bow front tanks
- Thread starter shadypat
- Start date
I have a 7 gallon bow front tank that my daughter got as a gift . . . its mine now since she lost interest in cleaning it after a couple of months.
Anyway I was suprised to see that the bow front does magnify the inside of the tank. I think it is a good thing since (at least for this tank) it make the tank look bigger.
The distortion is not that much and I would not worry to much about it.
Good Luck *celebrate
Anyway I was suprised to see that the bow front does magnify the inside of the tank. I think it is a good thing since (at least for this tank) it make the tank look bigger.
The distortion is not that much and I would not worry to much about it.
Good Luck *celebrate
I'm going to be picking up a 46 bow tank this weekend, and getting back into the hobby. It's been 18 years since I've had my last tank (an 18 gallon tall, which I don't think they even make anymore). I was going to go with a 29 gallon or a 55 gallon (I keep deciding upwards!), then I saw a 46 bow and REALLY liked the looks of the tank. PetSmartPlus has the tank, hood, and stand for $299 right now.
Two things I really like about this tank.
1) The hood that comes with it. It seems the back has more room than a standard rectangle hood. So an Emperor 400 or something seems to have more room without cutting into the light area. Of course, I'm still debating on either a canister or the Emperor for my tank.
2) The dimensions are really nice. A 55 gallon is bigger, but the front-to-rear depth is nicer on the 46. I didn't want a real tall tank that had no depth to it. Just something about this size made me feel it would show off the fish nicely.
So now I need to start deciding on my filter choice. I'm going with angels, neons, etc - calm water species, and probably not much in terms of real plants (I dislike snails). I'm down to the Magnum Pro 350, Emperor 400, FluVal 304 and the Elheim 2216 (this one is some $$$, even at BigAls).
Two things I really like about this tank.
1) The hood that comes with it. It seems the back has more room than a standard rectangle hood. So an Emperor 400 or something seems to have more room without cutting into the light area. Of course, I'm still debating on either a canister or the Emperor for my tank.
2) The dimensions are really nice. A 55 gallon is bigger, but the front-to-rear depth is nicer on the 46. I didn't want a real tall tank that had no depth to it. Just something about this size made me feel it would show off the fish nicely.
So now I need to start deciding on my filter choice. I'm going with angels, neons, etc - calm water species, and probably not much in terms of real plants (I dislike snails). I'm down to the Magnum Pro 350, Emperor 400, FluVal 304 and the Elheim 2216 (this one is some $$$, even at BigAls).
Thanks for the opinions. I decided to stick with my choice, because I also got the tank, hood, and stand on sale for 299$ at my LFS. The brand is called oceanic. the guy working there said 299$ is a good sale for the setup. I also bought a aquaclear power filter. Are those good? I havent had time to set it up yet. It looks like I'm going to need some kind of hose in order to fill the tank with water.
shadypat - In reading the forum (I'm spending too much time researching) the AquaClear seems to be a very recommended unit. Simple, effective, and affordable. Did you get the AC500 model or the AC300 model? I am now trying to decide between an AC500 and the Magnum Pro 350 for a filter. I just can't afford an Eheim right now.
The tank I'm going to pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday is made by All-Glass, which is a division of Oceanic. My LFS has it for $375, but PetSuppliesPlus an hour from me has it on sale for $299.
The only thing I don't like about the tank is the 25W single fluorescent light hood it comes with. This makes for less than .6 WPG, which seems to be very bad for live plants. I'm not sure I want live plants yet, but if I do, this hood isn't going to cut it. I'm going to see if I can trade up to a VersaTop for the difference in their selling price (if they have them).
The tank I'm going to pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday is made by All-Glass, which is a division of Oceanic. My LFS has it for $375, but PetSuppliesPlus an hour from me has it on sale for $299.
The only thing I don't like about the tank is the 25W single fluorescent light hood it comes with. This makes for less than .6 WPG, which seems to be very bad for live plants. I'm not sure I want live plants yet, but if I do, this hood isn't going to cut it. I'm going to see if I can trade up to a VersaTop for the difference in their selling price (if they have them).
The Oceanic tanks seem nice to me, and I believe they have a good reputation. A lot of people like the Aqua Clear filters, but I have never used one.
What you need to help you fill and clean your tank is a Python Water Changer. They're about $30, but worth it because they make doing water changes a lot easier. Otherwise, you're stuck with using buckets.
What you need to help you fill and clean your tank is a Python Water Changer. They're about $30, but worth it because they make doing water changes a lot easier. Otherwise, you're stuck with using buckets.