40 gal high vs 29 gal high

[murph3400]

Thoughts on planted 40gal high vs 29gal high? Same footprint.

 

[Brookster123]

More water is always better/More stable, height can hurt your hopes of a nice planted tank though. What are your plans?

 

[murph3400]

Still exploring options. Suggestions???

 

[murph3400]

Still exploring options. Suggestions???

Some cats and corys
Undecided to go with Tetra or like guppies and swordtails

 

[Brookster123]

Catfish?

 

[murph3400]

Catfish?

Maybe a bumble bee cat

 

[murph3400]

Thoughts???

 

[TMaier]

I worry about the height and the lighting being sufficient for plants on the bottom.

 

[mimiheart]

I have a 40 high, bowfront. I've had a few plants do quite well in it, despite my mollies best efforts to dig them up. I have a few anubias (I think?) that I keep towards the front that are doing great. I also keep really tall lucky bamboo (that I actually got at the grocery store) at the back and out the top. It gives it sort of a jungle effect. I keep pothos in the filter. I've recently added hornwort that I was going to let drift down, but now is just floating in a mass at the top. I might do something different.

It also depends on how much natural light you have in the room. I'm using LEDs which aren't as strong as incandescent lights, but the bottom of my tank during the day is still completely visible because of how much sun is in the room. I could turn off the lights and other than the very back corner, the whole tank would be pretty well lit. (Probably a good thing everyone in my tank is an algae eater to some extent.)

Catfish also will disturb roots to some extent, so keep that in mind. My Raphael cat loves to rustle through substrate. The cory cats do too, but don't disturb much more than the very top layer. (This will also depend on the substrate. Cories can't move heavy gravel, really. But they all love sand.)

Swordtails and guppies are great. And they come in really great varieties. Just be prepared for fry.

My experience with tetras is limited to about a year of nightmares after having much, imo, hardier mollies. But here we go. Tetras seem to be more delicate, but are more sophisticated than guppies and swordtails. If you want a schooling fish, go with tetras. If you want playful, go with the livebearers. You can also mix and match. Tetras can live quite happily with either guppies or swordtails -- and can help keep population explosions down. Just make sure you keep in mind that they need an entire school of their own kind. Also look at rasboras or barbs (maybe avoid tiger barbs with the livebearers). Rainbow fish might also be an option. In a 40 high you could do a cory cat school at the bottom, some sort of tetra school in the middle, and maybe a betta sorority.

There's lots of possibilities.

 

[TMaier]

Do you need a step ladder to reach into the 40g tank when planting or cleaning?

 

[murph3400]

Do you need a step ladder to reach into the 40g tank when planting or cleaning?

I may. Still researching my options

 

[murph3400]

Gives me some good ideas and alot to think about

 

[murph3400]

Any thoughts on filtration. Thinking Eheim Canister maybe 2217

 

[TMaier]

I have a 29g. I use a Sunsun 703b canister 370gph and loaded with media. It's hidden in the waste bin to the left of the tank.

 

[murph3400]

I have a 29g. I use a Sunsun 703b canister 370gph and loaded with media. It's hidden in the waste bin to the left of the tank. View attachment 302445

Interesting

 

[murph3400]

One problem I need to overcome is tge depth of tge tank and lighting

 

[TMaier]

Whole reason I stuck with the 29. I'm not good on ladders and my arms are longer than the average trex but I don't want tank up to my armpits.

 

[dalto]

A 40g tank with the same footprint as a 29g tank is going to be about 24" tall? That is going to be harder to work in for sure. It also isn't going to give you much in the way in additional stocking options since the base of the tank isn't going to change and most fish will hang out near the bottom or near the top, relatively speaking. It will also be more difficult to get consistent water flow through the tank.

On the other hand, it will give you a bit more flexibility in terms of water change frequency since the water volume will be higher. If you want to grow tall plants it will give you some additional room to do that.

In general, tall, narrow tanks are not ideal except in specialized circumstances.

If you have an extra 6" a tank with a 36"x18" base would give you more options.

 

[mimiheart]

Whole reason I stuck with the 29. I'm not good on ladders and my arms are longer than the average trex but I don't want tank up to my armpits.

I'm 5'11'' with monkey arms. If I'm doing things without tongs on the bottom of the tank my shirts get wet if I'm not wearing a tank top. My twelve-year-old can't do anything at the bottom of the tank, and she's 5'3''.

 

[TMaier]

I did a tall tank once and learned how to snorkel.