Daniel Morrow wrote:

In fact I recommend you strike a balance between total
prettiness less customizable (an eclipse system tank) and ugly totally
customizable. Get a small tank and use a 25 (or less) watt thermostat (in
other words - automatic) controlled heater instead of using the eclipse
systems tank (I love marineland, the brand, but in light of these problems
they are having with their eclipse systems I'd say the eclipse systems are
junk). For a filter I would use something like a hagen brand elite mini
submersible. For a light for plants I would use a table lamp with a
fluorescent light over the tank's surface far enough away to prevent raising
the temperature too much.

Another alternative. Get a generic 10 gallon. Get the incandescent
hood and use two 10watt screw-in fluorescent bulbs in it. Use a
submersible heater (25 or 50 watt) and an Aquaclear hang-on-back filter.

Submersible filters work, but they are visible and harder to clean.

And if you really want to grow plants, use EcoComplete for a substrate
instead of plain gravel and dose with Flourish Excel and a supplement
like Leaf Zone or the Fluorish eauivalent.

I'm no expert, but these are the things that have worked for me.