Long before I got my little pug, I got bit by a betta! Yeah, those little fish in small cups at the pet store that come in different colors and have many tail types that if you just buy one, you get hooked and want to buy more! I actually bought a boy and girl and not knowing much, I put them in the same tank at home. I had a very simple betta tank.

Well, they were both very young bettas and I guess I was lucky as I did more research, I learned that these fish were better known as 'siamese fighting fish' and that you shouldn't put them in the same tank together!!! Yikes!!! So in tank shopping and doing some more research, I came across the Baby BiOrb. And I was immediately sold on the looks, the ease that everything you needed came in the box (just like a Mac computer!), and they didn't take up space like a normal fish aquarium.

Pretty soon, I wanted more fish and more BiOrbs. I now own two Baby BiOrbs, one BiUbe, and the MegaBiOrb.

What is a BiOrb?

Imagine a fish tank that was more like a big, big crystal ball! Instead of fore-seeing the future, you can look into a very customized little aquatic world you create. This crystal ball though is not glass - but a special acrylic. So no need to worry if you knock it over - it won't shatter into pieces; but you may create a mess of water and fishies to clean up!

The beauty of BiOrb aquariums is that they come with everything you need right out of the box. I do recommend, as well as the manufacturer, that you need to allow the tank to cycle or at least allow the water to stablize for a good 48 hours prior to bringing in your new fishies home!

The BiOrb comes in three sizes – the Baby (4 gallons - costs about $60), Regular (8 gallons - costs about $100), and Mega (16 gallons - costs about $160). It also comes in a 9 gallon configuration that is more like a cylinder shape, known as the BiUbe (costs about $125). For all of them, you get a filter cartridge, biological media (another type of filtration system aside from chemical filtration), an air stone, bubble tube, air pump and line, AC adapter unit to connect to the air pump and to the light bulb in the lid. You will also find a sample of fish food and a packet of API StressZyme and API StressCoat formula. (These enzymes are important because they will prepare your home/office tap water to livable water for your fish and also help speed up your biological filtration that helps keep the tank clean by taking care of your fishies' waste.) These are good to treat a 10 gallon tank.

How easy is it to maintain?

Well it may be easier to maintain in the sense that these are rather smaller tanks and once you get them going, they require less attention rather than in the beginning. However, you are still going to have to do water changes, eventually clean up the residue at the bottom, and change the filter cartridge (also knowns as the service kit) every 1-2 months (if you have one fish, every 2 months; if you have more than 2, every month would be ideal).

Also you want to purchase separately a fresh water master test kit to keep track of the pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels.

So pretty much what you would do with other tanks, you will have to do with the BiOrb or BiUbe.

As small as they may be, there is a level of responsibility to not only the upkeep of the tank but also the water quality. Therefore, it is essential that anyone who owns the biOrb, to make sure they take care of it. It does not care for itself.

Any downsides to owning a BiOrb?

There are a couple of downsides to owning a biOrb.

1. The availability of BiOrb product at PetSmart or Petco or even at Target or Wal-mart. Before buying this type of aquarium, make sure you can find the much needed service kits. These service kits – sold individually at the store or you can bulk order them via the Internet – contain one filter cartridge, one sachet water treatment (this is the API StressCoat and API StressZyme I mentioned before), one cleaning pad (this is a square 2x2 pad that helps you clean the interior walls of the aquarium) and full instructions.

Definitely having these service kits handy makes owning the BiOrbs much more pleasant but finding them in the store – you may be out of luck so be prepared to order them over the Internet.

2. The cost of maintenance of a biOrb is not cheap. I can’t compare it to the cost of owning a regular tank, but each service kit is $10. If you replace them at least every two months you are looking at $60, but once every month, you are looking at $120. Also, you may have to replace airstones which are about $5 for 2 or 3. (I have also found that you can use other air stones that are not biOrb specific and they work perfectly and are more economical.) Not only this, but when your air pump becomes too noisy, it is time to replace it! It is suggested to replace them every 6-8 months, and they cost about $16 or so. This of course, does not include the cost of fish food, decorations for the biOrb, or other important items you may want to buy such as a heater to help keep the temperature in the 70s during the winter, a cleaner pump, a thermometer, a fish net, a fish stand and some disposable cleaning gloves.

What can I do to make my BiOrb look cool?

Now that you got your biOrb, you may want to dress it up – for your home or office – and there is a lot out there to not only make it a great conversation piece and something very enjoyable to look at – but also to create a cool aquatic world for your fish!

The following items are available but I am sure you can find more – these are specifically made for BiOrb products:

1. Intelligent Lighting – choosing from the low voltage LED Intelligent Light or the Halogen Light which fit easily into the top of the aquarium. The halogen light illuminates and brings out the true colors of the fish. Intelligent lighting comes with timer, simulates 24 hour daylight creating a natural environment for your fish.

2. Tropical heater kit makes your aquarium suitable for tropical fish.

3. Easy Plants – come in packs of 2, they come in three different sizes (small, medium, and large) to enhance your aquarium.

4. Plant Rings – is a ring of synthetic rock with plants already attached and you slide it over the bubble tube.

5. Swap Tops – think the colors of the iPod nano – there is a rainbow of colors that you can customize your biOrb.

6. Feng Shui Pebbles – these harness the power of Feng Shui to bring balance and harmony to your tank and home. Comes in Rainbow Gold, Flame Red, Chinese Green and Pure White – as well as others.

7. Marine Conversion Kit – everything to convert your biOrb into a marine aquarium.

Where to buy BiOrb products?

Aside from possibly getting the Baby BiOrb aquarium at your PetSmart or Petco, you can find it on Amazon.com or biorbparts.com.