10/30/22 Update
I still have this aquarium and it is doing well. The lights in the hood did fail about 6 months ago. I upgraded to an LED light bar that is better for planted tanks. I replaced the hoods with some clear acrylic. I may change the hoods to real glass at some point because the clear plastic has warped. You can run it without a hood, but you may have to top off the tank occasionally due to evaporation and you might risk having a fish jump to its death. The original heater and filter are still operating. I replaced the Tetra filter media with large blocks of filter sponge and I clean it out monthly. I would still recommend this aquarium for anyone new to the hobby. The tank and filter are both high-quality pieces and will be serviceable for many years.
Original October 2019 Review
When I first saw that this aquarium kit was going to travel over 1500 miles by ground to my house, I was worried that I would be getting a box full of broken glass. My worries were for nothing because the aquarium arrived intact and had all of listed components inside the box.
Basically you'll have about 90% of what you need to get an aquarium up and running with this kit. The tank is USA made with 3/16" tempered glass. The 55 gallon size gives you a lot of space to be creative and it is easier to maintain water quality with the larger volume. It has a hood with integrated LED lighting.
The filter is the well known Tetra Whisper 60 that really is whisper quiet. Disregard the videos that show the filter operating with a loud chattering noise. These were made by morons who didn't prime the pump or had the impeller installed incorrectly before turning it on. The filter wells are nice and deep and you can ditch the replaceable cartridges for any type of reusable media (sponge, filter floss, bio-rings, rock, etc.). It's also easy to clean and has only one moving part (two if you count the flow control knob).
The heater was a no-name 200W UL certified. It has been working just fine and maintaining temp. for the last two months. The kit also comes with several packs of plastic and silk plants, water conditioner, a stick-on thermometer, a net, and food to get you started. The only things you'll need to add to get it up and running are substrate, water, and fish.
If this is your first aquarium, I would also recommend getting a bottle of bacteria starter culture, some extra water conditioner, a gravel vac, and a water test kit. This would make a great gift for anyone wanting to get into the hobby. Happy fish keeping!
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Customer Review: I love it but the light
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This Item  Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit with Fish Tank, Fish Net, Fish Food, Filter, Heater and Water Conditioners |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -10% $373.44 List: $416.69 | $241.84 | -25% $165.98 List: $219.98 | $169.99 | $147.22 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | — | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 |
| Customer Ratings | |||||
| Easy to assemble | |||||
| Value for money | |||||
| Suction power | |||||
| Sturdiness | |||||
| Noise level | |||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | tuoqi | GDLF | Amazon.com |
| tank volume | 55 gallons | 55 gallons | — | — | 20 gallons |
| material | Glass | Glass | Engineered Wood and Metal Iron | Metal, Engineered Wood | Glass |
| shape | Rectangular | Rectangular | 55-75 Gallon H-Shaped Fish Tank | 55-75 Gallon | Rectangular |
| style | Aquarium Kit | Modern | Modern | Modern | Traditional |
Reviews with images
Excellent Tank & Filter, Very Basic 2 Piece Hood, LEDs Don't Stay On, Over-Priced
I purchased this Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit after procrastinating for about a year. My former-spouse left a 25 Gallon Tank behind with a Pletco that grew quite large over time; she didn't want the tank or pletco back so I inherited both. I finally broke down and purchased this tank and wish I had sooner. First, the Pros: The Tank itself appears to be very well made with heavy tempered glass; the Filter also appears to be very well made and cleared up the water fairly quickly after we populated the tank with 80 pounds of river-stone (after thoroughly washing) that I also purchased on Amazon; the Accessories were adequate; the Packaging was superb; and the Size was absolutely perfect for my existing Table. Now, the Cons: The LED Light stays on for about 15 seconds then cycles off then back on (we've tried everything to correct this but it appears to be a systemic issue from what I've read in the reviews); the Hood comes in 2 pieces side-by-side and is a bit on the Cheap side (lightweight molded plastic with no hinge); and the Kit is Over-Priced IMHO. The majority of what you see in the pics/video of the tank were purchased separately; there were recommendations of 1-2 lbs of substrate per gallon so I purchased 80 lbs of river-stone (which was very expensive but quite nice); I also purchased the decoration on the left and the dual air-pump (two-bubblers); the remaining items were mostly from the old tank. We still have a ways to go with this tank but quite pleased with how it is turning out overall (plan to add additional fish, live plants, backdrop, and hopefully get the LED lighting fixed). Note: If the LED lighting had worked and the kit was more reasonably priced, I would have definitely given this a 5-Star.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
The tank is a sturdy and durable build, installation of the LED lighting into the hood is easy, installation and setup of the filter and the heater is easy as well. The most difficult part of the tank prep is popping out the plastic inserts in the hood on the side where you intend to install the filter. The kit includes a stick on thermometer which may be sufficient for your needs; I have separately purchased a digital one as I was having trouble reading the included stick on.
The included plants are a nice addition and help to get you started with tank decoration. You could likely put together a nice display with only these pieces or use them to add to other decorations and still be content.
The kit also includes some AquaSafe and Tetra food too get you started, too, though I do recommend a larger sized container of AquaStart to prime your aquarium before stocking.
Lastly, in my limited experience with aquariums, the filter seems to run pretty quietly to me. It is definitely something that you can noticeably hear, but it is not an annoyance. I’m not sure that it could be much quieter. I’ve included a video of it running so you can judge for yourself.
Best of luck if you purchase it this kit! If you’re looking to put together your own 55-gallon home aquarium, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one.
Everything You Need to Get Started
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
Incredibly happy with this purchase. This kit has everything that you need to get started with your own aquarium except for the stand which you can buy separately through Amazon and the gravel for the bottom of the tank.Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
The tank is a sturdy and durable build, installation of the LED lighting into the hood is easy, installation and setup of the filter and the heater is easy as well. The most difficult part of the tank prep is popping out the plastic inserts in the hood on the side where you intend to install the filter. The kit includes a stick on thermometer which may be sufficient for your needs; I have separately purchased a digital one as I was having trouble reading the included stick on.
The included plants are a nice addition and help to get you started with tank decoration. You could likely put together a nice display with only these pieces or use them to add to other decorations and still be content.
The kit also includes some AquaSafe and Tetra food too get you started, too, though I do recommend a larger sized container of AquaStart to prime your aquarium before stocking.
Lastly, in my limited experience with aquariums, the filter seems to run pretty quietly to me. It is definitely something that you can noticeably hear, but it is not an annoyance. I’m not sure that it could be much quieter. I’ve included a video of it running so you can judge for yourself.
Best of luck if you purchase it this kit! If you’re looking to put together your own 55-gallon home aquarium, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one.
Images in this review
