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Re:tank sizes

Hi Roger,

    As one of the parties whose tank seemed "a little jumbled and lacked a
strong focal point" (to which I must agree with you, Karen) in the AGA
competition, I have to say that the problem lies with the aquarist, not the
aquarium. To maintain a sense of focus in a large size tank requires a
degree of restraint that I am still working on; I have trouble resisting a
new plant! I suppose the most obvious solution to this dilemma is another
100 gallon tank....(Honey, are you listening?)

    I can try to justify additional species on the grounds of texture and
variety of colour, but at a certain point the additional interest created
works at odds to any design theme in the tank. As time goes on, I find
myself (with great difficulty) reducing the number of plant species in the
tank, and using larger groups of each. Hopefully by next years competition
my tank will have a more cohesive appearance.

    My 100 gallon is a stock Miracle tank, measuring 60"L x 24"H x 18"D. The
length works OK with 4 foot fluorescents staggered to opposite ends, but I m
in the process of converting to power compacts. 24" is the limit to the
height I can work in and reach the entire bottom of the tank. I'd like a
tank with more depth front to back than the 18" I have; 24" would be nice,
but then I would have to reduce the height of the tank in order to reach
into the back bottom corner. Of course this wouldn't be a restriction if I
could work on the tank from both sides...

    I'd like to see a tank built 18" or 20" high, 24" front to back and 60"
to 72" long. They could market it as their "plant growers special" <g>.

    I'd be interested in hearing other's opinions on maximum workable
height/depth combinations.

Ron Barter
Perth, Ontario

----------

> Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 17:57:55 -0700 (MST)
> From: "Roger S. Miller" <rgrmill at rt66_com>
> Subject: tank sizes
> 
> Folks,
> 
> I have a beautiful place to put a big, new tank, but no big new tank to
> put there.  I originally wanted a 6-foot tank - either a 125 or 135 gallon
> tank - but after looking through the results from the aquascaping
> showcase I'm having second thoughts.  It seems very difficult to put
> together a cohesive aquascape in that size tank.  The aquascapes often
> (as Karen Randall commented a couple times) "lack focus".
> 
> Those of you who have 6-footers, do you think that's a problem, or was
> that just my odd sense of things?
> 
> As an alternative I'm considering different sizes.  I'd like to use
> something longer than a 4-foot tank because the space available is bigger
> than that.  I'm toying with the idea of having a 5-foot tank built for me;
> maybe 5 feet long by 22 inches high by 18 inches front-to-back - about 100
> gallons. Does anyone know of a company already making something that size?
> Any comments?
> 
> How about lighting?  A five-foot tank seems like a natural for two MH
> pendants, but I'm not sure I want an open top.  SAE's are incredibly
> expensive here (when I can find them) and I want them to stay *in* the
> tank.  I assume the PCs give me good options, but I'm not sure what those
> options are.
> 
> Ideas?
> 
> Roger Miller
>