Evil Slimy
Fish Feeder
Registered: May 2008
Location: Northern California
Posts: 563
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Review Date: Tue June 17, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $89.00
| Rating: 7
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Positive aspects of the product (pros):
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large filtration chambers, 18 watts of light, self contained cube
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Cons:
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cheap cooling fans and pump
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I bought the 6g Nano Cube to use as a planted tank. I really liked the size and proportions.
The filtration chambers in the back cover the full height of the tank (roughly 12 inches) so there is a lot of room for filter media. The shipped configuration comes with a tall sponge in the first chamber, bioballs, ceramic rings and carbon in the second and the third chamber is reserved for the pump. The pump does not seem to be the highest quality and at 106gph it's doubtfully enough for a nano reef, but it can easily be substituted for a mini-jet or small powerhead.
The intake into the filter chamber is a grid on the back of the tank on the top left. The aquarium comes with a surface strainer that can be placed in front of the intake grid. The only thing holding the surface strainer in place is water pressure, so changes in water level (like when putting a hand in the tank, or water changes) cause it to fall off.
The return into the tank is fitted with a jointed spout on the back in the upper right corner of the tank that can be oriented in different directions and that can be removed if desired.
The lid is split in two sections. The front opens independently for feeding, or minimum maintenance. When it's open all the way, it remains up without having to hold it. Similarly, the full lid also swings up a full 90% and it also stays in place when it's flipped open. This makes for very convenient maintenance and water changes.
The CF tube and the nite light are in a waterproof compartment and they are controlled by a rocker switch and a single power cord. It's not possible to use a timer to switch between the two.
The 18w cfl bulb is available in a 50/50 version, which is what the nano cube ships with, and 6700k version for freshwater tanks.
The cooling fans are not the quietest, nor the highest quality. After only 4 months the blades of one started rubbing against the sides. Thankfully they are standard 5cm size CPU fans so there are several substitutes on the market.
Given the price I expected higher quality components, but overall I am very happy with mine and I would give it a 10 if it wasn't for the cheap quality of the fans and the pump.
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A Quarter Fathom Journal
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;)
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