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What height for tank?

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy

Member
Joined
20 Oct 2012
Messages
592
Location
Omagh, N.Ireland
I am going to get a new optiwhite tank built but wanted some advice as to the best height to have it? The dimensions of the tank are 96x40x?cm ...... I am thinking 50cm for the height. The lighting will be an allponds luminare with 2x39w. So just want to know if that will be enough light to penetrate the bottom of the tank if it is 50cm deep. The luminare if around 10cm from the surface of the water so minus substrate the light will be around 54cm from substrate. Will this be ideal?
 
From all the tanks I have looked at and from experience of deeper tanks 2ft - 2.5ft I would not go higher than 45cm for a planted tank as anything higher leaves empty space and adds to the awkwardness of reaching in to plant.
 
Having had tanks with height i tend to agree with the above, it's so much easier scaping a shallower tank. I would go 40. Fourty five maximum.
 
I have a 60+cm juwel tank and know only too well how hard it is to reach in and plant but that doesn't really bother me this time with a 50cm deep tank as the stand is at the right height for this not to be too much of a problem. I just wanted to know if it was too high in regards the light reaching the bottom
 
Hi,
i have a high tech 45 cm tall tank, with 2x 39w t5 bulbs. I have the light unit suspended 35cm above the water surface without issues of light penetrating to the bottom.
You dont say whether your planning c02 enrichment, but either way the only issue you may have with the light is that it is too much.
It is carbon that grows the plants, so getting that to them is the most important factor, the light just drives how fast they grow. If your not running carbon enrichment, either gas or liquid, then your going low tech and your lighting will be strong and you may need to raise it further (if possible) or filter it in some way, such as floating plants.
From a purely aesthetic point of view i agree with the above, 40-45 cm height will look great with a 96cm long tank, i wish mine was shallower as its only 90cm long x 45cm high and it doesnt look quite right.....but then i like a panorama view, you may have different plans for your set up. The light wont be an issue though :thumbup:
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
It will be Co2 enriched with EI dosing so that end of things shouldn't be a problem. Im giving up on trying to distribute Co2 in my 5 ft without it costing me more money so Im turning that into a pleco tank and concentrate my aquascaping efforts on a smaller tank. No point me trying to compete against all the odds lol
 
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