Thoughts on column tanks

[Tetra1990]

I was explaining/showing my mom how pricey new tanks are today. We were on the petsmart website and she fell in love with this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11390248&lmdn=Shape&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No. I want to go look at it in store before I order it online. I'm not crazy about these shaped tanks but I'll take another tank even though I know that I'll be footing the bill for it. Just looking for feedback on these type tanks. Thank you

 

[Old Scales]

Square inches of surface area is what determines a tanks capacity. It looks like this tank would not carry even as much as a 10g. Height adds very little to a tank's capacity and makes lighting plants especially hard. They look cool but think. A 20g long would have 3 times more carrying capacity than this one for only five more gallons. IMO. OS.

 

[bud29]

Yes, it is only 13" long. A 10g is 20" long. So stocking would be extremely limited. Obviously since fish swim side to side and not up and down, horizontal space is much more important than vertical.

 

[Autumnsky]

I have been eyeing this tank for a shrimp and snail world! Driftwood out the top, lots of plants in the middle, 3 sides visible kinda thing. Several modifications! Eco Complete.

Going for a 12G Edge when I find a great deal though for now.

 

[Try-na]

I have that exact tank & love it. The only issue I have with it is when replanting I can barely reach the bottom but I'm short so I work around it. As for stocking, this is what I have

2 Dario Dario (awesome little fish & very colorful but can be shy). 4 ember tetra, 7 mosquito rasboras, 4 Nannostomus marginatus (dwarf pencil fish), assorted shrimp (red fire, yellow fire, Rili, red & black crystal). And I just picked up 2 Parosphromenus parvulus Red Spotted Licorice Gouramis.

Here's a pic

 

[adammorrill]

I have that exact tank & love it. The only issue I have with it is when replanting I can barely reach the bottom but I'm short so I work around it. As for stocking, this is what I have

2 Dario Dario (awesome little fish & very colorful but can be shy). 4 ember tetra, 7 mosquito rasboras, 4 Nannostomus marginatus (dwarf pencil fish), assorted shrimp (red fire, yellow fire, Rili, red & black crystal). And I just picked up 2 Parosphromenus parvulus Red Spotted Licorice Gouramis.

Here's a pic

View attachment 182251

Nice Looking tank
I especially love the dirftwood

 

[henningc]

If you like tall plants or bubbles than by all means. I really think these types of tanks are dens of crualty for people who don't know better.

 

[Try-na]

If you like tall plants or bubbles than by all means. I really think these types of tanks are dens of crualty for people who don't know better.

Wow harsh & a little judgy don't you think? I'm not a cruel person & I have one.

 

[Try-na]

Nice Looking tank
I especially love the dirftwood

Thanks it took forever to find. I finally had to tie 2 pieces together to get this look. It also took forever to get it to sink. I got impatient & tied it to rocks that I buried in the substrate

 

[Scottyhorse]

I have that exact tank & love it. The only issue I have with it is when replanting I can barely reach the bottom but I'm short so I work around it. As for stocking, this is what I have

2 Dario Dario (awesome little fish & very colorful but can be shy). 4 ember tetra, 7 mosquito rasboras, 4 Nannostomus marginatus (dwarf pencil fish), assorted shrimp (red fire, yellow fire, Rili, red & black crystal). And I just picked up 2 Parosphromenus parvulus Red Spotted Licorice Gouramis.

Here's a pic

View attachment 182251

Nice tank, but I would cut way back on the stock, IMO. Even though though this tank holds 15 gallons, you can't stock it like one. Because the tank is tall rather than long, it has a MUCH smaller footprint than a regular 15 gallon aquarium. I.E much less swimming space. Also, you are going to end up with a lot of brown shrimplets. Red fire, Yellow Fire, and Rili shrimp are all Neos. They will interbreed causing brown shrimp. (Reverting back to their wild colors.)

 

[bettaowner]

I dont like tall tanks simply because there is less surface area and less oxygen exchange.

 

[azmodan]

This is a great tank, provided you stock it appropriately. Tall tanks are interesting because they allow for slightly more unorthodox aquascaping potential. Lots of tall plants and some interesting driftwood could make for a very attractive dwarf puffer or betta tank.

 

[Aquamandan]

That's a nice looking aquarium, Tetra.

Too bad they don't make many circular tanks so the fish could just swim nonstop in circles. Kinda like running around a track.

 

[BillD]

They do make circular tanks, but they are just as lousy as this one. It would be fine to showcase a plant, but it is a really terrible fish tank.

 

[candacecook1025]

When I first saw this tank, I thought it would make a FANTASTIC shrimp tank. My shrimp would love the vertical space!

 

[Scouser]

Wow harsh & a little judgy don't you think? I'm not a cruel person & I have one.

"For those who don't know better"

I'm sure the poster wasn't saying you are cruel etc, I think they are saying it for those who don't know a lot about fish keeping and end up with an Oscar in there :S

I hope that's how it's meant anyways...

 

[Try-na]

"For those who don't know better"

I'm sure the poster wasn't saying you are cruel etc, I think they are saying it for those who don't know a lot about fish keeping and end up with an Oscar in there :S

I hope that's how it's meant anyways...

After reading most of the posts on this thread I'm pretty sure that is not how it was meant. Oh well if I consider the source he did recommend gouramis to a newbie for a 10g. Of course not specifying Honey. I guess that's perfectly fine tho.

 

[Scouser]

After reading most of the posts on this thread I'm pretty sure that is not how it was meant. Oh well if I consider the source he did recommend gouramis to a newbie for a 10g. Of course not specifying Honey. I guess that's perfectly fine tho.

Yep, perfectly fine

 

[Meashkah]

I have a 20 gallon hex and I run into
Similar issues as mentioned in this thread. I have to be careful in my stocking choices.
I have 6 chili rasboras
3 guppies
1 female betta imbellis
And a couple of dwarf corys (trying to acquire 1 more)

So basically I can't stock it like I could of it were a 20 gallon long and you just have to remember that. Also, adding air stones to circulate oxygen in the tank so the bottom doesn't become stagnant. Scaping with live plants can be somewhat challenging because of the height, but do-able.

I love my tall tank, I just have to adjust some things for it.

 

[Try-na]

Nice tank, but I would cut way back on the stock, IMO. Even though though this tank holds 15 gallons, you can't stock it like one. Because the tank is tall rather than long, it has a MUCH smaller footprint than a regular 15 gallon aquarium. I.E much less swimming space. Also, you are going to end up with a lot of brown shrimplets. Red fire, Yellow Fire, and Rili shrimp are all Neos. They will interbreed causing brown shrimp. (Reverting back to their wild colors.)

Yep fully aware of the shrimp thing. I'm not in it for breeding & any extra will go into my 55g community tank. I just like the looks of the mix

I understand that I'm nudging the overstocked line but let me clarify a couple of things. The mosquito rasboras are all under 1/4" right now. The 2 licorice gouramies are also only 1/4". The pencilfish will be moved to my 55g once they get large enough. The neons are also going to be moved over. That will leave me just fine for stock

I also run a filter for a 30g as well as a submersible reptile pump at the bottom to circulate the water. As for O2, I think you can see the amount of plants I have in there so I think I should be fine