Best Freshwater Fish Tanks

There are a bewildering number of freshwater fish tanks on the market and they literally come in all shapes and sizes.

From small 10-litre desktop cubes to giant 8-foot-long super aquariums and all sizes in between. Corner tanks, cylindrical tanks, or ones with a bow front the choice is endless.

In this article, we hope to narrow down those choices for you by showing you our choice of the best freshwater fish tanks available.

Top 4 Best Freshwater Fish Tanks

#	Preview	Product	Quick Review
1		Juwel LED Aquariums	Superb Quality
2		Fluval LED Aquariums	Best Choice
3		Fluval Shaker LED Aquarium	Stylish
4		Aquael OptiSet Aquarium	Good Starter Tanks

What to Look for When Buying a Freshwater Fish Tank

Size – The size of the tank you get should always be governed first by the fish you wish to keep. Put simply, larger fish require larger tanks.

Of course, the room you have available to place your tank is also an important consideration. As a general rule, get the largest tank you can because you will want to upgrade at a later date!

Lighting – Nowadays, most freshwater fish tanks come with supplied LED lighting and this is usually adequate to get you started. However, you should consider a couple of things at the outset.

Is the lighting dimmable or controllable? Will it be powerful enough to keep live plants if I want to keep them or will I need to upgrade at a later date?

Filtration – For tanks up to 200 litres a good internal filter will more than cope with your tank’s filtration requirements but you might want to consider ease of maintenance, capacity for filter media and flow rates.

For tanks above 200 litres you should look for an aquarium plumbed for use with an external filter.

Heating – If your chosen aquarium is supplied with a heater, then it should be rated to correctly and efficiently heat a tank of that size.

If not, take a look at our guide, Best Rated Aquarium Heaters for assistance.

Freshwater Fish Tank Product Reviews

Here are my reviews of the best freshwater fish tanks:-

Note: The fish tanks reviewed below are ‘all-in-one’. This means they are supplied with their own lighting, filtration system, and a suitable heater*. All are also only suitable for use with an internal filter **.

1. Juwel LED Aquariums

Superbly engineered in Germany, Juwel aquariums come in four styles and colour options:-

• Juwel Lido – Cube style aquarium with 120 or 200 litre capacity.
• Juwel Rio – Rectangular style aquarium with a choice of 125 / 180 / 240 / 350 / 450 litre capacity.
• Juwel Trigon – Corner style aquarium (with a curved front) with 190 or 350 litre capacity.
• Juwel Vision – Rectangular style aquarium with a curved front panel. 180 / 260 / 450 litre capacity.

Colour options are black, white and light or dark wood. All aquariums come with easily detachable panels in the hood for feeding, ease of access and maintenance.

Lighting

The aquariums are supplied with the Juwel Multilux LED system of two ‘Day’ and ‘Nature’ LED tubes to give an optimum spectrum whilst saving over 50% energy over equivalent T5 tubes.

The lights are powerful enough to grow all but the most demanding of plants.

Programmable Juwel Helialux lights are available for purchase separately but these are expensive and require an additional controller.

Filter

All aquariums come with the Juwel Bioflow internal filter system with five high-performance filter media and a silent Eco-flow circulation pump. Pump capacity depends on the size of the tank.

Heater

The Juwel Aquaheat adjustable heater slots neatly inside the Bio-flow internal filter system and is therefore hidden from view. Made from shock-proof borosilicate glass, Aquaheat adjustable heaters meet the highest standards in safety.

We strongly recommend you purchase the appropriate Juwel cabinet for your choice of aquarium. These are available separately or when you purchase your aquarium.

Pros

• German Engineering
• Silent running
• Good internal filter
• Multiple styles and colour options
• Good lighting
• Reliable heater

Cons

• Multilux lighting is not dimmable or programmable.

*Pallet curbside delivery

2. Fluval Roma LED Aquariums

Fluval is one of the best-known brands in fish-keeping and, as you would expect, they produce a large range of aquarium styles and sizes.

For the purposes of this review we are going to concentrate on the popular Fluval Roma range.

The Fluval Roma is a rectangular style aquarium with a choice of 90 / 125 / 200 / 240 litre capacity.

Colour options are Black, Oak and Walnut. The aquariums come with easily detachable panels in the hood for feeding, ease of access and maintenance.

Lighting

Fluval Roma aquariums come supplied with energy-efficient Bluetooth LED lighting, with a bright daylight spectrum to help support plant growth. The lights are controlled via the Fluval SmartApp on any smartphone.

For more demanding plants you may wish to upgrade to the Fluval Aquasky range which has far more control over the full light spectrum.

Filter

Fluval Roma aquariums up to 200 litres come with the Fluval U series internal filter system with 3-stage filtration and a powerful circulation pump. Pump capacity depends on the size of the tank.

Flow can be controlled to optimize oxygenation, deep-water agitation or a middle spray-bar for a gentle flow in planted aquariums.

Simple flip-top operation for easy maintenance.

The Fluval Roma 240 litre tank is plumbed for use with the Fluval 307 External filter which is an excellent choice for the larger tank.

Heater

Fluval Roma aquariums come supplied with the Fluval M series heaters. Slimline, and made from shock and heat proof borosilicate glass, M series heaters are both reliable and safe.

Fluval Roma cabinets are available separately or when you purchase your aquarium.

Pros

• Bluetooth programmable lighting
• Multiple surround colour options
• Excellent filter
• Good heater
• Great Value

Cons

• Heater not integrated in the filter
• Lighting upgrade required for more demanding plants

** The Fluval Roma 240 requires an external filter.

*Pallet curbside delivery

3. Fluval Shaker LED Aquarium

New from Fluval is the very stylish Shaker range of aquarium and cabinet kits.

Three sizes are available with a choice of 168 / 252 / 345 litre capacity.

Cabinet and surround colour options are Hampshire Oak or Slate Grey. Detachable panels in the hood give easy access for feeding, ease of access and maintenance.

These aquariums will look fabulous in any home and the soft-close panelled cabinet doors add to the luxury feel.

Lighting

Fluval Shaker aquariums come with energy-efficient Bluetooth LED lighting, controlled via the Fluval SmartApp on any smartphone.

Filter

Fluval Shaker aquariums are plumbed for, and supplied with, the Fluval 07 External filter which is neatly hidden away inside the cabinet.

07 External filters are powerful but low on energy usage, easy to maintain and have a 3-stage filtration process.

Heater

Fluval Shaker aquariums are supplied with the Fluval M series heaters. Slimline, and made from shock and heat-proof borosilicate glass, M series heaters are both reliable and safe.

Pros

• Bluetooth programmable lighting
• Stylish Cabinet
• External filter
• Good heater
• Excellent Value

Cons

• Lighting upgrade required for more demanding plants

*Available for Collection Only (Wolverhampton)

4. Aquael OptiSet Aquarium

The Aquael Optiset aquariums are a good choice for the beginner wanting to start with a mid-sized aquarium.

The Aquael Optiset is a rectangular style aquarium with a choice of 125 / 200 / 240 litre capacity.

Lighting

The supplied lighting is the Leddy LED Tube Day & Night lighting with 3 manually controlled modes: Day / Daybreak / Night.

The tanks are not supplied with a filter or heater.

Pros

• Cheap but well-made
• Satin finish
• 3 lighting modes

Cons

• * the Aquael OptiSet Aquariums are not supplied with a filter or heater.
• Only 2 surround colour choices.
• Lighting is not dimmable or programmable.
• Largest model is not plumbed for an external filter.

*Pallet curbside delivery

Conclusion

For sheer build quality, Juwel aquariums are almost impossible to beat. Everything about them, from the quality of the glass and functionality of the filter system to the quietness of the pump points to the finest German craftsmanship.

However, we now feel they are somewhat let down by the lack of functionality and controllability of the supplied Multilux lighting system. Yes, you can upgrade to the Helialux system but this is both expensive in itself and requires a further purchase of the controller.

So, we recommend the Fluval Roma as a great choice. Great build quality and an excellent filtration system coupled with programmable lighting make it a clear favourite..

Freshwater Fish Tank FAQs

What size aquarium is best? First and foremost, this should always be decided by the fish you wish to keep, so do your research on which fish can be kept in which size of tank. A small shoal of tetras may be fine in a 60 litre tank but a dozen Discuss will not!

What is the best starter aquarium? There is no hard and fast rule to this but as a bare minimum you will need at least 60 litres but you will be better off with a 90 – 120 litre tank.

Are bigger aquariums easier to maintain? The short answer is yes, as the more water you have the more stable the water chemistry and temperature will be. A larger tank will also cope better with any nutrient spikes that may occur.

How often do you need to clean a fish tank? – You should clean the inside of the glass as and when any algae builds up. This should lessen over time as the tank matures. Filter sponges, etc should be cleaned every 2 -4 weeks.

Do fish prefer long or tall tanks? – Generally fish swim laterally from side to side which can be somewhat restricted in a tall, narrow tank. However, it also depends on the size of the fish you wish to keep. A small shoal of tetras will be fine in either.

Where should you place a fish tank? – Always avoid, if you can, placing your fish tank where it will be in direct sunlight as this will encourage algae growth. Also, avoid placing the tank near any heaters, radiators or fires.