Discussion
Hello everyone.
Im thinking about getting a tropical biorb set up, but ive got no experiance with them. Ive kept both marine and tropical fish before, so is it the same as keeping a normal tank?
Im stuck in two minds between the biorb original, the biorb life and fluval edge. Has anybody had/still got one? any pictures and tips would be great.
Cheers Daz
Im thinking about getting a tropical biorb set up, but ive got no experiance with them. Ive kept both marine and tropical fish before, so is it the same as keeping a normal tank?
Im stuck in two minds between the biorb original, the biorb life and fluval edge. Has anybody had/still got one? any pictures and tips would be great.
Cheers Daz
lots of haters around in the fishkeeping community.
BUT imho as long as you accept they have limitations as regards to stocking them (i.e. much smaller surface area so can accommodate less fish per litre than a rectangular tank) then they are fine. Ignore the pictures in the marketing, they are always overstocked. 15l biorb probably only suitable for one siamese fighter (at a push) - 30l probably only good for 15cm of fish.
The curved surfaces also distorts the view of the fish so the fish can disappear when they are near an edge, and can be magnified at other times.
Planting is difficult due to the substrate used to aid biological filtration - also means not suitable for many types of catfish - oh, and hard to see the bottom/surface unless you are looking from a strange angle very close up.
All acrylic tanks are prone to scratching - be careful when cleaning (talking of which, that can be a bit of a bugger due to the small opening at the top).
From a design point of view I quite like them - the filtration unit is adequate, and simple to remove/replace but recomend buying normal ceramic media and replacing that rather than using the specific biorb stuff as it is twice the price.
We have a 60l biorb with a siamese fighter, a few neons and cherry shrimp in it - not heavily stocked and looks great as a feature in our lounge - I have another 5 tanks for my "serious" fishkeeping so happy to live with the limitations - not sure if I would have one as my only tank though (that said, I can't imagine only having one tank!)
BUT imho as long as you accept they have limitations as regards to stocking them (i.e. much smaller surface area so can accommodate less fish per litre than a rectangular tank) then they are fine. Ignore the pictures in the marketing, they are always overstocked. 15l biorb probably only suitable for one siamese fighter (at a push) - 30l probably only good for 15cm of fish.
The curved surfaces also distorts the view of the fish so the fish can disappear when they are near an edge, and can be magnified at other times.
Planting is difficult due to the substrate used to aid biological filtration - also means not suitable for many types of catfish - oh, and hard to see the bottom/surface unless you are looking from a strange angle very close up.
All acrylic tanks are prone to scratching - be careful when cleaning (talking of which, that can be a bit of a bugger due to the small opening at the top).
From a design point of view I quite like them - the filtration unit is adequate, and simple to remove/replace but recomend buying normal ceramic media and replacing that rather than using the specific biorb stuff as it is twice the price.
We have a 60l biorb with a siamese fighter, a few neons and cherry shrimp in it - not heavily stocked and looks great as a feature in our lounge - I have another 5 tanks for my "serious" fishkeeping so happy to live with the limitations - not sure if I would have one as my only tank though (that said, I can't imagine only having one tank!)
Thanks for the quick reply. Would you suggest getting one of the other two then. The biorb life or fluval edge. The largest I could possibly go is 60ltr. But I would most likely be looking at 30ltr. I understand about overstocking. I would only be looking at a handful of small fish with a tank that size.
With 5 tanks you seem like an experianced fish keeper. Would you suggest any other types of tanks around the size I am looking at?
Thanks again
With 5 tanks you seem like an experianced fish keeper. Would you suggest any other types of tanks around the size I am looking at?
Thanks again
I've a 60l Biorb.
In it currently are one Angel fish about 10 tetras a red tailed shark, a catfish and a couple of platys. They all live happily together and as long as you religiously do your water change about once a month there are no issues.
Keep some live plants in it and clean the filter when you change the water. I don't necessarily replace it each time, but do clean it in the water you are about to discard.
I like the Biorb, and lots of visitors think it's a lovely feature. A bit different from a rectangular tank.
I wouldn't have anything smaller than a 60l one though.
In it currently are one Angel fish about 10 tetras a red tailed shark, a catfish and a couple of platys. They all live happily together and as long as you religiously do your water change about once a month there are no issues.
Keep some live plants in it and clean the filter when you change the water. I don't necessarily replace it each time, but do clean it in the water you are about to discard.
I like the Biorb, and lots of visitors think it's a lovely feature. A bit different from a rectangular tank.
I wouldn't have anything smaller than a 60l one though.
I kept a 30L biorb for about 3 years, I didn't have much in there, for the reasons already described.
Considering the money they cost, and what you can actually get out of it, I wouldn't suggest it as a tank.
I have 3 of 4 tanks running at the moment, and I went from my 30l biorb to a 350l juwel. (fishless cycle).
I also have a 35l tank that I use just fir fry.
I am not a big fan of anything under 50l for fishkeeping. In all honesty with anything smaller you are going to be quite limited as to what you can put in there.
It's not just about the size of the fish, but also the temperemant. Some like a lot of room to swim, and others like to just stay in one spot.
Also smaller fish like tetras like to be in large schooling groups of say 12+ and a 30l anything won't accomodate that many fish.
If you are set on one of the three I would go with the fluval edge abd maybe look at something like guppies. Easy to keep, responsive and colourful.
Or maybe some zebra danios.
Considering the money they cost, and what you can actually get out of it, I wouldn't suggest it as a tank.
I have 3 of 4 tanks running at the moment, and I went from my 30l biorb to a 350l juwel. (fishless cycle).
I also have a 35l tank that I use just fir fry.
I am not a big fan of anything under 50l for fishkeeping. In all honesty with anything smaller you are going to be quite limited as to what you can put in there.
It's not just about the size of the fish, but also the temperemant. Some like a lot of room to swim, and others like to just stay in one spot.
Also smaller fish like tetras like to be in large schooling groups of say 12+ and a 30l anything won't accomodate that many fish.
If you are set on one of the three I would go with the fluval edge abd maybe look at something like guppies. Easy to keep, responsive and colourful.
Or maybe some zebra danios.
Go for as big a tank as you can fit / afford as the bigger the tank, the more stable it is.
Theres nothing wrong with a standard rectangular tank - if anything I think they make the fish look better because they don't attract attention away from the fish. And of course they are cheaper!
If you are keeping guppies (and you should, they're ace) in a small tank, only get males or you will be overstocked within two months - Guppy breeding instructions: just add water.
Find a good local fish shop and they'll help you out - big pet chains tend to lack the knowledge.
Best of luck, and post pics!
Theres nothing wrong with a standard rectangular tank - if anything I think they make the fish look better because they don't attract attention away from the fish. And of course they are cheaper!
If you are keeping guppies (and you should, they're ace) in a small tank, only get males or you will be overstocked within two months - Guppy breeding instructions: just add water.
Find a good local fish shop and they'll help you out - big pet chains tend to lack the knowledge.
Best of luck, and post pics!
With guppies it is sensible to keep a 1-2 male-female ratio.
An all male dominated pupulation can cause a lot of anxiety and tail nipping, but it is also possible for a small number to live happily in a community tank amongst other fish.
I am lucky that I have several tanks, so if/when a problem were to arise, I can swap or change the fish about to suit. But, having just one tank doesn't allow for that.
An all male dominated pupulation can cause a lot of anxiety and tail nipping, but it is also possible for a small number to live happily in a community tank amongst other fish.
I am lucky that I have several tanks, so if/when a problem were to arise, I can swap or change the fish about to suit. But, having just one tank doesn't allow for that.
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