Quote:
Originally Posted by oolichan
Well 'm glad I posted and I'm coming away with a few things:
1) No centre oveflow
2) Go deeper with the tank to gain extra volume and make 'scaping easier
3) I have no idea what a good reef tank looks like lol
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and everything has pros and cons.
1. Center overflows minimize varying overflow issues that you have with corner overflows. For example, I have corner overflow and my sump levels rise and fall depending on whether my Wavebox and powerheads or on because they cause swells which are the greatest at each end of the tank. One of the best overflow setups for a cube is a center middle overflow (meaning right at the very center of the tank - 4-sided and bottom drilled) since this allows for 360 degree viewing.
2. Going deeper presents lighting penetration issues. Many people like putting clams on the sandbed, for example. You can forget it with all but the most powerful lights in a deep tank. This, in turns, results in having to use more powerful lights which causes heat issues and higher electrical usage.
It also presents aquascaping problems because it's a lot trickier and more work holding taller rock structures together. It's also much more difficult to reach things on the bottom especially if you're shorter. I find having a wider (i.e. front to back) tank helps more with aquascaping as you get a better sense of depth and perspective rather than a wall of rocks effect you can have with a tall, narrow tank.
Most fish prefer LENGTH to swim as opposed to DEPTH. That's why some people are constantly harping on having tangs only in 6-foot long tanks.
3. You decide what a good reef tank looks like - it is, after all, your reef tank. I personally love the look of long, shallow tanks.