I was browsing online and came across the BiOrb Aquarium. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary goldfish bowl. It’s far from it though! The BiOrb fish tank actually has a special 5-stage filtration system. If you’ve ever had goldfish in a bowl, you know how quickly the water can turn nasty and dirty. Ughh.

Changing the cartridges looks simple. There’s no need to empty out the water, which saves time. The aquarium bowl is actually ten times stronger than a regular goldfish bowl. But I still don’t suggest dropping it!

In the base there’s an air pump and filter hidden away. A light in the lid to illuminates your fish, but you have to buy the biOrb heater seperately.

So is it really that good? I read through some of the reviews of the BiOrb Aquarium, and one thing was agreed upon. This fish tank is not good for goldfish. They’re just too dirty for it. This would make a great aquarium for smaller fish, such as neon tetras.

It was also suggested that the larger 16 gallon BiOrb aquarium was easier to maintain than the 8 gallon. Personally, I change the water in my betta bowls every two to three weeks, and do a monthly water change in the eclipse aquarium. The betta bowls only have a few gallons of water in them, and stay clean. I’d guess a 16 gallon tank like this wouldn’t take any more work than a regular 20 gallon aquarium. It would definitely take up less space.

You can get the full specs on the BiOrb Aquarium here, or baby biorb here.

Want to get a lot of “wow’s!” from friends. Check out this custom fish tank from Octopus Studios. It’s called the Silverfish Aquarium, and comes as a kit which will turn into a fully functional fish tank. The kit components include the following:

‘The Aquarium Structure

The Aquarium Stand

Filtration & Heating Parts
Eheim Professional2 external filter & filterset media
Undergravel filter plates x3
Hydor external heater
Filter tubing
Inlet strainer
All taps/clips/suckers required for assembly

Lighting Parts
Light controllers x3
Circular fluorescent daylight lamps x3
Lighting covers x3

Aeration Parts
Eheim 400 air pump
Air line
Air stones x3
All taps/clips/suckers required for assembly

Decoration - Highest quality silk plants

Cleaning Equipment - Gravel vacuum, Magnetic surface cleaner, Siphon tubing and taps, Filter tubing brush, Net, and Tongs.’

This custom fish tank has about a 60 gallon capacity, and would make a great tropical freshwater aquarium. It’s about 3.3 feet or a metre cubed. The fish tank stand measures 1.1 metres in length, and stands 0.9 of a metre tall. It comes standard in three colors; black, cherry brown, and carbon fibre. They will allow you to choose from over 30 other textures and colors if desired. Truly custom!

Octopus Studios is based on the Cote d’Azur, France, and delivers their custom fish tank kits worldwide. Looks like a fun tank!

Update!  A reader, Alyssa, and myself both emailed the company for a price quote.  Currently the aquarium’s cost is 2200 Euros, with a shipping charge of 350 Euros to the States.  That’s about $3000 U.S.