# Long or Tall tanks for shrimps ?



## vs5295 (Mar 21, 2011)

Is long or tall tanks better for shrimps , not necessarily show tank setup but more of the breeding setup ?


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## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

Long tanks are better than tall ones. 


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

Shrimps need more surface area at the bottom. So long tank would be the best choice

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## Alexpatrascu (Jun 13, 2010)

Yes, long tanks are the best for shrimps, or wide/shallow ones(30Lx18Wx13H or 36Lx18Wx14H).

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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

Alexpatrascu said:


> Sent from my computer not using Tapatalk


What a hater LOL


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## iBetta (Jun 19, 2011)

ThaChingster said:


> What a hater LOL


ahahah LOL. actually, what is the difference with using tapatalk?

agreed with longer tanks, it provides more room for them to scavenge on the surface . and i personally like long tanks because they look sexy *.*


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

iBetta said:


> ahahah LOL. actually, what is the difference with using tapatalk?


With tapatalk, things load a lot faster, and pictures can be loaded into posts with ease.

On a normal mobile browser, some attached pictures cannot be seen properly, and posts are hard to make and edit.


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## Alexpatrascu (Jun 13, 2010)

ThaChingster said:


> What a hater LOL


Way easier on a PC dude....not a hater at all !!!

Hahaha...now let's get back on topic....


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

Alexpatrascu said:


> Way easier on a PC dude....not a hater at all !!!
> 
> Hahaha...now let's get back on topic....


What if I'm in bed and have nothing better to do? Can't go on the PC then!

Sorry, well OP here's a full-length answer:
Shrimp feed on algae and micro-organisms in your tank. These organisms and algae thrive in the substrate and plant matter in the aquarium. A longer tank also means that there is more substrate available for the shrimp to scavenge. Shrimps do not spend their time swimming, like fish but rather prowl through the substrate, so a larger surface area on the bottom of the tank is needed for a larger colony of shrimp (I assume you want a large amount of shrimp to sell). Furthermore, a taller tank would be disproportional to your inhabitants, as you would have much empty space between the shrimps and the top of the tank.

Let's compare a normal 20 gallon vs a 20 gallon long aquarium
20: 24"x13x17 lwh = 312"^2
20L: 39"x12x12 lwh = 360"^2

The 20Gallon Long has 48inches squared more surface area than the normal 20 gallon tank. 
Lets say each shrimp needs a square inch to live properly. The 20 gallon can only inhabit 312 shrimp, while the 20L can have 360 shrimp.


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

> Is long or tall tanks better for shrimps , not necessarily show tank setup but more of the breeding setup ?


There are advantages and disadvantages to both and in the end it comes down to what you want to do.

20 long 
+more floor space for viewing
+easier to service and remove shrimp
-new tank/lights/glass lids are more expansive

20 standard
+better for tall plants and large decor pieces 
+smaller footprint and will fit into more spaces
+easily to find a package deal with filter/lights/heater at LFS

I've got 2 - 20g longs and they are great but someone was selling them for an amazing price. If they had been 20g standard at that price, I still would have gotten them.


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