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(More customer reviews)The instructions are pretty skimpy, but not much assembly is required since most accessories (heater, air pump, lamp, background) are built into the unit.
After securing the wall bracket and putting the bio rings on the filter sponge, the book says to fill it with water, then hang it on the wall bracket. I thought, why risk a crippling back injury? Hanging it BEFORE adding the water seemed more sensible, and using a bucket and step stool was easier for me.
It comes with a net, the gravel, a long-handled "grabber", a suction hose for water changes, a scrubber, 3 sponge filters and about 50 bio-rings for the filtering system. The air pump for the bubbler is a little loud, but you can turn it on or off with the electric control. The temperature, lights, and filtering are all controlled with the side panel, either automatically or manually. You always have to reset the clock should you need to turn the tank off, but your other settings are retained and the constant temperature readout is in nice big numbers.
The T-4 lighting tube didn't work from the getgo, so I attempted to unscrew the lamp cover and check the connections. The screws are tiny T-9 torx-head, but the fixture was DOA. Customer service did send me a new one, however.
The top flips up for access, and the unit has a 3/8" thick 6 ft. electrical cord. I wanted to hide it with cord cover, but it's a little big so I'll probably just paint it grey to match my wall.
There's not much floor space for decor and plants, but adding a few is good for the fish and adds depth and beauty to the background. On top, the small surface area of water-to-air restricts the amount of water oxygenation, so use the air pump a lot to compensate.
Being only about 4 inches wide limits the choice of occupants who can actually turn around in it. The booklet suggests several species that would be too large within a couple of months, so please disregard unless you plan on buying a larger aquarium soon. After cycling the tank through its deadly ammonia spike, I finally decided on 4 fancy guppies. They're a small but hardy and active species, and come in beautiful colors. It might also make a good Betta tank, since the filtering system is gentle, but they don't like rapid water movement or air bubblers.
Keep in mind that the small water volume is less forgiving and can quickly turn poisonous from fish waste, so plan on doing more frequent water changes and maintenance than the book suggests. I siphon out 1/3, or two gallons, every week and replace it with fresh, dechlorinated tap water of the same temperature.
For the price I wish I had bought a bigger tank, but there's a premium for convenience and "living art", and it does look pretty cool on my wall, I have to admit. As long as you're aware of its limitations, it should bring you lots of enjoyment.
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Aquavista 500 Wall Mounted Aquarium with Seaweed BackgroundAquavista 500 is a wall mounted aquarium that hangs like a painting.Extremely low maintenance and easy to set up, the 6.6 gallon Aquavista 500 only requires 10 minutes of maintenance per month.The unit can be further customized with different picture frames and customizable backgrounds that are all interchangeable.The AV500 comes pre-assembled with advanced filtration, heater, air pump, lighting, and an embedded control panel that allows you to program the temperature and light.As seen in HGTV, USA Today, and the New York Times.
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