# Tank styles pros and cons



## FrostFell (Dec 7, 2009)

What are the varies pros and cons of things like mirrorbacks, bowfronts, hex and octagon, corner shapes, etc
Do mirrorbacks really stress the fish out?
Do bowfronts really cause distortion and eyestrain?
Why are hex and oct tanks bad, as I've heard?


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

I love bowfronts, they are my favorite tanks of all.
Some people dont like Hex and Oct tanks because they have so many corners and because they are normally taller than they are long, which some fish don't like.
I dont know about mirrorbacks... Im not a fan though


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

I don't care for curved glass, so the bowfront and corner tank is out. I had two hexes, didn't like 'em, but they are good for a pair of angels. I like long tanks like a 125, or bigger. A 125 does have the 6' of floorspace, though. Don't like mirrorback. Most of my backgrounds are neutral shades of fleckstone paint.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

mirror back tanks can stress fish because it is like fighting an enemy that you cannot kill.

hexagon and octagon tank have very little surface area which greatly reduces gas exchange..meaning that it does not get rid of co2 and absorb o2 very well.. 

bowfront tanks can create a bit of distortion;but they are not too bad..

for me ; the optimum tank is one with a maximum amount of surface area..such as square tanks or ones that are 18-24 inches front to back..
consider this...a 90 gallon tank takes up only 6 inches more floor space than a 40 long or 55..
and the surface area is about 264 square inches more;giving much improved gas exchange ability..


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have one mirror back and where the mirror is coming off it looks really bad. I hide it will tall plants, but I would not get another. Maybe I'd paint a solid blue or black that I could touch up if it gets chipped. In general, I avoid octs and hexs because all those odd shaped joints make them so much more likely to spring a leak than tanks with only square corners. And if you have room for a tank with corners cut off, you often have room for the whole rectangle. But I do like pentagon tanks that fill up an entire corner. The goal is, of coarse, the biggest tank the will fit, so if you have a corner, they are great. I think bow-fronts look really cool, but for the money you spend (odd-shaped lid, stand, tank), you can generally get a bigger rectangle and from what I've heard, they are bit more leak-prone than flat sided tanks.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

eh.. only thing I can see with different styles is water depth and surface area. some fish need like deeper water, others like shallow water. The smaller the surface area of exposed water, the less oxygen exchange, might need a bubble wand or two. That is the extent of my knowledge.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Bowfronts always had a bad reputation for springing leaks... not sure if it is really true.


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## luvmyfishies (Feb 4, 2010)

I have only ever dealt with standard style tanks and mirror backs. The mirror backs always freaked out or riled up my fish. Id say any odd shape tank will be more prone to leaks, but then again you never know every situation is different.


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## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

i like long tanks, I have 2 20 longs and they are my favorites, but i like bottom dwellers (loaches), and surface lurkers (African Butterfly) so the longs give these types of fish more room without being to big.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

i prefer broader tanks. find them easier to aquascape.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have one 30H that has the footprint of of 15. I can't reach the bottom from the top. It look really neat, but I will not get another. a 20H is a good proportion for a tank.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

FrostFell said:


> What are the varies pros and cons of things like ... bowfronts, hex and octagon, corner shapes, etc
> Why are hex and oct tanks bad, as I've heard?


FF:

My major problem with them is that they will not accomadate standard lighting, hoods and canopies.





FrostFell said:


> Do bowfronts really cause distortion and eyestrain?


No.

TR


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

hexs have a real rep for leaking. They are usually tall (more pressure) and they have more joints (6 vs. 4) and the corners aren't square, so the glass have to be cut precisely and aligned perfectly. The lids and stand are pricey and hard to find, too. If I really wanted a high tank (like for discus), I would get a square column. If I really wanted to put a "roundish" tank in the middle of room, I would get an acrylic tube instead of a glass hex or oct.

Tanks don't cause eyestrain, but the odd-shaped ones can be hard to photograph fish in.


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## OCtrackiepacsg1 (Oct 18, 2009)

bow fronts I like but not enough to pay so much extra.


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