Fluval Studio 900?

[Morainy]

Has anyone got a Fluval Studio tank?

I saw one today at Aquariums West (by chance) and thought it was beautiful. It comes with a stand, Hagen Glo light, heater, Fluval canister filter, and there are connections built into the bottom of the tank so that you can connect your canister from the inside at the bottom instead of running it over the top like I do on my own tank.

I've never bought a stand & tank set and normally I wouldn't consider something this fancy, but when I consider that it's got a really nice light and filter already so I wouldn't have to upgrade,I think that it actually works out to be economical and maybe more economical (It's on sale) than buying a less expensive tank and then upgrading everything, and propping it on the kredenza, like I usually do.

I know that some of you have purchased more elegant tanks (Franck??) and I've always gone with something basic. This is really a showpiece, though. Just wondering if anyone has got one or anything similar. Do you like having the canister connected through the floor of the tank, for example? (Will the connection fit a different canister if you want to change?) Do plants grow well in it? (It's deeper than I usually like to go, at 21 inches I think, but the stand is lower so it comes out to be the same height as my smaller tank on a higher stand)

Thanks!
Maureen (drooling)

[Luke78]

Maureen,

I agree with you on the looks of the Fluval studio line.Very sleek,elegant,and modern to list a few things i like about it.There was a member here on the forums if i recall whom had either this or 'Profile' unit(even better)? cant remember the name sorry.I was speaking to Jeannie and her husband a while back and they were saying these are simple to put together,and had it up and running in about an hour or two(depending on how handy your are).They are pre drilled to have the fluval canisters hook up right to them,dont know if any other brand will make the fit maybe someone here can chime in.With the lighting unit that comes with it, iam sure growing plants wont be an issue depending on what species your thinking of growing.Liked the amount of space the cabinet had,no wires or other equipment being exposed,and the aquarium itself built sturdy and strong.

[Morainy]

Thank you, Luke! I am very interested in this tank. I've admired many of the other fancy Fluval tanks but they are all outside my budget by quite a bit. Well, this one would be an indulgence, too; investing in a hobby at all is an indulgence compared to replacing the roof, for example. But this tank does really come with everything that I'd need. I wonder how it compares to the one Franck has, the Vicenza? (Is that what it's called?) I don't remember the Profile unit... I'll look at that.

What I really need to do is to remodel my entire home so that the tank isn't embarrassed to be seen here. We have a sofa that was chewed by squirrels, for example..

[tony1928]

I was really drooling over the profile units before but to be honest, after taking a look at what you really get, the only thing special is the stand. They are pretty darn beautiful in design. The tank and filtration and lighting is nothing special. For those who want an "all on one" solution, this is probably for them. Nonetheless, Fluval always does a great job on industrial design and marketing. They present really well and would look fantastic in a living room as a show tank. I wonder if they would allow people to order just the stand and canopy....hmmmm.

[CRS Fan]

I like the Hagen pre-drilled tanks. I was the first owner of Franck's 46 gallon Vicenza. I did have to upgrade the lights though. I have not seen the profile tanks, but imagine Hagen has improved the lighting for their all in one tanks. I would probably upgrade the filter if you want to go fully planted, but that's just me.

It will be beautiful tank.

Best Regards,

Stuart

[Morainy]

Thanks, Stuart and Tony. Yes, I think the lighting looks very good.

Tony, it's funny that you mention asking if they'd sell just the stand. Because I was thinking, well, I don't really need the stand, even though it's gorgeous.

[crazy72]

Yes, the Studio is a beautiful all-in-one setup. I went for another Vicenza myself because I tend to prefer bow-front tanks and I just loved the particular design of the 260 Ltd Edition. But I did see the Studio and though it looked really good. More modern looking than the Vicenza/Venezia.

I like the fact that the top is all covered. No need for glass tops to prevent evaporation or fish suicides, and so practical compared to glass tops. You open the front part of the top, drop your food in and you're done. No glass top to keep clean, worry about breaking, etc.

As to them being pre-drilled, the good thing is that you can put the tank right against the wall. No need to leave any space at all for the tubing. On the other hand, one could argue, I think, that the tubes are perhaps more visible compared to say a spray bar that you can put right up at the water surface. For me that is not an issue because I paint the back black and then the tubes aren't really that visible black on black. Another potential issue with the internal tubing is that some 3D backgrounds might not fit so easily if they're a bit thick. But obviously you don't have to use the internal tubing. You can cover the holes and use regular, external tubing. This is what I'm doing on my 160 at the moment, actually, because I had an inline heater that I could reuse, and I'm using a black spraybar at the water surface, so you don't see anything at all in the way of equipment actually. Which I love.

One issue that I had with my Vicenza 160 (formerly, Stuart's, thanks Stuart ) is that the noise from the filter seems to resonate a bit in the stand, somehow. I now have in there a 2075 that I had on my 60H High before, and although I couldn't hear it at all on the 60G High, I had to go to great extents of foam padding to keep the noise down on the Vicenza. Even now I have to wiggle the filter every so often otherwise it becomes noisy again. That is a bit of a pain.

But for me the bottom line is that they're well built and they look really, really good. Obviously I wouldn't have bought a 260 if I didn't like the 160 . I think I mentioned this in my 260 LE thread already, but to me these tanks are very much pieces of furniture. They make any room look good. To me, the only real issue with these tanks, really, is their cost! But if you can have one on special, and are going to enjoy it for years to come, I personally think it's worth it. Keep us posted. It would be pretty exciting if you bought one. I haven't seen any pics of one of these here on the forum. Go for it!

I agree with Stuart about the stock filter being a little feeble though. Even on the 260 (68G), they give you a Fluval 305, which is a little on the low side. I'll probably hook up my 2075 on the 260 and use my old XP3 on the 160 myself.

You might want to have a look at that old thread too: Fluval tanks

[Morainy]

Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed post, Franck! I was hoping you'd give your opinion because I know that you put a lot of thought into every decision and you went for the Vicenza.

I liked the top of the tank, but when I saw it, the top was glass or plexiglass. It looked like two pieces of glass, flush with the top of the tank, with thumb-holes to lift. I wonder if there is something that's supposed to go above that? I liked that very simple, clean look. After many years of Marineland Eclipse tanks with their black tops, I am moving towards a brighter, more glass look.

Having to upgrade the filter might be a deal-breaker, though. I don't know if I could upgrade to anything that would fit the same attachments, and one of the advantages of the tank is that the price includes everything.

Still ... it is gorgeous... <drool>

Thank you!

[crazy72]

I haven't looked at the Studio top in detail. Even if it's glass, I think it's good because there's only one thing to lift (as opposed to a canopy plus glass tops), and it's above the lights so you don't have to worry about keeping it clean to keep the light going through.

As to changing the filter, it's not a problem at all. All you need is proper fittings that you can adjust tightly around the hose connections. Stuart had done this on the 160 to go from a 205 (I think) to an XP3, and I did it again to hook up the 2075. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you. My hardware vocabulary is a little limited to explain it properly, but you're most welcome to come and see in person what I mean exactly. And have a coffee while you're here.

The way I see it, if you find it gorgeous and you can afford it at the sale price, go for it. The price difference with a "regular" tank that you'd find nice but not gorgeous will easily pay for itself over the years. That's how I look at it. But of course my wallet is a lot thinner than it could be because of me looking at these things in this way .

PS: I don't own any Hagen/Fluval shares.

[2wheelsx2]

If you don't want the stand, I wouldn't bother. Yes, having a drilled tank for direct plumbing is nice, but it's more convenient, I find for the holes to be low to the side, to prevent substrate from going into the filter. So now you've got custom drilling and you own stand. Building some conduit to hang a light is no big deal so now you're really just buying any tank with any fixture. So unless you're really into it, I wouldn't pay for it. With the money you sink into this you can get a 60 custom drilled glass cube from J&L, with an Eheim 2075 and probably even an LED light array for that kind of money. If you DIY the stand, you're even with the Profile and you would have a nicer setup.