29-gallon tank by couch

["Kinney, Travis" <kinney at pdtarchs_com>]

[[[[OK, bear with me...
I currently have a 29 gal tank set up against a wall.  I am planning on
moving....]]]]]

I too have a 29-gallon planted tank by my couch, against a wall. My tank
happens to be in a corner where one long run and one short run are hidden
from view. I can tell you from experience, if you plan to grow a lot of
plants, you don't have enough depth. A 29G doesn't have enough depth to it
to allow tall plants in the center with smaller ones on each side. What you
will end up with, is the tall plants shadowing the shorter ones. If I were
you, I would place the tall plants closet to the wall and then cascade down
toward the other short face of the tank (furthest into the room) and place
your 'carpet' species here. By doing that you won't run the risk of
shadowing the carpet plants. I would also consider running a piece of rigid
tubing under the gravel and place your intake tube at the front of the tank
at gravel level. You can be creative and turn the intake into a linear tube
with lot's of holes and wrap it with filter foam and bury in the gravel so
you can't see it.  I've found with the my 29 that the taller plants often
reach the water surface then begin growing across the top casting shadows on
everything else.

Let us know you end up designing the layout.

-Travis