Long or High tanks?

[David (Melbourne, Australia)]

Hi,
This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
and I am looking at either of the following tanks -

20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
OR
20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"

The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)

I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
volume due to less surface area.
Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?

Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?

David (Melbourne, Australia)

[Zebulon]

"David (Melbourne, Australia)" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
> and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
>
> 20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
> OR
> 20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"
> The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
> live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)
>
> I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
> effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
> volume due to less surface area.
> Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?
>
> Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?
>
> David (Melbourne, Australia)
=======================
I always go for the longer tank as they can be decorated nicer with more
plants and have a larger water to air surface. Also most fish (that I've
kept) swim back and forth, not up and down.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[amosf © Tim Fairchild]

David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:

> Hi,
> This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
> and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
>
> 20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
> OR
> 20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"
>
> The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
> live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)
>
> I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
> effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
> volume due to less surface area.
> Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?
>
> Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?
>
> David (Melbourne, Australia)

Long is probably better. spledida like to cruise :) Yep, you get more
surface area - so more better o2 transfer to the water. But I have a 20
high as well and the fish do fine in there. And the deeper tank looks a
bit 'better'. It's a personal choice really and eiher would work and take a
similar fish load.

20g is a bit small tho. I have 7 splendida splendida in a 190litre... about
50g. It could take a couple more, so I suppose you could have 3 oe 4 in a
20.

Pity you weren't closer as I have splendida fry... Too many of them :)

[David (Melbourne, Australia)]

Thanks for the help. It looks like a 20g tank might be a bit limiting -
better to go for a bigger tank (even as a beginner.) - particularly if I
am interested in Melanotaenia.
David

amosf © Tim Fairchild wrote:
> David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
>> and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
>>
>> 20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
>> OR
>> 20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"
>>
>> The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
>> live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)
>>
>> I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
>> effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
>> volume due to less surface area.
>> Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?
>>
>> Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?
>>
>> David (Melbourne, Australia)
>
> Long is probably better. spledida like to cruise :) Yep, you get more
> surface area - so more better o2 transfer to the water. But I have a 20
> high as well and the fish do fine in there. And the deeper tank looks a
> bit 'better'. It's a personal choice really and eiher would work and take a
> similar fish load.
>
> 20g is a bit small tho. I have 7 splendida splendida in a 190litre... about
> 50g. It could take a couple more, so I suppose you could have 3 oe 4 in a
> 20.
>
> Pity you weren't closer as I have splendida fry... Too many of them :)
>

[David (Melbourne, Australia)]

Thanks for your comments. Yes, come to think of it, a longer tank would
show off shoaling/schooling fish a lot better than a deep short tank.
David

Zëbulon wrote:
>
> "David (Melbourne, Australia)" > wrote in
> message ...
>> Hi,
>> This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
>> and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
>>
>> 20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
>> OR
>> 20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"
>> The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
>> live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)
>>
>> I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
>> effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
>> volume due to less surface area.
>> Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?
>>
>> Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?
>>
>> David (Melbourne, Australia)
> =======================
> I always go for the longer tank as they can be decorated nicer with more
> plants and have a larger water to air surface. Also most fish (that
> I've kept) swim back and forth, not up and down.

[amosf © Tim Fairchild]

David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:

> Thanks for the help. It looks like a 20g tank might be a bit limiting -
> better to go for a bigger tank (even as a beginner.) - particularly if I
> am interested in Melanotaenia.
> David

Bigger is easy IMO and worth the extra cost to buy (which isn't all that
much). I get a new 60g (tank only) for $200 and a second hand one for $100
recently.

With the bigger tank the water parameters don't go bad so quick. Easier to
maintain good conditions for fish once it's established.

You might not want something as big as a 4 foot, but the splendida look good
in there and you can have a good group. 3 foot are nice too :)

tim

> amosf © Tim Fairchild wrote:
>> David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> This is my first posting. I'm considering buying a new beginner's tank
>>> and I am looking at either of the following tanks -
>>>
>>> 20 gallon High 24" x 12" x 16"
>>> OR
>>> 20 gallon Long 30" x 12" x 12"
>>>
>>> The tank will be for small to medium community fishes, such as
>>> live-bearers or Australian rainbow fish (such as Melanotaenia splendida)
>>>
>>> I've read that deeper tanks, although giving a more decorative "picture
>>> effect" will hold fewer fishes than the shallower types of the same
>>> volume due to less surface area.
>>> Is this true if there is good aeration/water circulation?
>>>
>>> Should I go for the longer shallower tank or the shorter, deeper tank?
>>>
>>> David (Melbourne, Australia)
>>
>> Long is probably better. spledida like to cruise :) Yep, you get more
>> surface area - so more better o2 transfer to the water. But I have a 20
>> high as well and the fish do fine in there. And the deeper tank looks a
>> bit 'better'. It's a personal choice really and eiher would work and take
>> a similar fish load.
>>
>> 20g is a bit small tho. I have 7 splendida splendida in a 190litre...
>> about 50g. It could take a couple more, so I suppose you could have 3 oe
>> 4 in a 20.
>>
>> Pity you weren't closer as I have splendida fry... Too many of them :)
>>

[Larry Blanchard]

David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:

> Thanks for the help. It looks like a 20g tank might be a bit limiting -
> better to go for a bigger tank (even as a beginner.) - particularly if I
> am interested in Melanotaenia.

FWIW, I have Batanta Island rainbows in a 40 breeder (36x18x?), dwarf neon
rainbows in a 29 (30x12x?), and forktailed blue eyes in a 20H. Note the
correspondence between fish size and tank size.

IMO, a long tank allows for more fish, a high tank allows for more plants. I
like the jungle look so I'm willing to stock fish at a lower level to allow
for that.

--
It's turtles, all the way down

[Zebulon]

"David (Melbourne, Australia)" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks for your comments. Yes, come to think of it, a longer tank would
> show off shoaling/schooling fish a lot better than a deep short tank.
> David
================
Yes, it does. Schooling fish in a long, well decorated tank are a pleasure
to watch. :-) I have a 30L (long) I'm itching to set up but am totally out
of wall space. At the time I have 2 tens and 2 55gs set up. I have a few
platys and fancy goldfish at the moment.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[David (Melbourne, Australia)]

Larry Blanchard wrote:
> David (Melbourne, Australia) wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the help. It looks like a 20g tank might be a bit limiting -
>> better to go for a bigger tank (even as a beginner.) - particularly if I
>> am interested in Melanotaenia.
>
> FWIW, I have Batanta Island rainbows in a 40 breeder (36x18x?), dwarf neon
> rainbows in a 29 (30x12x?), and forktailed blue eyes in a 20H. Note the
> correspondence between fish size and tank size.

I've looked up the rainbows you have at -
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Contents.htm This seems to be a
very good site for rainbows. The forktailed blue eyes look amazing!
I think I'm sold on getting rainbows for my new tank

> IMO, a long tank allows for more fish, a high tank allows for more plants. I
> like the jungle look so I'm willing to stock fish at a lower level to allow
> for that.

Yes, a 12" high tank doesn't allow for much growth of plants.

David
>

[Zebulon]

"David (Melbourne, Australia)" > wrote in message
...
> Yes, a 12" high tank doesn't allow for much growth of plants.
>
=====================
There are low growing plants that thrive in 12" deep tanks. And there's
also the Hornwart, Elodea and Java moss that just kind of float around and
don't need to be planted.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>