Is this a good tank?

[missgingersnap]

I'm debating on buying a 48 gallon tall square shaped tank. It's 18x20 and 31 inches high. Does this limit the types of fish I can get since it isn't too wide but it is very tall? I'm going to put angel fish and maybe a couple blood parrots or any colourful cichlid that would get along with those two. Also maybe some kind of schooling fish. He wants $200 for the tank, stand, strip light, heater and filter. There is no lid though. I think this is a good deal but not sure since I'm very new at this...my first 10 gallon tank is still cycling. lol Any advice would be great. Thanks

 

[gzeiger]

Those dimensions will limit you in bottom-dwelling fish but I think the ones you mentioned would be fine. A tall tank is harder to clean and arrange things in, especially plants if you want them, so you'll need to be extra sure you have it arranged the way you want from the beginning.

If you're buying a used tank I think you might be able to do better than that price, but that is a very specialty size and if there's some reason you want that shape or size I wouldn't hold out, as that is substantially discounted from what you would pay for new stuff. $200 might get you a 75 or 90 gallon tank if you're patient and watch craigslist, but those are 4 or 6 feet long and require more commitment from you in terms of floor space.

Overall I would say it's a great deal.

 

[missgingersnap]

That's the problem....I have limited floor space so it's either that one or a corner tank. There don't seem to be as many used ones that are those shapes. I would prefer a bit shorter tank so I can reach in there but I guess if I do it right the first time it should be ok. I'll have to stand on a ladder though. It's five feet tall with the stand. I looked at a corner diamond shaped one but it didn't have a stand and the filter he was selling with it looked too small for the tank and he wanted 250.

 

[gzeiger]

For that shape you can't beat the price. Buying it new I doubt you'd find the whole setup anywhere near that price again (likely at least double). The lid isn't critical. Since you have so much vertical space to play with I would recommend leaving a couple inches at the top anyway. Lowering the water level will give you better aeration since your filter will splash a bit more (does make noise though) and keep fish from jumping out.

If you do your research you can find fish that will stay right at the top of the water, and some including the ones you mentioned that will swim in the middle areas, and some that will live on the bottom. Make sure the bottom-dwellers stay small. Corydoras catfish would be excellent, or some of the native darters (orangethroat, rainbow, or swamp darters I would recommend). Stay away from the dwarf frogs, which will drown in a deep tank, and plecostamus, which get over a foot long. Smaller varieties of pleco exist (bristlenose, maybe others) but you need to do enough research to know what you're getting into on that. I'm not familiar with keeping them.