Best Fish Tanks Under $200

Getting started with keeping tropical fish and on a budget of under $200, no problem, we have several options for you to get started. The tropical fish hobby should be fun and accessible to everyone. There is no need to spend a lot of money to get started, below we share some great starter tanks that are budget friendly.

What should I expect from a fish tank under $200?

We all want the most for our money, especially when we are on a budget and just getting started. You should expect high quality and long lasting equipment from a reputable company. With all things, there is a give and take when we have a smaller budget, let's take a look at what to expect in a fish tank under the $200 price range.

Smaller Tank

A fish tank in this budget-friendly price range is going to be a bit smaller. Anywhere from 10 to 30 gallons in size, depending on the brand, hardware and features included. You can get more gallons for a bare-bones setup. If you choose built-in features such as filters and lights, expect less size.

Solid Brands

Just because you're on a budget doesn't mean you have to buy some cheap fish tank. Today you have a wide selection of fish tanks to choose from and from reputable brands. Smaller budgets don't mean cheap anymore, you can get great quality on a budget with plenty of features and built-in equipment.

Bulit In Equipment

Smaller tanks are now being made with built-in filters and lights, making a budget-friendly fish tank really looks like a show tank. Everything from self-cleaning fish tanks, trickle filters and color changing LED lights can be found. It all depends on what you want, remember the trade-off for features is going to be the size of the tank.

Our Top Fish Tanks for Under $200

We scoured online to find you the best budget-friendly selection. We took into consideration tank size, freshwater vs. marine and features vs. bare bones. Below are some a great fish tanks for under $200 that we know you will love.

1. Fluval Flex - 15 Gallon Glass Fish Tank

If you are looking for an out of the box complete solution for your fish tank, look no further. The Fluval Flex 15 gallon fish tank is an all in one package with built-in multi-stage filtration and pretty cool remote controlled LED lights.

Not just your run of the mill squared up fish tank, the Fluval Flex has a nice curved front glass that really makes this tank feel more like a show tank. Keep smaller fish or shrimp in this tank and add some live plants to make your room come alive.

The LED features are nice, with a custom wide range of Red, Blue, Green and White color you can customize just about any shade of light you want in your tank. Mimic special effects like faded cloud cover or lightning. All of this can be controlled with a remote control that is included with your fish tank.

2. Fluval Sea EVO VII - 13.5 Gallon Glass Fish Tank

If you want a practically self-cleaning fish tank, take a look at the Fluval Sea EVO VII. At 13.5 gallons it is on the smaller side, small enough to fit on a desk or counter top, so no need to buy a stand. You can go both freshwater or saltwater with this tank, keep a nice planted tank or go mini reef, it's that versatile.

The Fluval Sea EVO VII comes with super bright 14000K LED lights, plenty of light for optimal healthy coral growth. Water quality is not a problem, a built-in 3 stage filtration system with room for oversized media takes care of the cleaning up your water. A solid choice for both freshwater and marine fish tanks, plus its budget friendly!

3. SeaClear Acrylic 29 Gallon Fish Tank

The SeaClear Acrylic 29-gallon show tank comes pretty bare, but you get size in return. A budget-friendly larger tank, perfect for the hobbyist who is looking to customize filtration, lighting and stand. If you have a project in mind and need a clean slate, this 29-gallon fish tank is a great budget-friendly pick to get you started.

Included is a 24" lighting fixture to help you get started, you will probably want to replace this at some point for strong lighting if keeping corals or planted tank. Acrylic is stronger than glass and is a lot lighter, keep that in mind if you are thinking about creating something custom for yourself.

4. biOrb Flow 30 - 8 Gallon Fish Tank

biOrb created a wonderful feature rich 8-gallon fish tank. Made of Acrylic, it is ten times stronger than glass and about 50% lighter. Inside the biOrb is a five-stage filtration system that includes biological, mechanical, chemical, water stabilization and oxygenation. In other words, this fish tank is about as close to self-cleaning as it gets.

LED lighting with sixteen preset colors can be changed with remote control. That's right, generate different moods with a multi-color remote control. Bright enough to showcase your fish, yet smart enough to set the right color to make your room look great.

Perfect for a planted tank or shrimp tank, if you are looking for a great showpiece to put on your desk or countertop, the biOrb is a great pick.

Final Thoughts

Being on a budget doesn't mean you have to buy something cheap. The fish tank options above are all from reputable companies who build quality budget-friendly fish tanks. If you want to keep a freshwater or marine fish tank on your desktop or countertop there are plenty of options available to you for under $200.