46G Bow vs. 55G Standard tank -- Opnions Please

[dbk111]

All,

Due to space limitations this I have narrowed my new tank decision to the 46G bow Front (36.4" x 16.4" x 21.9") or a standard 55G rectangular (48.3" x 12.8" x 21).

I have always liked the look of the bow front but the 55G has more volume for critters and tank floor space for decorating. Down side of that is it takes more of my limited floor space.

Any thoughts on one over the other?

Maintenance?

Decorating?

Other that may push me over the edge?

Thanks,

Dave

[MidwesternTexan]

You're even considering a bowfront?

[dbk111]

You're even considering a bowfront?

Is that a bad thing?

[Monte26]

I personally think the bowfronts look sweet! I currently have a 55 and I absolutely hate the dimensions. It's too narrow front to back and makes aquascaping tough. If you decide to go with the 55, you might as well do a 75. It's pretty much the same size, but you get extra space from front to back.

[bowfront]

If you decide to go with the 55, you might as well do a 75. It's pretty much the same size, but you get extra space from front to back.

Absolutely the above. I've owned both a 55g and 72g bowfront and both lacked enough back to front space for my liking. The bowfront's may look pretty but they are narrow on the ends. Some say they are leakers but I never had that problem with mine set up for about 7 years. If you can fit a 75g in your space go that route. Otherwise maybe a 40 breeder. You won't regret the extra tank space once you get started.

[stingeragent]

Agreed. 40b or 75 is way to go.

[oseymour]

I would go with the bowfront. The extra room for aquascaping makes a huge difference.

I went with the 50breeder vs the 55 gallon for that exact reason.

[Sk8r]

I run two bows, one a 52 freshwater and one a 105 gallon saltwater (which incidentally fits the 36" back to the corner, but it's quite deep.

Biggest issue is stand size on a 40-50 bow. You need room for a sump, and a 10 g sump isn't enough, really, if you want a fuge. An Urchin skimmer, 10 g sump, mag 9.5 return pump was what I had, and you had to insert the sump through the top hole of the stand before the tank went on.

I keep damsels in my 105, and rockwork and light are a breeze---rocks pile nicely into caves and spires against the massive internal downflow box, and you can get nice circulation by aiming two relatively inexpensive wavemakers against each other, like 2 out-of-phase Sea Swirls. Another bennie is the lighting. If I had a long, I couldn't afford the lights I have, which is one Radion Pro unit, which does nicely: love it. And the 100 g could take a 30 g sump in the stand, but I sited it down in the basement, so that problem is solved. I do recommend Starphire glass. You will get a little magnification of the fishes, at some points.