Perhaps you’ve seen images of stunning, mesmerizing aquariums and wondered how to achieve such beauty. While plants and decorations can add to the tank’s charm, the importance of the aquarium’s natural beauty should not be overlooked.
Article Summary
- Aquarium starter kits are ideal for beginners, as they include essential components like a filter, light, and heater.
- The Fluval Accent Aquarium includes a 25-gallon tank with various equipment, such as a heater, filter, and LED lighting.
- Customer feedback is generally positive, but there are some drawbacks related to filtration and potential leaking.
If you’ve never owned fish before, aquarium starter kits are ideal as they provide you with almost everything you need like a filter, light, and heater. One of the more popular tank starter kits is the Fluval Accent aquarium.
A tank is normally the main expense when it comes to owning fish, so you obviously want to do your research to make sure it’s a good match for you. To help you decide whether Fluval’s 25 gallon tank is right for you, I’ll be looking at its features, highlights, and drawbacks.
What to Consider Before Buying a Tank
Before buying a tank, there are a few important factors you need to keep in mind. Like with any pet, fish require commitment, time, and money to keep them happy and healthy.
Research
Fish are often seen as low-maintenance and easy pets, but their care requirements are frequently overlooked. If you’ve never owned them before, it’s vital that you do your research and learn the basics of their specific needs.
NOTE
Make sure you use the right equipment for your tank’s inhabitants (filter, heater, water conditioner, etc) and house them in a big enough aquarium. Some species grow a lot larger as they mature (like common plecos and clown loaches), so you’ll need to make sure your tank can accommodate their full-grown size.
Expenses
Fish might seem like a relatively inexpensive pet, but the initial startup cost and long-term expenses can quickly add up. A tank will typically be the most expensive item, especially if you opt for a large size. Then there’s also the equipment, such as a filter, heater, substrate, light, water conditioner, and food.
A lot of coldwater and tropical species are fairly cheap, but marine species can be quite pricey.
Your ongoing expenses include food, water conditioner, filter media, medication, and the running costs of your equipment. The bigger your tank, the bigger these expenses will be.
However, depending on the price of your water and electricity provider, tanks under 30 gallons shouldn’t cost too much to run each month.
Cleaning
Regularly maintaining your tank is key for keeping it healthy and beautiful. You’ll need to change the water in your tank (typically 20% to 30%) each week, as well as gravel vacuum your substrate.
If you have live plants, then you’ll need to trim them frequently and remove decaying leaves. You’ll also need a powerful light and aquatic plant fertilizer or co2 (for some species) to support their growth.
TIP
Other commitments for a tank include testing your water, feeding your tank’s inhabitants a varied diet, and cleaning and checking your equipment for damage.
Compatibility
Depending on the type of species you own, you’ll need to use caution when choosing appropriate tankmates. For example, marine types cannot be housed with cold water types.
Additionally, some species are simply not compatible with one another, whether it’s due to aggression or different water parameters. Your PH levels and the hardness of your water dictate your stocking options, so make sure you look up the specific needs of the species you want to add to your tank.
The Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the most important aspect you need to learn when keeping aquatic pets. This cycle refers to the process of ammonia being converted into less harmful forms by aid of beneficial bacteria.
Fishless Cycling
When you first start your tank, there will be no beneficial bacteria in your water. It can take weeks or even months for good bacteria to colonize in large numbers. To start this, you should have a filter and filter media as bacteria needs a surface to grow on, as well as an ammonia source like aquatic pet flakes.
This is called ‘fishless cycling’. During this process, you shouldn’t add any livestock to your aquarium. Simply add flakes to your aquarium each day for a week and use a water testing kit to check for ammonia.
Ammonia Levels
You should aim for ammonia levels of 3ppm (parts per million) of ammonia in your tank. After a week of testing for ammonia, you should start testing for nitrite. When nitrite starts appearing in your tank, this is a good sign as it means the nitrogen cycle has begun.
Continue to add flakes to your water and wait a few more weeks before you start testing for nitrate. Around this time your ammonia and nitrite levels should start dropping.
Once your aquarium water contains zero ammonia and nitrite, just nitrate, then your aquarium has successfully undergone the nitrogen cycle.
Fluval Accent Aquarium
The Fluval Accent aquarium is a great starter tank as it provides you with everything you need to start keeping aquatic pets. A filter, light, heater, hood, bottle of aquarium conditioner, and more are included with the package.
Not only is the tank visually appealing, but it’s also simple to maintain and put together due to its Simpletec technology.
Pros
- Simpletec technology for easy maintenance
- Includes a heater, filter, and light
- Comes with biological enhancer and water conditioner
- Stunning design
Cons
- Filter can have durability issues
- Output flow on the filter can cause tank to leak
Features
- 25-Gallon Aquarium
- Dechlorinator
- Biological Enhancer
- Filter Media Cartridge
- LED Lighting System
- Aquarium Canopy
- 150-Watt Preset Heater
- Integrated Filter
- Waste Collection Bucket
- Simpletec Technology
Specs
- Dimensions: 30” (L) x 12.5” (W) x 18” (H)
- Weight: 71.5 lbs
- Volume: 25 Gallons (US Gal)
- Material: Glass
Size
The Fluval Accent aquarium can hold 25 gallons of water, which allows for a lot of options regarding stocking choices. While smaller tanks are more mobile and require less maintenance, your stocking choices are limited.
A 25-gallon aquarium is small enough to make cleaning and maintenance manageable, but big enough for many species of fish.
Design
Design-wise, the Fluval Accent fish tank is sleek and stylish. It’s made out of high-quality glass and sports an espresso-colored trim on both the top and base of the tank. The integrated filter module has a lovely faux wooden exterior to make it look more natural and less conspicuous.
Although a stand isn’t included with the tank, you can purchase one separately that’s specially designed for the Fluval Accent aquarium. To complement the dark brown trim on the tank, the Fluval Accent aquarium stand is a rich espresso color.
Equipment
You get all the equipment you need for owning fish with Fluval’s tank, including a 150-watt preset heater, filter, and LED light system. The heater is plenty powerful for a 25-gallon tank and keeps your aquarium at a stable 79 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for most tropical species.
As the heater is preset, you don’t need to worry about adjusting or finding the right temperature for your tank as the unit does all the work for you.
Light Modes
To keep your Fluval Accent aquarium illuminated, there is an LED lighting system located in the tank hood. This lighting system goes on the top of the tank and is both energy efficient and bright.
There are a few different light modes you can choose from includeing light, dark, and blue. The latter creates a glowy moonlight effect, which is perfect for the evenings. You can also get another aquarium LED light if you need a backup or you think the stock is not enough.
Filter
The filter for the tank is conveniently installed into a box-like module, with slots for filter media and a heater. Not only does this save on space, but it’s also a lot easier to maintain as all your equipment is located in one area.
The filter itself is powerful and keeps your tank water crystal clear. It comes with a filter cartridge, as well as bio-beads to provide your aquarium with 3-stage filtration (biological, mechanical, and chemical).
TIP
You don’t need to change or clean the bio-beads, but you’ll need to replace the filter media cartridge every month to keep your tank as clean as possible.
Tank Maintenance and Care
The Fluval Accent aquarium has Simpletec technology to make cleaning a breeze. A hose is located in the filter module that connects the water in your tank to the collection bucket.
When you want to do a water change on the 25 gallon aquarium, turn the valve on the end of the hose. This will cause liquid to flow from the tank to the bucket. You’ll normally only need to change 2 buckets of liquid, which shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes.
Empty the bucket of dirty water into a bathtub or sink, then refill the bucket with clean water and add a dechlorinator. Fortunately, the kit comes with a bottle of dechlorinator that should last you a couple of months.
Biological Enhancer
You also get a bottle of biological enhancer with the tank, which you can add when you first set it up. Once your aquarium is established, you won’t need to use a biological enhancer as there will be an abundance of good bacteria living in your tank.
Lastly, fill the tank back up with the dechlorinated water. That’s all there is to it!
Assembly
Setting up the Fluval Accent aquarium can look a little complicated and confusing, but it’s relatively simple. Just follow the steps below and your 25 gallon aquarium will be up and running in no time.
- Remove the light canopy and the Fluval Accent filter module.
- Place the filter cartridge, bio-beads, and heater into the slots in the filter unit.
- Put the cover on the top of the module.
- Slide the siphon tube into the filter unit (make sure the hose is hanging down).
- Hang the filter module on the back of the tank in its designated spot (the middle).
- Put the aquarium onto your aquarium stand (ideally with a cabinet underneath).
- Place the canopy and LED light hood over the top of the tank.
- Open the cabinet on your stand and position the water spigot in its precut opening.
- Attach the hanging drain hose onto the spigot at the back of the stand.
- Tighten the clamp at the back of the stand to prevent water leaking out.
- Place the collection bucket and drip mat under the spigot in the cabinet.
- Make sure the aquarium is positioned around 4 inches away from a wall.
Now that you’ve set up the Fluval Accent aquarium, you need to prime the Simpletec system.
- Remove the cap from the drain valve and fill the hose with water almost to the brim, then replace the cap.
- Press the spigot lever to check whether water spurts out and to make sure it isn’t leaking.
- Attach the back of the filter module.
- Fill the tank with water and add the provided biological enhancer and dechlorinator.
Benefits
Fluval’s Accent tank is an excellent starter kit, especially if you’re new to the fishkeeping hobby as it’s incredibly simple to set up and maintain. Its Simpletec system makes doing a water change quick and easy, which saves you both time and energy.
The stunning design is definitely another highlight of the aquarium. The glass is strong and durable, so you don’t need to worry about it cracking easily. The dark brown trim on the base and top of the tank is a lovely detail, as is the faux wooden coat on the filter module.
Customer Feedback
To make sure the Fluval Accent aquarium is a trustworthy and high-quality item you can rely on, I’ve scoured the internet and found that a good number of user reviews for it are positive.
A lot of users note that the tank is extremely user-friendly thanks to its easy setup and Simpletec technology to make cleaning stress-free. The visually appealing design of the aquarium is another popular comment, as well as the quality and durability of the glass.
Drawbacks
Despites its positives, the tank does have a few drawbacks. The filtration system can be a little noisy and can suffer from durability issues. Additionally, the output on the filter is quite high, which can cause leaking over the sides and back of the tank. This can occur even when the liquid in the aquarium is filled to the waterline.
However, Fluval’s customer support is fantastic and their advisors are extremely helpful. The tank comes with a 2-year warranty, so if there are any issues with it, Fluval’s customer support team will be able to assist you.
Alternative Aquariums to Consider
If the Fluval Accent aquarium doesn’t seem like the right match for you, the tanks below are good alternatives worth considering.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a good-quality and attractive aquarium, I think Fluval’s 25 gallon tank is an excellent option. As it comes with a lot of equipment and features to make owning fish simple, it’s ideal for aquarists new to keeping fish.
Even if you’re an experienced fishkeeper, it’s still a lovely tank worth taking a closer look at as it’s easy to maintain and looks stunning.
If you’re thinking of grabbing Fluval’s 25 gallon tank, you can find the item