List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $63.94
Today's Bonus: 36% Off
I saw this in a store and purchased it immediately for my 19 year old daughter who is a college student majoring in animal behavior. She thought it was funny and cute, but since setting it up at school cannot believe the number of compliments she has gotten!! I then bought it for an elderly bedridden relative who spent hours watching it in fascination. It's a unique item, perfect for people who cannot have live animals for whatever reasons. It is pretty, peaceful and relaxing. Be careful setting up the foliage because it does have some sharp edges, also be sure there are no air bubbles on the undersides of the jellyfish or they will clump together and not swim as well. Very simple set up, and just as simple to pack up and put away.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
****** I would like customers looking at buying this product to read this review, because it is the most recent review and I'm setting everything straight. Overall, this is a good product. I got it for my dad, and he really enjoys it. He says things like "look at my jellies go!" And "those two look like your mother and I in love," and he's no half wit, so it must be fine. The aquarium came in its own box (like if you bought it at a store) and was very well packaged. At first sight it was a little smaller than I expected, but that you get used to. The set up is very easy. It is a thin rectangular prism made out of museum quality plastic, about 18"x9"x3", attached to a strong, but small, black plastic base. The aquarium may be thin but has surprising balance. The back side of the base extends out 1", and has a line of holes along this extra strip. The plants are made kind of cheaply, but aren't bad (especially since you see them through the water) and are the only cheap things on this product.The set up is simplefill with water, add soap, slosh around to clean, empty, put plant stems in holes on back of base (so that you look straight through the aquarium to see the plants,) fill with distilled water, slowly put the jellyfish in HEAD FIRST (and it will take time, have patience) so that they sink to the bottom, add soap, stir with knife, put on top, plug in and viola. The light settings are rather nice, though not the same on the box. It really doesn't detract from the experience. If the jellies are put in right (with no air bubbles attached) and distilled water is used, the jellies will not float up or clump together.
The only problem with this product, which I got about a week after having and hardly using, RIGHT ON CHRISTMAS DAY, was the pumps. Normally the pumps make a very soothing hum, and alternate every couple of seconds. One, however, started to make a sound that I can only describe as a very quiet diesel truck engine. The other pump soon followed. It is not a big deal though if you're watching a movie, playing video games, or doing anything that involves noise. The product in all other aspects is great, and I would still say that it is worth it. Maybe not $99, but worth it. I recommend doing as much research as you can before buying this product. It is not crap, nor is it excellent. I hope this helps.
---August 23 2013 update---
Jellyfish have lasted, aquarium is in great condition and lights still work great. Pumps now make a loud clacking sound. This is because the rotors on the pumps are waterproof by magnetization to the motoras the motor turns, I has a magnet on it that the rotor magnetized to, so the rotor turns also. This clacking sound is not fixable unless you cut right into the motor and change it completely.
OVERALLthe only downsides are the pumps, which might be easily fixed
Best Deals for Fascinations Deluxe Jellyfish Aquarium
FASCINATIONS DELUXE JELLYFISH AQUARIUM REVIEWThis is a detailed review after 2 weeks of running aquarium for an average of 12 hours each day.
PS I cannot forecast and/or rate aquariums reliability and/or longevity beyond this point.
I purchased this when Amazon had them on sale for $67.00. (Reasonable price IMHO)
The average retail selling price online is around $99.00. (Pricy IMHO)
WHAT'S IN THE BOX (not much!)... I think I might have a couple of 'unimportant' things missing in mine????
The aquarium came `reasonably' well packed, however I was somewhat disappointed when I opened the box. In the box, was:
One very basic instruction sheet covering set up only.
The base of the aquarium, which is a very easy to scratch clear injection moulded plastic and not plexiglass. (On a not so very close inspection of the clear plastic aquarium, it was ALREADY SCRATCHED in a few places and the optics and clarity does not come close to glass or plexiglass. (I have seen dollar store clear plastic glasses with way better clarity and optics than this.) *I really thought this was going to be a major issue, however to my relief, IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE CLARITY after the aquarium was filled with water PHEW!
A thin black plastic base is screwed onto the bottom on which the aquarium stands to give a little more "stability".
A separate black plastic top is also included, which houses the water circulation pumps as well as the LED lights, Power and Selection buttons and Power Receptacle.
Also included was a thin 5ft. long Power Cable with Low voltage transformer plug, a plastic bag with a few plastic plants , which BTW, are cheap looking and cheesy. (They went straight into the garbage.) *I used an aquarium background instead, which IMHO looks way better. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, I HAVE SEEN OTHERS ONLINE WITH A WHITE FEAUX SAND FLOOR SHOWING A STAR FISH ** I NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY BOX!**
Another bag contained the 7 Jellyfish of assorted sizes. The Jellyfish are made from a very soft and pliable silicone with a little glitter on them. I was very impressed with the quality, looks and feel of the jellyfish.
My initial impression at this point was: DISAPPOINTED IN THE QUALITY OF THE MAIN CLEAR PLASTIC WATER RECEPTACLE & MINIMAL/MISSING ACCESSORIES, HOWEVER IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE 7 JELLYFISH THEMSELVES.
After breezing through the simple instructions, it was time to set up this faux Jellyfish Aquarium.
SETUP:
I decided to use 4 of the 7 Jellies to start with and soaked them for about 1/2 and hour in distilled water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. (not in the instructions) I also rinsed out the tank with the same as per the instructions. I filled the aquarium to an inch or so below the minimum waterline before I attempted to put in the Jellies. The inside walls of the aquarium are a mere 2.5" wide, so getting the jellies in upside down without air bubbles is quite a challenge, even for the smallest of hands.
Once all 4 jellies were in, I filled the tank to the maximum waterline (takes almost 5 liters ...."get with the metric system like the rest of the world" :), put the top on, and plugged it in. The Jellies tended to clump however after reading other reviews, I wasn't perturbed as they say they will settle themselves after about 24 hours, which they did.
My impression of the Setup was: SIMPLE & STRAIGHT FORWARD.
LIGHTING
The LED lights sit in the separate hood of the tank and are controlled by the 2 buttons on top.
The ON/OFF button when activated cycles through ALL the colors, fading from one color to the next and include a range of color morphs not available with the SELECT button..
The SELECT button allows you to select any of the 5 available colors: RED, GREEN, BLUE, RED/GREEN mix, RED/BLUE mix and also Color Cycle.
Personally I like the BLUE and the mix of BLUE and RED the best and have been using these colors the most. I sometimes also use the color cycling mode which is also pretty cool.
I'm not a fan on the RED, it's a little dark and don't show up the jellies as much.
The green is not bad, however unnatural looking IMHO. The RED/GREEN mix IMHO is the best of the above, however doesn't come close the the spectacular BLUE or RED/BLUE mix.
*A GREEN/BLUE option would have been a nice addition, which is sadly omitted.
A word of note, if you position the aquarium below eye level, the LED lights reflect off the back bottom of the tank. (possible solution would be to ad 1/4" of sand in the bottom, however not sure how this would affect the durability of the delicate silicone jellyfish.)
My impression of the lighting system: GOOD, WITH 6 OPTIONAL SETTINGS.
AQUARIUM is also fitted with a convenient and useful automatic 4 hour shutoff.
WATER CIRCULATION SYSTEM
The motor/pump sit inside the top lid on either side, and are completely submerged when the hood is put on properly. The motors are VERY QUIET, which makes for a more relaxing experience.
The 2 pumps one on either end are housed in clear plastic with vents, however they unfortunately protrude 2" into the tank, which can clearly been seen.
The 2 pumps cycle at different intervals causing a sporadic current in the aquarium which is reasonably effective.
My impression of the water circulation system: FAIR TO GOOD
JELLIES AND THEIR MOVEMENT
As mentioned, I was very impressed when I saw the quality of the jellies before I put them in the tank. I was even more impressed after. The bell (hood) of the jellies are so soft they almost look like they pulsate when caught up in the current of the aquarium. Inside the bell, is a "plug" which holds the soft dangling tentacles (approximately 10) and which also help to create neutral buoyancy.
The Jellies also have some form of glitter on them, which really makes them glisten under the LED lights.
The movement of the Jellies are actually quite realistic at points, however due to the fairly "crude" water circulation system, they move uncharacteristically erratically when the circulation pumps are engaged.
My impression of the Silicone Jellyfish: EXCELLENT
*A POINT OF NOTE: The Jellyfish tentacles have got stuck in-between the back of the tank and pump and on 2 occasions got sucked into the vents of the pump which caused the tentacles to get damaged. I contacted the supplier directly via e mail regarding this issue and .............."They have never encountered this issue before" *NO SPARE JELLYFISH ARE AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT OR PURCHASE*
My OVERALL impression: I'm still VERY SATISFIED and TOTALLY ENTHRALLED with my new Jellyfish Aquarium although I do have some concerns regarding the lifespan of the Jellies themselves as they are very delicate and made from very thin type of silicone.
I have searched HIGH & LOW online looking for spare Jellies TO NO AVAIL.
ACTUAL AQUARIUM MEASUREMENTS WHEN ASSEMBLED:
Width: 17.5" Height: 9.5" Depth 3.25"
FRONT VIEWING AREA:
Width: 16.75" Height: 7.5"
PROS CONS
LOOKS GREAT WHEN SET UP QUITE EXPENSIVE @ RRP of $99
RELAXING TO WATCH NO AVAILABLE SPARES
MAKES GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE NO SAFETY OR CARE INSTRUCTIONS
GOOD LIGHT OPTIONS EASY TO SPILL WATER IF BUMBED
TAKES UP LITTLE SPACE JELLYFISH SOMETIMES GET STUCK
QUIET OPERATION
UNUSUAL
EASY TO MAINTAIN
4 HOUR AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF
CONCLUSION IN A NUTSHELL:
1. 1st. Initial Impression upon opening the Box SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTED **
2. Quality of Aquarium Transparent Plastic Vessel FAIR ** `
3. Quality of Silicone Jellyfish EXCELLENT *****
4. Quality of LED Lighting & Various Available Selectable Options VERY GOOD ****
5. Accessories Supplied MINIMAL & INFERIOR *
5. Overall Impression AFTER Set Up HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE SO FAR ***
6. I DO HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING LIFESPAN OF JELLIES & NO AVAILABLE SPARES ON
THE MARKET. *
UPDATE (August 8th 2013) After many months of continual use, the motors have become more noisy. The Jellyfish all still seem to be holding together. none the worse for wear.
So, If you looking for something unique and you have the spare cash to "blow" on a novel item and don't have very high and unreasonable expectations ....... Look no further! You wont be disappointed with this very unusual and unique item AFTER everything is PROPERLY SET UP and running as it should.
It's quite mesmerizing and gives off a beautiful light.
**Unfortunately I cannot say how long these mesmerizing delicate Jellies will actually last.**
Recommended for anyone 15 and older (according to the box)
Personally I would NOT recommend this to anyone who is NOT familiar with the potential dangers of electricity and water, as the removable power source can accidentally dislodge fall into the water when the top is removed.
***** NB PLEASE UNPLUG FROM POWER SOURCE BEFORE MOVING OR WORKING WITH THIS PRODUCT *****
My unbiased REVIEW in a "NUTSHELL"
PS: I "upgraded" mine by ditching the cheesy plastic plants and replacing with reef aquarium background attached with "clearview" gel. I also used only 4 of the jellies to begin with (saving others for spares as NONE are available) and included another jellyfish from ESHOPPS. ..... more planned 'upgrades to come!
Honest reviews on Fascinations Deluxe Jellyfish Aquarium
When I first bought this it looked bigger and thicker (I should have read the dimensions) and when I got it, it looked like it was worth $25 not nearly $100. When we first got the Jellies in the tank the blower sort of just blew them to the other side and they just blew from one end to another in a big clump. HOWEVER....I looked at it a while later and it displayed the way it says it should. The Jellies look lifelike and float around NOT in clumps. Very cool. I got it for the long term care home I work at and the residents really enjoy it. We are getting 3 more for the other home areas now! Really petty and mesmerizing! I wouldn't say its educational though.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Fascinations Deluxe Jellyfish Aquarium
I brought this product for my 1st place and I love it! At 1st, the jellyfish did clump together, but by the next day, they were swimming just like the real thing! I used regular tap water and a few "extra" drops of dishwashing liquid to get it started which may have contributed to the clumping! THIS PRODUCT MAKES NO SOUND AT ALL and if yours does, there may not be enough water to the fill line which may cause the noise! The colors are great and when it's very visible in the day or night! I live on the 13th floor of a highrise (with no window coverings) and the sun shines straight through my windows, but it does not effect how I see the product during the day! I would reccomend this product to both family and friends!
0 comments:
Post a Comment