are immediate no's unless you have a vertical tank the size of a water tower. We touched on it a little bit above, but fish species that like a lot of swimming room won't be good fits in a tall tank unless it's also adequately wide. Tall live aquarium plants are a great choice regardless of which route you go, as well. One option is to design around the center, with a centerpiece and decor placed strategically around it (great choice if you have a large, distinctive piece of decor) You can also do a sloping design since you have more vertical room to work with. But if you get it right, you can make some stunning aquariums. Tall aquariums pose a design challenge due to decreased room for decorations and hardscape on the bottom of the tank and a lot of empty, vertical space to fill. At night, they actually use oxygen, so keep that in mind. Live aquarium plants also produce oxygen ( hornwort is amazing for this), but only during the daytime. You can do this by using an air pump/airstone or spray bar, increasing filter flow, or manually stirring/agitating the tank water. To counteract the aeration problems caused by decreased surface area, it's essential you maintain dissolved oxygen. Also, make sure you choose the right kind for your tank material - some are better for glass and some are better for acryllic. Magnet cleaners are effective for regular maintenance, but if you have a lot of algae or a really dirty tank, you'll want your other tools. These are great for tall tanks because you don't have to have any extra reach or even put your hand in the tank to use them. There are also a few brands of magnetic aquarium glass cleaners that work well and are honestly pretty fun to use. There are also longer siphons, or you could extend a shorter one with pipe, additional tubing, etc. For moving bigger things, you can also try something like an aquarium grabber. If you're into aquascaping or planted aquariums, longer planting tongs can help you out. with long or extendable handles to give you more reach. There are also glass scrapers, sponges, scrubbers, etc. A step stool can give your vertical advantage back and make it easier to work and see where you're working. It's also a royal pain to plant things in substrate when you have to reach so far.įortunately, there are a few tools to help with tall tanks. If you've really fallen in love with them, they're not impossible to clean, but I'll clean a long tank over a tall tank any day. They're much harder to maneuver in and much harder to clean. ![]() The issue isn't that they're inherently dirtier (though they can be if you overstock), but that you feel like you need SCUBA gear or one of those gloves they use to palpate cows to reach the bottom with your hands. Tall Tank Maintenance and Cleaningĭo you hate cleaning? Would you rather sit on a hot grill than scrape your tank glass or vacuum your substrate before you have to?Ĭongratulations on your new, bouncing baby headache now that you've gotten a vertical aquarium if you don't have the right tools. Other disadvantages due to a tall tank's build are maintenance/cleaning difficulties and the fact that the taller the aquarium, the more structurally fragile it is. I'm sure I don't need to explain why less available oxygen for your fish is a bad idea. ![]() With less water surface, there's less room for oxygen exchange and, generally, less oxygen in your water as a result. This decreased surface area also poses a problem for aeration/oxygen. It's not the number of gallons that counts with a vertical aquarium, but the surface area. If you were in a shipping container, would you have more room to move if it was sitting on its end, or on its side? Same principle applies with tanks. A 20 gallon long tank will be better for most fish species than a 30 gallon tall. Fish need horizontal swimming space, especially many popular, active species like danios and tetras. Unfortunately, this smaller footprint is also a downside. Additionally, these tanks take up less floor space, so they can be great in smaller or crowded rooms. There are also a few fish species that benefit from more tank height than traditional tanks because of their vertical growth. They have more vertical space for tall, background aquarium plant species (means less trimming for you). Even if you know nothing about aquariums, if you see a big tank at eye level or higher, you're going to be drawn in. But do they stand tall against criticism? Vertical tanks have unique challenges and advantages, and we'll give you the rundown. There's no denying that seeing a bright column of water with fish swirling up and down and tall plants swaying makes you want one. Tips and Tricks for Tall and Vertical Aquariums: Pros/Cons, Aquascaping, Maintenance, and Stocking
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