Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

7 Best Large Goldfish Bowls (Plastic, Glass & Acrylic) in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Chantelle Fowler

By Chantelle Fowler

goldfish-fishbowl

Goldfish have long been considered the perfect fish for fishbowls, but their bowls are actually not the best environment for these beautiful pets. Goldfish are hardy, but they’re a very messy species that does not pair well with too-small spaces.

However, a “goldfish bowl” doesn’t necessarily need to house goldfish. These bowls are perfect for fish keepers with just one or two small fish and those who don’t have a lot of space to store a larger aquarium.

Keep reading to learn more about goldfish bowls and to find our reviews of the seven best larger capacity options on the market today.

goldfish divider

 

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
biOrb CLASSIC LED Aquarium, 16-gal biOrb CLASSIC LED Aquarium, 16-gal
  • Full kit to get you started
  • Beautiful, minimalist design
  • Two color options
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Koller Products Tropical 360 View Aquarium Koller Products Tropical 360 View Aquarium
  • Affordable price
  • Comes with everything you need
  • LED lighting in seven colors
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Penn-Plax Aquasphere 360⁰ Fish Aquarium Penn-Plax Aquasphere 360⁰ Fish Aquarium
  • Secure clips on the lid
  • Scratch resistant material
  • Stylish design
  • biOrb Tube 15 Aquarium with MCR biOrb Tube 15 Aquarium with MCR
  • Easy to set up
  • Comes with all you need
  • 16 light options
  • biOrb Halo 30 Aquarium with MCR Lighting biOrb Halo 30 Aquarium with MCR Lighting
  • Hidden water line
  • MCR lighting system
  • Complete kit for beginners
  • The 7 Best Large Goldfish Bowls

    1. biOrb CLASSIC LED Aquarium, 16-gal – Best Overall

    biOrb CLASSIC LED Aquarium

    Check Price on Chewy
    Weight 64 lbs
    Dimensions 75”L x 19.75”W x 20.5”H
    Capacity 16 gallons
    Materials Acrylic, Plastic

    The best overall large goldfish bowl is biOrb’s Classic LED Aquarium. This 16-gallon acrylic tank is inspired by the traditional fishbowl, with a 360-degree view of your fish. The tank has everything necessary to get started, including a low-voltage pump, LED lighting, an instruction manual, and filtration.

    The bowl has a modern minimalist design and comes in black or silver to match your home’s décor. The standard white LED lighting provides a nice ambiance and is easy to operate with the on/off switch. In addition, it has a fast and easy setup so you can get your fish into its new home sooner.

    Its acrylic design means it’s ten times stronger and clearer than other bowl materials like glass. Acrylic is also a better insulator, meaning you won’t lose as much heat as you would with other materials.

    The five-step filtration process ensures your fish has clear and healthy water.

    The only downfall we could find is that you need to use the company’s ceramic media for gravel for the aquarium to work as designed.

    Pros
    • Full kit to get you started
    • Beautiful, minimalist design
    • Two color options
    • Five-stage filtration process
    • Low voltage pump
    Cons
    • Must use biOrb’s ceramic media

    2. Koller Products Tropical 360 View Aquarium – Best Value

    Koller Products 6-Gallon AquaView 360 Aquarium

    Weight 5 lbs
    Dimensions 3”L x 11.3”W x 11.3”H
    Capacity 6 gallons
    Materials Plastic

    You don’t have to break the bank to find a great-looking fish bowl. The Koller Products Tropical 360 View Aquarium is the best large goldfish bowl for the money at just a fraction of the price of other models on our list. This kit comes with all you need for getting your freshwater home aquarium set up, including a power filter, a small cartridge, and LED lighting.

    This plastic tank has a seamless design and is impact-resistant to lower your risk of leaks. Plastic also allows for clear viewing of your fish.

    The kit’s LED lighting comes in seven colors, like purple, green, amber, aqua, and red. You can cycle through the colors or choose just one to match your home’s décor. The LED lighting weighs the full cover hood, providing a secure closure to keep any other household pets at bay.

    The filter included in the kit isn’t the highest quality. As a result, it can break easily and may not last as long as it should.

    Pros
    • Affordable price
    • Comes with everything you need
    • LED lighting in seven colors
    • Plastic design provides a crystal-clear view
    • Heavy lid to keep out other pets
    Cons
    • Filter may break easily

    3. Penn-Plax Aquasphere 360⁰ Fish Aquarium – Premium Choice

    Penn-Plax AquaSphere 360 Large Bowl-Shaped Aquarium

    Weight 55 lbs
    Dimensions 25”L x 20.15”W x 15.75”H
    Capacity 14 gallons
    Materials Polycarbonate

    If money is no object, you must check out the Penn-Plax Aquasphere 360⁰ Fish Aquarium. This premium tank has a stylish bowl design and is made with a durable and strong polycarbonate material. Polycarbonate is scratch-resistant and more resilient than acrylic. This material also has a natural UV-filtering quality.

    This bowl comes with an integrated filtration system attached through the lid, a submersible water pump, and a protein skimmer. This tank system is available in several sizes, from 10 to 24 gallons.

    This bowl has secure locking clips to keep the top lid in place. The cover also contains LED lighting, a protein skimmer, and a filtration system. The protein skimmer is great for maintaining low nitrate levels and removing organic waste and is a necessity for reef aquariums.

    Polycarbonate is not as clear as other fish bowl materials and can cause distortion.

    Pros
    • Secure clips on the lid
    • Scratch resistant material
    • Stylish design
    • Integrated filtration system
    • Several size options
    Cons
    • Polycarbonate is not as clear as other materials
    • May distort the size of your fish

    4. biOrb Tube 15 Aquarium with MCR

    biOrb Tube 15 Aquarium with MCR

    Weight 16 lbs
    Dimensions 57”L x 14.57”W x 17.32”H
    Capacity 4 gallons
    Materials Acrylic

    The chic and minimalist design of the biOrb Tube 15 Aquarium with MCR makes this 4-gallon bowl a must-have for any fashion-forward home. It is available in two colors: black or white.

    This cylindrical aquarium is easy to set up as it comes with all the necessary supplies, including an air pump, LED lighting, transformer, air stone, filter cartridges, ceramic media, and more.

    The kit contains long-lasting LED lighting. The Multi-Color Remote Controlled lighting (MCR) allows you to choose from 16 different colors and brightness levels that suit your fancy. You can also set up an automatic day and night light cycle. If you don’t find a need for MCR lighting, biOrb also has a LED lighting system.

    The five-stage filtration system is great in theory but may not be as functional as other options on the market.

    Pros
    • Easy to set up
    • Comes with all you need
    • 16 light options
    • Adjustable brightness levels
    • Day and night light cycles
    Cons
    • Filtration system needs work

    5. biOrb Halo 30 Aquarium with MCR Lighting

    biOrb Halo 30 Aquarium with MCR Lighting

    Weight N/A
    Dimensions 75”L x 15.75”W x 18”H
    Capacity 8 gallons
    Materials Acrylic

    biOrb is one of the leaders in the goldfish bowl business, and the biOrb Halo 30 Aquarium with MCR Lighting is certainly no exception to this rule.

    This 8-gallon acrylic aquarium pairs the look of a classic fish tank with a hidden water line for a visually seamless look to make it appear as if your fish and its surroundings are floating in your room.

    It comes with all you need to get started, including filter cartridges, ceramic media, and the filtration system. The bowl also has an MCR lighting system that allows you to choose one of 16 colors and customize the brightness to your needs.

    The lid is closed securely with a magnetic catch to keep any other household pets out of the tank.

    The magnetic lid is not ideal if you have a submersible water heater or anything else that requires an outlet. As with all other biOrb tanks, you need to use the company’s ceramic media, which may not be the best pick depending on what type of fish your aquarium is housing.

    Pros
    • Hidden water line
    • MCR lighting system
    • Complete kit for beginners
    Cons
    • Must use company’s ceramic media
    • Magnetic lid doesn’t allow for plugins

    6. Tetra ColorFusion Starter Aquarium Kit

    Tetra ColorFusion Starter aquarium Kit

    Weight 1 lbs
    Dimensions 88”L x 12.5”W x 12.9”H
    Capacity 3 gallons
    Materials Acrylic

    The half-moon Tetra ColorFusion Starter Aquarium Kit may not be a traditional bowl, but it is still a beautiful option worth considering. This starter kit includes an air pump-driven filter to keep your fish tank clean and healthy. The included air pump operates the bubbling disc and the filter. The disc will also cycle through a rainbow of LED colors. This 3-gallon tank has a clear canopy on top to make for easy feeding.

    This lightweight aquarium is perfect for beginners. It fits easily on a table and its curved design makes seeing inside from all angles easy and distortion-free.

    Unfortunately, the lid may not fit as expected once the tank has water inside. Additionally, it can be difficult to get the bubble wand to lie flat on the tank bottom.

    Pros
    • Beautiful half-moon design
    • Great for beginners
    • Rainbow LED lighting
    • Distortion-free
    Cons
    • Lid may not fit once the water’s inside
    • Bubble wand may not lie flat

    7. Hygger Horizon 8 Gallon LED Glass Aquarium Kit

    Hygger Horizon 8 Gallon LED Glass Aquarium

    Weight 68 lbs
    Dimensions 19”L x 11.8”W x 9.6”H
    Capacity 8 gallons
    Materials Glass

    The affordable Hygger Horizon 8 Gallon LED Glass Aquarium Kit, though not a traditional “bowl” shape, is an attractive option for people looking for an aesthetically beautiful tank for their home. The kit has a 3D background, extendable adjustable LED light, a power filter, and a user manual to help you get it all set up.

    The unique 3D background makes your new aquarium look like a dreamy underwater world. The tank’s convex curve shape widens your view and allows for more capacity. In addition, the 3-mode LED lighting system will enable you to set the lighting time and brightness as necessary.

    The power filter is quiet and durable, but it may be too powerful for fish smaller than two inches. The non-removable background is also very difficult to clean.

    Pros
    • Beautiful and stylish design
    • Lighting color and brightness adjustability
    • Affordable price
    Cons
    • Hard to clean
    • Not for small fish
    • Very heavy

    divider1- goldfish

    Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Large Goldfish Bowls

    There are several factors to take into account when considering which goldfish bowl will be right for your needs. So, let’s take a closer look so you can make a better and more informed buying decision.

    Size

    Your fish bowl should be large enough to provide an appropriate amount of swimming space for the size and quantity of fish you’re housing. The more fish you own, the bigger your bowl needs to be.

    Please don’t fall prey to the myth that fish will only grow to be as big as their tank allows. Fish that can grow a foot long will not stop growing because they’re kept in a small tank. This is why it’s important to know the approximate full-grown size of the fish you’re keeping.

    It’s also important to know that fish bowls are not as easy to care for as you might think. In fact, it can be more difficult to care for fish in larger environments. This is because fish kept in bowls will produce waste the same as those kept in larger aquariums, and decaying food and debris will still be present. But because their environments are smaller, waste, debris, and decaying food can quickly contribute to poor water quality due to the small volume of water. In larger tanks, more water is present to dissipate these potential toxins.

    woman-watching-goldfish-in-bowl_pritsana_shutterstock
    Credit: pritsana, Shutterstock

    Species

    You might be surprised to learn that goldfish aren’t actually the best species to be kept in a fish bowl, though they’re commonly sold that way in pet stores. There are many different species of goldfish, and not all of them will stay small like the feeder goldfish in the large tanks at your local pet store.

    Goldfish can grow to be very large and are often very messy. In addition, they produce much waste and have demanding oxygen needs, so a traditional fishbowl may not be spacious enough to ensure healthy and high-quality water.

    Some of the species best suited for fish bowls include:

    Materials

    There are three main fishbowl material options, each with its own pros and cons.

    • Glass is cheap, at least when we’re considering small aquariums like fishbowls. It’s a scratch-resistant material with no age-related discoloration that occurs over time. Glass is heavy, however, typically weighing in twice as much as acrylic. This usually isn’t too much of a concern for small tanks and fishbowls. Glass has very low impact resistance, making it prone to cracks, chips, and breaks.
    • Acrylic is a light material and much stronger than glass. This is because the joints between acrylic panels are fused with chemicals, providing strength and security that other material types cannot. Acrylic scratches easily and may become yellow with age. It is also more expensive than other material types.
    • Though much less common than acrylic and glass, plastic is typically more affordable. Plastic can easily scratch and break. It can also make regulating water temperature difficult. In addition, since plastic tanks are small, water quality can degrade quickly without careful care and monitoring.

    goldfish divider

     

    Conclusion

    The best overall large goldfish bowl is the biOrb CLASSIC LED Aquarium for its beautiful design and strong acrylic construction. The best value option is the Koller Products Tropical 360 View Aquarium because of its affordable price and heavy-duty construction. Our premium pick, the Penn-Plax Aquasphere 360⁰ Fish Aquarium, has a stylish design and integrated filtration system.

    Hopefully our reviews have provided you with a quick yet thorough snapshot of the best large goldfish bowls on the market today. Choosing the perfect bowl will ensure a healthy environment for your aquatic pets and add a touch of decorative flair for your space.


    Featured Image Credit: LUIS PADILLA-Fotografia, Shutterstock

    Related Articles

    Further Reading

    Vet Articles

    Latest Vet Answers

    The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database