# Marineland Eclipse System 12 Aquarium



## Goldfishlover25 (Oct 27, 2008)

Hello all,

I just recently received a Marineland Eclipse System 12 Aquarium as a gift and was wondering if anyone could provide me information on it? Any tips for a beginner? 

I also had a specific question about the bulb that comes inside. 13 watts seems rather low for plant growth, what is the max wattage that I can have to stimulate healthy plant growth but also so my fish are comfortable and won't hurt them (freshwater fish)!

Also how much gravel would I need for the 12 gallon? And would it be advisable to add another internal filter since I've been hearing bad things about the filter that comes with it?

Thank you in advance :-D


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

Gravel, probably ten pounds, maybe 15 should do you. You're looking for about 1" on the bottom.

Light Bulb, depends on what you're looking to grow. The spectrum of the bulb isn't great however. Low light plants would probably grow but if you're looking for anything requiring intense lighting it's probably not enough. Given the all in one nature of the system you're not likely to be able to do anything to change that however.

This would be the first time I've heard anything bad about a marineland filter. If anything the filter is overly large at 150gph turnover in a 12 gallon tank. You usually shoot for turning over the volume of the aquarium about 5 times an hour, the eclipse can do it over 12 times an hour. If you're looking to keep a fish that doesn't do well in strong currents that can be a problem.

The real attraction of an Eclipse system is that you get an almost* all in one package in a sleek enclosure. If you're going to be adding your own filter and looking to seriously upgrade the lighting you probably should just look at a conventional 20 gallon tank and purchase your own filter and lighting.

*I say almost because you really need a heater if you're going to keep tropical fish. A 50W should be fine for a tank that size.


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## Goldfishlover25 (Oct 27, 2008)

Tyyrlym said:


> Gravel, probably ten pounds, maybe 15 should do you. You're looking for about 1" on the bottom.
> 
> Light Bulb, depends on what you're looking to grow. The spectrum of the bulb isn't great however. Low light plants would probably grow but if you're looking for anything requiring intense lighting it's probably not enough. Given the all in one nature of the system you're not likely to be able to do anything to change that however.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your help! I plan on keeping fancy goldfish but I wanted to add some plants as well. I didnt want the light to be too bright for them but it comes with only a 13W light bulb and that seems rather dull. I'm completely new at this...all I really want is a new light bulb so i don't want to buy those kits that are really expensive...Any idea where I can just get the light bulb and what wattage would be good for fancy goldfish and some plants? My main concern is that if I get a bulb thats too bright, that would make the water too hot and then be really uncomfortable for the goldfish.

I also really can't purchase any other aquarium because I already have thise one..I received it as a gift. I'll give this filter a shot, I'm just worried because goldfish make a lot of mess and I'm afraid the filter might not be able to handle it.

So basically, I guess what I'm asking is how many watts should the bulb be for the goldfish and plants for the eclipse system (without making the water too hot). Would 50 W be too high?


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

Well first off the over powered filter will actually be a good thing for you in this case. The more turn over the better in regards to a messy fish like a goldfish.

Unfortunately you're likely stuck with the light you've got in there. The real determining factor in how much power your light puts out is the ballast, and a 50W bulb isn't going to work in a 13W fixture. You might want to look around some, some people might sell alternate bulbs for it but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I'm a little concerned about the viability of keeping a fancy goldfish in a 12 gallon tank long term.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

You won't need a heater in a tank for goldfish, as they're coldwater fish. 

However, a 12g tank is vastly undersized for goldfish. Even the fancy varieties reach 8" in size pretty easily. Add to that the amount of waste they produce, and you're looking at needing a much bigger tank to house goldfish properly. The smallest tank I'd get for a single fancy goldfish would be something like a 29g tank, although a 55g would be even better. Fish that are kept in tanks that are too small don't just "stay small," their growth is stunted and health problems result. 

If you do get a heater, though, there are plenty of other fish that can be kept in a 12g tank that are much more interesting than goldfish, in my opinion.


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## qpc68 (Jul 14, 2008)

I have one of these and haven't had a problem with it. Filter works great, I wouldn't recommend using the filter cartridges that come with it though. And I definitely wouldn't recommend it to house gold fish.


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## jbrfish (Sep 9, 2011)

I found a link to a review of the Marineland Eclipse 12 maybe it can shed some light on the lighting
Marineland Eclipse 12 Aquarium Review |


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

plus goldfish eat plants so.


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