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RE: Parameters for an "ideal" plant tank?	Erik Leung
	Apr 09, 2003 23:48 PDT

-----Original Message----- From: USGar-@aol.com [mailto:USGar-@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:55 AM To: detr-@topica.com Subject: Parameters for an "ideal" plant tank?     Now to pick your experienced brains -- what would be your IDEAL size planted show tank? Should it be acrylic or glass -- what difference other than empty weight would be considered? Are big "Amano like" rimless glass tanks available -- they sure photograph beautifully in his books? >> Hi Leon, - Something relatively short.. not over 18, 20" in height, and with good width from front to back... 18-24 inches or more (if they were easily available). I'm always looking for visual tricks to extend the visual depth in a setup, mostly because you're limited with typical tank dimensions. - Open-topped, so that I can stick my hand/shears/do fertilization on the fly without having to mess with a hood or cover glass. - Glass, I like minimized scratching & lower cost. I haven't seen prefab rimless glass tanks but have seen people having glass shops remove the top frame and reinforce that with inset glass borders. As Tom mentions you could have someone custom-build one for you (as you could w/ acrylic).     Do I have to consider a sump -- my preference is not to add that -- why would I want it other than hiding the "utilities" out of the show tank? << I definitely don't consider sumps until tank sizes get very large. I'm comfortable using a canister or two (or canister in combo w/ powerhead) on setups up to 125 gallons. Whatever you feel most comfortable with.     I assume there is some consideration on how many powercompact fixtures I could attractively fit in a hood and uniformly light the tank without letting light spill into the room except through the walls of the tank? How many watts per gallon should I try for? >> With compacts, 2-3 wpg is workable. Realize that at more intense light levels you'll have to keep a closer eye on things, to some extent.. particularly depending on what and how much you are growing. In short, intense lighting = a more work-intensive tank in many cases. Less intense lighting = a more laid-back setup. Strongly-lit setups are fun, but you may find that you don't want/need that kind of growth.     For me when I looked at "standard" size tanks (and considered our living room space) big would be about 20 gallons -- really big would be 30 or 40 gallons and huge would be 55 gallons or larger. I think I can use up to 36" of wall space. >> 20 long or standard 20 might work well for you. Easy to light, equip, and plant. I like the shallower depth of a 20 long, but if you want to grow beefier species you'll likely want something towards a standard 20 or 30-40g. You can still do a very strong layout in smaller-sized aquariums. Just look at what Amano has done... decide what kind of design you're looking for and work outward from there. Pre-planning is exciting. :) Erik

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