If you want to do this add some sand or aquatic soil to the bottom so you don’t damage the tank. Bogwood setup For specific brands, I have found a handful of aquarium heaters that I know fit the Fluval Spec V. Note that the pump section in the Spec V is a bit smaller than the Spec III, so it is somewhat harder to get a heater to fit in the larger capacity aquarium. Three that I know fit are: You have the option of plain white, which is nice, or a two LED blue night time effect, which is futile if I'm honest. It's the only letdown of the whole kit, so I don't use it. And here’s how it looks on week 4. The plants have started to take and the fish are adding some nice splashes of colour.

If after a last minute Christmas gift, or a first time tank with a little versatility, this is the one to ask Santa for. After messing around with the pump in several rotations, I don’t think it matters much if the pump is oriented with the inlet pointed toward a wall instead of the filter section. Frankly as I look at it now especially compared to all the scapes on here - it was rubbish!!...but it was a start.Make sure to verify your aquarium heater’s thermostat with a separate thermometer. Preferably, an accurate one. It is not uncommon for the more inexpensive aquarium heaters to be off by a few degrees, where a heater set on 76F will actually hold low at 74F or may be high at 78F. The actual number is not that important. What is important is that you can realize where to set the dial to achieve your desired temperature and that the heater be consistent.

Ultimately it's your choice. I feel the Fluval is worth the price, as most things in this hobby tend to be. I always think bog wood looks a little boring in a larger tank, but in a small Flex tank with some pants around it can be quite a feature.In short, the heater goes wherever you can fit it and will probably be different from model to model. I came to the above pump orientation because it led to a nice spot for the heater – wedged in between the center wall and the outlet tube. I have detailed pictures of the heater installed in my Hydor Theo Aquarium Heater review. How to Remove the Pump from a Spec Aquarium This might be obvious to most, but it took me a minute. You might feel trapped once you get the pump wedged down into the pump section and then discover you need to take it out. If you want to remove the pump, it is easy. Don’t pull up from the silicone tube. Instead, just pull up on the electric cord. It is plenty sturdy to lift the pump up from the suction cups on the bottom and get it out. Sometimes it may get wedged because the plug pulls the unit up crooked. In that case, pull up gently at the same time on both the flow tube and the electric cord. It’s really easy to clean and maintain and due to its size water changes and filter cleans only take around 15 minutes. N30 has developed unique glass-sealing techniques, which allows us to produce very large tanks (such as 30-feet long) without issue of water leakage. For all custom-made fish tanks, N30 assures customers of Five Years Warranty against water leakage. CPDs - need too many and also apparently love to hunt and being so small can go anywhere the fry go

My advice at this time is to mess around with what you have already. Then settle on a layout you like. It comes in 2 sizes, 19 litre and 10 litre and a choice of colour. I’ll be reviewing* a white 19-litre tank that will be set up as a tropical step. This is a traditional looking compact aquarium that can be touched up or enhanced with lights and other accessories. There are a ton of Fluval-branded matching accessories you can use with the Fluval Spec aquarium. Once the tank is clean, the next step is to get the filter fitter correctly. Before you put it in set the flow rate on the filter box if you’re unsure just start it in the middle of the setting. For the smaller 3 gallon Spec III, I think a 50 watt is a bit much. A 25 watt heater is going to be your best bet. One Type of Heater to Stay Away From:

There are two ways to combat this problem. The first is to invest in an aquarium heater that has advanced electronics for the temperature control. The problem is that most heaters in this category do not fit in the pump section of the Spec. The Eheim Jager is a great example of one that does offer better reliability and control, but unfortunately does not quite fit in the Spec V. I know a lot of people struggle with the age old question of what heater fits into the compartment of the Fluval Spec V (5 gallons). I would love to hear from owners who have successfully fit a good quality heater into the compartment and been able to heat up the water accurately and made sure it remained stable. It also opens up a whole new dimension in small tank aquascaping and layout. It's 43.5cm/17" long, by 27cm/6.7" high and 16cm/6.3" wide, with a volume of 19 l/4 gal, so hopefully it'll be taken a bit more seriously than other nano tanks which have had more than their fair share of detractors. Whilst I have been lurking over the last month, I bought a small Fluval Spec 19 litre tank to set up on my desk at home. My initial plan for this is to have a cherry shrimp tank (maybe blue jelly) that is safe, for them hopefully to breed and be able to go into a larger tank in the living room (yet to be bought/set up/still very much at the concept stage). Although whilst I like shrimp, they are not the same as fish to watch...so I may see about adding some very small fish in there at a later date and hope they don't just eat the shrimp fry!.

I would also love to hear people's opinions on which wattage to use for a 5 gallon tank such as this and what they've found worked. I am housing one Betta fish so the temperature needs to be around 26 degrees celsius (between 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit). Ive heard people use both 25 and 50, but 50 sounds like the safer option. Once again I'm not sure! If you have hardwood floors or hardwood stairs in place but they are in bad condition, don’t fret! One of our consultant associate companies, Plancher NewLook, gave us advice on how to deal with saving the existing hardwood stairs. Their recommendation was to get everything out the room before the aquarium is installed, so that the hardwoods on the stairs can be sandblasted. You can also do the entire hardwood floor surface area if you have the budget. The end result is a shiny, new-looking space that provides a great home for any aquarium. If you decide on putting the heater in the main display, consider the Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm . It has accurate and reliable electronic controlls. It is slightly too big to fit in the pump section, but would be small enough to not be very noticible hiding in the display tank. What Wattage of Aquarium Heater do I Need for my Spec? It goes in the end compartment as shown below, push it right down to the bottom (we used a bit of cardboard to push it down as its a bit of a tight fit).

A disadvantage to both the DIY temperature controller and a reefkeeper type controller is that they take up space outside your aquarium. I have dealt with this by putting everything into a storage box to hide it. I've also seen so many different aquarium companies recommending different wattages for different gallons. The general consensus seems to be 50W for the Spec V however reading your comments I think you might be right.. always better to be safe than sorry! Would you recommend just a 25W for keeping a Betta in 5 gallons? I live in Melbourne Australia, not sure if that helps give everyone an idea of the weather Use a clean cloth and just water, rinse out and clean over the tank thoroughly. Rinse over the filter sponges and replace them as they were. Step two – Setup the filter There is no need to modify the tank to disperse heat. The Fluval heater will fit in the compartment with the return pump, and therefore the return pump will draw the warmed water into the tank. If you poke holes in your return compartment, you are going to draw water in through those holes because of the suction of the return pump and you'll be bypassing the filter. For a betta, that tank is just fine the way it is, and very well designed. The Fluval Spec 19 Litre aquarium in a beautiful white finish is a stunning aquarium, ideal for first time fish keeping hobbyists. Integrated with a fantastic LED lighting system, aquarium fish and plants have an ideal source of natural looking light available for the best growth and developmental results whilst also enhancing the vibrant colours of your aquarium inhabitants.