Deep & wide: Do you prefer a tall or shallow tank?

[Greybeard]

I do also really love shallow tanks with an option to view from the top

Some of the coolest tanks I've seen were set up this way. Decades ago, I saw a 30" x 30" tank, thick acrylic, 10" tall, with a 250w DE halide pendant way up high over the tank. Tank had a thin sand bed, central overflow and return tower, and clams. Dozens of clams. Deresa, Squamosa, Gigas, Maximas... biggest was probably 8", bunch of smaller ones. No live rock... sump was full of it, but none in the display. Only fish were pipefish. Banded, yellow, Janss, dragon... must have been 20 of them, many different species. A few big snails... that was it. Very little flow, calm water surface...

Man, that was a cool looking tank

 

[Chris Shelton]

I got one heck of a deal in a acrylic tank! It was in a hospital as a fresh water tank. Hospital decided to renovate. Tank had to go and a nurse who worked daily and enjoyed the tank got it free just so it was "out of the way". She decided to not set up the tank. I bought it for $100 and was Ecstatic! And now I can say I would NEVER NEVER EVER (ALL CAPS!) EVER have another acrylic tank! Scratches too easy! And I will say I will "NEVER EVER DOUBLE NEVER EVER HAVE A deep tank! If I can't stand flat footed Nd reach bottom....then we'll. ITS NEVER HAPPENING! so that's just how I feel...

 

[MinnieMouse2]

I prefer a 4 feet long shallow tank. Enough room to spread things out and my arms can reach the bottom.

 

[hotdrop]

I prefer a 4 feet long shallow tank. Enough room to spread things out and my arms can reach the bottom.

Perfect size for me 2x4 shallow. I think maybe a small island in the middle to house the wave maker.

 

[Zionas]

Shallow, 20”-24” height. I’d rather have more width if needed.

75-Gallon Tank:
Standard (48 x 18 x 21)

I would do 48 x 20 x 20 to make it an 80g.


90-Gallon Tank:
Standard (48 x 18 x 24)

My Dimensions (48 x 22 x 20)

or 48 x 24 x 20 for a 95g.


One of my favorite custom tank sizes would be a 60” x 30” x 22” 165g.


48” x 24” x 21” would make a great set of dimensions for a 100g.

60” x 24” x 20” would make a great 120g

72” x 24” x 20” would make a great set of dimensions for a longer 150g.


My dream tank that’s not completely within the realm of fantasy, if I ever had the room, would be a 96” x 36” x 24” 350g.

You can see where I’m going with this. Length and width all the way > height. Height 20”-24”.

 

[glb]

I prefer shallow for maintenance and because it’s easier to light. My 40g breeder is easily lit by a 4-bulb T-5 fixture. Plus I can easily clean the glass, reach the sand, and feed my corals.

 

[RichReef]

For me I like them 20 to 24 inches deep for coral diversity. Shallow tanks tend limit your choices because of PAR levels although I've never had one. I ASSUME that would be the case? That seemed to be the consensus when I was shopping and researching for a new tank.

Tanks that are too deep are a pain to work on. I used to have a 30 inch deep tank. Won't do that again.

It just seems the 20 to 24 is a nice middle of the road size for a mixed reef.

I think it's all relevant to what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Both are good, but a taller tank looks better to me. Somewhere between 22" and 30" tall is just about right. Any shorter and it looks unnatural, any taller and maintenance becomes difficult.

 

[o2manyfish]

For many years I ran a 125h -60x20x24t- To me it was a great looking tank. The tank as just an empty box had a nice aesthetic to it.

When I replaced that tank I got a 96x33x24. Picking the tank up at the tank builder I immediately hated the tank. It was short and fat (like me). The 24" height which once seemed so nice now looked so stubby. That tank lasted about a year before I had the tank remade at 96x33x28.5t. 28.5" is the lenth from my arm pit to tip of my finger.

I had a 300g 30" deep tank and I just couldn't reach the bottom of, and I hated it. So on the 400g I went to 28.5 so I could reach the bottom.

When that tank was replaced I was in a bind and bought a used 560g - 120x30x36t. This tank was gorgeous. Once filled with rock and corals - from top to bottom - this was the prettiest tank I had ever owned. It was beautiful. The wall panel of fish swimming at eye level, and below eye level, and above eye level - was a really immersive experience. But the tank on the stand was so tall I could barely reach in to feed the fish without a step stool.

To work on the corals required a ladder. And my fat stubby arms reaching around the bracing of the tank gave me a reach of about 24" into the tank. I had to hire someone to do all the tank maintenance at the bottom of the tank who had what I called Monkey arms.

When it came time to replace that tank last year, I couldn't go 36" again. I knew I was never going to have as pretty a tank, I went with a 30" depth. The new tank is 120x48x30t. Yes it's a short stubby tank by proportions. But it's so big in every dimension it doesn't look so bad.

I also built a cantilever steel stand so the stand is smaller than the tank which helps add some sveltness to the impression of the tank.

With a front to back depth of 48" I knew I was never going to reach the back of the tank to mount or work on corals. So Titan Aquatic Exhibits took my hefty size and plopped the numbers into a computer and designed the top brace of the new tank to support my weight. I literally lay across the top of the tank to reach and work on the back portion of the tank.

Would the new tank be more impressive at 36" tall - Yes. Would I enjoy it -- NO!!!! Am I enjoying the 30" tall tank - Immensely.

Dave B

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I had an All-Glass 90 Gallon 48” x 18” x 24” I hated the 18” Front to Back, no mater how I arranged the rocks, it just seemed there was no place for the fish to freely swim. My 120 Gallon is 24” Front to Back, fish can swim all the way around the rock. Have plenty of places to hide, when someone approaches. Since they feel really comfortable, they are soon back out, swimming around.

 

[Zionas]

Best 90G for me would be 48 x 22 x 20 or even 44 x 24 x 20. Approximately the same footprint as the standard 48 x 18 x 24 while having more width.

Best 75G for me would be 48 x 20 x 20 but that’s technically an 80. Oh well, not much of a difference.

 

[Flame2hawk]

Because of the space cut out for the tank, it’s close to 8” long but 48” high. Contrary to popular believe, the tangs and angels make very good use of the upper portion of the tank and seem to enjoy it. When you think of the depths they live in when in natural habitat, it makes sense. Plenty of surface exchange, Now if you had the space, go for long as possible but dont get too hung up if its not as long as you’d Ike as the fish enjoy the height! Happy fishing/reefing.