# Petco Bookshelf Tank questions



## jpottle (Jan 7, 2013)

Hi,

I have had my betta in his 2.5g tank less than a month, but I am already planning the next upgrade... not sure when this will happen... as soon as I can convince the hubby to let me spend more money OR slip it in under the radar... :twisted:

Anyway, I am leaning towards the Petco Bookshelf aquarium, since I really like the long shape of it compared to other similar size tanks (in gallons) - I think Sparkie would prefer more room to swim horizontally, as opposed to up-and-down in a hex shaped tank or something. Here is a link to the tank: http://www.petco.com/product/14978/Petco-Bookshelf-Freshwater-Fish-Aquarium.aspx 

I have a few questions for those of you who have this tank.

1. Which filter does it come with? I mean, is it any kind of name brand - Marineland or Aquaclear? Is there room to add extra bio-media? I have some in my current filter I would like to transfer over if possible.

2. I have read the reviews that the lighting system is not the best, and can melt the hood if left on too long (over 10 hours). Has anyone had this problem? We usually leave our light on 13-14 hours a day right now. I'm wondering if I need to plan to replace the lighting right away. I've seen the recommendation of replacing the lighting with the Marineland LED strip, here: http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Si...TF8&colid=1LDTNGZ265MS2&coliid=I2BRDOJ0C5QNO8 . For anyone who has done this, how did it work? Did the Marineland fit under the hood, or are you replacing the whole top of the tank somehow? Are the LEDs suitable for live plants?

That's all. Thanks!

Janice


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Not sure what filter it comes with, and anything hot on plastic will obviously melt the plastic... So, using the marineland LED would work. Depending on what plants you have, just about any light including LED would work fine.

I have had the shell of that tank... No hood, no light, no filter. And I loved it! I ended up putting a sponge filter in one corner, and there was enough room for the fish.


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## RoranicusPondicus (Sep 22, 2011)

1. The filter it come with is called power filter, it never say what brand. It dose mechanical and chemical filtration. It take Tetra Whisper Med Filter Cartridges. Note, the filter is quite.

2. The light has never melted my hood. I leave my light on for at lest 11-12 hours a day. I guess other have had bad luck. 

I wish I have more info for you.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

The filter is an HOB, not powerhead. I don't know if the filter is a rebranding of some kind or not, but it's not like others I've seen. I haven't used it personally but I've read a lot of people found the current too strong, and were unsatisfied with the quality. A lot of people just replace it. Some with bettas try baffling.. I've also seen at least one case where a betta got stuck on the intake tube and was killed by it. Suggest at least a prefilter sponge.

Why are you leaving the light on so long? 8-10hrs should be good.. unless you're trying to grow algae


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## mld02004 (Jan 4, 2013)

I have the tank and have no problems with overheating due to the light. I did buy a new light (bulb) only because I thought the one that came with it was too bright/unnatural. I bought a Zoomed flora light for my live plants.

I don't use the filter (it's not cycled) so can't comment there but it does appear to be a tetra knock-off type.

I've divided the tank and added a heater. So far have been very happy with it. It's fairly sturdy and has a plastic "tray" at the bottom for reinforcement.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

I like the filter, it's small but adjustable and quiet.

The light started to not work soon after I got it. It seemed to be the way the bulb was installed so I tried to wiggle it and re-position it and I did it wrong and the light socket did melt. Thank goodness I was home and smelled the burning plastic, yuck.

So I bought a small LED desk lamp and use that instead. The tank gets natural light from the window for plants.

I like the tank, it's great for plakats that like to do laps in the tank.


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## jpottle (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks for all your answers everyone. Some really good news: I found out that they also sell this tank on Amazon, and I had a gift certificate for there, so I went ahead and bought it! It should be here in a few days! I'm so excited to set up Sparkie's new home.


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## MrRomero (Dec 25, 2012)

I have two of these tanks both containing bettas. The light it comes with is fine but it does run a little hot and bright, you may look into a different light. I have not replaced mine yet but plan to do so. Also, it has not melted the acrylic lid that separates the light from open water (if that makes sense).

The adjustable filter works fine although the cartridge is not a very snug fit as water can bypass it slightly. I have used the fluval pre-filter sponge on both of my filter intakes as a precaution and the water bottle method for a baffle as the filter current is a bit too strong for my halfmoon. The filter runs very quiet in my opinion so that is certainly a plus!

(Also, as a tip, if your filter is a little noisy at first, turn the adjusting nob to wide open which will allow a fast current to push the bubbles out. Once it quiets down you can adjust for a comfortable current flow.)

Other than that the tanks are great! My bettas love swimming the length of the tank. It has provided me with a nice landscape for small to medium sized plants as well. Not to mention the bettas don't have to use much energy to reach the surface for air or food.

I would certainly suggest getting a cleaning pad made for acrylic aquariums to help scrub off water marks and any algae. Acrylic tanks scratch very easily so be careful when handling it and adding hardscape to the tank.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I've had nothing but trouble with my light.. one of the negatives I have seen people say about it on other sites. Most of the time the light will go off and on by itself. Faulty little battery thing in it.. otherwise it's a good tank, filter is fine - the flow is adjustable so that help.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I have one divided for two of my boys, and I really like it. I have had problems with the light - on my 2nd replacement bulb. I put a whisper 3i filter on it, and that seems to be about right for my fellas.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

The Tetra Whisper 3i is worthless as a filter. If you were to operate it in a bowl (without the cartridge installed), you'd notice that the water flow almost entirely misses the cartridge chamber. Therefore it does not filter, nor will it provide area for a bacteria colony. 

The pump, while weak, is adequate and pretty quiet.

I have go to get this message stickied ... sheesh!


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I have aquarium sponges stuffed in it all around the sides so the water does actually get forced to flow through *something*.


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## jpottle (Jan 7, 2013)

I got the Petco Bookshelf over the weekend and set it up! Hurray!!! Sparkie seems to be really enjoying the new space. Here is a picture.










Specs:
* 6.6gallon Petco Bookshelf aquarium, using included filter and hood.
* Replaced filter media with Aquaclear sponge and biobag.
* Fluval Edge pre-filter sponge on intake
* Replaced bulb with 15W T8 "LifeGlo" 6500k bulb
* Heater: Hydor Theo 25W
* Substrate: eco-complete
* Live plants: java fern, anubias, mossball, hygrophilla, and some "unknowns" - the LFS threw in some extras for me to try.
* Real driftwood, fake "betta log", and fake cave. - I was trying to go all natural, but couldn't get rid of those last two as Sparkie likes them so much.
* Chemicals: Seachem Prime for conditioning, Seachem Flourish excel for plants


My review of the aquarium itself:
Well, so far, mixed feelings. 
I love, love, love the size of it. Love the long horizontal space. Fits great on my kitchen counter. Seems like a great amount of space for betta swimming. 
Filter seems ok. Pretty quiet, although I do hear a "hum" if I listen closely. There are no water flowing or bubbling noises. With the flow turned down as far as possible, I don't think it is bothering my fish. As I wrote above, I replaced the media in it. No problems with the light so far, although I have noticed that it gets pretty hot on top when I put my hand there, and it seems to heat up the water quite a bit. As I wrote ablove, I replaced the bulb with one that should be better for the plants.

Now for the bad. When I opened the box, the back corner of the clear plastic cover was cracked. That really sucked. After a night to think about whether to send it back, I decided to go ahead with setup. The crack is not visible behind the light hood anyway. I super-glued it and it seems to be holding. 

Next bad. I read all the reviews about this tank scratching easily, and I thought, "Well, I'll be careful." and "Should be the same as other acrylic tanks, right? Like I already have, and haven't scratched yet." Well, right away, putting in the eco-complete (which is very sharp and gritty, unlike usual rounded aquarium gravel), I put some major scratches on the inside. Argh!!!! Is all acrylic the same? I don't know. But it seems to me, that this tank is scratching easier than our other acrylic one. 

Well, that's it for "bad". Everything else seems good. I am a little concerned about the light getting so hot, but not sure what I can do about that. I mean, I could replace it with that Marineland LED strip that I wrote about in the original post, but that costs more than the aquarium itself! So I will probably stick with this set up for now and hope it doesn't cause any problems. The tank being "non-standard" size means you can't just go and replace the light hood with a different one. It is 22.5inches long - definitely not standard. Although it uses a regular 18" bulb. A 20" hood would fit on top fine, but leave extra space on both sides. The Marineland LED strip is adjustable from 18 - 24" so that would work, but it would not cover up the view of the filter and stuff so well. 

So, my heater keeps the tank around 78, which is perfect. With the light on during the day, the temp climbs up to 82. Then drops again at night. Maybe this is not a problem, as it mimics nature, right? Usually temps rise a bit during the day. Is 82 too hot? Another idea I had was to put the light on a timer and run it 5 hours in the early morning and another 5 hours in the evening. Those are the times when we are at home and like to see the light on anyway. During the day when we are out of the house, the light could shut off and therefore avoid building up so much heat. Does anyone think that kind of "divided" lighting period would be a problem for the fish or the plants?

Whew long post. If anyone else is thinking about this tank, I thought my information above might be useful. 

Janice


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## MrRomero (Dec 25, 2012)

Looking good! Thanks for the review and the info!


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## Roemgie (May 6, 2012)

Never keep the light on with that tank. It's so bright that it really stresses out the bettas (unless they're use to it of course) every time we turned it on for my boy he would flip! And I'd say just use a sponge filter in my opinion


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I use it no problem.. have issue with the light getting loose and turning off.. but the light isn't all that bright. It's rather dim compared to most of the smaller fluorescent lights out there.

Your fish may be easily startled, especially if the room is pretty dark when you turn on the light.. or isn't prepared. Try tapping on the lid a couple times before turning on the light.. do it each time you turn on the light and he will eventually associate the tapping with the light and it should stop him from becoming startled at it.


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## MrRomero (Dec 25, 2012)

Myates said:


> I use it no problem.. have issue with the light getting loose and turning off.. but the light isn't all that bright. It's rather dim compared to most of the smaller fluorescent lights out there.
> 
> Your fish may be easily startled, especially if the room is pretty dark when you turn on the light.. or isn't prepared. Try tapping on the lid a couple times before turning on the light.. do it each time you turn on the light and he will eventually associate the tapping with the light and it should stop him from becoming startled at it.


Good ideas! I leave to work early in the morning when it is still dark outside. I will typically turn the room light on 10 -20 minuted before turning the tank lights on as to not startle the bettas 

I know I hate being woken up early with a bright light in my face!


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## Roemgie (May 6, 2012)

Myates said:


> I use it no problem.. have issue with the light getting loose and turning off.. but the light isn't all that bright. It's rather dim compared to most of the smaller fluorescent lights out there.
> 
> Your fish may be easily startled, especially if the room is pretty dark when you turn on the light.. or isn't prepared. Try tapping on the lid a couple times before turning on the light.. do it each time you turn on the light and he will eventually associate the tapping with the light and it should stop him from becoming startled at it.


Ours seems incredibly bright hahaha but it's fine  I only ever turn it on if I'm worried about him but he's at home with my sister and she doesn't always pay him much attention  but thank you for the advice


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## jpottle (Jan 7, 2013)

I'm trying to grow plants, so I plan to use the light. It doesn't seem to bother Sparkie. It does seem to heat the water 1 or 2 degrees. Also, I have the light on a timer and I'm not usually around when it comes on. Perhaps I need to also put the room lights on a timer so they will come on a few minutes before and help with the startle factor.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Room lights on a timer? LoL What spoiled fish we have.

I'm surprised your CFL (compact florescent) light can raise your water temperature. Do you have enough ventilation in your hood?

And, yes, there are grades of acrylic from cheap lower density to expensive scratch-resistant stuff. Guess which Petco uses.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

Hallyx said:


> Room lights on a timer? LoL What spoiled fish we have.
> 
> I'm surprised your CFL (compact florescent) light can raise your water temperature. Do you have enough ventilation in your hood?
> 
> And, yes, there are grades of acrylic from cheap lower density to expensive scratch-resistant stuff. Guess which Petco uses.


FYI, my 2.5g mini BT that I used to have has a slight crack at the bottom circular seam where I think the acrylic mold injection point was. You may want to check for any seams, etc for stress fractures.

I got a timer for $5 at Home Depot, did not get a chance to figure our how to use it.


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## Quinn (Apr 4, 2010)

Ok so, digging up an old thread here... Typed it all put and isn't realize I had to check a box because it's old so I lost it. Anyway long story short my hood light goes off and on by itself, makes me feel not safe after reading stories of it melting and such. I've got plants in there, so I've been trying to run it as much as I can and unplug when I leave. Did those of you who had this issue find a remedy? Is it the bulb or is it that little starter box/tube thingy that's the issue or the actual hood itself? My filter also came leaking through where it connects to the power cord, but I didn't notice until I had already set up my tank and now I don't want to return the whole thing since its set up, and they won't replace the part(probably though I have a request in). I really like the dimensions for the bettas, just unhappy with the extras.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

for you guys who are having trouble with the light on the petco tank, try repositioning the starter (little cylindrical insert), it's usually the culprit. When the starter is loose, the light goes out .... mine is on for 12 hours a day with no problems, I thought the light it came with was too dim and changed it out for another.


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## Quinn (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for the tip. Could it be that my starter is over heating or something (I don't know how it works, so I don't even know if that's a thing)? Because I made sure my starter was firmly locked into the tightest spot, and it was working (but it had been unplugged for a while before), but then turned off after maybe two hours (longer of times it has stayed on) and I checked and the starter wasn't moved at all, and fiddling with it did nothing. Later, back on. Is the starter something easily replaced, or does this sound like a wiring issue elsewhere?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

you probably need a new starter, they're usually fairly cheap.... Ive never changed one, but my housemate does these kind of repairs 

you can probably get a good tutorial if you google


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Once you get the light working the way you want it to, try turning it on and off by unplugging and plugging it in instead of using the on/off switch. The switches wear out and cause trouble.


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## Quinn (Apr 4, 2010)

Guess I'll be looking for a new starter then! Or maybe just scrap the lighted hood all together and get a clip on or desk lamp that can support a 6500k bulb for my plants. Whatever ends up being easiest! Haha
And yes I've pretty much only been using the plug because it just turns itself off and on, so once I see it's turned itself off I generally unplug it for a while, and plug it back in later. If I leave it plugged in it will turn on on its own without me hitting the switch myself anyway. I think its starting to bother (as of yet unnamed) fishy at this point too. 
Thanks for the help!


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