Long VS Tall VS Deep??

[DoubleM 10]

what are the benifits to having a long vs a tall vs a deep tank?

[Palting]

I like a tank that is long (side to side), deep (front to back), and not tall (vertical length). Long means more swim length for fish and a more panoramic view for you, deep means a good sense of depth and nicer aquascaping, and not tall so there are more options on lights.

[OH GOD]

I will say this, a 30 inch tall tank is a pain in the but to work in. ( wet arm pits )

I also dont think my lighting is all that great for the depth.

Duel 250 MH 15K and Two 110 watt daylight VHO and Two 40 watt antic VHO.

[zachfishman]

^^^+1 I think a 24" tall tank is a good maximum; you can still reach pretty much everywhere. That being said, I really like the looks of deeper tanks, it makes aquascaping easier and is just appealing overall. Great tanks with relatively deeper dimensions are the 40 breeder (36"x18"x16") and (personal favorite) the standard 120 (48"x24"x24").

[seapug]

wide, shallow tanks (think shallow cube or tidepool) are easier to work in, allow for a more natural aquascape, easier to light and allow for better gas exchange.

[dzfish17]

Palting is right. Long and wide are great. For a reef tank I wouldnt go tall but if youre doing FO than height isnt that important. I have a really tall tank and I love the height. A pair of tongs and Im good to go.

Dave

[DoubleM 10]

well most of those make sence. i have a 30 gal tall. i like it. pushed all the rocks to the back. lion hides in there and the clown is out front.

i agree getting your whole arm wet sucks(im 6'4. i have a large wingspan)

i also have a 55long and like the look of to. i think the tall is good for the fish i have in it. i also like it because i can see alot more. ( i mean less is hidden cause its not far from any point to another)

if i want to upgrade sometime it will be a tough decision. What made you pick the setups you have?

[OH GOD]

Originally Posted by DoubleM 10

What made you pick the setups you have?

Thats easy, my tank was free all i had to do was build the stand and sump etc.

[dzfish17]

Im a by-product of BTS (big tank syndrome). Guys like me keep going bigger and bigger until we finally cant go any bigger and then we stop and wonder why we have a 600g tank in our living room. Mine was free too (jackpot in vegas).

Dave

[Sk8r]

A long tank is the best sort of tank for tangs and other distance swimmers of the reef. That's in the 48" and longer sort of 'long'.

[DoubleM 10]

yeah my 55gal is 48" long. i like the look of it. where it sits the wall is recesd. so it looks great while not being deap

[seapug]

My problem with long narrow tanks like 55s is they are so narrow the fish do that pacing back and forth thing. I find that unsettling to watch. If you like the length of a 55 go with a standard 75. If you want more height then go up to a 90. All are 48" long. Just my .02.

[zachfishman]

Originally Posted by seapug

My problem with long narrow tanks like 55s is they are so narrow the fish do that pacing back and forth thing. I find that unsettling to watch. If you like the length of a 55 go with a standard 75. If you want more height then go up to a 90. Just my .02.

And if you like the 90 why not a 120? ...and if you want more height get a 150g tall! It never ends haha! I saw a beautifully done 150 tall at an LFS in upstate New York, sucker had several 400w MH pendents to get enough light penetration!

[willy7499]

My practical limit is 25" deep. Past that I can't easily use just my hands in the tank to move items or pick things out.

Length is a different matter though. My 120 is 48" long and now I want a 180 (60" long). The aforementioned Big Tank Syndrome!

I have also read that you should have the height less than the depth of the tank for proper gas exchange for a healthier tank.

[tcmfish]

IMO, which is different from most, I really dislike shallow tanks. When you have a fish like a large angel or tang that can get 5, 6, 7 inches tall and the tank is only 12-18" deep, not the tank dimensions but the swimming space dimensions, so don't include sand bed depth in tank depth, it looks really weird.

I think all dimensions are crucial, and we shouldn't be limited by our armpits getting wet. Tall tanks offer a good spawning rise for pelagic fish, which many reefers don't care about, but they also offer ample room for gorgonians and staghorn corals to actually grow.

I often wonder when people stack their rocks up to inches within the surface only to put acros on it, when those corals branch out and get large.

I don't have money or permanent enough residence to do it (school), but I think some of the most asthetically pleasing tanks would be those that are tall but still have an interesting scape front to back (yes depth is important) and top to bottom, but with about 2 feet off the top of the scape for things to grow in and fish to cruise over the top of the reef. So like a 4 foot deep tank, maybe 3 or 4 feet from to back, and at least 6 feet in length, but probably more.

Its all personal preference though

[JByer323]

I love wide, shallow tanks.

[seapug]

I completely understand your point tcm, especially in fish only tanks, but from a reef tank perspective, if the tank is not big enough to swim in, I want to be able to reach the bottom with my hand.

[Sapooloo]

long

[Mylilreef]

i bought my 150 tall for specific reasons. first off i wanted 24" depth for some nice aquascaping (my current 12" just isn't enough for me) second i live in an apartment and space is an issue 48" in length is more practical to find a space than say 72" and nowhere to even sit. third i just kinda like that 30" tall because if you have any tall growing corals you can actually keep them underwater.

i would go longer if i had the space, but to me depth is the most important of the 3. i will never go less than 24" deep again.

[Palting]

Originally Posted by DoubleM 10

What made you pick the setups you have?

Cost, mostly. I wanted a long tank, long as in 72" long. My budget, with lights, sump, skimmer, stand and canopy, topped out at the 125 gal, so that's what I ordered. They made a mistake and sent me a 150 instead

[Brando457]

I want a 48 x 48 x 21 tank or even a 72 x 36 x 21(24 maybe!)

I currently have a 180, but when I get my own place and am more set and done with school I'd like to get a nice big cube that is viewable on all sides.

[jrapp13]

Long and shallow tanks are preferred because of improved gas exchange due to increase surface area and less lightning needed to penetrate to the bottom. My ideal tank would be a 72x24x24 because you can still get by with 250w MH and the 6ft length is alot of swimming room. Currently have a 40 breeder that I just started up which has a nice depth and remains shallow.

[Kweli]

I like long & deep..

DEEP looks nice, until you realize you need to do work on the bottom... which means you will get very wet. It will stop you from doing alot of work

I would stay around/below the 20" tall range