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MarineLand Contour Glass Aquarium Kit with Rail Light

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,397 ratings
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Amazon's Choice in Aquarium Starter Kits by MarineLand

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3-gallon

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About this item

  • SLEEK DESIGN: Rounded corners and clear glass canopy allow viewing from multiple angles.
  • DAYLIGHT/MOONLIGHT SETTINGS: Bright white LEDs create a shimmering sunlight effect; blue LEDs produce a moonlit glow.
  • HIDDEN FILTRATION: Advanced, three-stage filtration is out of sight to enhance aquarium viewing.
  • EASY ACCESS: Hinged LED rail light and sliding glass canopy.
  • DIMENSIONS: The Marineland Contour 3 Aquarium measures 9.63 inches long by 9.63 inches wide by 14 inches high.

Customer ratings by feature

For beginners
4.3 4.3
Noise level
4.2 4.2
Suction power
4.1 4.1
Easy to clean
4.0 4.0

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Product Description

Product Description

Marineland® brand is the world’s leading brand of innovative equipment and environments for consumers wishing to create the ultimate aquatic showcase. Committed to fishkeeping success for over 40 years, the brand is the professional’s choice for commercial display systems and scientific research. Whatever you’re passionate about – freshwater or saltwater, big or small, beauty or science – make your aquarium your own. The Marineland® Contour 3™ Aquarium Kit is an LED-lit desktop glass aquarium that creates an impressive feature piece for any home. With hidden filtration and an LED lighting system for day or night, your tank will come to life! This 3-gallon aquarium features rounded corners plus a sleek glass sliding canopy to give you a beautiful view of your fish. Bright white and blue LEDs show off this aquarium in the best light: white LEDs create shimmering light that mimics the natural underwater effect of sunlight, while blue LEDs produce a relaxing moonlit glow for evening and nighttime enjoyment. This aquarium kit includes a three-stage Marineland hidden filtration system featuring an adjustable flow filter pump. The hinged light and sliding glass canopy allow for easy access to the aquarium. Takes the Marineland® Rite-Size™ Z Filter Cartridge (one included with this kit – replacement filters available for changing monthly) and Marineland Bio-Foam®.

Amazon.com

Hidden Filtration Natural Daylight Effect:
Bright white LEDs create
shimmering light that mimics the
natural underwater effect of sunlight.

Easily Start Your New Aquarium

The Marineland Contour Aquarium Kit with Rail Light provides a quick and stylish foundation for starting your new aquarium. The 3 gallon kit features curved glass and an LED lighting system that uses bright white and blue LEDs to show off the aquarium in the best possible light with both daylight and moonlight settings. Advanced 3-stage filtration keeps the aquarium clean and healthy with an adjustable flow filter pump and one included RITE-SIZE Z Filter Cartridge. The sleek, contour design of this kit stylishly hides the filtration and features a hinged light that allows for easy access to the tank.

LED Lighting System

The Marineland Contour Aquarium Kit includes an LED lighting system that is energy efficient and money saving. These bright white and blue LEDs feature two settings that show off your aquarium in the best light and are mounted on a hinged light that offers easy access to the tank.

Moonlight Effect:
Blue LEDs provide a relaxing
moonlight glow for aquarium
enjoyment in the day or evening.

Glass Canopy Provides Easy Access

Each Marineland Contour Aquarium kit features an easy-to-use glass canopy that slides back over your aquarium filter to provide a gap for daily feeding and water care additions. This canopy also prevents fish from jumping and helps to maintain your aquarium’s water temperature.

Stylish Look & Feel

Advanced Filtration

The Marineland Contour Aquarium Kit comes complete with 3-stage filtration that works to provide a clean and healthy aquatic environment. Each kit includes an adjustable flow filter pump.

Mechanical Filtration
  • Filter cartridge floss screens out dirt and debris
  • Molded ribbed back for maximum water-to-carbon contact
Chemical Filtration
  • Activated carbon inside filter cartridge removes odors, discolorations, and impurities
Biological Filtration
  • Bio-Foam creates a large 3-dimensional area for cultivating aerobic bacteria, which eliminate toxic ammonia and nitrite
  • No need to replace

Explore More Products from Tetra

Click an Image to See More
Water Care Maintaining the optimal water chemistry in your new aquarium is vital to its success. Tetra’s complete line of Water Care liquids makes it easy to condition, dechlorinate, add beneficial filter bacteria, and remove ammonia and nitrite. Expert Feeding Feeding your fish a well-balanced diet can help to ensure health and vitality. It is important to never overfeed and to feed your fish a supplemental food in addition to your staple flake. Heat & Aerate Adding an air pump to your new aquarium is especially important for optimal fish health. An aquarium heater is essential for keeping tropical fish. Decorate To decorate your new tank, Marineland recommends adding 5-10 pound of gravel and adding plants, ornaments, and rocks for your fish to explore Filter Each Marineland Silhouette Aquarium Kit includes one RITE-SIZE Z Filter cartridge. Keep a supply of filter cartridges handy and replace every 2-4 weeks to maintain active carbon. TetraCare Need help or have questions about your new Aquarium? TetraCare offers free advice and support as well as helpful e-minders and tips.

Looking for specific info?

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.5 x 10 x 10 inches; 8 Pounds
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ ML90610
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2013
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Marineland
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GOFSB6U
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,397 ratings

Important information

Directions

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Compare with similar items

This Item
MarineLand Contour Glass Aquarium Kit with Rail Light
MarineLand Contour Glass Aquarium Kit with Rail Light
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Price$64.36-20% $79.99
List:$99.99
$79.99$62.99$39.99-11% $125.99
List:$141.99
Delivery
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
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Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
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Get it Apr 3 - 5
Customer Ratings
Suction power
4.1
3.6
4.0
3.9
4.1
For beginners
4.3
2.8
3.8
4.5
Noise level
4.2
4.1
4.0
4.0
Easy to clean
4.0
4.0
4.3
Value for money
3.0
3.6
4.1
Sold By
Amazon.com
sunnyand warm
Amazon.com
Eletree
Eletree
SaltwaterAquarium
tank volume
3 gallons
5 gallons
6 gallons
9 gallons
material
Glass
Glass
Plastic
Glass, Acrylic
Glass
Glass
shape
Square
Square
Cylindrical
Rectangular
Rectangular
Square
weight
8 pounds
7.48 kilograms
4.5 pounds
5.04 kilograms
style
Modern
Cylindrical
Modern
Modern
Contemporary

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
3,397 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the appearance, size and ease of setup of the vivarium. For example, they mention it looks really nice, enhances the colors in the tank and that it fits perfectly on a desk. Some appreciate the value. That said, opinions are mixed on quality, lighting, noise, and performance.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

343 customers mention309 positive34 negative

Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the vivarium. They mention that the stand it comes with is sleek and it enhances the colors in the tank. They also appreciate the compact yet efficient design.

"...It is high quality, looks nice, and easy to set up. There are two very critical things all owners must know:..." Read more

"...It really enhances the colors in the tank. You can run the blue lights independently of the clear lights for a nighttime effect...." Read more

"...The stand it comes with is sleek and elevates the overall aesthetic greatly.2) Clean tank!..." Read more

"...Pros:*Curved glass has a really nice appeal and makes the tank look great*LED lighting is actually pretty good...." Read more

194 customers mention143 positive51 negative

Customers like the size of the vivarium. For example, they say it's the perfect size for a small fish like a betta, and it fits nicely in their homes. Some appreciate the compact yet efficient design. That said, some say the 5 gallon model provides additional swimming space without compromising.

"Overall, it's a fantastic tank for a small fish like a betta (though, 5 gal is better if possible)...." Read more

"...Overall, it is the perfect size for what I need it for!..." Read more

"...The 3 gallon model is nice, but the 5 gallon model provides additional swimming space without compromising additional desk space...." Read more

"...Having said that, it really doesn't fell that small, for some reason. It should feel narrow, like a show tank, but it doesn't...." Read more

148 customers mention137 positive11 negative

Customers find the vivarium easy to setup and maintain. They say the lid slides back a bit for feeding access, and the tank is an all-in-one tank. Customers also mention that it's a nice setup, very clean, and sleek, and a perfect nano setup.

"...It is high quality, looks nice, and easy to set up. There are two very critical things all owners must know:..." Read more

"...Easy to set up. It really is as simple as following the directions that come with it.4) Removable pieces!..." Read more

"...Assembly was pretty simple with the provided instructions, there is plenty of space for our fish, it has a nice look to it with real glass and two..." Read more

"...It was easy to put together and I love the lights...." Read more

91 customers mention71 positive20 negative

Customers like the value of the vivarium. They say it is pretty nice for the price, and worth the investment. Some customers also mention that it has an expensive look.

"...It gives it a lovely, graceful and expensive look...." Read more

"...Overall, it’s a very nice tank and definitely worth the investment. My little guy has been making bubble nests bigger than he has made in years!" Read more

"...Other than that it’s a very pretty tank. Great buy!" Read more

"...2. Filter lid is very cheap and slightly warped. I loosely taped down the sides so the glass cover can slide, but the lid stays secure...." Read more

474 customers mention321 positive153 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the tank. Some mention it's a good quality tank, with heavy duty glass and plexiglass. The construction was great, the pump runs beautifully, and the LED lights are good quality. However, others say that the filter pump is not the best quality, the filter flow is too strong, and it comes with some flaws.

"...There is current, but not much and the betta is very happy and swimming around happily. Now I need to see if it's enough to keep the tank clean!..." Read more

"...Overall, it’s a very nice tank and definitely worth the investment. My little guy has been making bubble nests bigger than he has made in years!" Read more

"...It definitely has some flaws, but it is keeping my betta very happy, so that makes me happy." Read more

"...It will cause them to be stressed and potentially injured. Please turn it down to more like 25% strength, depending on your fish...." Read more

156 customers mention107 positive49 negative

Customers are mixed about the noise of the vivarium. Some mention that the pump is perfectly quiet, the motor is not loud, and the filter is completely silent. However, others say that the impeller was a bit noisy when they first started it up, there is a constant hum from the pump, and there is grinding in the motor.

"...bright (or calming, if using the nighttime setting), and filtration is essentially silent. I have had no issues with it...." Read more

"...Pump is very quiet (barely even notice it is on) and it is also adjustable*The entire circumference, top and bottom of the tank is glass...." Read more

"...You can probably hear it in my video. It's pretty distracting and annoying.2) The LED lights have a "white" setting and a "blue" setting...." Read more

"...with real glass and two optional LED light settings, and the pump is not too noisy so long as there is enough water in the tank to cover it properly...." Read more

155 customers mention99 positive56 negative

Customers are mixed about the lighting of the vivarium. Some mention that the LED lighting is actually pretty good, lovely, and the blue light setting is especially pretty at night. They also like the day and night lights and theblue to white light feature. However, other customers say that the lights aren't the greatest, too bright, and hardly shed any light into the tank. They mention that it can be kind of intense and they sometimes put a cloth over the top to dim it out.

"...It looks like it will be fine for low light aquarium plants, like ferns and anubias. I will update this if the plants don't thrive...." Read more

"...I have heard from some people that it is not bright enough for real plants to survive in the tank, maybe its because the light is shining everywhere..." Read more

"...The viewing is crystal clear, the lights are super bright (or calming, if using the nighttime setting), and filtration is essentially silent...." Read more

"...LED lighting is actually pretty good. Some reviews complained it was not bright enough, but I found it to be adequate*..." Read more

143 customers mention85 positive58 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the vivarium. Some mention that it works very well, while others say that the pump quit working the first night and the lights stopped working within days.

"...This works like a hinge and allows the glass top piece to slide back as the flimsy piece opens up, then when you slide the glass top back the..." Read more

"...I've had this tank for a month and the filter pump is failing. It's pushing out very little current, no matter what setting I put it on...." Read more

"...are hidden in a separate section at the back and have been working very well. The light seems adequate for the plants without promoting algae growth...." Read more

"...; First, The filter pump is not the best quality but works fine in the small tank...." Read more

Gorgeous tank.  Looks much bigger than it is.
5 Stars
Gorgeous tank. Looks much bigger than it is.
I noticed, when researching tanks I wanted to buy, that the 3 and the 5 gallon reviews and Q&As are totally mixed together, so I want to state right out that this is a review of the 5 gallon tank. This is a beautiful tank. I was looking for a glass tank after totally destroying more than one acrylic hex tank trying to get algae off the sides of the glass. While you have to be careful handling it when you set it up, glass is SO much easier to clean. Being a glass worker, I have to say I'm really impressed with the curved edges on this tank. It isn't an easy or inexpensive thing to do. I actually questioned whether this was real glass or plastic because of it. But it is real glass and it is curved without distortions that might happen when you bend glass. It gives it a lovely, graceful and expensive look. I like a naturally planted tank and was concerned about the amount of light I'd get from the LED strip. It looks like it will be fine for low light aquarium plants, like ferns and anubias. I will update this if the plants don't thrive. Even if they don't, attaching an additional light strip to this tank will be very easy and will not detract from the beauty of the tank. The light strip contains both clear lights and blue lights. When the clear lights are on, the blue lights are also on. It really enhances the colors in the tank. You can run the blue lights independently of the clear lights for a nighttime effect. This isn't important if you have a freshwater tank, but would be very important if you have a saltwater tank. I did overestimate the amount of gravel needed for this tank because the tank is divided differently than other tanks I've had and I thought I'd need more. When I clean the tank, I'll pull some gravel out of it. I'm a little torn about that because I have Dwarf African Frogs in there and they swim to the top to gulp air. My excess gravel shortens that distance for them to swim. There have been a ton of questions asking about the dimensions of the tank. The answers are all over the board. So here are the real dimensions: The overall dimensions of the tank, including the back area where the filtration is but without the stand or the light bar are: 9 5/8" square by 14" tall. The stand adds an additional 1 1/4" in height. The light bar adds yet another 3 7/8" in height. With everything attached, the height is 19 3/8". The glass is 3/16" thick and is not tempered (since people were asking. BTW, the only thing tempering does is keeps the glass from breaking into large pieces when it breaks. It does NOT make glass less breakable.) The filtration box is 2 1/4" deep. This reduces the dimensions where your fish will swim to 9 5/8" wide by 7 3/8" deep. Having said that, it really doesn't fell that small, for some reason. It should feel narrow, like a show tank, but it doesn't. Maybe it's because the back is black and gives the illusion of depth. I don't know.I wanted to put a betta in this tank, so I was concerned with water flow from the pump since bettas don't really like a lot of current to swim against. The instructions said to start the pump at its maximum setting, which I did. Wow!!!! WAY too much current. If you have any really fat fish that you want to put on an exercise program, put them in this tank with the pump set at max!!! I turned it way down to minimum. There is current, but not much and the betta is very happy and swimming around happily. Now I need to see if it's enough to keep the tank clean! I might have to gradually increase the flow to find that ideal meeting ground between clean tank and happy betta. I will update this if I need to increase the flow because a lot of people want to keep bettas in this tank. Also, there is a sliding glass canopy over the glass part of the tank. Since I have a betta, I am keeping it slid backwards about an inch so that fresh air can get in. I am a little afraid that if I keep it slid closed, the betta won't be able to get quality air to breathe when it goes to the surface to take a breath. I'm really happy I have that option without having to mess with the look of the tank.One thing that people have been saying in answered questions and in reviews is that they have been putting heaters in the filtration area. The instructions clearly state not to do this. The filtration area is plastic. NOT a good idea to put a heater in there. I got the heater that was recommended with the tank, the Tetra 26447 Submersible Aquarium Heater, 50-Watt. It's black and, when put into the tank against the black background, horizontally the way Marineland illustrates in their directions, it is virtually invisible. There is a notch between the main tank and the filtration area for the cord to sit in flat. The literature with the heater says it keeps the temperature at 78 degrees. There is no place to adjust this. Checking the water a day later, the water is exactly 78 degrees. I like my water a little warmer, but 78 will keep them happy, so I'm not going to change it.Finally, the filtration system. There is a carrier that holds a filter cartridge, labeled as a "Z" cartridge and a black bio sponge. The "z" cartridge looks exactly the same as their Hex 5 cartridge. (This is a good thing since I had just purchased 15 new Hex 5 cartridges!) If you want or need more filtration, there is enough room to put another type of filtration medium in there. The back area is very tight. I am a small woman with small hands (stop laughing now). It's tight even for me. For big guys, you're going to have problems if you want to reach down in there. It shouldn't be a problem because the filter carrier is pulled up for changing without needing to put your hands in there, but I just wanted to warn you. Eventually, you will want to break the tank down for thorough cleaning and you'd better have the long sponges ready because you sure aren't going to have your hands in there. I almost took a star off because of this, but I like the tank so much, and this is not a major thing, so I'm not going to do it. An additional inch would have been helpful, though.All in all, I am really happy with this tank. It has SO much going for it. I'm glad I didn't get the 3 gallon tank because some of the things that are different, such as a transformer for the lights vs no transformer, larger pump, etc. I highly recommend your getting it if you are looking for a beautiful tank with a small footprint.UPDATE: I just downgraded this by a star. I've had this tank for a month and the filter pump is failing. It's pushing out very little current, no matter what setting I put it on. I called what they call "customer service" this morning. NOT a pleasant experience. A person answered and I told him that I had the 5 gallon Marineland Contour Glass Aquarium kit for 3 weeks and that the filter pump was failing. He proceeded to tell me that there was no filter pump. I was looking at the instruction pamphlet that came with the tank and it was clearly labeled "filter pump". He asked what kind of filter it took. I told him it took a z cartridge, but it wasn't the filter that had failed..it was the pump. He kept on arguing with me that there wasn't a filter pump. I asked him if he was at all familiar with the unit I was talking about. He then told me that he had no idea what model I had. So I again told him what tank I had. He asked again how many gallons it was. He asked again how long I had it. I have a problem with a customer service agent who is given all that information at the beginning of the call and it was never listened to. And then, he sat there and argued with me that there wasn't a pump when he didn't even know what tank I had!!! I finally told him that what failed was the part that moved the water that was plugged into the wall. I didn't care WHAT he called it. Then he asked how many gallons the tank was again. AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! He asked my name and he immediately found my order on his computer. It would have been so simple if he had done that in the first place..then he would have had ALL his questions answered in front of him. But then, he wouldn't have had a chance to argue with me. Any way, he told me that they'd ship out a new pump in about 4 days. I asked him if he thought the fish would last in a tank with no flow for a week. He said they'd be fine if I changed 20% of the water every other day. Gee thanks. I asked if he could expedite the shipping and he said no. So, I thought I'd pass this along to you so you'd be prepared if you need to call about your tank. Take a tranquilizer before you call.UPDATE #2: I received a phone call from Marineland this morning. They were very apologetic and wanted to make it right. They listened to everything and said they would be speaking with that representative. They are sending me some filters as an apology, even though I told them it wasn't necessary. I'm happy to see they still care.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
Size: 3-gallonVerified Purchase
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Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2016
Size: 5-GallonVerified Purchase
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5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous tank. Looks much bigger than it is.
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2016
I noticed, when researching tanks I wanted to buy, that the 3 and the 5 gallon reviews and Q&As are totally mixed together, so I want to state right out that this is a review of the 5 gallon tank. This is a beautiful tank. I was looking for a glass tank after totally destroying more than one acrylic hex tank trying to get algae off the sides of the glass. While you have to be careful handling it when you set it up, glass is SO much easier to clean. Being a glass worker, I have to say I'm really impressed with the curved edges on this tank. It isn't an easy or inexpensive thing to do. I actually questioned whether this was real glass or plastic because of it. But it is real glass and it is curved without distortions that might happen when you bend glass. It gives it a lovely, graceful and expensive look. I like a naturally planted tank and was concerned about the amount of light I'd get from the LED strip. It looks like it will be fine for low light aquarium plants, like ferns and anubias. I will update this if the plants don't thrive. Even if they don't, attaching an additional light strip to this tank will be very easy and will not detract from the beauty of the tank. The light strip contains both clear lights and blue lights. When the clear lights are on, the blue lights are also on. It really enhances the colors in the tank. You can run the blue lights independently of the clear lights for a nighttime effect. This isn't important if you have a freshwater tank, but would be very important if you have a saltwater tank. I did overestimate the amount of gravel needed for this tank because the tank is divided differently than other tanks I've had and I thought I'd need more. When I clean the tank, I'll pull some gravel out of it. I'm a little torn about that because I have Dwarf African Frogs in there and they swim to the top to gulp air. My excess gravel shortens that distance for them to swim. There have been a ton of questions asking about the dimensions of the tank. The answers are all over the board. So here are the real dimensions: The overall dimensions of the tank, including the back area where the filtration is but without the stand or the light bar are: 9 5/8" square by 14" tall. The stand adds an additional 1 1/4" in height. The light bar adds yet another 3 7/8" in height. With everything attached, the height is 19 3/8". The glass is 3/16" thick and is not tempered (since people were asking. BTW, the only thing tempering does is keeps the glass from breaking into large pieces when it breaks. It does NOT make glass less breakable.) The filtration box is 2 1/4" deep. This reduces the dimensions where your fish will swim to 9 5/8" wide by 7 3/8" deep. Having said that, it really doesn't fell that small, for some reason. It should feel narrow, like a show tank, but it doesn't. Maybe it's because the back is black and gives the illusion of depth. I don't know.

I wanted to put a betta in this tank, so I was concerned with water flow from the pump since bettas don't really like a lot of current to swim against. The instructions said to start the pump at its maximum setting, which I did. Wow!!!! WAY too much current. If you have any really fat fish that you want to put on an exercise program, put them in this tank with the pump set at max!!! I turned it way down to minimum. There is current, but not much and the betta is very happy and swimming around happily. Now I need to see if it's enough to keep the tank clean! I might have to gradually increase the flow to find that ideal meeting ground between clean tank and happy betta. I will update this if I need to increase the flow because a lot of people want to keep bettas in this tank. Also, there is a sliding glass canopy over the glass part of the tank. Since I have a betta, I am keeping it slid backwards about an inch so that fresh air can get in. I am a little afraid that if I keep it slid closed, the betta won't be able to get quality air to breathe when it goes to the surface to take a breath. I'm really happy I have that option without having to mess with the look of the tank.

One thing that people have been saying in answered questions and in reviews is that they have been putting heaters in the filtration area. The instructions clearly state not to do this. The filtration area is plastic. NOT a good idea to put a heater in there. I got the heater that was recommended with the tank, the Tetra 26447 Submersible Aquarium Heater, 50-Watt. It's black and, when put into the tank against the black background, horizontally the way Marineland illustrates in their directions, it is virtually invisible. There is a notch between the main tank and the filtration area for the cord to sit in flat. The literature with the heater says it keeps the temperature at 78 degrees. There is no place to adjust this. Checking the water a day later, the water is exactly 78 degrees. I like my water a little warmer, but 78 will keep them happy, so I'm not going to change it.

Finally, the filtration system. There is a carrier that holds a filter cartridge, labeled as a "Z" cartridge and a black bio sponge. The "z" cartridge looks exactly the same as their Hex 5 cartridge. (This is a good thing since I had just purchased 15 new Hex 5 cartridges!) If you want or need more filtration, there is enough room to put another type of filtration medium in there. The back area is very tight. I am a small woman with small hands (stop laughing now). It's tight even for me. For big guys, you're going to have problems if you want to reach down in there. It shouldn't be a problem because the filter carrier is pulled up for changing without needing to put your hands in there, but I just wanted to warn you. Eventually, you will want to break the tank down for thorough cleaning and you'd better have the long sponges ready because you sure aren't going to have your hands in there. I almost took a star off because of this, but I like the tank so much, and this is not a major thing, so I'm not going to do it. An additional inch would have been helpful, though.

All in all, I am really happy with this tank. It has SO much going for it. I'm glad I didn't get the 3 gallon tank because some of the things that are different, such as a transformer for the lights vs no transformer, larger pump, etc. I highly recommend your getting it if you are looking for a beautiful tank with a small footprint.

UPDATE: I just downgraded this by a star. I've had this tank for a month and the filter pump is failing. It's pushing out very little current, no matter what setting I put it on. I called what they call "customer service" this morning. NOT a pleasant experience. A person answered and I told him that I had the 5 gallon Marineland Contour Glass Aquarium kit for 3 weeks and that the filter pump was failing. He proceeded to tell me that there was no filter pump. I was looking at the instruction pamphlet that came with the tank and it was clearly labeled "filter pump". He asked what kind of filter it took. I told him it took a z cartridge, but it wasn't the filter that had failed..it was the pump. He kept on arguing with me that there wasn't a filter pump. I asked him if he was at all familiar with the unit I was talking about. He then told me that he had no idea what model I had. So I again told him what tank I had. He asked again how many gallons it was. He asked again how long I had it. I have a problem with a customer service agent who is given all that information at the beginning of the call and it was never listened to. And then, he sat there and argued with me that there wasn't a pump when he didn't even know what tank I had!!! I finally told him that what failed was the part that moved the water that was plugged into the wall. I didn't care WHAT he called it. Then he asked how many gallons the tank was again. AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! He asked my name and he immediately found my order on his computer. It would have been so simple if he had done that in the first place..then he would have had ALL his questions answered in front of him. But then, he wouldn't have had a chance to argue with me. Any way, he told me that they'd ship out a new pump in about 4 days. I asked him if he thought the fish would last in a tank with no flow for a week. He said they'd be fine if I changed 20% of the water every other day. Gee thanks. I asked if he could expedite the shipping and he said no. So, I thought I'd pass this along to you so you'd be prepared if you need to call about your tank. Take a tranquilizer before you call.

UPDATE #2: I received a phone call from Marineland this morning. They were very apologetic and wanted to make it right. They listened to everything and said they would be speaking with that representative. They are sending me some filters as an apology, even though I told them it wasn't necessary. I'm happy to see they still care.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2022
Size: 3-gallonVerified Purchase
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5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2022
I waited a month before writing this review to test the product, and let me say, this tank is amazing! I bought the 3 gallon for my Betta. Yes, I do realize that it’s a bit small, but I am moving into a dorm and refused to settle for a bowl. Overall, it is the perfect size for what I need it for! I did some extensive research before purchasing and this tank has lived up to my expectations. The viewing is crystal clear, the lights are super bright (or calming, if using the nighttime setting), and filtration is essentially silent. I have had no issues with it. I went from a Biorb Tube to this, and even though it was a downgrade in size, this tank is so much better. The filters are way cheaper ($5 for a 3 pack vs. $13 for 1 Biorb filter) and the tank does not get dirty as quickly (it’s been a month and the tank is still crystal clear, vs my Biorb which would be filled with algae by week 3). I find that all you need to clean this tank is a turkey baster to suck up the droppings! A lot of other reviewers mentioned the filter being too strong… I didn’t experience that problem. I put it on the lowest setting and pointed the nozzle upwards and have had no issues.
However, there are a few ‘imperfections’ to the design of this tank. 1) The condensation issue- like other reviewers have mentioned, the glass lid collects condensation almost instantly. This isn’t the biggest issue, but I feel like it would just take a few small holes spread evenly across the lid to fix it, which is a flaw in design on Marineland’s part. 2) the black “cover” that goes over the back of the tank is a joke. It isn’t secure no matter what I try, and just flips around. Again, the design could be better. And 3) the overhead light. So the light is actually very nice and illuminates the tank beautifully but the lamp itself is very flimsy. When I unboxed it, it was twisted out of shape, so I had to bend it repeatedly to get it straight. Either the packaging or the material was to blame. Not complete deal-breakers, but problems that could be addressed to satisfy the customers.
Overall, it’s a very nice tank and definitely worth the investment. My little guy has been making bubble nests bigger than he has made in years!
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Cheryl
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Tank
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Jenny Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
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The filter is suprisingly strong, the two modes of light are great for day and evening.

A cute little desktop aquarium.
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My name is Jeff
2.0 out of 5 stars UK Buyers beware, this is 110V
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2022
Size: 3-gallonVerified Purchase
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