo Palm filters and like the lower gph and the fact that they have adjustable flow. The only other upgrade we did was to replace the 15 watt incandescent bulbs they came with, using AllGlass Mini Compact 10 watt flourescent bulbs ... big improvement.

They are good if you like the bow look but in retrospect I think a couple of 5.5 gallon rectangular glass aquariums without kit components would have been cheaper and just as satisfying.

We also have a planted MiniBow 7 gallon with two corydoras julii catfish in it that is doing very well. This tank is made of glass instead of acryllic like the 5 gallon MiniBows are.

 

[Daemonfly]

I have the 6g Eclipse and regret it. The stock filter is right under the lid, and makes that opening almost useless. The lighting is rather poor wattage, and poorly placed (very front of tank).

I'd rather have gone with the glass Mini-Bow 7g or even the 5g.

 

[snoce]

eclipse 6 and couldnt be happier with it...its been running great and sparkling clean from day 1...the filter works great and very easy to use

 

[echoofformless]

Very mixed feelings about our Eclipse corner 5. We thought we were crazy when we noticed that it was holding heat without a heater or a light on (the temp has never dipped below 80 without excessive water change). And let me tell you: it is no fun to watch a control freak realize they can't control something, especially when the lives of our fish hang in the balance.

The filter impeller is a bit testy: it sometimes needs to be monkeyed with and jiggled to get it to start pumping.

Placement of the light at the very front is a bit of a mixed bag. For one, it gives the fish a place to hide and allows space for a low-light plant. But at the same time, it would be nice to have an evenly lit tank. It's especially annoying to have a one-piece hood where the light is attached, and every time you go to feed the fish or do any internal maintenance, you have to point your desklamp at the tank to see what you're doing.

On a last note of whining, the power cords for the light and filter are fed through tiny semicircular holes on the back of the hood, and constantly wiggle themselves free and cause a problem every time you try to close the hood.

All in all, it's a good value for what it is. we chose this option over putting a setup together piece by piece, and saved a decent amount of money. But, if given the choice again, I would just go ahead and put a system together from scratch. It's worth the few extra bucks.

 

[sparkydave]

I have an Eclipse 12, and I did take a look at the Mini-bow 7 gallon recently. The only gripes I have with the Eclipse are that it doesn't lend itself to using any HOB filter, although the one it has works very well. The lamp ballast on my 12 died, and Marineland can only sell me a whole new hood for $60 (paid $100 for the whole tank!). Fixed that with an $8 fixture from Home Depot. I'll have to disagree with the motor creating a lot of heat though, my house is at 75 in the summer, and the heater still cycles to keep the temperature at 78.

 

[timisu87]

The eclipse 6 is one of the greatest tank setups you can buy. Not only is it beautiful, it is efficent. My fish and myself enjoy the tank very much. The setup is almost flawless, although it is 69.99 compared to the mini bows the prices are somewhat un-balanced. If you want quality, and a nice filter setup buy a marineland eclipse 6. I picked up one for 39.99 !!

 

[tormo]

I'm very happy with my Eclipse 6. Very quiet (only a slight running water sound), the water's nice and clear, and setup was fairly easy. I agree with Daemonfly in that the opening is fairly small in terms of access to the water (the lid is more for access to the filter), but if you tilt the top up a bit, you get all the access you need (you only need one hand to feed anyway).

As far as heating goes, the water is pretty close to the light, the acrylic holds temp ok (i don't know about the 12, that might be too big a tank to rely on the lighting for heat), and the water temp in my Eclipse 6 has been between 24celcius and 26 celcius since the day I got it. I haven't had it through a winter yet tho... I might get a 25w heater if things get bad then.