I have a 135 gallon tank that is 24 inches high. Leigh, as usual, gives
excellent adivce. She (I hope you are a she Leigh-- if not then I
appologise in advance..) is right about the light, though I find that even
though its tougher to light the bottom of the tank, 25 inches is not
insurmoutable-- especially if you are going to terrace. In addition, I
personally think that less than 24 inches looks a little funny with a
canopy. You may (or may not) choose to place a canopy over the top of the
tank-- but assess how you think it may look with the shallower tank in the
event you do want a canopy. Keep in mind also that there may be plants that
you want to keep that get tall. It may be nice to have certain sections of
the tank that are deeper than others. Just keep in mind that you may have
trouble with high light plants in the deep areas.

Certainly the "long arms" issue is real also. If you are a small person,
then you may want to avoid buying a tank that is too deep for you to reach
into. I know my wife would have a hard time reaching the bottom of my 135
gallon tank. I do not have a problem with this depth-- though any deeper
would become a hassel.

In summay, my cutoff would be about 24 inches-- not 21 inches. 25 inches
may be problematic, but its worthy of careful consideration.

For what its worth, that is my 2 cents. -Bruce Geist

LeighMo wrote in message
...
Id like a 75 or 90 from all-glass. Which of these is better for the
planted
aquarium in yoru optinion, and where is the best tank for my buck? any
mail
orders, or something to that effect?

Ordinarily, bigger is better, but for a planted tank, I'd go with the 75
gallon.
The 90 and the 75 have the same "footprint." The only difference is the
75 is
21" high, and the 90 is just over 25" high. A planted tank deeper than
24" can
be difficult. That depth is hard to light adequately. (You wouldn't
think
only a few inches would make a difference, but it does, because light
intensity
falls exponentially with distance.)

A planted tank also requires constant maintenance, and if the tank is that
deep, it will be difficult (unless you have really long arms!). I've
heard of
people who accidentally poisoned all their fish, because they reached into
a
deep tank without showering first, and their underarm deodorant got into
the
tank.

As for price...mail order for a tank this size is not economical. The
shipping
will kill you. Your best bet is probably to order it from a chain like
PetCo.
The big chains use tanks as "loss leaders," selling them at a loss in
hopes
that they'll make it up by selling you fish, accessories, etc. Call
around
your LFSs and ask, but IME, the small local shops will all charge hundreds
of
dollars more than the big chains. The local shops around here all wanted
$700
to $800 for an All-Glass 75 gallon economy tank and stand. PetCo asked
$325
for tank, stand, and glass canopy top.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/