15 Gallon Fish Tank: Reviews and Beginner Guide, 5 Best Tanks for 2023

15 Gallon Fish Tank and other Aquarium Necessities 

 

The most common size fish tank for people just starting out or people that don’t have a lot of space is a 15 gallon fish tank. They are the perfect balance between small form factor and large enough to keep a reasonable number of fish and other fish necessities. The size of these tanks can accommodate anything from the Ember Tetra to a Koi Betta, both of which we have full guides for on our website. 

These tanks can also be used as biotope tanks which are an exact scaled down replica of a specific ecosystem and habitat, which recreates it down to the smallest details, like plants, water parameters and the fish native to that area. 

Aquariums like this can also be used as a breeding tanks, which are used to breed fish without outside interference like other fish eating the young, and even the parents eating the fly, which can be prevented by putting in a breeding net. Breeding nets are very commonly made for a standard 24” x 12” x 12” 15 gallon fish tank, so it just makes sense to use one. 

15-gallon tanks are still considered small tanks, and people think that the average beginner should use a 10-gallon tank, but 15-gallon aquariums are actually better. The thing that most people don’t realize when they are starting out in their fish keeping hobby and maybe even addiction, is that the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep water chemistry and temperature stable. Lots of fish are very sensitive to drastic changes in water, and a bigger tank, if only slightly, can help prevent that. 

Since 15-gallon tanks are very common, they come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, like perfect cubes, cylindrical towers, curved toaster oven looking enclosures, and low and wide. 

The standard size for a 15 gallon fish tank is around 24” x 12” x 12”, with another common size being 20” x 10” x 18”. 

An empty tank of this volume weighs roughly 20lbs, while a full one is around 170lbs. 

 

SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set

The SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set is one of my favorite 15 gallon fish tank on this list, just because of its awesome shape. 

It’s a very unique fish tank, being hexagonal that includes a 12-inch light fixture. It’s made of acrylic which has been proven to be much stronger and lighter than glass, and much less prone to chipping and shattering, which is perfect for houses with pets. Kids too, but they kind of fall into the pet category.  

SeaClear is a great company and has a very good reputation with aquarists all around the world, since they make great products and offer a great warranty with those products to keep them running for as long as possible. 

The dimensions of this tank are 15”(W) x 15”(D) x 20”(H). 

The pros of this tank – 

• Even though it’s a hexagonal tank it still has rounded corners, but the purpose they serve is more than just safety. Rounding the corners actually makes it more structurally sound, eliminating the breaking point of it and making it as strong as a flat piece of glass 
• There are several options in terms of backgrounds at purchase. I prefer the clear one since it looks like a rustic jar. 
• You can add your own choice of heater and filter for the specific types you will be keeping in it. 
• Since acrylic is stronger than glass, it’s safe for homes with rowdy kids. 

The cons of this tank – 

• The opening is quite small which makes it tougher to feed the fish 
• It has no removable lid, making it harder to clean 
• For lighting it only includes the fixture and not the bulb itself 

About this item 

• Combo includes aquarium, reflector and electrical 12″ light fixture 
• Tranquil Hexagon design; You won’t believe how your fish and decorations will pop! 
• Acrylic aquariums are clearer than glass, 17 times stronger, and only half the weight! 
• More impact resistant and less prone to chipping or cracking than glass, making it safer around children and pets 
• Safe for Salt or Freshwater 

Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium

This technically doesn’t belong on this list since it’s a 16-gallon tank, but it’s the same price as the 15-gallon fish tank and fits well into modern homes with its clean aesthetic. Only a crazy person would say that it doesn’t deserve to be on here, and I am no crazy person! 

This tank comes with LED lighting, a filtration system and a pump. 

The lighting system is set to a 24-hour timer and has three different light modes, which can be set to Bright, White, Sparkling Blue, and Color Enhancing. The lighting also has the option for a 30-minute sunrise and sunset feature that it doesn’t just blast light into the tank at 6 in the morning. 

The filtration system is quite compact and very customizable and is built directly into the back of the tank. It includes a submersible pump which has dual intakes and the return nozzle is adjustable. 

The aquarium dimensions are: 15” x 16.8” x 17.5” inches. 

 

The pros of this tank – 

• It’s a very high quality tank that is built very well. 
• It has good instructions and is very easy to set up. 
• The back of the tank has compartments for equipment. 
• It looks great and fits very well in modern homes 

The cons of this tank – 

• It’s one of the more expensive tanks on this list. 
• The LED’s will function well for plants that don’t need very powerful lights. 
• Some areas are tough to clean. 
• The interior fan is quite loud. 

 

About this item 

• Sleek modern hood with vibrant LED lighting; Hinge-top canopy design (also compatible with BioCube 14 and 29). Average output at 12-inches 
• Integrated 24-hour timer with three independent channels: bright white, sparkling blue and color enhancing LEDs for maximum beauty 
• Automatic 30 minute sunrise/sunset and 60 minute moonrise/moonset functions to replicate natural day cycle 
• Compact and customizable built-in filtration – easy to setup and maintain. Clear glass back panel for easy refugium set-up 
• Quiet submersible pump, dual intakes and adjustable return nozzle 

biOrb Cube 30 Aquarium with LED

This is yet another 15 gallon fish tank, but is even more stylish than the last one in my opinion, since it is a perfect acrylic cube with no attempts at fancy design. This kind of tank would work wonders in a minimalist home with its sleek and elegant design. It boasts a true five stage filtration system, which filters biological, mechanical, and chemical contaminants, while also helping with water stabilization, and oxygenation. 

It provides a completely unobstructed view of your aquarium from all angles, since the filtration system is hidden in the bottom, and is compatible with all biOrb filter cartridges which makes it easy to clean and replace your filters. 

Feeding your fish is very easy with this tank since the feed hole is conveniently located at the top of the tank. 

The tank also features a low voltage standard LED light, which can be configured to change color with the press of a button on a remote. 

This aquarium measures 15.7” x 15.7” x 17” 

The pros of the tank – 

• Looks great, highly stylish. 
• Comes with integrated filter and lighting. 
• Easy to feed fish with quite a sizable hole. 
• Comes in 3 colors and 2 lighting options. 

The cons of the tank – 

• Very expensive. 
• Filtration system may not live up to what the company and amazon page claims. 
• The LED is low power which may not be sufficient for some plants. 

 

About this item 

• Stylish approach on traditional shape. Constructed out of Acrylic – 10 times stronger than glass, 50% lighter and has a 93% transparency rating. 
• True 5 stage filtration – biological, mechanical, chemical, water stabilization and oxygenation. 
• Unobstructed view of your Aquarium inhabitants. Led lighting – equipped with a long lasting, low voltage standard LED light. 
• Filter cartridge – DESIGNED TO fit all biOrb aquariums. 
• Effortless set up. Easy feeding access – feed hole conveniently located at the top of the Aquarium. 

biOrb Classic Aquarium 

Yet another biOrb branded tank, but this one is the complete opposite of the last one, since this one is a sphere instead of a square. 

It is a 16-gallon tank once again, and comes with pretty much the same options and features as the previous one but is 20.5 x 20.5 x 22 inches in volume which is slightly bigger since the bulge of the sides of the fish globe increase its total size. 

It comes in white, silver, and black, and has the same RGB color changing LED option, and comes in 4 different sizes. This comes out to 24 possible combinations which means that you definitely have options if you decide to choose this as your tank of choice. 

The pros of the tank –

• Looks great, highly stylish. 
• Comes with integrated filter and lighting. 
• Easy to feed fish with quite a sizable hole. 
• Comes in 3 colors and 2 lighting options. 

The cons of the tank – 

• Filtration system may not live up to what the company and amazon page claims. 
• The LED is low power which may not be sufficient for some plants. 

About this item 

• Constructed Out of Acrylic- 10 times stronger than glass, 50% lighter and 93% clearer 
• True 5 Stage Filtration – Biological, Mechanical, Chemical, Water Stabilization and Oxygenation 
• Low Voltage – All biOrb aquariums operate from a 12V Transformer 
• LED Lighting – Equipped with a long lasting, low voltage Standard LED Light 
• Filter Cartridge – A true “one size fits all” filter for the biOrb aquariums 

 

Hygger Horizon 8 Gallon LED Glass Aquarium Kit for Starters 

This is an 8-gallon fish tank that’s perfect for every beginner. Because it includes a 7-watt power filter pump, an 18-watt colored led light, and a built-in rockery background that cannot be detached. This is the first aquarium made of glass on this list, and the smallest as well. 

The light for this tank is mounted on support arches on either side and is wired through to the back where the pump is very fancily hidden behind the beautiful rock backdrop. This aquarium is perfect for smaller fish. 

The front glass has a curve to it which gives the fish more area to swim around near the bottom of the tank, and since there is quite a large space under the pre-built backdrop, that lends itself to even more space for your fish to swim in. 

The dimensions of this tank are 19 x 11.8 x 9.6 inches 

Pros of the tank – 

• Looks great 
• Comes with everything you need to start out with 
• Included day and night mode for the light 
• Included natural looking backdrop 
• Great warranty 

Cons of the tank – 

• Tough to clean 
• Only comes in an 8-gallon size 
• Light has to be turned on and off manually 

 

About this item 

• ????【Hygger Aquarium Kit Includes】one 7W 110GPH internal power filter pump, one colored led aquarium light, one 8 gallon glass tank with a decorative 3D rockery mountain background. The 3D background makes the whole aquarium looks cool like a dream word underwater, is a great rest, play spot, shelters for little fish. Also you can plant some green grass on the rockery mountain. 
• ????【Mutil-modes LED Light】The aquarium led light is DC12V/18W, with extendable brackets, length can be adjusted from 0 to 19 inch. It has a external digital controller, you can use it to set the lighting time to 3, 6 or 12 hours, to adjust the light brightness from 100% to 10%, 5 levels of brightness in total, to shift the light modes: White LEDS, Blue+white+red LEDS, Red+ blue LEDS. 

• ????【Durable Power Filter】The aquarium power filter is 7W 110GPH, for 2-8 gallon tank use. It’s a super quiet and durable filter, and can be use for low water, the upper part is the 2 stage filtration system, the bottom part is water pumping systerm to pump the water upward. Please NOTE this filter may be too strong for small fish that is not long than 2 inch, may suck small fish, if you keep small in the tank, please don’t run the filter or don’t run it all the time 

• ????【New View Curved Tank】Tank size: 19″ L x 11.8″ W x 9.6″ H. This glass fish tank has a unique convex arc curve shape, can widen your view on the aquarium, and can hold more capacity of water. The total tank volume is 8 gallon, it can hold 6 gallon of water, because the tank has a undetachable 3D background decor. When it holds full water, the whole tank weighs about 68 pounds. 
• ????【Multi-protection Packing】We used 3 layers of packing to pack the aquarium kit and with light lifting label, the innermost layers is a super sturdy poly foam with excellent cushion. We have done the shipping test by sending 3 of the packs to 3 different distance places and find the glass tanks are still in good condition when received. So don’t worry the tank will be broken during the shipping, if you find tank broken when open the package, please take a photo and send it to the seller.  

Tetra ColorFusion Aquarium 15 Gallon Fish Tank Kit 

 

The biggest tank on this list is the Tetra ColorFusion tank, coming in at 20 gallons. 

When you think of a fish tank, there are two things that come to mind. You either think of a classic round bowl, or you think of a classic rectangular tank like this. 

It is the most generic rectangular fish tank, which is what makes it so appealing. There isn’t anything fancy, no crazy shapes and un needed knick knacks to raise the price, just a simple glass box, that comes with some color changing LED’s and some décor. Just what you need to get started in your fish keeping journey. 

It includes a filter, a cover for those jumpy fish, a UL heater, a filter, a color changing LED, some plant variety packs, and a blooming white Anemone. 

You really cant go wrong with a tank like this, and this includes all the essentials for less than most of the other tanks on this list, and they come with just the tank! 

The dimensions of the tank are 27.88 x 16.13 x 20.38 inches. 

Pros of the tank – 

• Simple, no nonsense tank 
• Comes with all the essentials 
• Included LED’s 
• Comes with plants 

Cons of the tank – 

• No option to choose just the tank with no included things 

 

About this item 

• Let the LED light transform your aquarium with each color change. Pause the cycle on any color to fully customize your aquarium 
• The anemones sway with your filter current and give your fish a place to hide and relax 
• Tetra plants come to life under the glow of Color Fusion LED 
• The Tetra ColorFusion Kit includes: one 20 Glass gallon Aquarium, one aquarium hood, one UL Heater, one Tetra Whisper 20 Filter, one Color Fusion Universal Color Changing LED, two Wonderland Plant Multipacks, one Blooming White Anemone 
• Aquarium Dimensions:24.2″ L x 12.4″ W x 16.7″ H 

Conclusion 

These are our picks for the top 6 tanks of various shapes and sizes and should cover most of the tanks that the average fishkeeper will use in their lifetime. If you get serious about aquariums and decide to get a bigger tank you can consult your local pet shop. This is just a guide for smaller and entry level tanks and should be treated as such. We hope you found something on this list that suites your needs, and if you enjoyed, please share with others to spread the amazing hobby that is fish keeping. Be sure to check out our other guides on what fish to put in these tanks, and above all else, have fun.