upgrade! regular or bowfront

[Myka]

Originally Posted by pet-lover

Alright thanks guys!!! I will try and use this as my advantage to upgrade to a 50 (initially what I wanted anyways).
Main benefits is swimming room, easier/cheaper for stand and i can actually fit my 29 gallon underneath as a sump.

50-gallon tanks are a GREAT shape for reef tanks! My LPS/Zoa tank is a 50 (36x18x18") and I love the dimensions. Looking from the side, the closer to square you can get the easier to aquascape. Tanks that are wider than they are tall can be fun too, especially with large tanks. I don't care for the 40-gallon (36x18x16") simply because the 16" height is limiting. Tanks that are taller than they are wide are more difficult to aquascape and there are more shadows created by the rocks because the light is coming more directly from above. Think of lighting the Empire State Building with a light bulb up top (tall and narrow), and compare that to lighting a pyramid (short and wide). There will be more area of light on the pyramid. Plus, with narrow tanks it is difficult to keep the rocks from leaning on the back glass which will hinder flow.

Fwiw, I don't like bowfront tanks. The distortion drives me nuts.