Eshopps DeskMate 4.8 Gallon Bundle - A Complete Reef Tank For Any Room

Categories: Tanks & Sumps, Product Spotlight & Reviews, Tank Builds

Last updated: Nov 10, 2022

When we first laid eyes on the Eshopps Deskmate AIO Aquarium it immediately stood out because not only does it look super cool with its neon orange base, but it's priced affordably and offers great value. This AIO system is incredibly simple to set up, is easy to maintain, and all of the basic components are included right inside the box, including a reef-capable LED light.

We were so impressed that we took the tank a step further and created the Deskmate Bundle to provide all of you with a super affordable yet comprehensive AIO aquarium kit.

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What's In The Box:

4.8g Mini Aquarium
Adjustable Nozzle
Circa 100 Return Pump
Curve Lite LED
Nano Filter Sock
CaribSea LifeRock Nano Reef Kit
10lbs CaribSea Fiji Pink Arag-Alive! Reef Sand
1lb Seaside Aquatics Ceramic Bio-Spheres (~20 spheres + mesh bag)
100mL Instant Ocean Bio-Spira Nitrifying Bacteria
25W Eheim Jager Aquarium Heater
25kg Bag Aquaforest Sea Salt

With the addition of rock, sand, a heater, salt mix, bio-media, and bacteria you get everything you need to get started for under $300. It is most certainly our most affordable aquarium kit but don't let this affordability fool you because the quality is top-notch.

DeskMate AIO Aquarium

The 4.8-gallon tank is made using 6mm cast acrylic with a neon orange base that glows under the near UV light spectrum we use over our reefs. It is small enough to fit just about anywhere and will make the perfect accent for your home, office, classroom, or bedroom.

Dimensions - 11" x 12" x 10"
Tank Size - 4.8 Gallons
Acrylic Thickness - 6mm
Return pump: 100 GPH

Lighting

The included Curve LED light can deliver roughly 100 PAR throughout the middle section of the tank making it perfectly capable of sustaining most any soft coral and most LPS. It mounts directly to the back wall of the aquarium and you will need to connect the LED light to a timer, smart plug, or controller to maintain a regular photoperiod without having to manually switch the light on and off.

Life Support

As long as you are conservative with the bioload (1-2 small fish + small clean-up crew), you can pack the tank full of soft corals and a few LPS without the worry of suffering from poor water quality.

The included nano-sized filter sock mechanically filters out debris and bits of leftover food while the ceramic Bio-Spheres will help ensure your biofiltration remains stable. The small 25-watt Eheim Jager Aquarium Heater slides perfectly into the rear chamber alongside the filter sock and you should have just enough room to stack a small bag of carbon or mixed resin media on top of the bio-media should you need it.

The 100 GPH return pump is sufficient for moving water through the filtration and you probably won't need any kind of internal powerhead considering the small size of the aquarium. Should you wish to add a powerhead as the tank matures, the AquaIllumination Nero 3 or Sicce Voyager Nano would be a great choice.

Aquascape & Substrate

We've included some of our favorite nano rock and sand to create an eye-catching aquascape. You don't want any more than 1" of sand for the sake of making it easy to keep clean and included Arag-alive sand does contain live bacteria so be sure you're ready to fill the tank with saltwater before opening the bag of sand. You don't want to let the sand dry out before filling the tank with water.

The Nano LifeRock Kit includes x2 arches and a single Nano LifeRock which can fit together any way you like to create the aquascape. Take a note from Matthew in the video and create a central structure with room on all four sides for water to flow around the rocks and make it easy to clean the walls. You can test out different structures outside the aquarium until you find a stack you like, then simply transfer that into the aquarium and even out the sand around the bottom of the rocks.

Suggested Maintenance

As we mentioned earlier, be conservative with fish and stick to just one or two clownfish-sized fish and just a handful of snails and crabs. This is the BEST way to ensure you don't run into water quality issues because a small tank like this can go south real fast. You just don't have the forgiveness you get with larger volumes of water making it all that more important to stay on top of your maintenance too.

Clean the filter sock every few days and do a weekly water change of at least 25% of the total tank's water volume to keep stable parameters. You can safely change out 50% or more of the tank's water as long as you stick to using the same salt mix and maintain consistent salinity levels. Larger volume water changes (+/- 50%) on a weekly basis are one of the best-kept secrets for the long-term health of a tiny aquarium. The good news is you will have enough Aquaforest Reef Salt to make up to 200 gallons of saltwater.; easily 6+ months' worth of clean saltwater.

The bio-spheres do not ever need to be replaced but it's not a bad idea to siphon out the rear filtration chambers every month or so because debris will inevitably collect back there. If you decide to use carbon or chemical filter media, you will likely be replacing that every 2 weeks give or take.