# Hunter?s First Tank ? Fluval Studio 600



## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

*Hunter’s First Tank – Fluval Studio 600*

When I first set my main tank 15 months ago, I told my daughter Hunter that she could have her own someday if she wanted one, spent time learning about them and putting a plan together. After more than a year of helping me with mine when I travel, she finally had some ideas. We started looking at tanks, fish and decorations. 

Hunter’s plan went from SpongeBob decorations and multi-colored gravel, well, everything else. Eventually after many trips with me to the LFS and doing her research, she decided that she wanted to design a river running through the middle of her tank. We then found a nice suspension bridge decoration with mountains and an Asian temple at one end. Hunter loved it and it went perfectly with her river idea, so the design was set. To make the river she wanted glass marbles. We compared marble colors and substrate colors and she settled on a black substrate and clear and blue glass for the river. 

One day in late October, we stumbled into a new Fluval Studio at a LFS. It seemed perfect, just the right size, just the right look to work in her bedroom. So (having atypically measured in advance) Dad made an impulse decision and decided the Studio 600 (33g) kit would be the one. Wasn’t cheap, but seemed a good setup for the money. It was listed at $475, but we paid $375 for it. This Studio 600 includes a heater, Fluval 205 canister filter, tank, stand, glass lid and Hagen Glo 2x T5HO fixture, plus a couple bottles of water conditioner, etc… It looks great, modern and sleek and given the completeness of the kit, I think it was a good value at what we paid. 
The tank is 33g. Not rimless, but still looks nice, modern and sleek, with a brushed aluminum skirt that also secures it atop the stand and a brushed aluminum rim that also houses a sliding holder for the light fixture and a lip on all 4 sides that supports a sliding glass lid – nice and simple. The stand is a nice, glossy, piano black finish. Black is the only color I’ve seen so far, but the box had a White tick mark as well as Black, so maybe white is coming.

http://www.hagen.com/news/product_sheets/Aquatic/Fluval_Studio.pdf

The stand is typical Ikea-style assembly and went together easily. Its sturdy and the finish is very nice. The tank itself is plumbed with the bases set in the bottom glass and the skirt seats positively on the stand. Setup consisted of attaching the intake and outflow pipes and the supplied hoses below. Once in the outflow can be adjusted to send flow where you want it.
I did upgrade two things. Neither was necessary as the lit is complete with quality components as is. But I will be helping with maintenance. Being a busy household, traveling regularly for work and with the tank up on the second floor, I wanted easy, accident proof maintenance as much as possible. So I upgrade to a Fluval G3. For an 8-yr old? Are you nuts? Yes, yes I am. Actually, the G3 was for me for the reasons stated above and because I wanted to try one. Got it for a good price also.

The other change was to the light. The Glo fixture was great. Mounts very securely in the sliding mount of the tank and went well with the kit. But I wanted lower power draw and wanted to eliminate bulbs from my daughter’s tank for safety reasons. So I bought a Marineland Double Bright LED fixture. It is also sleek, goes well with the Studio kit and fortunately, the legs fit perfectly into the rails in the tank’s rim for a nice secure fit.

So, G3 aside, Hunter got a great first kit at a good price. She did a good job planning, so I was happy to get her started this way. The Studio is perfect for a spot in the kitchen should she ever lose interest. Her design is a long way from the SpongeBob/multi-colored gravel she started with. Glass marbles might not be purest, but I think they actually look nice and the bridge too. My wife thinks it has a nice zen look and I think secretly likes it better than my setup. J Regardless, I think she did a great job showing marvelous restraint for an 8-yr old.

Here are some pics of the Studio kit, then planted. For fish she settled on fancy guppies, buying two each of her favorite 6 types, added some chain loaches and panda corys for cleanup crew. Feature fish for the low-mid water are a pair of gold rams. All are doing well and 3 weeks in, healthy. Plants have all survived and are starting to show new growth. Wasn’t certain about the LED fixture, but it is obviously fine for this application and provides a nice white light that provides lots of sparkle . We just started fert with Root-Medic tabs and liquids. Here is the start of the project, setup through plantings over two days.



























































































So far so good.
AB


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## weluvbettas (Aug 27, 2010)

Great tank!! I wish I could of had one of those when I was 8!


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## Tunze (Sep 3, 2008)

Hunter did great with her design and that is one sharp looking rig.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Cool! I wish I had that filter...or a canister filter for that matter.


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## askindc (Jun 28, 2008)

Many thanks for beginning your new journal with an excellent, well-written and photographed first entry describing a very attractive, clean-looking set-up! I will be extremely interested in reading your journal's future entries because I'm thinking of trying (next summer) an appropriately-sized Marineland double bright LED fixture for a Fluval Studio 600 or Studio 900 aquarium containing some varieties of Java ferns, various Anubias species, and various Cryptocoryne species.


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## hockey9999 (Nov 21, 2010)

Great looking tank! 

Out of curiosity, what LFS in NJ do you go to. I haven't seen that line of Fluval tanks in any of the shops I go to. 

Looking forward to seeing how the tank progresses!


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Thats one nice setup to start with. Maybe you can teach her some business lessons when that tank is filled with hundreds of guppies.... lol. I've seen that setup in person at my LFS and the pictures dont do it justice. Its one of the cleanest tank setups available short of a full ADA rig....


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

Thanks folks. Hunter is thrilled her tank is getting good reviews. 

Hockey, I saw the tank at The Hidden Reef in Levittown, PA. Bought it from Value Pet in Pennsauken, NJ. VP is a little shop with good prices on stuff, but I don't buy fauna there. Not much for planted tanks.

there is a store called Aquarium Center in Clementon, NJ that is a great store. Very strong in planted tanks, high-quality livestock. Best store in Philly Metro for freshwater and plants by far. For that matter may be the best from Philly through DC metro. I'm there 40% of the time and have visited many shops in-between. Haven't been to any stores in Northern NJ yet.


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Would you say Aquarium Center is better than Hidden Reef? Im pretty close to Hidden Reef so I go there when I want a good store but I don't have a problem driving farther for a better store... Hidden Reef is where I was mentioning when I said these tanks are awesome in person...


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

Gitmoe, for saltwater or finding an unusual piece of kit hidden reef is better. For selection of quality plants and FW fish aquarium center is far better. Took me a while to realize it as the size of THR is so impressive, they have just two large tanks with plants. AQ has an entire wall of tanks containing plants and a better selection of FW fish.

Give it a try. Ask for Annie.


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## hockey9999 (Nov 21, 2010)

NJAquaBarren said:


> Thanks folks. Hunter is thrilled her tank is getting good reviews.
> 
> Hockey, I saw the tank at The Hidden Reef in Levittown, PA. Bought it from Value Pet in Pennsauken, NJ. VP is a little shop with good prices on stuff, but I don't buy fauna there. Not much for planted tanks.
> 
> there is a store called Aquarium Center in Clementon, NJ that is a great store. Very strong in planted tanks, high-quality livestock. Best store in Philly Metro for freshwater and plants by far. For that matter may be the best from Philly through DC metro. I'm there 40% of the time and have visited many shops in-between. Haven't been to any stores in Northern NJ yet.


Your daughter did a great job! I was shocked when you posted that she was only 8! Quite an artistic vision for an 8 year old!

Ahh that would explain it. I am from North Jersey, Bergen county to be exact. We have a few nice shops in the area, Fishtown USA and Absolutely Fish, but I haven't seen these anywhere. If I could have purchased one of these for what you paid, it would have made me seriously reconsider getting the Fluval Ebi. It seems like such a great value with everything that is included!


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

You won't find it in a store at that price. You'd have to offer to buy it special order and see if they'll agree. THR was having a sale the weekend after I was there, but they refused to give me the sale price that day. So I called value pet and asked if they would match the sale price and they did. Nice to be a regular.


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## DiscusMental (Jun 5, 2011)

*G3 external filter*



Da Plant Man said:


> Cool! I wish I had that filter...or a canister filter for that matter.


Can you upload a picture of your filter set up please?


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## DiscusMental (Jun 5, 2011)

*G3 Set Up*



NJAquaBarren said:


> When I first set my main tank 15 months ago, I told my daughter Hunter that she could have her own someday if she wanted one, spent time learning about them and putting a plan together. After more than a year of helping me with mine when I travel, she finally had some ideas. We started looking at tanks, fish and decorations.
> 
> Hunter’s plan went from SpongeBob decorations and multi-colored gravel, well, everything else. Eventually after many trips with me to the LFS and doing her research, she decided that she wanted to design a river running through the middle of her tank. We then found a nice suspension bridge decoration with mountains and an Asian temple at one end. Hunter loved it and it went perfectly with her river idea, so the design was set. To make the river she wanted glass marbles. We compared marble colors and substrate colors and she settled on a black substrate and clear and blue glass for the river.
> 
> ...


Hi when you put your G3 filter on your tank did you use the ribbed hosing that came standerd with the 305 or the hosing that came with the G3 because I would like to know I am thinking of getting one for my Studio any chance of uploading a picture of you filter set up please?


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

your daughter is one lucky girl! beautifull tank!!


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