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3 Gallon EclipseThe Bathroom Tank
I bought this tank from a local pet franchise for approximately $80. The kit included the light, the hood, the filter, pretty much everything but a heater. I later learned you can purchase these same Biowheel operated kits from Wal-Mart for much less.
The Eclipse is a bowfront aquarium and provides a tad more surface area for aeration than standard tanks. This is good to have, especially in a tank less than 5.5 gallons. The filter, light and ballast, and filter return are all located within the hood which is easily removed for maintenance. My one complaint with this little system is the central brace which makes cleaning algae a nuisance.
I've gone through several births with my two adult "progenitor" females. On average, 5-7 fry survive the appetites of their parents, thanks to the Java moss cover. Despite the cramped conditions, the fry grow just as they would in a ten gallon, and with weekly water changes, nitrates are kept manageable. I feed extra fry to my frogs and black ghost knife. September 2006 Update The Eclipse now contains my two African clawed frogs.
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I
highly recommend the Eclipse system if you're looking into a smaller
tank. The Eclipse incorporates the Marineland Biowheel, an apparatus
I use on all of my tanks save the 55 gallon. Biowheels foamy waterwheels
hung just above the filter return outlet, and they continually turn.
As they rotate, beneficial aerobic bacteria grow in vast numbers, and,
according to the company, this allows you to stock more fish safely
in your tank. While I can't vouch for the overstocking, I can say a
Biowheel will cycle your tank almost over night if you swap out the
brand new one with a wheel on a cycled existing tank.
Two
pieces of driftwood, one laid flat on the sand substrate and the other
erect, make up the decor. Java moss covers each piece. The water is
mildly brackish to accommodate the