Very Good Compensation. Really like the fact that you spoke clearly and slowly, without any distracting music, it made it so much easier to listen and understand.
Fantastic review! I was wondering which to get and after watching I'm really loving that Aquaone- I think a simple cube just looks so much nicer. That landscape is lovely too.
Thank you for your review. I'm considering both tanks covered, already owning the Flex. Your information is really helpful as you can't determine these things from a website or looking at the box in the store.
This compares the two really well and very clearly, thank you. I think this video is the final nail in the Flex as my tank choice, it's not sounding suitable for what I want. I will see if I can track down an Aqua Nano in Australia though, it seems like a good option for a planted shrimp tank. It's nice to hear from someone who talks in litres rather than gallons, it's tiresome to have to keep converting to litres. Why the US can't just join everyone else is beyond me lol.
@@bobstrainroom I'm surprised that there are no native shrimp in NZ. I did date a Kiwi who said that pest animals couldn't be kept as pets (he couldn't have pet ferrets) but I never thought that would include shrimp.
@@amandah2866 Yes there is a native shrimp that you can catch, but they do best in brackish water and unfortunately just dont survive in heated aquariums.
Thanks so much for this. Some very good information. Be very interesting to see what plants might grow in both tanks. I do prefer the lid of the Flex. You don't have to clean it and it covers the aquarium. Snails could escape the other tank.
Thanks very much for your review we were considering both these tanks as an upgrade from a bioorb.. You've confirmed our decision regarding getting the aqua one
I recently purchased the aqua nano 60, it’s a lovely looking tank. I did replace the filter media with my own and it’s doing a perfect job of keeping the water crystal clear. Good informative video 👍
Very helpful video when your in a location with no petshops it was as if I was looking at them myself. Thanks for the video it helped me decide on a tank. 👍
Very good comparison! I am not s fan of the distortion from the bow front of the Flex. However I am also worried about the thinness of the curved glass cracking down the line on the Aqua Nano. Any thoughts on the thickness of the glass and build quality?
I have no problems with the build quality and with any glass product it needs to be treated with respect. I am sure its fully up to the job of holding the water back. I am in the habit of resting a bucket on the lip of the front glass when topping up my tanks - freeing up a hand which I use to cushion the water flowing in. But with this tank I am extra careful not to put too much pressure on the glass as it certainly does look thin. Also be careful when placing rocks in it. Thanks for viewing.
True it does look better I know terra has been working on a filter heater combo up to 100 watts and is using it in their starter line aquariums.....thanks for the videos keep them coming
I'm am old geezer, in my high school days during the 1960's my aquariums were steel framed glass tanks with heater and thermostats hanging in them and the filters mainly being under-gravel, hang-on's or sponge filters and there had to be air bubbles somewhere - either from a filter or from an air-stone. That is the what people expected an aquarium to look like and was the 'norm'. In some ways this image has not changed much. The back compartment of the Fluval's do allow hobbyists to break away from this stereotype by having all of those utilities hidden from sight. We can now have smaller tanks sceniced in a more natural way with just plants, rocks, drift wood and fish. I do look forward to enhancements and advancements being made by the trade.
I took the multi-directional nozzle off my pump outlet. It has really helped with reducing the flow as the outlet is larger and reduces the pressure at which the water comes out. Great for surface agitation and now very little movement lower in the tank and on the opposite side where the intake is. Give it a try and see what you think.
This sounds like a good idea which I will try when I next overhaul the tank. At the moment things are good - I have one nozzle aimed at the glass side with foam in between - gives a gentle flow. On the other I have tied a small piece of insect screen gauze and aim the outflow out of the water at an angle. The gauze breaks up the water into small droplets which gives a pleasing cascade of bubbles into the water and gently moves the plants. The burbling is a little noisy but I actually enjoy it. Thank you for your suggestion.
I love my 15g flex. The lights are great. Yes it's got high flow but you can easily modify the output nozzles. I even grow floating plants and it does great. The pump does seem to clog up pretty often though
Hi. Thanks for the video! Interesting. I am trying to decide between the two. The Aqua Nano 80 is winning currently. Im not a fan of the glass lid however. Is it easy to clean? Also we have a cat. What do you think, would both tanks support a cat if it jumped up on the lid!? Many thanks
No problems keeping the lid clean - and I have had our cat climb on top of both lids. I dont think either type would fair well if a cat jumped down on them from a great height. The Aqua has sturdy glass sides and bottom. The top glass is a lighter grade and supported by plastic clips. I think the light over it would discourage most cats. The flex tank has a plasic lid which is sturdy but the glass sides looks too thin. On Facebook there is a Fluval Flex Enthusiasts group whick makes interesting reading about glass failures.
Really good review! Incredibly helpful. I was just wondering what thoughts you had about the noise of the Aqua Nano? You mention that the Flex has a low hum, does the Nano run pretty much silent? I have heard reports of vibration from the powerhead causing issues...
It does run silent - I use with the low or medium settings which is plenty of circulation. Nowdays I run it with the supplied venturi which of course gives bubble noise. I have gotten use to it.
Hi, I am not sure of the name. They grow in my goldfish pond but multiply quickly and become a nuisance. When I setup this tank I put a couple in as it was so bare. They grew too well and I later removed them. I now use Indian Fern as a floating plant - very hardy.
Thanks Bob for a very helpful comparison, I am considering the larger versions of these tanks. Like you I am unable to view in person could I ask what the internal measurement is from the front of the filter compartment to the front glass of the AquaNano please.
Hi Barry, The internal measurement from the filter divider to the front glass is 320 mm. The glass sides and front is one piece with moulded corners. There is a very slight bow to the front part as the same measurement taken closer to the corners is 318 mm. The sides of the glass lid are slotted into a plastic strip moulding which then sits on the glass sides. I made the mistake of not butting the lid up against the front glass when introducing a new fish. It was swimming up and down the corners and during the night had gone through the corner gap and onto the floor - something to watch out for.
Fluval Flex is a far better and more innovative tank hands down. When you're complaining about back openings in FF in this video you're neglecting to say that it comes with 2 baskets for the front protection of those slits so you can fill up the small baskets with the sponge and prevent small animals from entering that area altogether. Also I prefer stronger water pump then the weak one 'cause it's quite easy to slow the flow down from putting the small piece of sponge into the jets to making holes that you've mentioned or the more drastic shortening the propellers inside the pump. However if you NEED a stronger flow and your pump can NOT provide it I would find that to be the much bigger problem than this. I've been enjoying FF 15 G for over a year now and I've started several new tanks with the extra medium that I have always handy in the back of this tank. Also it's easy to modify lights or filtration or whatever you want in this tank and extra backspace make it easy NOT to have a mess of wires and heaters hanging visible&ugly inside the back of the tank. I will be getting new 32.5 G as I love this series..
Thanks for the comments. Unfortunately, the baskets were not supplied with the tank. As I understand it, they have now started adding the baskets as a result of customer feedback. 'Cat' kindly mentioned last month that those without them, can order separately which is good. I overcame the problem with a sponge barricade as even my Serpae Tetras could get through the slots. I too enjoy the faster water flow and if I introduce fish that cant handle the current, then I will try your suggestion by cutting up some sponge to restrict the outlets. The back-filter system concept on both tanks are similar and working a treat. I doubt that supplies of the new 32.5 G will be sold New Zealand but would still be interested in your comments on it if you do get one.
@@bobsfishytails Interesting, here in Canada it was selling WITH those baskets included from the day 1. I know 'cause I first bought 9 gal and came home and promptly went back to replace it with 15 G and both had them. I must admit I am biased toward FF 'cause I did not tired that other tank but the 32.5 G is beginning to show up here in the Vancouver area. FOr now the discrepancies in the price are HUGe it sells from $369 to $550 and there are many people trying to catch the quick buck in the craze by buying in the store and selling via ADs on Craiglist and Marketplace. If I wait till winter the price might get below $300 CAD.. (like $299 I hope)
Hi! The aqua One light has an on/off switch but no adjustments. It has a combination of white and RGB Leds which bring out the colors of plants and fish. The power adapter of one of them died about a month ago but I had a spare from an old router which had the same output rating and fixed the problem. The Fluval light has plenty of adjustments with the remote that it came with. Unfortunately, the RGB leds stopped working 6 months ago, no doubt the remote developed a fault, so I just use the white lights now which is fine with my crypts as they only need low light. I prefer the Aqua One light and think that the Fluval would benefit from a second or better light. For a while I was using an Amazon light which I found good. Hope this helps.
The Fluval has a foam mat included - some people think a thicker one would be better. I would have made a mat if one was not included, as they do help soften the pressure on the glass. Its very important that the surfaces are clean as a tiny pebble would create a pressure point possibly causing the glass to crack at some stage. The Aquaone tanks have a sturdy thickness of bottom glass with four feet attached which is all that is needed. I put the packaging polystyrene under mine so dust would not show and so it matches the Fluval which is sitting on a wooden pad to give that tank more height. Thanks for viewing.
A really thorough and detailed review, congrats on the hard work. I hadn't even considered an AquaNano, now it's possible, though I've seen so many amazing Flex videos I'm still leaning that way. I'd be interested in seeing an updated video of both of your tanks to see how they went with more vegetation, in this video the Flex looked a little pale and understocked.
yes a warning would seem logical although not all handlers would take notice. No heater I guess is a marketing decision - to keep the retail cost down especially for people keeping cold water fish? Keep on cruising!
Nice review Bob.., thx. I’m looking to buy 15g aquarium and the Nano One will be it. I wish companies would stop using glass lids. A plastic lid with holes would be so much better. Or.., a nicely fitted screen mesh lid would be best. Cheers from Florida
I ck into it and a plexiglass is the same price, actually even a little cheaper. Not too mention, even safer. A nice plastic lid with a dozen holes is less weight, easier to remove when it’s time to feed. Also with the holes, better to let light in for plants. I found a local company in my home town and they cut me a exact piece and they drilled the holes. I then super glued a knob on front corner to make it easy to lift. Works great and no more condensation on the glass lid that company gives us. Thanks & cheers from Florida.
Oh yea.., I see you also like keeping live plants. You may want to ck out, Aquarium Co Op on YT. He has 1,000 videos and he is in my opinion the best fish & plant keeper. He has degrees and knows what he talking about. He came out with a product called, Easy Green. It’s excellent for plants and has everything in ONE bottle. If you don’t know his channel, ck it out. Plus, he will ship to the UK & Australia. Cheers from Florida
@@alanp1385 I agree that Cory has a wealth of useful information. Your lid sounds great - I do like it when people think 'outside the square' and are able to develop a workable solution.
Black Beard Algae arrived with some plants that I bought - I should do a video to show my attempts to control it. Your algae is probably resulting from too much light and or nutrients. Avoid sunlight and perhaps reduce the hours that your lights are on - but it will take some time to see the results. Consider getting a couple of Otocinclus catfish - they are good at controlling algae!
I was able to get the rocks from my garden. The previous owner had landscaped the grass edging with it. As this district was historically volcanic it became a popular rock. Sorry that I could not be of more help.
I have the Flex 15, love the tank but the LED light is a problem. It's not water proof and I have just gone through my third light in 4 years. At 50.00 a pop I'm trying something else.
I think you are correct as I found this on their website "Aqua One as a global brand is over 25 years old with our global HQ based in Sydney, Australia" Looks like their main markets are the UK, EU, Hong Kong and China.
I got this recently, i am a bit paranoid about the bottom glass panel cracking as this tank stands on 4 studs! The nano 40 i mean. I got a nice 1.2kg dragon stone but i doubt it can handle that specially since it stands on thos 4 studs leaving the centre a bit vulnerable imo
The base glass is a good thickness but for peace of mind perhaps sit it on the polystyrene packing that was in the box as I have done. It spreads the load and provides a little insulation. I did this to stop dust gathering under it.
Running 18mths now with the same setup - large lava rocks and very few plants. Apart from black beard algae has been trouble free. A couple of videos on my channel. Enjoy the hobby!
Fluval do not say the flex is a nano tank if you want nano downscale your biased reporting shows one tank in pretty good shape the other weeks later in the process of getting there.
I am not a 'HEY - WOTS UP' guy who chases subcribers and $s - I put together some thoughts on choosing tanks that others may find helpfull and I make no apology for that. I dont know why you keep placing the same comment here - three comments within the past year, but I do thank you for viewing again and wish you well with your aquarium.
