Marineland Contour 3 Aquarium Kit 3 Gallons, Rounded Glass Corners, Includes LED Lighting

Updated Tips and Photos1. This is a great tank, I made some modifications to make it even better. You may not need to do these but wanted to share them and let you know if I can do it, so can you.2. You need to add a heater, get one with a thermostat that you can set to the temperature you fish need. This way if your house is cold it will stay heated at the proper temperature. I made the mistake of buying a little betta heater it did not have a thermostat, and since we don't heat our house the tank would never get warm enough. My heater also has the thermometer, so no need to buy one.3. It is a good idea to put your tank together dry, without the water and decorations to see how things will work and if you need to make and slight changes.4. There is notch on the back wall in front of the pump section in back of the tank, it is on the left side.. The notch was not large enough for my heater cord and I wanted to feed the heater cord towards the middle of the tank so it would come out between the where the light attaches. I drilled a hole in the middle of the back wall and in the middle of the flimsy back piece of plastic, this is the black piece that goes on the top back of the tank. I needed these holes to properly feed the heater cord through the back wall, and the heater and pump cord through the back of the tank via the black flimsy plastic piece.5. I bought some black duct tape and placed the black flimsy piece on the top in the back and I taped town the left and right side. This works like a hinge and allows the glass top piece to slide back as the flimsy piece opens up, then when you slide the glass top back the flimsy black pieces lays back down. This was super easy and it works like a champ. This flimsy black piece of plastic in the back would not lay flat on the tank due the cords or stay put when you slide the glass top.6. Make sure you rotate the dial on the pump all the way, mine was a stuck but then rotated nicely to a low setting. I also used a little piece of a glass tank cleaner sponge in the filter piece that sticks out into the tank where the water flows on the top left side. I have a betta and was told they don't like a strong current. My fish does not seem to mind either way and there is no issue with getting sucked into the intake or swimming the current. The idea with the sponge is not to totally block the flow just restrict it a bit. This is an easy fix.I have attached some photos that will show you what I did, if you can drill a hole and cut duct tape you can make the changes I did.This is a very nice little aquarium and most people will really like it. I would recommend getting the five gallon tank over the smaller ones, even if you only plan on getting a betta, they will love the space. It was easy to put together and I love the lights. If you are not trying to have live plants the lights are fantastic, the blue light setting makes things kind of glow. The pump is strong but can be turned down, I was able to rotate the dial all the way around and the setting went down quite low for my betta. I have a female betta, three pink danio's (they glow with the blue lights) and a snail, two plants, a sponge bob house and gary (sponge bob's snail), I also included a Marimo ball. Everything fits great with plenty of room I really like this tank and did not replace the lights or the pump. I did get a five gallon heater, you should too. Have fun I think you will really enjoy this great little set up.

I waited a month before writing this review to test the product, and let me say, this tank is amazing! I bought the 3 gallon for my Betta. Yes, I do realize that it’s a bit small, but I am moving into a dorm and refused to settle for a bowl. Overall, it is the perfect size for what I need it for! I did some extensive research before purchasing and this tank has lived up to my expectations. The viewing is crystal clear, the lights are super bright (or calming, if using the nighttime setting), and filtration is essentially silent. I have had no issues with it. I went from a Biorb Tube to this, and even though it was a downgrade in size, this tank is so much better. The filters are way cheaper ($5 for a 3 pack vs. $13 for 1 Biorb filter) and the tank does not get dirty as quickly (it’s been a month and the tank is still crystal clear, vs my Biorb which would be filled with algae by week 3). I find that all you need to clean this tank is a turkey baster to suck up the droppings! A lot of other reviewers mentioned the filter being too strong… I didn’t experience that problem. I put it on the lowest setting and pointed the nozzle upwards and have had no issues.However, there are a few ‘imperfections’ to the design of this tank. 1) The condensation issue- like other reviewers have mentioned, the glass lid collects condensation almost instantly. This isn’t the biggest issue, but I feel like it would just take a few small holes spread evenly across the lid to fix it, which is a flaw in design on Marineland’s part. 2) the black “cover” that goes over the back of the tank is a joke. It isn’t secure no matter what I try, and just flips around. Again, the design could be better. And 3) the overhead light. So the light is actually very nice and illuminates the tank beautifully but the lamp itself is very flimsy. When I unboxed it, it was twisted out of shape, so I had to bend it repeatedly to get it straight. Either the packaging or the material was to blame. Not complete deal-breakers, but problems that could be addressed to satisfy the customers.Overall, it’s a very nice tank and definitely worth the investment. My little guy has been making bubble nests bigger than he has made in years!