# Tank Size vs Depth



## patadams66 (Apr 16, 2011)

Hello Everyone!

So i am wanting/needing to upgrade one of my 10 gallons to something larger.

I am really intrigued by the 40 gallon Breeder tanks.

One of the things i really hate about my 55 gallon is how skinny it is. When your trying to put wood and rocks and live plants etc etc etc in there its just too narrow for my liking.

so i have really been looking into setting up a 40 g breeder tank.

i know the reason tanks are made for height vs depth, its for viewing purposes

are there any other CONS to getting a tank of this size?

upgrading my 55g to a 75 for the added depth is also on the list of "to do" my plants are consuming it lol.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

40 gal breeder is much easier to work in than taller tank (ie) planting,maint.


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

Long, and not deep I think is ideal, but like you say a 55 is just too narrow.

A lot of fish really do enjoy longer swimming room so they can dash all the way across the tank without having to stop. I think the standard 125g is great for this, it's what I have. It's a 6 foot tank ... but unfortunatly it is also tall which makes dealing with plants rather hard (you only get a top down view, which means no depth perception at all).

As an example, a 20g long tank is far better for most fish than a 20g tall even though they are the same volume. I have a 20g tall and really regret it to be honest, wish I had gone for the long!

If I was ever to get a custom tank built, I would probably make it 10-12 feet long, but only 18" or so tall. I like small to medium sized fish, don't much care for most of the giants.


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

Geomancer said:


> A lot of fish really do enjoy longer swimming room so they can dash all the way across the tank without having to stop. I think the standard 125g is great for this, it's what I have. It's a 6 foot tank ... but unfortunatly it is also tall which makes dealing with plants rather hard (you only get a top down view, which means no depth perception at all).


I hear ya. The 220 is 30" deep and it is hard to work with. 



> As an example, a 20g long tank is far better for most fish than a 20g tall even though they are the same volume. I have a 20g tall and really regret it to be honest, wish I had gone for the long!


Me too.



> If I was ever to get a custom tank built, I would probably make it 10-12 feet long, but only 18" or so tall. I like small to medium sized fish, don't much care for most of the giants.


That would be awesome.

I think it boils down to are you more interested in plants or fish? The wider tank is going to give you more room to aquascape, but 36" length vs 48" length is going to limit the fish you can put it in, less variety, smaller schools, smaller fish. So it really depends what you want to do with the tank. Personally, I like the dimensions of a standard 48", 55 gallon tank, but I can understand how it would be narrow if your priority was plants.


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## patadams66 (Apr 16, 2011)

> I think it boils down to are you more interested in plants or fish? The wider tank is going to give you more room to aquascape, but 36" length vs 48" length is going to limit the fish you can put it in, less variety, smaller schools, smaller fish. So it really depends what you want to do with the tank. Personally, I like the dimensions of a standard 48", 55 gallon tank, but I can understand how it would be narrow if your priority was plants.


Its not necessarily that plants are my priority, but i just feel like my 55 is too narrow, and finding things that i like, that make the fish comfortable, like wood/plants is too difficult, my 55 is cramped, i have less than 20 fish in it and i feel like its too small 

the 40 breeder is going to feature some Kribs i think.

maybe the title should of been length vs depth vs height.

i am fairly certain a normal 40 gallon and 40 breeder are the same length, just a height vs depth difference.


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## Canadian Fish (Feb 12, 2012)

patadams66 said:


> Its not necessarily that plants are my priority, but i just feel like my 55 is too narrow, and finding things that i like, that make the fish comfortable, like wood/plants is too difficult, my 55 is cramped, i have less than 20 fish in it and i feel like its too small
> 
> the 40 breeder is going to feature some Kribs i think.
> 
> ...


Usually it is 

40 gallon Breeder 36" x 18" x 16"

40 gallon Long 48" x 12" x 16"

It's all a matter of opinion, as I said. I think the fish I keep have plenty of turning room in the 48" 55 gallon (including some big silver dollars), and make full use of the extra foot of tank length. Less swim length, as far as I am concerned, means smaller fish, and smaller schools.

(It all depends on the fish, I keep Silver Dollars in one 55, and Rainbowfish in the other, and neither of those should be kept in a 36" tank)


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

The kribensis cichlid is mentioned. So considering this fish is not an active swimmer, the 40g will be fine. However, second consideration is territory, and "kribs" is plural so if more than a pair is intended, consider the surface space (area of the substrate). The longer a tank, the more individual territories it can accomodate, up to a point.

Byron.


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