Tank sizes

[beowulf]

OK currently my malawi's are in a 65g and I am looking for something in the 100g+ range.  What do you ladies and gents have yours in?  I find a ton of 4 foot 120g tanks used for sale at good prices but I think I would prefer something at 5 feet.  Is the extra food in length worth it?

[Brine]

Just off the top of my head I think lighting is more easily found in 4ft lengths than 5ft.

[beowulf]

Just off the top of my head I think lighting is more easily found in 4ft lengths than 5ft.

Not to worried about lights as being an african tank plants are not at the top of my list of worries.

[babblefish1960]

Then if you aren't worried about the lighting so much, go nuts, make yourself a 12 foot tank and be done with it, the fish will love you for it!

[Jesse]

I personally prefer the 4ft better. I like that you can have a large rock pil;e in the iddle, a centrepiece so to speak, and still have lots of space for free swimming thats not all length. Place a nice rock pile in the middle, getting smaller as you go towards the sides obviously, and have the front half of the tank wide open space.

[mila]

Largest foot print is what you should look for.

[sniggir]

myself included... get a 6 foot 125

[beowulf]

Then if you aren't worried about the lighting so much, go nuts, make yourself a 12 foot tank and be done with it, the fish will love you for it!

You going to help me move it in a couple of years when I get a new house? 

[bitterman]

Kevin,

I would look for a 180, or 240   6-8' tanks will give you a wonderfull setup and the 24" wide allows for better aquascaping then a 18" wide tank.

Anything 5'-6' and up in length and 24" wide should do the trick for you.

Bruce.

[darkdep]

Longer tanks are better for Africans, especially the more aggressive ones.  While high "footprint" or surface area tanks are ideal for breeding, a longer tank allows fish to get further away from each other when necessary.

[RossW]

My two cents...

24" wide min.
24" high max.
as long as you can afford/fit

[RoxyDog]

go long baby!   

[hamstercaster]

As most Africans are half to bottom part of the tank swimmers, I think it's much better to get a longer tank than a higher one for sure.  It gives them much more space to swim.  If you're lucky enough to find a 24 inch wide tank on top of that, even better. 

[audioslave_36]

I went from four foot tanks to five and six foot tanks and I have a lot less aggression in all my tanks, so go long

[Sue]

Strangely enough. I have found my tropheus (very aggressive fish), do better in the 4 ft 120, then the 6 foot tanks. In the 6 foot tank dominant males tend to decide they 'own' one end or the other.
I'd just go with whatever fits the space you have available.

[busdriver]

Whatever size tank you decide, don't go tall, take it from me.