Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit Review

Aquarium kits are easy to find, but it’s hard to determine if they include all the necessary items, if those items are as high quality as advertised, and if the price matches the value of the kit.

To help ensure you don’t waste money with trial and error, today we’re evaluating the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit.

Is it your perfect fit? With a compact design, hassle-free set-up and maintenance, and convenient features, it may be.

With that said, not everyone had a great experience. Some testers encountered leaks in the tank, while others thought the pump lacked strength.

Are those reasons to skip this aquarium kit? Before you make your final decision, let’s take a more in-depth look at the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit.

Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit: The Details

Specs

• Weight: 13.7 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3 x 21.3 x 12.5 inches.
• Capacity: Five gallons.
• Lighting: LED lighting system.
• Glass or Acrylic: Glass tank.
• Accessories: Low-voltage transformer, 11K high-input LED light, circulation pump with output nozzle, Fluval foam filter block/sponge, Fluval activated carbon insert, and Fluval BioMax insert.
• Warranty: Two-year limited warranty.

Features

Capacity

While five gallons may seem tiny, it’s the perfect capacity for people new to aquariums or those who lack space to hold a large tank.

This capacity provides enough room for a number of different fish, while helping you grow familiar with the ins and outs of aquarium-keeping.

The tank kit is also exclusively saltwater, so make sure your new fish are suited to this environment and that additional equipment is specifically built for saltwater. As a highly corrosive substance, you don’t want to ruin new decorations!

Media

The Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit features three-stage media filtration, including oversized mechanical, biological, and chemical media.

These individual stages ensure the water and your fish’s environment are kept in peak condition, with one filtration level reinforcing the next.

To be specific, there is a sponge for mechanical filtration, an active carbon insert for chemical filtration, and a BioMax insert for biological filtration. These are each held in the media container kept within the filter.

Lighting

This Fluval Aquarium Kit also features built-in lighting. It’s easy to view the happenings within your tank and verify if certain elements need adjusting or cleaning.

The lighting is an 11K high-input LED light. This not only provides excellent visuals but also helps with coral growth – should you branch into aquascaping.

Since fish have sleep cycles and a bright tank in your bedroom won’t help you rest, an accessible button on the tank lid allows you to switch between day and night illumination.

Design

Very few aquariums have a separate compartment for all the guts of the filter and pump. Instead, these are generally left in plain view, ruining the aesthetic of your tank or making you struggle to hide them personally.

Luckily, the Fluval Evo V has a honeycomb grid design that conceals additional gear, keeping the tank’s environment clean.

As such, it looks sleek and modern, as well as ensuring it performs at its best.

Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit Review

The Positives

Easy to Set Up

While setting up an aquarium may appear daunting, especially if you are new, that’s not the case with the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit.

First, you unbox the kit and guarantee all items are present. After that, you should thoroughly rinse the tank, the cover, and the filter media, using fresh water and a damp cloth.

Next, place the filter media into its case and locate both it and the pump into their designated areas. Then, slide the lighting into its assigned position on the tank, using the screws to lock it in place.

Add the saltwater and conditioner to your tank, turn everything on, add your fish – and that’s it! You’re all set. There’s not much to fumble with when it comes to this aquarium, meaning you can get to fishkeeping or aquascaping sooner than later.

Since everything is included to get this tank up and running, it saves hobbyists the time (and money) from having to seek out extra accessories and purchase them separately.

Easy to Maintain

According to tester feedback, this aquarium is quite easy to maintain. Once a week, you should replace 20% of the water with new saltwater.

The new saltwater should be treated with the conditioner and brought to approximately the same temperature as the aquarium’s current water.

The media should also be replaced on a monthly basis, or more frequently should you notice it under-performing.

This is great for new or busy hobbyists who may not have a ton of time to dedicate to maintenance. The process is easy and simple, taking a ton of the frustration out of owning an aquarium.

Convenient

Aquariums are difficult to set-up, especially if you have no previous experience. Saltwater is daunting for even the most veteran fish keeper.

Trying to locate all the necessary items to keep your tank in peak condition is both confusing and costly. Add all these elements together, and it’s clear why an aquarium kit changes the game.

According to testers, this kit is highly convenient, allowing you to simply unbox the materials, assemble the parts, and begin enjoying your tank. With the included media, circulation nozzle, and lighting, all that’s left out are the fish!

As a bonus, you don’t have to power down the lights at night or suffer the intense glow. Instead, night- and daytime settings ensure you can accommodate the sleep schedule of your fish, as well as yourself.

Compact

At five gallons, this kit is far more compact than most available on the market. If you want a low-commitment test run on owning an aquarium or live in a smaller apartment, this is a great option.

The space-conscious design will easily fit into a one-bedroom or even studio apartment, while still holding a choice number of saltwater fish.

It’s a lightweight aquarium, making it easy to set up and move when needed, and thanks to its sizable construction, it won’t add a ton of weight or take away a ton of space on a counter or table.

If you’re short on space or want to include an aquarium in your office or classroom, the size of the Fluval Evo V may be right up your alley.

Affordable

Whether you’re a beginner or a hobbyist on a budget, you won’t have to worry about this aquarium kit breaking the bank. It comes with everything you’ll need already in the box, so there’s no need to fuss with many extra purchases.

The features and overall design make this aquarium as attractive as it is conveniently functional making it a great value.

Fluval aquariums also come with a limited warranty protecting customers against any defects made in manufacturing. Should this happen, Fluval is to refund or repair your tank without much hassle.

As a bonus, when purchasing through a third-party retailer like Amazon, you’ll also be entitled to their top-notch customer service and return policies. Since testers have noted that this aquarium is well-constructed, there’s a chance you won’t have to worry about returns at all.

Quiet

You won’t be limited on where you can place this tank either. Customers love how quiet this aquarium is, opening up a number of options of where you can place it.

While some aquariums can cause quite a disturbance with its whirrs and gurgles, the Fluval Evo V stays quiet so you can continue a conversation or watch a show without distraction.

The combination of night illumination and a quiet aquarium also makes this tank a great option for a bedroom.

The Negatives

Leaks

Unfortunately, not everyone had the best experience with this kit. A few testers encountered leaks – which is never an acceptable flaw in tanks containing water.

A kit is meant to offer convenience, and having it malfunction in a way that leaves your floor soaked isn’t fulfilling that purpose.

While this was a rare event among testers, it’s smart to double check the seals of your aquarium before proceeding with set-up.

If you notice gaps, lose glue, or sloppy workmanship, this is a manufacturing defect. Luckily, you can use your warranty to resolve this issue cleanly.

Pump Not Strong Enough

Quite a few users did mention the pump lacking adequate strength. It didn’t move the water through the filter/media quickly enough, and this lead to toxic and unsafe conditions.

If the water remains stagnant due to low-power circulation, it can start growing bad bacteria and render the media all but pointless.

After all, if the water can’t reach the media, it’s not capable of filtering it. This wasn’t every tester’s experience but was noted rather frequently.

You may need to invest in an outside pump, separate from this kit, to get the results you need.

This video shows what the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit looks like out of the box.

Overall Verdict

After combing through all the positives and negatives, we are cautiously recommending the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit.

The tank is compact, has multiple forms of media, and is very easy to set up, making it an attractive option. Nonetheless, issues with the pump shouldn’t be ignored, nor should the leaks.

You do have a two-year limited warranty available to use, should you encounter one of these duds. Additionally, this kit is rather inexpensive for all the materials included, so it may be cost-effective to use those savings on a stronger pump.

If you’re seeking a compact, all-encompassing, and well-lit saltwater aquarium kit, this will serve your needs well.

Where to Buy the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit

Fluval is a brand well-known in the marketplace with a wide variety of aquariums and accessories to choose from. Famed for offering affordable and accessible products, Fluval items can be found all around the world.

Thanks to this company’s success, it won’t be hard to find products like the Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium Kit both in-store and online.

While it’s usually best to check pet, fish, or specialty stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• Pet Co (from $109)
• Wal Mart (from $109)
• Aqua Dreams (from $129)

And of course, you can also find this aquarium kit on Amazon.

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That’s the end of our Fluval Evo V Marine Aquarium review. Curious to give this tank a try?