PFK received this as part of a prize bundle for in-mag competitions, but there was no way Nathan Hill could let it go without getting it out of the packaging and reviewing it too...
Who would spend almost £430 on a 60cm/2’ tank and cabinet, I hear the world ask? Well, I would, for one — and I'm not alone.
I know I could get a full set-up from a cheap Chinese import for that amount, and those things have their place, but this tank is pure luxury. I don’t want a 1.2m/4’ lump with wonky lights and a rattling filter for the same price. I want this, in the same way that some prefer Ferrari to Ford, or Bang and Olufsen to Sony. Call me a snob, and you might be right, but I do have taste…
The crafting on the tank is a delight. There’s no smudges of silicone, in fact barely any silicone is visible at all. Edges that align faultlessly and a tank that actually sits flush on the cabinet make for something that causes the perfectionist in me to quiver.
It is exactly 60cm long, exactly 30cm wide, and exactly 36cm tall, which makes a real change from dealing with tanks that always seem to have a few millimetres to spare either way.
As you can see there are no rims or braces, just five panes of glass held together almost invisibly. For the serious aquascaper, this is a tremendous purchase temptation.
Being made of ADA Optiwhite low iron glass, it has the tiniest blue tinge instead of that usual ugly green hue you get with a normal tank and if you catch this at the right angle, it has a real prism effect.
The cabinet comes pre-constructed and is so light I caught myself unaware when lifting it for the first time. I was expecting the usual dead bulk, but this is really manageable.
Real smiles start when you open the door and see that delicious two-tone effect of dark exterior and light wooden interior. So what if I don’t open my cabinet all that often? When I do there’s no harm if it makes me grin in appreciation.
The 'handles' either side are the perfect places to run hoses in and out of filters and into the tank. It’s all very minimal and at the same time all very modern.
Verdict
What can I say? It doesn’t dance, it can’t get me drunk, but I love it. It is pricey and I can’t wait to get one of my own.
This is a precious thing to be treasured and when I have one of the Super Jet filters to go alongside it I’ll surely be in aquascape heaven.
Prices: ADA 60-P cube garden tank £149.99; Do!aqua cabinet 60 x 30 x 70cm (24 x 12 x 28") £279.99. Available from The Green Machine.
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