Every fish keeper eventually needs somewhere to put the fish, and every small-animal keeper eventually needs somewhere to put the hamster. It is the twenty minutes when the real home is in pieces on the kitchen floor, and it is the one container nobody buys until the morning they need it.

This is that container. It holds 7.2 litres and measures 30 x 30 x 20cm, in rigid plastic with a secure ventilated lid and an access door in the top, so you can drop food in or lift an animal out without taking the whole lid off. Rosewood make it as one of a range of sizes and describe the whole family as multi-purpose: housing smaller pets including small fish, holding them during a clean-out, and moving them from place to place.

• 7.2L capacity
• 30 x 30 x 20cm
• Rigid plastic with a secure, ventilated lid
• Access door in the lid
• Suits small pets and small fish
• Sold as a single tank

The maker's own description is written for shops, not shoppers. It describes the range rather than this size — it says the first three sizes have carry handles and the first four have hinged lids without telling us where the medium falls, and it talks about assorted colours arriving in a case, which means nobody can promise you a particular colour. What is definite is the capacity, the dimensions and the ventilated lid with its access door. And to be plain about the rest: this is a holding tank, not an aquarium. There is no filter, no heater and no light, so nothing should live in it permanently.

Who it's for: anyone who cleans out a tank or a cage regularly and is currently using a washing-up bowl, plus keepers who need a safe box for a short journey to the vet.