# Long tank vs Cube tank



## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

Which is better for a saltwater display: a long tank or a cube tank?

Pro long / con cube:
- more space for fish to swim
- more space between corals

Pro cube / con long:
- more height, less algae
- more width, possibility to make nice caves, terraces, etc

What else? 

What do you think?


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## d3rsk (Feb 3, 2013)

I have a 15G column tank. 
13x13x25"

it all depends on the rock you find...I managed to make some nice caves/crevasses in mine and its about 14" at the highest point. 


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

A longer tank can tend to have a bit of a problem with getting flow into the middle so you'll have to add powerheads to the back of the tank. Just go with a 200g cube and you'll be happy


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## PureHash (Nov 29, 2012)

I have a 15g cube tank too, stands 16x12x18tall. 
You get a real dense structure, that's forsure. And as posted you just need the right rocks.


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## Tristan (Aug 15, 2011)

IMO one of the biggest things that a lot of people don't think about with cubes is the kind of fish you can keep. In my 150 I probably couldn't/should't put any tangs that get over 6" because they only have 3 linear feet to swim, where in a 6' tank they have the length to get a good run in every once in a while. I have the volume of water to support the bio load but not the length for a healthy swimming routine. 

I found that by using the dry eco rock you could build up the structure fairly well and break pieces to make the shapes you want. Whatever extra you have just bring it back for a refund. You don't have as much leeway with live rock, but you can add a few lbs here and there to help seed the system.


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## SKurj (Oct 26, 2011)

width is always good.. but so is length...

I have a 40g long which is only 12" front to back and its a pain for rockscaping. Wish I had gone a 40b instead.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

If you can get a 3x3 cube, it's better than a 2x4 rectangle.

Length is important for some species, as width is with others. Some species require both to feel comfortable. I prefer length and width myself, but it really depends on the size of the cube tank you'd like.

Aquascaping is also easier with atleast 2' depth. 75 gallons can even be annoying to aquascape at 18".


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## sweet ride (Nov 16, 2010)

It all depends on the space also.

I currently have a 5ft long tank and I used it as a room divider and it works really well. But because I only have 18" of width to play around I had to be creative with the aquascaping.


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

I will take my chances with 75G long. It is too expensive for me right now to get a 60G cube. 

Thanks for replies. 


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