Whether you want a better view of your fish, something different from your friends in the hobby, or an eye-catching tank for the living room or office, you’re sure to find a bow front aquarium you’ll love in this guide.
I’ve spent hours researching all the best options, weighed up the pros and cons, and put it all together in this roundup review.
Best Bow Front Aquarium – Top Picks
If you’re short on time and want to know what the best choices are, here are my top picks:
- Tetra ColorFusion 3 Gallon Half-Moon Kit (Best 3 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Aqueon LED MiniBow 5 Kit (Best 5 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Fluval Flex Aquarium Kit (Best 15 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium Kit (Best 32 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set (Best 46 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
Best Bow Front Aquarium Reviews
Let’s get straight into why you are here and find out which are the best bow front aquariums (aka curved front aquariums) available.
1. Tetra ColorFusion Half-Moon 3 Gallon Kit
- Gallons: 3
- Dimensions: Length 12.5″ x Width 6.88″ x Height 12.9″
- Material: Acrylic
- Weight (Empty): 1 lb
- Filter: Included
- Lighting: Included
- Heater: Not Included
✅ Pros:
- Air pump, lights, and filter included
- Lightweight
❌ Cons:
- No heater included
- No check valves for air pump included
- Tank warps slightly when full
- Noisy air pump
The Tetra ColorFusion Half-Moon 3 Gallon is a starter aquarium kit that a lot of people keep bettas in.
Being small it won’t take up too much room so it can fit practically anywhere. Small also means lightweight so it can be easily moved for tank maintenance.
This 3 gallon tank will weigh around 26lbs when it’s full of water.
The lights and bubbler sit at the tank bottom so you get to watch bubbles in an array of colors floating up through the water. This looks great at night-time and is very relaxing.
It comes as a complete kit with a light, pump, and filter, but you’ll need to buy a heater separately if you plan on keeping tropical fish. The Tetra HT Submersible Aquarium Heater would make a good choice for a small aquarium like this.
Something else I recommend you buy is a check valve to prevent the tank water from siphoning into the air pump. They’re inexpensive for a pack of 10 and are always handy to have on stock.
The tank may warp slightly when it’s full, but that’s typical of an acrylic aquarium. The lid isn’t hinged and can be a bit tricky to refit when the tank is full of water.
There aren’t too many fish that will thrive in a 3-gallon tank long-term and you may need to consider upgrading to a larger tank in the future.
2. Aqueon LED MiniBow 5 Gallon Kit
- Gallons: 5
- Dimensions: Length 15″ x Width 10.67″ x Height 15.44″
- Material: Acrylic
- Weight (Empty): 5.25 lbs
- Filter: Included
- Lighting: Included
- Heater: Not Included
- Extras Included: Water Conditioner and Tropical Fish Flake Food
✅ Pros:
- Super easy to perform water changes
- LED lights are built into the lid
- Lightweight
❌ Cons:
- No heater included
- Filter flow too strong for Betta fish
- Feeder hole in the tank lid
Next up is the Aqueon LED MiniBow Kit with SmartClean Technology.
It’s a modern design and being only 5 gallons it’s pretty light, weighing in around 50 lbs when it’s filled with water.
The main selling point of this aquarium is the smart clean technology that uses the power filter to make water changes a breeze.
While the filter’s water flow is good, it can’t be adjusted and could be a little too strong if you have long-finned betta fish. If you’ve got faster-swimming fish like guppies then you’ll be OK.
The 3 LED lights are built into the underside of the tank lid so you don’t have to worry about setting up lighting. Despite only having 3 lights they do light the tank well so you get a good view of your fish.
It does have a couple of drawbacks though. One thing it doesn’t come with is a water heater so you’ll have to buy one separately if you want to keep tropical fish. The Aqueon 10 Watt Mini Heater, or the Tetra HT Submersible Aquarium Heater would make a good choice for an aquarium of this size.
The lid has a handy hole in it to feed your fish through without having to remove the lid. The downside is there’s no flap on it so it’s constantly open and presents your fish with an opportunity to escape.
3. Fluval Flex 15 Gallon Aquarium Kit
- Gallons: 15
- Dimensions: Length 16.73″ x Width 15.94″ x Height 15.94″
- Material: Glass
- Weight (Empty): 28 lbs
- Filter: Included
- Lighting: Included
- Heater: Not Included
✅ Pros:
- Filtration is hidden
- Leveling mat included
- Great design
- Integrated lights
- Filter media included
❌ Cons:
- Tank capacity is less than the 15 gallons advertised
The Fluval Flex Aquarium Kit looks modern and it’ll make a great addition to your fish room, living room, or office. I really like the mesh effect around the rim and rear edges of the tank. Not only does it look good it also hides the waterline and the filtration equipment.
Although it’s advertised as a 15-gallon tank, due to it having an area in the rear section to house the filtration, the actual swimmable space inside this tank is nearer to 12 gallons.
The rear section is divided into 3 separate compartments. Water is drawn into the first section, then filtered through the center section, before being heated and fed back into the tank in the 3rd section. The center section holds a large foam sponge with has 2 sections cut out of it that you put some chemical and biological filtration media into.
The lid-mounted LED lights are remote control operated, have a full array of color options, and have a fully adjustable brightness level to suit your fish’s and/or plants’ requirements. If you’re noise-sensitive like I am you’ll be pleased to know the pump is very quiet.
One thing you’ll need to buy for this tank is a heater if you want to keep tropical fish. The Fluval M50 Submersible Heater would be a great choice for this size of aquarium. Your pump and heater fit in the same compartment so the electrical wiring will be kept nice and neat.
The water pump flow rate isn’t adjustable and may be too strong for long-finned betta fish. You’ll need to clean the small sponge inside the pump around 2-3 times per year as it does clog up and slows down the water flow rate.
Smaller fish can find their way into the rear section of the tank due to the slots the water passes through being bigger than they are. To prevent this from happening you could wedge a Fluval Edge Pre-Filter Sponge in there.
All in all a great aquarium from a well-known quality brand.
4. Coralife LED Biocube Marine or Freshwater 32 Gallon Aquarium Kit
- Gallons: 32
- Dimensions: Length 20″ x Width 21.87″ x Height 21.5″
- Material: Glass
- Weight (Empty): 62 lbs
- Filter: Included
- Lighting: Included
- Heater: Not Included
✅ Pros:
- Modern design
- Matching stand available
- Range of accessories available
- Also available in 16 gallon size
❌ Cons:
- Fans can be noisy
- Included filter media basket is flimsy
The Coralife LED Biocube Marine or Freshwater Aquarium Kit 32 is not marketed as a bow front aquarium, but it does have a slightly bowed front and the corners are curved giving it a modern, sleek bowed look which is an ideal compromise if you are undecided between a flat-fronted or curved front aquarium.
The LED lights have an integrated 24-hour digital timer giving you full control of imitating your fish’s natural day and night cycle. There are reports that the fan inside the lid (which is there to keep the LED lights cool) can become noisy, while others have said the fan is almost silent. I suspect it’s down to manufacturing discrepancies and it’s potluck whether or not you get a noisy fan or a quiet fan.
The included filter media basket is OK to get you started but it’s flimsy and awkward to get in and out of the tank without making a mess everywhere. Because of its design, it doesn’t force as much water through the filter media as it should, so the water doesn’t get cleaned as well.
If you find your water isn’t staying clean, I recommend you consider upgrading the media basket with the inTank Media Basket and the inTank Fuge Basket. The tank water will be much cleaner if you go with these upgrades as they force far more water through the filter media.
Another flaw is that there’s a 1/2″ gap between the top of the back wall that separates the swimming area from the filter area and the tank lid so fish can end up in the filter media basket. However, there is a fix for this too, the inTank Fish Saver fills the gap nicely.
There’s no heater included so you’ll have to buy one separately if you want to keep tropical fish. The Fluval M100 is a great choice for this size tank.
If you’re wanting a stand to put your tank on, the Coralife Biocube Aquarium Stand is designed specifically for this tank. Also available in a smaller size to go with the 16 gallon Biocube.
This is a great tank but does need a few minor tweaks as stated above, to make it ideal. All in all, it’s a great aquarium and I’m sure you’ll be happy if you choose this tank.
5. SeaClear Acrylic 46 Gallon Aquarium Combo Set
- Gallons: 46
- Dimensions: Length 36″ x Width 16.5″ x Height 20″
- Material: Acrylic
- Weight (Empty): 20 lbs
- Filter: Not Included
- Lighting: Not Included
- Heater: Not Included
✅ Pros:
- Lightweight
- Clearer than glass aquariums
- Light fixture and reflector included
- Stable water temperatures
- Seamless corners
- Suitable for freshwater or saltwater
❌ Cons:
- Lightbulb not included
- Need to buy a heater & filter
The SeaClear Acrylic 46 Gallon Bowfront Aquarium Combo Set is the biggest tank I’ve reviewed here and it will make a great centerpiece wherever it is placed.
Being acrylic it’s very light at 20lbs when empty so is pretty easy to move around, and won’t crack or shatter like a glass aquarium can if you bump into it or drop it.
It’s also much clearer to see through and offers better water temperature stability than a glass aquarium.
Now for the things that bother me about it. It’s advertised as a combo, but really all you get is the tank, a lid, and a rather flimsy light fixture. You don’t even get a lightbulb included!
You’ll also need to buy a filter, and a heater if you want to keep tropical fish. The openings in the lid can make placing such things tricky and make it quite awkward to perform tank maintenance.
A great heater for this tank would be the Fluval E200, filter wise, you can’t go wrong with either an AquaClear 70 HOB filter or the Fluval 307 canister filter.
This is a good acrylic tank by SeaClear with excellent clarity for viewing your fish…if you can live with a few minor niggles.
What Is A Bow Front Aquarium?
A bow front aquarium is a fish tank that has an outward curve to the front panel instead of it being flat like a regular fish tank. Some bow from top to bottom, and others will bow from left to right.
Advantages Of Bow Front Aquariums
It looks different and a bow front tank certainly stands out amongst all your flat-fronted tanks. Let’s be honest (shhh 🤫 don’t tell my wife I’ve said this) you can never have too many fish tanks, can you!?
It gives you a different perspective of your fish from the outside of the tank and some people think is better than that of a standard flat-fronted aquarium.
They look a bit bigger than they actually are as the front protrudes outwards. An aquarium is something people always notice when they walk into a room so they’re often used in interior design to add that extra wow factor to a room.
The curved front provides your fish with that little bit of extra space for swimming in, which is always a bonus.
Disadvantages Of Bow Front Aquariums
They’re more expensive than regular flat fronted aquariums due to the increased manufacturing costs of making a curved front panel.
The curved front can give you a distorted view if the tank materials aren’t of good quality.
Stands are difficult to find due to the odd shape so you may end up having to buy the manufacturer’s stand, even if you don’t like it all that much.
It’s more difficult to take photos of your fish through the curved glass/acrylic.
Closing Thoughts On The Best Bow Front Aquarium…
There aren’t as many choices when it comes to choosing the best bow front aquarium, as they aren’t as readily available as regular tanks, but I’m sure you’ll be happy if you pick one of these tanks.
Once you’ve picked your tank, check out my best freshwater fish and best saltwater fish articles to get some great stocking ideas for your tank.
If you’re still undecided, here’s a quick recap of my top picks:
- Tetra ColorFusion 3 Gallon Half-Moon Kit (Best 3 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Aqueon LED MiniBow 5 Kit (Best 5 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Fluval Flex Aquarium Kit (Best 15 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium Kit (Best 32 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
- SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set (Best 46 Gallon Bow Front Aquarium)
Check out the equipment section for in-depth reviews like this, and the aquarium health section for guides on keeping your aquarium in tip-top shape.
