Review of Best 50-55 Gallon Aquarium Kits

Are you looking for a fish tank around 50 to 55 gallons that can support a large variety of species? If the answer is yes, then you should consider selecting an aquarium kit with a 50-55 gallon capacity listed below. These tanks have become an ideal choice for many aquarists who want to keep different varieties of fish species while having a large enough tank to make it the showpiece of any home.

All hobbyist know that there are specific fish, such as the cichlid that requires a larger space to thrive. The fish need the space to turn, grow out and eventually pair up and breed. With a significant variety of these types of aquarium kits available today, it can sometimes be challenging to choose the best one. Take a look at some of the options below, we have included both glass and acrylic tanks as well as the standard rectangular, cube and rare cylindrical tank.

Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit

This package is one of the best 55-gallon fish tanks for beginners that comes at an affordable price point. You can use this aquarium for keeping a wide range of tropical fish species. It has all the essential accessories that include a heater, thermometer, hood with LED lighting, water conditioner, and a powerful filtration system, plus a few more extras.

The Tetra 55 gallon aquarium kit, with its high-quality glass, provides high visibility and clarity over its acrylic counterparts. The twenty-four-inch hood comes with an LED lighting system, and it has access to easily feed your fish, accessing equipment and for maintenance. The hinges on the hood allow you to open and close without any difficulties. Plus, the LED lighting system provides super bright white light for your fish tank to bring out the best color of your fish.

The Tetra 55 gallon aquarium kit features a power filter that works great to keep your tank water clean and works hard at a rate of 330 gallons per hour. You can also adjust the filtration system flow for feeding times.

SeaClear 50 Gallon Acrylic Fish Tank

With its dimensions of 36x15x20 inches, this 50-gallon aquarium kit is an ideal choice for both saltwater and freshwater setup. One of the features that make this fish tank stands out from other aquarium kits is its compact and clean look.

A twenty-four inch light fixture comes mounted beneath the hood of this fish tank. But you can easily upgrade it into a thirty-six LED light fixture, which will enable you to have more control over the colors versus a fluorescent bulb. The top of this fish tank features holes that make it easier to access filters, heaters and feeding your fish. However, this package does not include the filtration system or a heater. Probably the only downside to this kit, but the lightweight and extra durability of an acrylic tank may just be what you are looking for. Plus you can shop for your own filters and heaters instead of having to use whatever a tank manufacturer decides to package up for you.

SCA 50 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium

The SCA 50 gallon package is not just another tank to keep fish in, its a showpiece! It is designed and comes with equipment for building a reef system such as protein skimmer, sump tank, and water pump, among others. The plus side of buying a kit like this is it comes with all the essential accessories, so you do not have to spend time looking for them separately. Although cubed tanks have often been used for reef systems, they do make awesome planted tanks and shrimp tanks.

SCA includes a stand for the fish tank and it is made of high-quality manufactured wood. With the stand, you can now tuck away all filters, skimmers and other equipment neatly out of sight. The center overflow and return systems help keep hoses and heaters out of the tank giving a much nicer view of your tank, no hoses or wires. High-quality, durable glass is used to make this tank crystal clear. Significantly thicker than regular glass, you can safely use this fish tank for keeping both saltwater and freshwater species.

Given that no aquarium is perfect, this aquarium kit has its downside. The only con of this fish tank is that it does not come with a manual or setup guide on the filtration system. So, it will be quite challenging for you, especially if you are a beginner. If you have experience with setting up a sump and protein skimmer, you should be fine.

Full Acrylic 360 Cylinder Aquarium with 55 Gallon

SHOWSTOPPER! If you want to have visitors to your office or home stop in their tracks and be awed by your tank, this aquarium kit is for you. A stylish and unique aquarium kit, this 55-gallon tank is for show. It provides an exceptional 360-degree visual experience for you and your guests.

With its cylindrical-shaped design, this fish tank takes less space as compared to other rectangular-shaped aquariums. As such, you can place this aquarium in any living room or office.

This 55-gallon aquarium features a unique filtration system that might look quite strange for you. The hood of this aquarium consists of the filter tray and the LED lighting system. The pump allows the water to enter the filter tray, which includes bio-balls and floss pads. The filtration system effectively carries out the three stages of purification. The bio-balls allow for the biological stage of filtration, and the floss pads perform the mechanical filtration. Further, you can add activated carbon to carry out the chemical stage of filtration.

One downside of this aquarium is the lack of horizontal swimming space for the fish. Designed with vertical visual appeal, you will have to consider smaller fish that enjoy vertical swimming space, compared to other 55-gallon aquariums that offer horizontal swimming space. A larger variety of fish may not do well in this tank at all. Small tetras, shrimp and possibly as large as Angel Fish can be kept as well as planted tanks.

Aqua Culture 55 Gallon Aquarium Starter Kit

The Aqua Culture 55-gallon aquarium is a complete package for people who want to start a sizeable aquatic environment. It comes with all the essential accessories such as filtration system, LED lighting system, and other related equipment. All you need to do is pick a place to put it and what kind of fish you want to keep.

This aquarium comes with a powerful filtration system and an LED lighting system. The lighting system provides sufficient light to give an exceptional view of the entire tank, thereby enhancing the appearance of your fish at your home or office. This aquarium kit, with its large capacity and features, is a perfect option for aquarists at all levels looking to dive right into tropical fish keeping.

Glass versus Acrylic

The debate between buying a glass tank or acrylic tank goes back and forth, which one is better? I say, instead of asking which is better, perhaps we should focus on how they are different.

Clarity: Glass wins this one hands down, glass is super clear and with proper lighting your tank will be visible for distance and be picture perfect. Acrylic does start out clear, but over time begins to dull due to aging and cleaning. It can be easily scratched and although there are kits to help buff out acrylic, it is a chore to empty your tank, repair it, buff it out and re-assemble your tank. Glass wins this battle easily.

Strength: Acrylic wins this one, chemically bonded at the molecular level, joints on the acrylic tank are less likely to leak or split. Glass tanks are joined by silicone, which over time can age, shrink and leak. Glass can also chip or crack, leading to tank rupture, spilling gallons of water on your floor. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Acrylic wins the strength war.

Weight: Acrylic wins this one, although larger acrylic tanks can be very heavy, at the 50 to 55 gallon size, one person can still manage to move it around without much worry to cracking or chipping their tank. A glass tank of this size requires two people, simply due to the joint strength and possibility of chipping or cracking the tank on a silly bump against a wall or piece of furniture. Glass is heavier than acrylic, glass also poses a much greater risk if it breaks, leading to cuts. Acrylic tanks win this one.

With just three points, you can begin to see how different glass is from acrylic. When deciding on what kind of tank you would like to buy, consider the differences in the materials used to construct the tank.

Conclusion...

Essential features and accessories that make a 50-55 gallon aquarium kit an ideal choice for setting up large fish-keeping can be different based on the type of tank and fish you plan to keep. Freshwater or saltwater, rectangular or cubed, glass or acrylic, your choices will largely be based on the amount of room you have, budge and preference to the type of tank you want to start. Getting the information is always the first battle, hopefully, we provided you with several options to get started on the tank of your dreams.