When you decide to buy your first aquarium, there will be several choices you will need to make. I will illustrate this process using Marineland Eclipse 5 as an example. This will give us the needed focus.

Size

The first decision is how large the aquarium should be. You will find many different opinions about that. Some people say that as little as 1 gallon is enough. Others give you more precise recommendations, such as 1 gallon of water per 1 inch of adult fish. That is a very good way to determine a minimum size for an aquarium.

So, since an average adult Betta is about 2 inches long, we can say that 2 gallons is an absolute minimum. 3 gallons would be better and 5 gallons would be a good, potentially "optimal" Betta's first home. I assume that you are interested in more than just the bare minimum. That would make Marineland Eclipse 5 a good starter aquarium for a single Betta fish.

Marine Eclipse 5 comes in several variations - there is the Marineland Eclipse Hex 5 Fully Integrated Aquarium Kit, Marineland Eclipse Hex 5 Aquarium Kit and the Eclipse System 5 Corner Combo.

Material

Another decision will be between glass and acrylic. In the olden days, aquariums were made mostly of glass and it is still preferred by many aquarists. It doesn't scratch easily and maintains its clarity over time. But acrylic has some quite important advantages. For one, it is much lighter, which can start to really matter once you add water, substrate and decorations to your tank. High quality acrylic, such as that of the Marineland Eclipse 5, also maintains its clarity and does not lose its color.

Acrylic is easy to repair when scratched. Those polishing kits are widely available, but please don't use them on the inside of the tank, only the outside. It is much, much more difficult to break an acrylic tank. Especially if you are buying it for a child, an acrylic tank like the Eclipse 5 would be a safer way to go than glass.

Acrylic is stronger than glass. An acrylic tank will therefore be thinner than a glass aquarium. And any acrylic aquarium can be drilled, if you decide to add an overflow system.

Ease of Set up

The Marineland Eclipse 5 aquarium is designed for easy set up. Since the lighting and filtration come with the tank, there is very little you will need to worry about purchasing separately. The instructions are easy to follow and most customers write rave reviews about this product.

Appearance

Marineland Eclipse 5 aquarium is a very attractive combination of functionality and design. People find the hexagonal shape a plus because of the panoramic 360 degrees viewing area.

Price

Marineland Eclipse 5 is definitely priced for people on a budget. That is why it has achieved such popularity. It can be appropriately called an aquarium starter kit. It includes a bio-wheel filter and mini-compact fluorescent lighting system, both of which are housed in the hood. Purchasing all the essentials separately would cost you a lot more money.