CYS EXCEL Large Glass Bubble Bowl (H-13.5" W-15.25", Approx. 4.8 Gal.) Round Bowl Terrarium Globe Flower Vase Centerpiece for Weddings Events Arrangements

I ordered the 4.5" x 6" because I have a very 'stubby' hydrangea shrub I wanted a small galss bowl to put it's (very short!) cut flower stems in. I read the reviews pretty carefully and appreciated there might be some quality variance, but I got a keeper no question. Reasonable price, size exactly as promised. The glass seems a pretty even 3/16" (I measured from the rim, but the rest of the bowl looks pretty even), so nice and sturdy. No bubble imperfections in the glass (which I wouldn't have minded really; given planned usage). The vendor packaged it very well (nice bubble wrap cushion inside a right-sized box) and Amazon carried through (the vendor's package was placed inside a larger, sturdier box with air pillows). This bowl is perfect for my needs, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. Pros: Good price, mine had even clear glass, size/thickness as promised. No visible imperfections on mine, and it's a sturdy little guy. Well wrapped by vendor (though we know Amazon does make a call here for the final exterior package; not the vendor's fault, but I got lucky as Amazon pulled through on their end). The bowl seems sturdy enough I added some stones at the bottom and have no worries about moving around. Cons: None that I can think of. I will say, be aware of the size you need for your use. There are a lot of size/shape options. Items like these are always smaller in real life than they seem online (measure!) and the curve shape of the bowl cuts out *a lot* of interior liquid space. So if you're thinking terrarium, consider the internal space. If you're thinking flowers, be very aware of how long your stems are likely to be. Conclusion: I recommend buying if there's a size that meets your needs. Based on the reviews, I suspect there's some variance in quality of make (or was at one point), but my little bowl was perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again.

Almost 1 yr later... still great

I bought this CYS EXCEL 13.5"H x 15.25"W to set up as a Low Tech Heavily Planted Walstad Bowl in which I plan to populate with Neocaridina shrimp. OK...that being said...it's a beautiful bowl...really nice size. I just want to point something out to potential buyers that may be a critical factor in decision making. If the volume in gallons is a critical factor in your purchase (which it would be if you are into aquarium tanks, bowls, etc) then I need to point out what I believe is a discrepancy. Using the Height of 13.5" and the Width of 15.25" I did a simple volumetric calculation to determine approximate gallons. The AD here says '9 Gallons' which my calculations do not support. Using inches and the Volume Formula for a sphere I calculated volume as follows: The Volume Formula is [V=2πr³/3 ](where r=radius) I divided the Width of 15.25" (which would actually be the Diameter) by 2 = a 7.6" radius. Now plug it into the V-formula! V=2π(7.6)³ /3 =2756.8/3 = 918.9 in³ volume now to convert to gallons---> multiply that by 0.004329 gal/per in³ Sooooo...we have Gallons= (918.9 in³)(0.004329 gal per in³) the in³ cancel out and you have 3.97 gallons. So it's just about right on for a 4 gallon bowl. What would it take to get to a 9 Gallon (as advertised) bowl? Doing a little reverse math I came up with a 10 inch radius in our formula to get to 9 gallons volume. That would be a bowl that is a good 20" wide across (given the same height 13.5") So...just sayin'....I do love this bowl for what I intend to use it for. But before I bought it I did the math and realized it's just a 4 gallon. Not a 9 gallon. If I am wrong (it's happened many times before!) I would like to see the seller and/or manufacturer's math on the volume calculation. In other words...HOW they arrived at 9 gallons. I'm not trying to be picky or slam the product it's a great bowl but for those of us into aquatics, bettas, shrimp, snails, & other nano fish...the difference between 4 gallons and 9 gallons is substantial in the planning of a living bowl.

Beautiful multi-purpose glass bowl! I was a little concerned it may arrive damaged, but it arrived in perfect condition. It was actually boxed/wrapped with extra TLC. Very happy with purchase!

The bowl I received measures about l5"D x 13 1/2"H, has a circumference of 48 1/2", holds between 7 - 8 gallons and made a very beautiful, small, Diana Walstad style planted aquarium (if interested, see; "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Diana Walstad available on Amazon for how to set up successful, low cost, low tech, low maintenance planted aquariums with fish. Also search on-line for articles of hers, one of which is; "Small Planted Tanks for Pet Shrimp" in which she shows how to set up homes for shrimp in 1 gallon bowls). This bowl worked great for the purpose for which I purchased it, thus the 4 stars, however, the weight of the bowl was less substantial than was expected. Even though this bowl appears substantial to look at (the cut edge rim is 1/4" - 3/8" wide), I have a three gallon hand blown bowl from Poland which weighs more than this much larger Chinese bowl, thus the four stars. I would buy this bowl again for this purpose even though I felt the price was a little high for the weight, and would recommend it to others (it is a very beautiful bowl). Although I am a somewhat disappointed with the weight(I will be a bit more careful of it than I am with my more substantial, Polish-made bowl), the size, appearance and result are everything I had hoped for. Friends and family have given compliments on the beauty of this aquarium set up. I am quite pleased with this purchase.

Great quality. Just had to return because I thought it was smaller.

March 2026 - 3 stars: This is still a lovely bowl; however, because it’s hand blown, there is a lot of variability from bowl to bowl. I learned this when I ordered a second one to make another self-watering system and its opening was 4.6 inches in diameter on the inside (over 5” with the lips included), causing the orchid container to fall through (had I let go). My original bowl had an opening of ~4 inches in diameter, with the lip on both sides being thick and taking the top diameter to about 4.6”. I may try ordering one more time and hope I get lucky… or I might see if I can find something more consistent at Michael’s… Update: tried another brand in Amazon that had smaller dimensions than this but not as small as this brand’s size down. January 2026 - 5 stars: Exactly what I wanted to make a self-watering system for my orchid. I have a clear draining cup holding my orchid (came that way from Trader Joe’s) that measures about 5 inch in diameter at the top, 4 inch in height, and 3 inch in bottom diameter. I used 2 pieces of microfiber string from a clean mop head to dangle from the dirt/roots, so the orchid can wick up water from the reservoir in the bowl, with about an inch of air between the water and orchid so the roots don’t get damp. The evaporation of water from the bowl should also give the orchid some nice humidity, like it’s more natural environment. The bowl dimensions are great for this, the bowl itself is substantial and pretty, and the overall effect is just what I hoped for. The bowl came nicely and securely wrapped, was easy to get out, and arrived quickly. The beauty of this will give me great joy I’m sure. Plus, the additional height should make it harder for my cat to bat the flowers themselves, lol. I may order more and make these orchid systems to give as presents…

Perfect! I purchased it to grow my plants in water, and it’s a very well-made product.

ممتازه

Glass is not clear enough. Can break easily. Good for starter.

Some of the fish bowls were totally damaged

Cristal bastante grueso, llegó bien empacada y sin daños que era lo que más me preocupaba. Yo no la uso como pescera, la uso para recolectar corchos, pero por el tamaño y grosor fácilmente puede usarse de pescera, florero, colocar elementos decorativos dentro, etc.

This is beautiful, well made, and the glass is not too thin. It's sturdy. I used mine as a terrarium for plants. It looks fantastic, and the plants love it. I put an episcia in there, and it has plenty of room to grow, because this bowl is BIG. I am very pleased with this purchase, and it is worth the money, in my opinion. I hope to enjoy it in my living room for years to come. It arrived very well packaged, and in perfect condition.