aaraya@ut-emx.UUCP (Aaron J. Seltzer) (01/17/90)
In article <15670@boulder.Colorado.EDU> atk@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Alan T. Krantz) writes: > >This brings up an interesting question - well interesting to me - >do people treat tall tanks significantly different than long tanks in >terms of the fishes and plants purchased? Specifically what fishes do >well in a short tall tank? I think the 30L has a very nice aspect ratio >- long enough for schooling fishes - short enough for good plant >lighting from above ... what are other favorite dimensions and why? For what it's worth (not much), I STRONGLY prefer the ``breader'' type tanks. I have a 45 breader, and have seen them in 95 gallon varieties. In my opinion, nothing comes close for practicality and for fish happyness. This tank has most of it's dimenions in the horozontal directions (i.e. width and depth, not height). Advantages: 1) More surface area ==> more O2. 2) More gravel area ==> more biofilter (if UGF). 3) More room for fish to swim. That is they can swim both back and forth and forward and back. This allow you to view a more natural behavour, and see different views of the fish. (How many of you only know what the side of your Oscar looks like?) 4) More bottom area for plants and or landscaping. Makes the tank look much nicer, and allows territorial and or schooling fish to set up more interesting areas than just left - right - left. 5) Easy lighting. Not too deap, and very easy to mount your standard shop lights on top of, with as many bulbs, reflectors, etc. as you want. A qualitiative reason I like it, is that breader tanks makes your fish more a part of your place, rather than just a `show' picture against the wall. It looks more like a habitat, than a TV. Well, that's my two cents. Not worth much, but it didn't cost you much either. Aaron J. Seltzer (seltzer%aaraya.ee.utexas.edu@cs.utexas.edu)