Top 6 River Fish Tanks Of Various Sizes For Big & Small Pets



If you want to hold river and freshwater fish, but aren’t sure what is an appropriate aquarium?

If you are tired of searching, check this review of the best river fish tanks!

We bring you some of the best models and their characteristics, but also useful tips on how to choose the best model. You can find detailed reviews with pictures to get to know each aquarium better.

The Summary

Best Of Best River Fish Tank
Best Of Best River Aquarium summaryFluval SPEC Freshwater Aquarium Kit
This aquarium kit is ideal for beginners since it has all equipment needed for holding river and freshwater fish.
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Best With Filter River Fish Tank
Best Planted River Fish Tank summaryMarineland Portrait Glass LED Aquarium
With a simple but useful design, this aquarium is ideal for any interior design and has all needed to have a beautiful river scene.
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Best Corner River Fish Tank
Best Corner River Fish Tank summaryGloFish Aquarium Kit
Thanks to spectacular LED lights and fluorescent plastic plants, this aquarium gives you excellent contrast with fish.
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Best Cube River Fish Tank
Best Cube River Fish Tank summaryLanden Rimless Low Iron Aquarium
The basic and rimless design of this model makes it ideal to style in your way and fill with decoration for the river atmosphere.
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Best Round River Fish Tank
Best Round River Aquarium summarybiOrb Classic 15 Aquarium Set
With an unusual round shape, this small aquarium can be an interesting decoration even on a desk or a shelf!
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Best Big River Fish Tank
Best Big River Aquarium summaryHygger Horizon Glass Aquarium Kit
Because of a rounded front side and LED lights, you can have the best view inside of the aquarium at any moment!
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Best 6 River Fish Tanks

Best Of Best River Aquarium

Fluval SPEC Freshwater Aquarium Kit

Safe Design
Even though this model is made of glass, it is completely safe for long-term use. First, it has a stable and double bottom. The edges are reinforced with metal protection against water leaking. The top is completely open and ensures easy everyday cleaning and feeding. Glass is quality and thick, but also ensures a good look inside.

Best Of Best River Aquarium

All Equipment Included
Packed with all equipment, this aquarium kit is ideal for beginners. The original package includes a 3 stage filtration system and cleaning part. On the top is a powerful LED light that imitates natural light and ensures good vision even at night.

Easy To Clean
The river tank aquarium has a filtration system that significantly reduces the time you spend cleaning. Yet, even if you keep freshwater fish, you need to clean from organic waste every month. The glass is prone to scratches, so you can easily clean it using warm water and a brush.

Fluval Freshwater Aquarium Kit

Use And Price
With the main intention to keep freshwater fish, this tank can be decorated with branches and river plants. It comes in two sizes, 2.6 and 5 gallons, so the price depends on it. All in all, the beautiful freshwater aquarium is ideal for beginners.

In Short:

  • Simple design
  • Made of glass
  • Ideal for freshwater decoration
  • 3 stage filtration system
  • The powerful LED light on top

Best With Filter River Fish Tank

Marineland Portrait Glass LED Aquarium

Advanced Design 
At first glance, this model has a classic corner design. Yet, because of rounded edges, it allows you the best view from any side. The bottom is double which ensures stable standing. It doesn’t come in the original package, so you might think of buying a cube aquarium stand.

Best Planted River Fish Tank

Quality Made 
The aquarium is made of transparent and thick glass which contributes to its stability. Even though the top is completely covered with glass, it is easy to slide and you have access to fish for cleaning or everyday feeding.

Extra Equipment
Rich with equipment, this model is ideal for any beginner. First, it has a hidden filtration system to keep everything clean. Also, there is a LED lights system that mimics daylight and nightlight for fish to have better living conditions and ensure you the best vision.

Marineland Glass Aquarium

Size And Price 
The river tank aquarium is 5 gallons big and ideal for keeping much freshwater fish and to use decoration for it. For an affordable price, you will get all equipment needed to start and a warranty on its quality.

In Short:

  • Double bottom
  • Rounded edges
  • Quality and transparent glass
  • Ideal for river and freshwater fish
  • Sliding glass on top
  • 3 stage filtration system

Best Corner River Fish Tank

GloFish Aquarium Kit

Basic And Covered Design
With the basic corner design, this model stands because of practical everyday use. Even though it is made of thick glass, it provides excellent vision inside. What is more, it has a protective plastic top and bottom for more stability and protection from other pets, especially cats.

Best Corner River Fish Tank

Impressive Decorations
The decoration is what makes this river fish aquarium very impressive. It comes with LED lights in several colors to match them with the atmosphere. Also, it has plastic fluorescent plants that provide great contrast from fish. What is more, lights are additionally stressed with bubble maker.

Helpful Equipment
The LED lights built inside of the aquarium allow you to have the best look inside at any moment, but also provide good light for the fish inside and mimic natural habitat. A powerful 3 stage filtration system ensures clean water rich in oxygen.

GloFish Aquarium Kit

Comes In Different Sizes
There are different sizes of the river aquarium and you can pick the best one for your needs. From the smallest of 10 gallons to the biggest of 40 gallons, all of them are appropriate for freshwater fish. It provides you with enough space to decorate it as you want and use, for example, roman aquarium decor.

In Short:

  • Comes in different size
  • Protected top and bottom
  • Made of thick glass
  • Colorful LED lights
  • Bubble maker and filtration system

Best Cube River Fish Tank

Landen Rimless Low Iron Aquarium

Basic Design For Projects
The aquarium has a very simple design and comes only as a cube glass fish tank. This allows you many decorations and any background you want to add. What is more, you can use it in so many ways, like decorating the space or holding it as a wall aquarium. Rimless design makes it even more adjustable to any situation.

Best Cube River Fish Tank

Quality And Smooth Glass
Since it is made from glass only, it is very well made and thick to be secure. Also, it has a low iron inside, so is completely safe for fish. The great transparency allows you to see through and have the best vision from any angle.

No Added Equipment
In the original package, this aquarium doesn’t come with any equipment. You can use it as a no filter aquarium, but this will require fewer plants and more cleaning. Yet, since it has a very adjustable design, you can add basic equipment such as a filtration system.

Landen Rimless Aquarium

Different Sizes
This is another model of river aquarium that is ideal for keeping freshwater fish. Also, it comes in different sizes, from 5 to 30 gallons, and the price depends on it. It is intended for beginners or people that want to incorporate aquariums in a project.

In Short:

  • Rimless cube design
  • Quality and smooth glass
  • No additional equipment
  • Great transparency
  • Comes from 5 to 30 gallons

Best Round River Aquarium

biOrb Classic 15 Aquarium Set

Small And Compact Design
Unlike other models, this aquarium stands out because of its round design. The round fish bowl is ideal for those who like to spend time observing fish since it allows you to see inside from any corner.

Best Round River Aquarium

5 Stage Filtration System
The powerful filtration system allows you to have multiple plants and decorations and still have clean water. It has biological, mechanical, and chemical filters with water stabilization and oxygenation. What is more, it has a covered top with hidden LED light inside for better vision.

Quality Material
This river fish tank is made of acrylic material that is very similar to glass and allows the best view inside. Yet, it is much lighter and prone to cracking, even if it falls. The acrylic is easier to clean since it is prone to scratching, too.

biOrb Classic Aquarium Set

Price And Use
Even though this model has 4 gallons, it is very easy to set up and use. The aquarium is intended for freshwater fish and is easy to use. What is more, the price is higher compared to some bigger models, but this one is very decorative and long-lasting.

In Short:

  • Round design
  • Covered top and plastic bottom
  • 5 stage filtration system
  • Ideal for freshwater fish
  • Hidden LED lights

Best Big River Aquarium

Hygger Horizon Glass Aquarium Kit

Convenient Design
Unlike the usual design, this model has a curved front side that allows you a better view of the details inside. The bottom and back sides are flat, which ensures stability and safety. Yet, this half-moon fish tank design makes a better impression and is very decorative in the room.

Useful Equipment
The aquarium comes with all needed equipment in the original package. This includes a powerful filtration system that leaves water clean and provides enough oxygen for fish to have a quality life. Two filters are on the top and one is the bottom which ensures water flows and creates a natural river feeling.

Best Big River Aquarium

Ideal For River Fish
This model is ideal for freshwater and river fish because it creates water movements and has additional LED lights to mimic natural lights inside. The lights have an additional digital timer to help you turn on every day at the same time.

Price And Size
This model has an 8 gallons tank and is made of thick glass, so is one of the heavier river aquarium models. What is more, it has a rock background in its original state which saves you time and money on initial decorating.

In Short:

  • Curved front side
  • Filters create water flow
  • Digital timer for LED lights
  • Multicolored LED lights
  • 8 gallons fish tank

How To Pick The Best River Aquarium?

To create the best possible habitat for your freshwater fish, you need to get the best river aquarium. Some characteristics distinguish it from any other model, and we bring you what they are.

Spacious Design – Ideal for river fish is to ensure them enough space to swim and have activities. Choose models with spacious designs and even if you don’t have room for a big fish tank, you can use a 5 gallons tank without so many decorations inside.

Filtration Water Flow – The good and powerful filtration system creates a water flow that is similar to a natural river. For river fish, it is important to have water movement, so if you don’t have the filtration system, you can upgrade it with a bubble maker or artificial water flow.

Easy To Clean – Very important characteristic of a river fish tank is to be easily approachable for feeding and cleaning. Don’t use aggressive chemicals to clean it inside! A good filtration system will do most of the job, but if you want to remove algae from the sides, rather use warm water and a softer brush.

Room For Plants – River fish are used to many plants like in a natural habitat, so you should use them in your decoration too. It is good not only for decoration but provides oxygen in the water and a safe place to hide and rest or mate inside of them.

Decorative Element – The river aquarium is a very decorative room element, especially if you like natural decoration inside. Since all of them come in different sizes, you can find the one that will suit your room the most. Play with branches and natural elements to create beautiful inside scenery.

To Sum Up

Considering all characteristics that a good river tank should have, we have found the best model that is both decorative elements in the room and fish will have a good life inside. Our choice is Fluval SPEC Freshwater Aquarium Kit with a powerful filtration system. You don’t need to have a river fish aquarium for freshwater fish, so check some of the beautiful freshwater aquarium models. To create a good water flow, you might need the bigger size, so check for those big cheap fish tanks.



Joana
Joana has graduated in Linguistics in 2014. and began her work experience as a journalist and freelance writer. Her professional writing experience, as well as experience with pets, brought her to Petovly where she’s an editor. Working on the site, she collaborates with vets and animal shelter workers she has met when she was volunteering as a student. This experience made her an expert in pets’ care, breeds, and diseases.