A Review of the Baby Biorb Fish Tank as a Betta Bowl

The new biorb aquariums were so cool-looking that I had to try one out for my betta fish. While they are nice little aquariums (or big aquariums if you go for the 16 gallon size), they're better for goldfish than bettas. Why? Because while a biorb has a sleek look, it doesn't come with a heater to keep your betta warm.

You have to buy a separate heater component, and the biorb people haven't done any work on the design of the heater - it looks like any other clunky heater. Its straight and reportedly does not stay attached to the side of the tank with the suction cups provided - so you end up with a cool looking tank, but there's this big black heater center stage in the tank, moving around as the water currents nudge it. It ruins the look of the tank, and as bettas really must be kept warm, biorb's lack of designing a heater into their aquarium is a problem.

The second major reason the biorb is not the best choice for a betta bowl is the filter and the accompanying pump. You don't really need a filter or a pump or aeration for a single betta, so the whole apparatus is somewhat unnecessary. All the turbulence at the top of the water also prevents a betta from making a bubble nest, or even starting one. Again, this is in the "nice but not necessary" category, but bubble nests are one of the ways I guage how happy my betta is.

The pump becomes a problem about a week in. It starts to get louder. Maybe not truly noisy, but as this is a table top aquarium, having the thing begin to hum louder, and then start to thrum, almost rattle, is not a peaceful companion to sit six inches away from while your reading a book. Or writing. Or doing anything else that requires much focus. It gets annoying.

Yesterday it got annoying enough that I unplugged the pump. We're all enjoying the quiet now. Not needing the noise and fuss of a filter and pump is one of the nicest things about keeping a betta fish. As soon as I unplugged the pump, that pleasure (quiet!) came back. I also realized that I was now keeping my betta in basically the same bowl I got from Hobby Lobby for $15. Expect this bowl - the baby biorb - cost me $70 and has no good way to be heated. Sitting it on a root heater mat won't work as well as it would for a glass bowl because the biorb sits up on a little base that holds the somewhat unnecessary filter.

Finally, the last thing I don't like about the biorb: the gravel. You have to use the gravel they provide you, and its not the kind of material you could put live plants in if you wanted to. Also, there's juuuust barely enough of the gravel to cover the bottom ring of the aquarium. You'll need to get a second bag of the biorb gravel to really even cover the bottom of the bowl.

If you want to put plants in, even plastic plants (ugh), you'll need to weigh them down. Most pet stores have little bendable metal ties that can be wrapped around the bottom of plants to keep them where you want them. But even with the weights, unless you get a second bag of gravel, there's not enough gravel to even somewhat cover the roots - even plastic "roots" - of the plants.

So... while it looked really cool to start with, I can not recommend this as a betta bowl. It would work as a goldfish bowl - they don't need heat as much, and they definitely need the filter and bubbler - goldfish need way more oxygen in their water than bettas do, and they are much "dirtier" fish - they need a good filter. Cost wise, getting a nice big 2 gallon or larger bowl would be better for a betta. Then either buy a long tube filter, or get yourself one of those low-heat plant rooting mats and sit the bowl on the mat for some nice radiant heat. The plant mats can be covered with a cloth to make them look nicer, and they're completely water-proof.

Biorb also makes 8 and 16 gallon aquariums. They sure do look cool, but for my money and my fish, I'd avoid them. If you want a nice all-in-one 8 gallon aquarium, definitely go with the Nano 180 half moon aquarium. Its 8 gallons and $99 - that's $21 cheaper than the 8 gallon biorb, and it comes with a much stronger light and filter system. And it lets you use whatever gravel you want. It also, arguably looks as cool or cooler than the biorb.

If you want a 16 gallon aquarium, again I'd pass on the biorb. Its $190 for the 16 gallon, and for that much money you can get a real four sided tank setup, or if you want an all-in-one model you could go with a nano cube or an aqua pod. Drs Foster and Smith have them for good prices, plus you'll get a $30 gift certificate for plants and fish. And with a nano cube or an aqua pod you'll get a serious, first rate lighting system, filter and the base model of an aquarium that handle creatures way more exotic and demanding than goldfish or bettas - things like live coral. And if you get sick of the hobby, you'll get more money for your used aqua pod or the nano cube than you will for a biorb.

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