Tank size question?

[kdogg85]

Is there a certain point at which a person buying fish needs to throw gallon capacity to the wind and mainly focus on physical tank size. This has been bugging me for a while. If you have a bottom feeder that gets 3 ft in length and never swims to the top, could you have a tank that is 10ft or more long and 6 or 7ft wide(for turning room) and only have maybe 15'' of height? Assuming the fish doesn't get very tall. I do not have any fish that are anywhere near or ever will be this size, but just wondered what the protocal was?

 

[SeverumGuy]

That's more or less a better way to view it. I have a 55g long which is a lot better for certain fish than a 56g tall..