Views: 2773
Submissions: 29
Favs: 39
~Fishkeepers_of_FA
Welcome to Fish Keepers of FA. This group is dedicated to sharing knowledge and advancement of aquarium hobbyists of all sorts.
If you're new to the group, please, introduce yourself here!
We value the sharing of knowledge and methods of the hobby, as well as sharing our aquariums and the pets that inhabit them.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact lydah via note.
Page Owner:
lydah
Freshwater Admins:
lydah
Specializing in small to medium New World Cichlids as well as small characins. Knowledgeable in fish from lake tanganyika and mbunas or lake malawi.
Currently Owns:
80 gallon/300l: 1 Oscar, 1 Green Severum, 1 Bristlenose Pleco, 3 Raphael Catfish
45 gallon/180l: 6 Melanochromis cyanorhabdos, 6 Yellow Labs, 1 Pseudotropheus crabro
corkyorkyII
Specializing in Goldfish and Catfish, but has general knowledge on all smaller tropicals and angelfish, too.
Main fish tanks:
45 gallon/180l: Grow out tank for rescue goldfish, and home to some of my plecos (Longfin Ancistrus, Common Ancistrus, L037, L201) and my Raphael cat.
45 gallon/180l: Tropical tank with angels and various other typical fish, also home to my Dwarf Common Pleco, my L289s, my L338s, and my L204
10 gallon/54l: home to my danio fry, 2 betta splenden and one common ancistrus.
Saltwater Admins:
Seeking knowledgeable and dedicated saltwater keepers
Rules:
-When debate occurs, keep things civilized and utilize real world data and information to back up your issues. Name calling and blatant stubbornness are not considered real world data or information.
-Love your fellow aquarists. Don't be stuck up just cause they keep goldfish and you keep discus. We all have the fish we fancy, you keeping fancier or more expensive fish doesn't make you better.
-People make mistakes in this hobby. Do not bash those who made a bad choice in their stocking or decorations. Provide constructive criticism and real world data to back up your input.
If you have a photo of your fish tank or fish that you wish to upload to this page, send a note and we will look it over.
We will not post:
Sick, injured, and/or growth stunted fish
drastically overstocked, dirty, and/or under-maintained aquariums
anything else found unsuitable
If we do not post your fish or aquarium, you will be given a reason why. Feel free to talk to us if you feel wronged in us not doing so.
Worthwhile articles to read on the hobby:
Stunted Growth Means Stunted Lives
Algae types, what causes them, and how to control them
(more coming in the future)
Helpful Journals for Beginner Aquarists:
Potential Fish To Avoid for a Freshwater Newbie and Fish To Look Into For a Freshwater Newbie
On Algae Eaters
Common Freshwater Filter Types
Fishless Cycling and Fish-In Cycling
Beginner's Live Plants and Non Aquatic Plants
Recently Watched
Stats
Comments Earned: 195
Comments Made: 72
Journals: 36
Comments Made: 72
Journals: 36
Recent Journal
Why Dimensions Matter More Than Volume
10 years ago
Today I'll most likely be picking up a new freebie aquarium, a 30 gallon, to be exact. 30 gallons isn't a bad size at all, but when you look at its use of space, some people may argue differently.
The volume of the tank is indisputably 30 gallons. However, it's a half moon aquarium, and a lot of that volume is used, or "wasted" on height.
Many people will argue that with the vast majority of tropical fish, height is the least important dimension the tank will have. Some will even argue that every inch above 24" on a tank for freshwater fish below 12" is a waste of water volume.
When you look at many care guides of fish, you'll notice a lot of them will list a volume rather than tank dimensions. Usually these guides are looking at the standard tank rather than a tall tank or a bowfront tank or in this case, a half moon tank.
A standard 30 gallon tank will be 36"x12"x16", a good footprint on it with decent height. This halfmoon that I'm picking up is quite different, with the dimensions of 26"x14"x28". That footprint is only slightly larger than that of a 20 gallon, not mentioning the corners of the tank which are lacking due to the rounded front.
So if you can't judge if your tank is big enough by volume alone, how do you know if your tank is too small for the fish you want?
Well, there is a rule of thumb being passed around recently saying that your tank, to allow sufficient swimming space for most fish, should be at least 6x the length of the fish, 3x the width, and twice the height. This rule doesn't apply to everything, obviously you can't throw a school of neon tetras in a tank that's 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, but it gives a good general idea.
Since there are always exceptions, you don't want to take this as a total fact for every fish in the trade, as different fish have different needs. So you should be asking yourself the following:
Is the fish an active swimmer?
Active fish that spend a lot of time moving about the tank will benefit from having a long tank to give them space to jolt and exercise. If you have a tall tank and don't know a lot about the fish, start by looking at its tail type. A fish with a forked tail is generally more active than a fish with a delta tail or a round tail. I do know of a few fish that are lazy with forked tails, and just as well I know of some that are active with round ones, but that's a good place to start.
What part of the tank does the fish occupy?
Fish that tend to linger in only one area of the tank such as top swimmers or bottom dwellers will benefit more from a tank with a larger footprint, whereas fish that tend to occupy all the areas of the tank will be more carefree about the dimensions.
Ultimately, it's your job, as the aquarist, to judge if your tank is suitable for the fish you like. Obviously you don't want to be putting a 14" oscar fish in a 75 gallon tank that's only 30" wide but has 40" height to it. Fish do swim up and down, yes, but the up and down motion is mostly controlled by the swim bladder rather than the fin motions. Fish prefer swimming side to side when burning energy and playing.
So, who does benefit from tall tanks?
The only fish that really need a taller tank that come to mind are angelfish and discus. However, this doesn't mean that the tank should be taller than it is long. Angels and discus need a tank with a 20" water column to be comfortable, but discus need at least a 4' tank and angels need around 30".
So what's the point of having a tank that's taller than it is long?
To be frank, there really isn't a very strong point to having a tall tank. The only thing that benefits from having a tall tank is you, the owner, assuming you're new to the hobby and/or have space constraints and can't have an aquarium taking up a large portion of your room. Having a tank with height adds volume, and volume makes it harder to mess up water perimeters, so if you're new and only have enough room for a small footprint, a taller tank will make the hobby that much easier without requiring a huge investment of space. Just don't stock your tall tank the same way you would a long tank of the same volume.
Hope this helps,
-Lydah
The volume of the tank is indisputably 30 gallons. However, it's a half moon aquarium, and a lot of that volume is used, or "wasted" on height.
Many people will argue that with the vast majority of tropical fish, height is the least important dimension the tank will have. Some will even argue that every inch above 24" on a tank for freshwater fish below 12" is a waste of water volume.
When you look at many care guides of fish, you'll notice a lot of them will list a volume rather than tank dimensions. Usually these guides are looking at the standard tank rather than a tall tank or a bowfront tank or in this case, a half moon tank.
A standard 30 gallon tank will be 36"x12"x16", a good footprint on it with decent height. This halfmoon that I'm picking up is quite different, with the dimensions of 26"x14"x28". That footprint is only slightly larger than that of a 20 gallon, not mentioning the corners of the tank which are lacking due to the rounded front.
So if you can't judge if your tank is big enough by volume alone, how do you know if your tank is too small for the fish you want?
Well, there is a rule of thumb being passed around recently saying that your tank, to allow sufficient swimming space for most fish, should be at least 6x the length of the fish, 3x the width, and twice the height. This rule doesn't apply to everything, obviously you can't throw a school of neon tetras in a tank that's 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, but it gives a good general idea.
Since there are always exceptions, you don't want to take this as a total fact for every fish in the trade, as different fish have different needs. So you should be asking yourself the following:
Is the fish an active swimmer?
Active fish that spend a lot of time moving about the tank will benefit from having a long tank to give them space to jolt and exercise. If you have a tall tank and don't know a lot about the fish, start by looking at its tail type. A fish with a forked tail is generally more active than a fish with a delta tail or a round tail. I do know of a few fish that are lazy with forked tails, and just as well I know of some that are active with round ones, but that's a good place to start.
What part of the tank does the fish occupy?
Fish that tend to linger in only one area of the tank such as top swimmers or bottom dwellers will benefit more from a tank with a larger footprint, whereas fish that tend to occupy all the areas of the tank will be more carefree about the dimensions.
Ultimately, it's your job, as the aquarist, to judge if your tank is suitable for the fish you like. Obviously you don't want to be putting a 14" oscar fish in a 75 gallon tank that's only 30" wide but has 40" height to it. Fish do swim up and down, yes, but the up and down motion is mostly controlled by the swim bladder rather than the fin motions. Fish prefer swimming side to side when burning energy and playing.
So, who does benefit from tall tanks?
The only fish that really need a taller tank that come to mind are angelfish and discus. However, this doesn't mean that the tank should be taller than it is long. Angels and discus need a tank with a 20" water column to be comfortable, but discus need at least a 4' tank and angels need around 30".
So what's the point of having a tank that's taller than it is long?
To be frank, there really isn't a very strong point to having a tall tank. The only thing that benefits from having a tall tank is you, the owner, assuming you're new to the hobby and/or have space constraints and can't have an aquarium taking up a large portion of your room. Having a tank with height adds volume, and volume makes it harder to mess up water perimeters, so if you're new and only have enough room for a small footprint, a taller tank will make the hobby that much easier without requiring a huge investment of space. Just don't stock your tall tank the same way you would a long tank of the same volume.
Hope this helps,
-Lydah
User Profile
Accepting Trades
No Accepting Commissions
No
This user has not added any information to their profile.
Just doing my bit to keep the group active.
Looking to get a half-moon or another crowntail!
Or a fantail goldfish, for my second tank~
Im the proud mommy of two very handsome betta fish(one in a 10gal, the other ina 5gal)
and hoping to get goldies in the near future!
... or maybe just more betta
draconicdreamsart