Review: Aqueon 55 Gallon Deluxe Aquarium Kit

 

The Good:

• Comes With All The Basics To Start A Tropical Or Goldfish Tank
• Reasonable Price Compared To Buying Everything Individually
• Aqueon Filters Have The Highest Flow Rate For HOBS

The Bad:

• The Florescent Hoods Look Outdated 
• Aquarium Addiction Possible

 

Contents:

 

This set comes with most of the essentials to get a tank up and running. It includes a 55 gallon glass aquarium, two 24 inch fluorescent deluxe full hoods, a QuietFlow™ 55/75 filter, a 200 watt submersible heater, a small fish net, a sample of tropical fish food flakes and enough tap water conditioner to set up your tank.

 

Other Equipment Recommended For Tank Set Up:

• 55 Pounds of Gravel, Sand Or Other Substrate
• Aquarium Stand
• Decor
• Air Pump / Bubbler
• Gravel Vac
• Extra Filter

 

Experience:

 

I bought my set when it was on sale at Petco for right around $150 with taxes. I hadn't had an aquarium since I was a kid but the easy set up guide was clear enough to get everything going. Each piece of equipment also came with their retail instructions. The aquarium is built very well and should last for many years. The hoods are very sturdy and have plenty of room for equipment in the back. The fluorescent lights were complete junk. I had one of them go out within three months and the other went out two months after that. The filter keeps the water crystal clear and my parameters at safe levels. The filter media is expensive and should be replaced with any cut-to-fit filter media asap. The heater has performed flawlessly. It even kept my fish alive during a furnace failure in the dead of winter! The heater has a convenient light to show when it is on. The net and food do what you would expect. The tap water conditioner works fine, but I would suggest you buy Amquel / Novaqua or Prime for water changes.

 

Should You Buy It?

 

The Aqueon 55 Gallon Deluxe Aquarium Kit is a great starter kit for the price. You might have to buy a few extra piece of equipment later, but this set will get you started. I would definitely buy this again if I ever set up another 55 gallon.

Update 4/12/2014: 

 

I am currently only using the 55g tank from this set. My parents have the HOB filter running in one of their tanks. The only thing that actually failed from this set were the two florescent hoods. I would still recommend buying this if you see it on sale or are just starting out.