10 and 12 gallon tanks and aquariums introduce a broad array of possibilities for cute, and vibrant water creatures. This size is a smart choice and your 10 gallon fish tank will become a lively ecosystem, giving your fish will everything they need to be able to live happy, healthy and stress free lives. Fish friends might not be able to complain, but they can still suffer if you do not set them up with the right environment. Choosing the right aquarium for both size, space, and accessories will ensure that you tropical fish, also known as freshwater fish, or saltwater fish get the environment they need to survive.
The appearance, appeal, and style of 10 gallon fish tanks and 12 gallon fish tanks, or if you rather call them aquariums, are choices you have to make. They can be a source of fun and entertainment and a way for you to learn about life and behavior of the different types of fish. It is easy to keep fish, however regular maintenance is requires so prior to buying this product some planning is required. This review will help you to find best 10 gallon and 12 gallon tank for your space and style.
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Advantages of 10 Gallon Fish Tanks and 12 Gallon Fish Tanks
A 10 or 12 gallon aquarium kit is the best first choice for beginners. This is a popular choice for many hobbyists and aquarists. One advantage is that a good 10 gallon aquarium kit or 12 gallon aquarium kit will contain almost everything needed to get setup and running in a short period of time. Often times, you can also easily find the right 10 gallon fish tank on sale. This size aquarium is large enough to house a nice variety of fish, but nothing too large obviously. Tanks and aquariums come in a variety of shapes, and styles.
Setting up your tank is not complicated. There should be more than enough space to have a beautiful ecosystem for either tropical, freshwater or saltwater fish. Careful planning is needed to ensure fish compatibility, but it’s not a difficult task. The size of 10 gallon and 12 gallon tanks will allow you to add multiple decorations or one large center piece. This, along with picking out the specific fish, is a lot of fun and is great for families and kids.
Considerations
Shape
10 Gallon fish tanks for sale come in various shapes (rectangular and cube), and materials (glass and acrylic). In the end the shape and material is a personal choice and each has their own advantages and disadvantages. In this guide we will cover some of those advantages and disadvantages that we feel are the most important, but unfortunately can’t list them all.
Since the shape of the product is you choice, we will provide a few different option for you to pick, as well as list which we believe to be the best overall aquariums. Some of the options include your typical rectangular aquarium, bow front tanks, multi-sided tanks, cubes, and many other different kinds. The shape you choose will be up to you and your space requirements.
Size
As always, bigger is better with aquariums. The intent of this guide is to provide 10 gallon and 12 gallon tank options, we have included four 10 gallon fish tanks and two 12 gallon tanks as a slightly bigger alternative with similar size footprints. The space from both a 10gallon aquariums or 12 gallon aquariums will give your fish community enough space to live happy and healthy. They will be able to swim around and get some exercise, while also providing better water quality as long as you do not overcrowd the tank. Smaller tanks can require more maintenance and cleaning and become dirty in less amount of time.
10 Gallon Fish Tank Reviews
- Aqueon Aquarium Fish Tank Starter Kit
The tank is an excellent and one of the best choices for a tropical tank or saltwater tank. It’s a really nice starter tank kit and it deserves to be the first place on this list. This kit comes with everything you will need to get setup including a filter, heater, water conditioner, and a fish net. The included filter has a five stage filtration system which helps to keep your water clean and contaminant free. With a large number of fish, a filter that is not adequate can be quite the headache.
The heater will keep your tank at a constant 78 degrees. That temperature is perfectly fine for most freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks. However, for the saltwater aquarium, you need to make sure you choose warm saltwater fish. Cold saltwater fish require a much cooler temperature. The included hood houses a light bar for both your fish and any live plants you add, which we recommend you do. You will still need to add gravel and decorations, but this kit comes with many of the necessary components. Overall a great option for all fish enthusiasts.
- Marina LED Aquarium Kit
This Marina brand product is another beautiful glass aquarium kit. One of the best parts about this kit is the LED bar included in the hood. It provides the right amount of light for your freshwater fish or saltwater fish and also will provide your plants with the light they need to grow. This starter kit comes with almost everything needed to get you started, however you will need to purchase a heater.
The size and shape are great and this will truly be a beautiful addition to any home. The filter is effective and perfect for this tank size and is very quite for the amount of water it has to deal with. It aerates the tank providing oxygen to all life forms in your community and has an adjustable flow control. The lid flips up for easy cleaning but is plastic and rather flimsy so be gentle when handling it. This is both a good freshwater and saltwater tank and we highly recommend it.
- Tetra Half Moon Aquarium Kit
The Tetra half moon is a beautifully designed tank 180 degree tank and is very eye catching and fun to view. Its base is smaller than many of the other tanks listed, allowing you to fit it in smaller areas is you have space concerns with this size tank. The curved shape of the tank allows you to view your fish community and plants at all angles because of the lack of corners on the front. Typically corners can create viewing distortions so this is a nice change and great option. This aquarium includes a clear lid so you can view from the top as well.
This aquarium kit includes everything you need to get started. It has a built in LED light bar up top for your fish and plants, a filter, and a 50 watt heater. The filter is quite powerful so be careful when adding food. If the fish don’t eat the food quick enough the filter can suck them in. We recommend turning off the filter during feeding time as this will ensure no lost food less filter cleaning.
The beautifully curved design provides a great option for you if you are looking for something different than your traditional rectangular aquariums for sale. The lid itself if fairly cheap feeling, but other than that this is another great option.
- Marina Style Aquarium Kit
The Marina Style Aquarium Kit is another beautiful glass aquarium that comes with almost everything needed to start an aquarium except the gravel and decorations. It even includes some starter food, however we recommend reading out Best Tropical Fish Food guide or our Best Saltwater Fish Food guide and get one of the ones we recommend instead. It also comes with a net, pump and filter, hood with 2 screw in lights, and water conditioners. This one is great beginners tank and is perfect for freshwater fish, tropical fish, and saltwater fish.
As with many other tanks, instructions provided make for an easy and quick setup. There is enough space for many different types of fish and crustaceans. They will love their new home and be happy and healthy. You can also decorate it how you like to make it your own personal aquarium to suit your style.
The little tank care booklet is extremely useful, especially for beginners. When adding the water conditioners just follow the directions and you won’t have any issues. The one issue we have with this tank is that it uses two incandescent light bulbs. We much prefer the options that have LEDs as they use less power and produce more light which is especially needed by any plants you have. While this is definitely not a deal breaker, it is something to consider. Overall with all the extras you get to setup its a good cost, but they can also be brought separately if needed.
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12 Gallon Fish Tank Reviews
- Fluval Edge Aquarium with LED Light
Well, this tank is simply amazing and beautiful no matter where you put it in your home. Don’t be intimidated by it’s design, Fluval are very good at making setup easy while still keeping their aquarium designs elegant. With its contemporary design, this aquarium will fit on any desk or desk or counter in your house or at the office. It also comes in two colors, black or white and even includes water conditioners but still need a heater
This tank includes a 42 LED array light bar that will ensure both your aquarium plants and fish get all the light they need to grow big. The lighting expands throughout the tank – from edge to edge, not just in the center. The LEDs have a day (bright white), a night (blue), and off mode. We recommend turning on the blue light an hour or so before bed then turning off the LEDs completely when you go to sleep. Due to the lights being LED they will never get hot making them very safe and energy efficient.
Keep in mind this tank is slightly large at 12 gallons but are designed to add more water vertically which keeps the footprint at a manageable size. The one really major issue with this is tank cleaning. Unfortunately they designed it with a non-removable top and only a small hole to get into the aquarium. If you have small hands it’s better, but still tough to get all the angles. However, if theres a problem there is usually a solution. We recommend purchasing the Mag-Float Glass Aquarium Cleaner which allows you to clean inside without even needing to get inside other than to get the magnet cleaner in. Overall with this is a great tank that you won’t go wrong with.
- JBJ Nano Cube DX Aquarium
Coming in last on our list is this great tank. While it might not be as beautifully designed as the Fluval 12 gallon aquarium, this 12 gallon aquarium is no ugly duckling. It has a very good lighting system with both a day and night feature, though it’s not LED which we prefer. The included bulbs are covered with a splash-plate. The Nano Cube is made a good option for families with kits or clumsy pets as it’s an acrylic tank and not made of glass.
JBJ Nano Cube DX Aquarium will work for as a saltwater 12 gallon fish tank, freshwater 12 gallon fish tank, or tropical 12 gallon fish tank. It has a wider base compared to the Fluval which will provide you with more space for fun decorations. Since this tank has bulbs, they will need to be replaced and can burn out rather quickly. However, they will still be great for your fish and any aquarium plants you have. The lid does feel rather cheap because of the plastic they used, but it’s still very much functional.
The Takeaway
We hope that all the particulars provided above gives you the information you need to make an informed decision on which 10 gallon fish tank or 12 gallon fish tank works best for you. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, but none on this list should be bad, aside from possibly shipping issues due to many of the beautiful fish tanks being made of glass. Wether you choose to go for a 10 gallon aquarium or a 12 gallon aquarium, your fish and plants will thrive. These tanks are great for all different kinds of fish; tropical fish, freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and even a Betta fish if you want to really give them a lot of space. Whichever you choose to go with you’ll be satisfied.
Hopefully this buyers guide for 10 gallon fish tanks and 12 gallon fish tanks answered the question of which tank to buy. Let us know your comments or questions in the comments section below about your 10 gallon fish tank or 12 gallon fish tank, and thanks for reading.
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