Are Column Tanks The Worst Idea In The Aquarium Hobby Ever?

Hello Fellow Fish Keepers!
In this video we take a look at column tanks (those that are taller than they are wider and longer). There are important points to consider before you buy one.
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[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Want to learn more about the 15 gallon Aqueon column tank featured in this video? Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3iwpGaMlMqAZ5I Our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics For more cool behind the scenes stuff consider becoming a member! kzbin.info/door/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin If you want to see all the cool stuff Joanna does with other types of scapes check out her channel! kzbin.info/door/PEZk1MpOTGiBVh6BtWjlRg

[@B1gJ4k3]

Thank you for mentioning the horizontal swimming space. That's one thing that I didn't consider when I got my 20 hexagon for my desk. It was pretty heavily planted and had a betta in there. It was a 20 gallon tank, so I figured I could add 20 neon tetras in there and things would be fine, but in reality the horizontal swim space was more like a 10 gallon or even smaller. Since the neons are mostly mid-water swimmers, they were constantly fighting and harassing the betta. One of the neons even jumped out onto the desk. Luckily, I had another tank they could go into, so once I realized what was going on, I was able to move them, but if I didn't, I don't think the fish would have lasted very long.

[@FatherFish]

In a word, YES!

[@rifraf6135]

Hey there, Father Fish!

[@arkansasboy45]

Yeah, they seem awfully inconvenient.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

Nope. The clock tanks are worse. wait a minute! I guess clock tanks can be considered column tanks

[@InkedGamerWolf420]

@FatherFish They are super inconvenient but I wouldn’t call them the worst tanks. The worst tanks are those tanks between 0.75gallons and 3 gallons advertised as betta tanks. They just shouldn’t exist period!

[@jesbenji9742]

I have a 15 gallon column tank. Scaped as a blackwater, so lighting/plants and cleaning isn't a big issue. The gas exchange definitely is. The gourami and loaches were fine without an air pump, but not the tetra - I keep one running 24/7 now. Helps with the dead zone water flow at bottom too. It's the most important thing imo to keep in mind when getting one of these tanks/designing the scape. Plus the loaches love riding the bubbles :)

[@feralon9570]

It wouldn't be a bad tank if you know what your getting yourself into. Just keep in mind that a betta has a swim bladder and has to surface from time to time, he/she will have to get to the top of the tank regularly. I noticed that my betta did better in a 20 long than a 29 for this reason. So I wouldn't recommend this style tank for a betta if it requires them making a long trip to get air.

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

I agree. I love the low tanks for a betta. Would love to get a small frag tank for one ☺️

[@ixchellovesrainbows4965]

Thank you very good point

[@DailyDeskTank]

Very good point! Ive been thinking about moving my beta from a 5 gal horizontal tank to a 10gal vertical

[@realangiechrist]

I have a 10 gal. vertical and I love it! Of course I build my tanks with deep substrate using plastic containers as support ( you can't see them, it's all under the gravel and there are many layers of different sized gravel and I have an airstone pulling water through from underneath) and a cave structure built into it. I'm quite proud of it actually. Holds a betta, green & gold tetra, kuhli loaches, corycats, a sparkling gourami and snails, and lots of plants, all in a 12x12" footprint!

[@rb5337]

your videos have a logical flow of pros and cons that help guide and educate

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@InkedGamerWolf420]

I find column tanks can do great if you have a bit of a DIY creative mind. You can upgrade the light systems to a hugger light by having a sheet of glass cut to fit the top of the tank, and filter intakes can be extended with the tubing of old filters that have dead motors. I keep dead filters around for parts for projects like this. Hygger also makes great filters that act as chambered sponge + bio filtration and air pump in one for pretty cheap

[@rburch20]

I have an old 90+ gallon hexagon tank that I’m getting ready to set up. I’m debating going old school with an under gravel filter just to help with the vertical waterflow. I’ll still be using a big canister for primary filtration but if I can keep a mild circulation of water it should eliminate any dead spots in the water.

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

This is the very topic and the type of aquarium that brought me to Prime Time .. I came back into the community and hobby after buying a 15 gallon tall at a yard sale.. I asked lots of questions of Jason and Joanna when I found this tank.. I started following father fish and his deep dirted substrate method and set this aquarium up.. it was absolutely the most phenomenal tank I've ever had in my life and it breaks my heart that I let it go!!! Even though I have passed it on to somebody else it brought back my love for the hobby and showed me how much I could learn on KZbin!! Prime Time Aquatics is one of the best channels around and will help you from being a total beginner to even a seasoned Aquariust!! I agree with all your pros and cons.. luckily for me my 15 gallon tall was an absolutely pro in all ways!! I love seeing Joanna's tall tank and I will get me another one someday soon!! Love you guys and thank you for a great video!!🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Your column tank was cool!

[@shesellsfish]

I have 7, 6 g cylinder tanks and I love them. Shrimp seem utterly happy in there and breed like crazy and between the shrimp and ramshorn snails it's not hard at all to keep up with cleaning the sides. Anyway, I really like them for what I use them for, but to be fair I like my regular rectangular tanks with fish in them too. I just love my plants, water critters, and tanks, 🥰 So no, they are not the worst tanks ever. It just depends on what you expect out of them. 🥰 Wish you guys would as someone else suggested, do a stocking list of what works, we'll with them. 👍❤👍

[@RedsMyFavoriteColor]

I've been looking for a used column tank and stand on Craigslist and this video solidifies my desire to get one.

[@ShelaghGRanalli]

I have one and I love it! There are longer tools with adjustable lengths for cleaning and shaping. Currently have 2 Koi angels.

[@BB-bv6uq]

I had a 27 hex when I was young it had a Haugen aquaclear 300 HOB on it with and extended intake tube it when to 2" above the bottom. I had African cichlids in it Pseuotropheus zebras and Melanochromis Aratus only 6 adult fish the zebras bred like crazy. I used Bahama Bottom substrate and lava rock that I had drilled holes through and glued together with epoxy puddy. It worked well , I used a half whiskey barrel as a stand. It was setup in parents living room for about 4 years until I graduated high school and went off to school. I really enjoyed it. So did my parents who didn't keep fish , it was my thing from the time I was 9 and it still is today , it was truly a first love....

[@jacks4733]

Happy Monday!

[@pjp9383]

I had a smaller one for a while. 6 gallon cylinder. I actually enjoyed scaping it - used some jungle val, so it had that kelp forest look to it. Had endlers in it for a while, and also a rescue betta who seemed ok with the height (considering it wasn't a terribly big tank anyway). But I've moved more toward 10 gallon tank minimum size (sometimes divided for bettas) and the scratched up acrylic cylinder didn't make the cut. As said, it was nice to have a tank able to fit on my bathroom counter though!

[@bcrebel86]

When I used to work in a pet shop I used to suggest undergravel filters and reverse flow powerhead to fix the dead bottom water issue. Especially and the larger 30 - 60 gallon hexes.

[@rburch20]

I’ve been thinking of going that route with my big hex (I think 90 gallon) once I move and actually have a place I can set it up. Still planning to run a canister as well.

[@bcrebel86]

@Ryan Burch if you do you will probably have to diy the connections. No one makes the kits anymore. I bought the undergravel , power heads, sponges, but had to make my own connections.

[@l.paolosantacatalina-tuazo7331]

Quick question since you worked at a fish store. I just got a 20 gallon hexagon tank. Cycling it now. I kinda like that look of lots of fish with lots of decor. My question for you is. How many micro/dwarf fish can I fit in a 20g hexagon tank ?

[@TDREXrx9]

Good point with the lighting, I'm pretty new the the aquarium hobby but I do know how to grow plants with grow lights and a thing I see missed a lot is the inverse square law when it comes to light. basically it means that you loss the amount of U/mol (the measure for photosynthetically useable light) by a squared amount distance the light source is. for example if you light does 100 U/mol at 12inchs away at 24inchs away it is now 25 U/mol and at 36 inchs it is only 5. another point for LED lights only is how many U/mol s you loss to dimming without a proper PWM driver to insure you get a full photon per cycle of the light otherwise you will loss U/mol at worse then a inverse square. It's not that bad just don't expect the maximum amount of growth if you dim your LEDs, unless you spent a good chunk of change on your light. If your looking for really good lights for a planted tank look for the U/mol or PAR rating on the back if it just tells you color temp in kelvin and lumens RUN. You can get a way better light (for plants) if you ignore aquarium stuff and go to the hydroponics store, unless you are going with corals then stick to the specialized lights unless you want to start adding UV spec bulbs as well.

[@AlexK-ew1mo]

That cylinder tank from aquashella, could that theoretically be infinite horizontal space since it's just one continuous turn, and no need to turn around because it never reaches the end (as opposed to a cube)

[@nosuca99]

Why do I want to see the outtakes from this video? You two were having way too much fun!

[@MrTonyJ]

I think there is some thing that is definitely worse. The octagon fishtanks that kind of took up that niche before. They were notorious for sealing issues.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I had hexagon tanks in the past. I miss them for their nostalgia. Haha

[@rodneywalat8956]

@Prime Time Aquatics. 20 years ago I got my hands on a few of those plexiglass octagonal tanks that were discarded by the manufacturer due to quality issues. I cut them down from their 4 or 5 foot height to 12 or 14 inch height, glued new plexiglass bottoms to them, and used them as killifish breeding tanks. They worked great.

[@JamieHitt]

They were all the rage in the 90s. Every shape you could imagine. And every price you could imagine. Usually stocked over by the ridiculous amount of 46g bow fronts....just before the 92g corner models. Complete with custom designed under gravel filter. And let’s not get too snarky, lol, because we all either had one ...or we all wanted one.

[@davidwinfrey2861]

WE ABSOLUTLY CAN NOT FORGET THE UNDER GRAVEL FILTERS! LOL. my grandpa still has a 46g bow front with undergravel filters.

[@JamieHitt]

@@davidwinfrey2861 Very true. And oddly enough, UGFs accomplish many things. Let’s say they accomplish five tasks. And let’s also say that canister filters accomplish 4/5 of those tasks far better than UGFs do. That 5th task is still critically important,… and sadly, there are precious few substitutes. I have a 120 extra high show. 60“ x 18“ x 29“. ~144 gallons full to the brim. I’m running two large canister filters. Just one of these would be more than sufficient (on paper). But I still installed a UGF with dual power heads. That vertical turnover, the elimination of dead spots, and the inclusion of my substrate into the flow has been worth its weight in GOLD. The canister filters remove the workload of mechanical filtration from the UGF. I spent the first 8 months attempting to vacuum my gravel. There’s still hardly anything in it or below it after 4 years. And I still get to reap the benefits of knowing that my water column is evenly consistent in a 29” tall tank. Thats not a substantial height by any means, but enough that it can be a concern. Not to mention, that it’s anyone’s guess as to which system is carrying the primary load for biological filtration. Absolutely zero regrets. LOL.

[@hkk3656]

I've been considering buying one. I thought about the same concerns you've brought up. Now, I think I'll just stay with a standard tank.

[@AFricanTigerr]

We have the Aqueon 15 column in my husband's office. I would not recommend for beginners! We use a big/tallish sponge filter and it solved the issue at the bottom. We have top/middle/bottom fish, and it's got lots of fake plants, but it is very tight in there. We stacked rocks & gravel. Yes, it is a big challenge to keep clean. I use a long pair of giant tweezers and lots of snails to keep it under control. But, we do like it with the modifications we made. Stock includes pork chop rasboras, four blue bubble rams, a peacock gudgeon and a pair of corydoras.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Sounds cool!

[@davidbowman2501]

Not a fan of column tanks, but I would love to have a cylinder tank and do a center scape with a large school of tetras or other small schooling fish swimming around in a circle. I also think they would be good tanks in a marine setting with Seahorses.

[@lyrieth8833]

I had a tank that was 13 gallon cubeish. It was a little taller than wide just enough that all the issues you talked about with the column tank didn't apply to this tank. I loved it I had one big java fern in the back corner it look very cool!

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Ooh - I bet it did look cool!

[@MacTechG4]

I just picked up a used 10 Tall ($10) that I plan to setup as a ‘modified Walstad’ setup… I’ll be moving a sand substrate (dried out after a tank crash due to an extended power outage) that has a bunch of dried algae and plant matter on the surface of the sand (pool filter sand) I’ll mix up the dried mulm and sand to make my under-layer, then cap it with some clean rinsed PFS (or maybe some sand from a local freshwater beach) and add in hardscape and plants (local NH granite, maybe some bog wood or spider wood) and some fast growing plants like hornwort, guppy grass, some floaters, and maybe some tall background plants like jungle Val… I plan to only use LED lighting for the plants as they’ll be my filter, and add in a few red ramshorn snails and some red Neocardinia shrimp, have it be a Walstad shrimp tank…

[@Amatrix00]

I don’t have so much of these issues with the Akvarium TETRA AquaArt Explorer Line 60L. It’s quite beautiful, of course i can’t have as many fishes as if it was horizontal but I don’t mind. I have some small eeal looking fishes in the bottom and then endlers and some cleaning guys. I have a water flow filter and it have quite a good flow. Of course I clean it also

[@curvingfyre6810]

I like column tanks - for paludariums. Half water, half land. Also, something like a plenum filter that circulates the water back to the top would probably be plenty of keep the water moving safely.

[@carolebraswell982]

Very much appreciate the info in this video! I have recently been contemplating getting a hexagonal tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I kinda miss my old hexagon tank :-)

[@Lackalope]

I love my column tank, however it’s just full of valisneria with some shrimp and kuhli loaches. I used to have a school of neons in it but after a week I realized they didn’t have much room and moved them to my 55 gallon

[@deneng0259]

I have 21x22x32 tall. Am thinking of doing a cave with the plants on top so only 16 inches depth with a UGF and canister. I also have a 60G 26Tall 36Wide and 15 Deep am thinking Jungle Val with tall Manzanita stump turned upside down. Black back and gravel with red Venazuela Cories . Neither tank is set up but i enjoyed listening to your concerns and am sure it will help me alot especially waterflow and any potential algae outbreaks.

[@TheOfficialSteelReign]

Great info! I don't have any column tanks myself, but I totally understand the footprint constraints. Like you, I have a 150g tall aquarium. Why? Because I wanted the biggest tank I could find but I only have 4 feet to work with between closet doors. As you may remember, I'm a little taller than the average joe but, even with that, I struggle to reach the glass down low by the substrate when cleaning the algae off a panel that is nearly 30" top to bottom. I can definitely see that being an issue with the column tanks as well, coupled with the added difficulty of working in a much tighter space.

[@overlandtowater]

I've always wanted a tall column tank, fill it full of jungle val. and neon's!

[@joeyripswell]

you two are awesome! love the channel. my apartment is small so i bought a 20xtra high as my first tank. its like 20x10x24 tall!!! it was tricky to scape. imo it is an awesome picture window type tank for something like guppies or endlers. its at the foot of the bed and we love it. soo tall tanks with a small footprint?? YES!!! also i figured HOB wouldnt be great so i went with two Med size coarse sponge filters from Cory. makes for awesome flow and keeps it fairly clean. it is an art to capture the sponge filters in a bag and not release all the muck but not too hard. anyway ty 👍✌️👋👌😁

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Hey - nice!!!

[@llinaaylin1934]

Can you do a video of stocking ideas for column tank? I have that 15 gallon column tank and I’m worried I might over stock it or get the wrong fish for it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Sure!

[@rebeccadussault235]

Before you get one of these, you have to research what kinds of fish are actually happy in this type of tank and can be humanely housed in one. I don't think most fish species are suited for this type of tank as they have no where horizontally to go, so they are essentially swimming on "top" of each other. It absolutely MUST be scaped well so that the fish have places to get out of each others' sight. Many people who get these tanks are thinking about their own space needs rather than the fishes' needs. Fish are live animals that need proper care, not decorations to be looked at. They aren't a "pop of color" for our interior. If that's what someone wants, they should get some throw pillows, wall art, or sculpture. If they do want this type of tank, they must put the fish first and properly scape it and don't try to get large fish or too many fish. They must accept that while they are compromising on space, they also have to compromise on the type and number of fish they get. And above all, RESEARCH what you want to put in a tank BEFORE you put it in a tank! From a purely aesthetic point of view, octagon tanks create visual lines that interrupt the view of the interior of the tank. Some people won't care but others will find it really annoying, so it's best to look at one set up with water before buying to see if it bothers you.

[@l.paolosantacatalina-tuazo7331]

So I got one of these tanks for my son (20g Hexagon) What micro/dwarf fishes do you recommend? I'm getting the micro catfishes for sure

[@thefishwitch2137]

I have a beautiful 45 gallon diamond shape( corner tank) it sucks to do water changes and to clean the tank, I am 5'7" and have to use a step ladder to do any moving of fish. I do have a HOB and a sponge filter going, doing a Electric Blue Acaras breeding project in it at the moment, eventually I hope to put some Angels in it.

[@MR-puffnstuff]

Great video I am going to get me my first column tank and salt build done tanks my whole life never salt this will be a challenge.

[@markh.williamsauthor7286]

I have a 47 gallon that's taller than wide. I have rams for the bottom, angels for the mid, and tetra a bit higher. I'm using a powerful canister filter and light.

[@markh.williamsauthor7286]

I do have a bubble strip. I'm 6'2 so I have the long arms too.

[@thebrodabode73]

I don't think they are the worst but they certainly can be a challenge. The doctor I worked for had a 35 gallon column tank in her waiting room that we all took care of. It wasn't really difficult but certainly not as streamlined as a typical tank. I have the 5 gallon Marineland Portrait and it's more challenging that my other tanks. But honestly? If it has fish in it, I enjoy them all. Good video.

[@keepamerica2astrong280]

Hey J & J Nice vid. Different tanks for different fish. Wifey has a 45g column tank that looks amazing. Guppies...

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Oh my goodness I bet it is fun to watch!

[@bonnieeden228]

Thank you Joanna & Jason I like the looks with the column tanks but I would not get any. The filtration problem could cause spikes even with extra filtration and hitch would also take away swimming space for the fish. Bettas would not be good in column tanks due to their issue with swim bladder problems. I do love the look bu I tend to stay away from them.

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

I totally get it. Yup. ☺️

[@ether4211]

I have a long Japanese tank that is very unique in being 60cm tall but only 40cm wide. It would be 200L if it was 'normal' but allowed me to keep taller fish like angels. While you need a bit more care with plants, filters and a stronger LED you have less dead space in the middle/back of the tank. While yes you do end up getting a bit wet when working on the tank and needing extra long tools due to the extra depth it actually makes some cleaning a lot easier as you don't have to reach as far to get into the corners or clean the back glass as in a regular tank of the same depth.

[@dianecreedon3841]

Love my 5 gallon Marineland Eclipse Hex tank, wish they were still being made. I have Mystery snails, no fish

[@johnnycruz4407]

I love column tanks, especially if cylindrical. I have a glass 20 Hex, 2 acrylic cylindrical 12 gallons, and a 5 and 2 gallon acrylic Hex. I hope to one day purchase a 70 or 125 cylindrical column tank.

[@ivanm0129]

What do you keep in your 20 hex if you don’t mind me asking?

[@giantasiansticker8068]

In my opinion column tank size doesn’t matter bc it’s much limited like all other column ones but the regular horizontal ones it does matter much more

[@eddyvirlago1986]

my father ordered a custom column tank..mannn cleaning it was a sport😂 all equipment were also extended.

[@mein_tipples]

Large column tanks are tough to get hold of over here in Europe at the moment, due to the majority of them being made in China. I'm waiting for a 52G Cleair column with sump in the base, and it's currently on a 3 month backorder. I curently own a 30G FishRFun column tank but with a trickle box filter in the hood. Lovely tank but the filteration is pants.

[@MrVintagecyclist]

Good video. I started fish keeping back in 2019 (pre-Covid). I bought a 2nd hand Hexagonal 60 L tank from a relative. (it had been in storage since 2000). I set it up with equipment supplied (heater, & shark internal filter). The tank is still in use, but I've upgraded the equipment. The main issue I have with my tank is, severe distortion (viewing) through the sides. Think I'll end up buying a rectangular!!.

[@anthonyrodriguez5993]

Love the video.... any thought on doing another review on the hyger lights?

[@cynthiaadams1263]

Suggestions for a light for a planted 15 gallon tall aquarium?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Maybe a hygger or finnex stringray 2?

[@chrisfeaka4250]

Just built a 30 gallon column tank. For filtration will use an ehiem pro3 canister . Wave maker pointed at surface and a reverse flow under gravel filter. Oh and an air stone!

[@irvingcobian]

I prefer the longer tanks. But I do like those taller tanks too I want one one day

[@NS-zv9qf]

I love my 45 hex column tank 4 feet tall - I think goldfish prefer deep water to long water.

[@shannonrhoads7099]

I had a frustrating experience with tanks recently. My 1st 10 gallon tank was normal shape and used plastic plants and redundant ug and hob filters. I was almost done cycling it when it came up due to a line in my lease at renewal, and I was told it wasn't acceptable. One week after I sold everything but the timer I had used for the light, they contacted me and told me that it had been an error and a 10 gallon tank was fine! 😡 I had some space issues with the regular tank due to my tiny apartment, so for my second try I've got a 10 gallon tower tank (12" x12" x15"). Interestingly, I was able to go with an UGF again despite the odd dimensions. If I use just 1 of the 2 plates in a standard 10 gallon UGF package, it fits neatly in this tower tank. Being the klutz that I am, I dropped my new hob filter in the filled tank though, so I am reluctant to use it now - the filter, not the tank. So, I attempted a fishless cycle with some live plants, using some cheap flake food as a kickstarter and the ugf as my only current filter. That's when I met Turbo the Wonder Snail! Turbo got his name because I got home from work one day and saw him racing across the front glass, and was like, "I Wonder how you got in there?" Then a quick check on the interwebz told me, "That is a bladder snail, and it was most likely on your live plants." I am thinking of leaving them as cleanup crew. There are also detritis worms I sometimes see in the water column. Both seem to be handling the cycling process reasonably well. Turbo has even started laying eggs... So, first tower tank, first live plants, first time submerging an HOB, and first time seeing magic snails and mysterious wormz! Wonder if using the ugf on its own for now will be adequate, and if it will help with that 'HOB intake tube" water circulation any? I mean, I have yet to add any fish, as I am basically starting over.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Either filter works fine!

[@meggrotte4760]

Because I live in Taiwan I just generally like the rounded tanks and then a light clips across and you can put a hang on filter. For the bigger tanks yeah we have those canisters but we don't have like different types of tanks with lids.

[@kendalynlapointe8225]

Great video (as always!) I personally don't like these tanks because of some of the reasons you have given, especially the cleaning and stocking! This is a random question but do you have Blood Parrot Cichlids or know about them? If so I would love to see a Blood Parrot Cichlid care guide!

[@SassyHippo]

I think they have their place and can be neat but mostly the limitations are just too much. I’m not a fan really.

[@meggrotte4760]

I would think considering a lot of different types of fish like to swim across the tank or up and down like throughout the tank I'm thinking probably yes

[@privateprivate5302]

I have a 40 gallon hexagon It's tall and wide and i NEVER got it successfully established I'm looking to sell it as it's been dormant now for about 3-5 yrs Really wanna go back down to a 10-20gallon

[@onlywei]

Question: Where do you buy your fish tanks? If I wanted a nice 180+ gallon glass box, where do you go to buy one if your LFS doesn't have it?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

We get all our tanks from the dollar per gallon sale at Petco or an LFS. An LFS can usually order a 180 gallon.

[@DLMyth2]

Cleaning a column tank would be what puts me off. Since it sounds like a pain to clean especially if you’re small.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Just need long arms :-)

[@audrisampson]

I have a 80 gallon hexagon column. It's really hard to scape well and despite all those gallons it Is really rough on fish that like to move. Probably would be amazing for a pair of bigger cicichlids though. Not a style I would but again, but it was an Heirloom.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I really like that tank though :-)

[@audrisampson]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics , so I. I just think I have it stocked wrong. It came with Denison barbs so I kept with that theme but I think that might have been a mistake since I can't seem to scape it in a race track design to really get those active fish looping around it.

[@domesticwoods]

How would a column tank work for cherry shrimp if you scaped it with tall pieces of moss covered wood and plants like wisteria and duckweed?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Should work well!

[@domesticwoods]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks for your reply!

[@amandajoanbaker]

Need a step-stool to be able to reach into my column tank!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You're not the only one :-)

[@naegwut]

My uncle's house had the coolest, tall and narrow column tank in the 80s!!!

[@cosmoplakat9549]

I was considering a 15 column as an alternative for a regular 10. But with the stand, it was taller than my 45 tank which was already too tall for me. I could see that I'd never be able to scape it.

[@brandonforesee3593]

Any tips for getting lighting dialed in? I have a 20 gal hex and I find the top of the tank gets too much light and the bottom doesn't get enough.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That can be tough with taller tanks.

[@roughseas5915]

Interesting thank you

[@danlavin8759]

If you could choose any filter for a 20 gallon Hex what would it be? What light would you choose for med to low light plants?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

For the filter maybe a Marineland PRO 275. The light - possible a hygger planted light?

[@kyuen6873]

Living in Vancouver BC, real estate pricing is out of this world. I have 5 tanks and one is a 10 gallon tall, it works well for a small space but is not my fav for sure.

[@WhiteCloud746]

great video

[@johnwood738]

Since I keep mainly Pleco’s, cories and shrimp I’d stay with traditional or long tanks but to each there own!

[@ryeellz9967]

Well for something like a seahorse they should be good

[@markhunter2244]

Happy Monday, loved the ending 🤣

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Lol - um. What ending?! 🤭I guess I didn’t watch till the end. (Don’t tell Jason) 😂

[@markhunter2244]

You’ll have to watch to the end now 😱

[@markhunter2244]

My lips are sealed 🤫

[@soupertastic]

I have it, and I confirm, it's the worst, the flow balance is never equal.

[@rajgill7576]

Best tank for corals?? :D im turning a free 15 column+stand i got into a reef tank

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I haven’t done saltwater?

[@karenaubrey5737]

Good Morning.

[@allenamick9782]

What fish can I keep in my 15 gallon together ?

[@GabbyRocio]

Lots of good points!

[@larryhenry719]

I just bought a 10 gal colum tank today could I get a pair of dwarf gouramis for it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I would do honey gouramis. The dwarfs can be somewhat aggressive.

[@yahweh9999]

the ending lol.

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

I've never liked column tanks - even before I ever thought about keeping fish, they just struck me as not giving fish enough room to stretch out. I wonder what the pros and cos of keeping shrimp in these would be? 🤔

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They could work well

[@takeiteasy_1012]

Or a single pea puffer?

[@jadelquiz9886]

0:40 "That's what she said"...

[@jeremyhall3936]

Love my 15 column tank my pea puffers love the tank

[@Bvoswag]

how many pea puffers do you guys recommend having? thanks!

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

I think a column tanks are fine as long as you know what you are getting into. Also, I think I'd keep a single species in a column tank, like all Angels etc...

[@theirishman8455]

Had a column tank, looked supercool, then came cleaning it…

[@alecthenice8115]

My 50g column is sweet

[@alstraw2481]

They’re fun to scape. Mine is a shrimp only tank.

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Oh wow!! That must be cool! It’s funny but a lot of the tanks that are taller or smaller or whatever and not good for a lot of species - are usually just great for shrimp. I just love 🦐 ☺️💛

[@NotSure876]

I’d say small column tanks are bad, large ones are great for multi level fish

[@charlesreed66]

I really love my tall tanks, however I do see how for some or most, it's not for them. As always do your research and figure out what you want first

[@traceywright3003]

those angels are stunning, that is all!!

[@davefromiowa3843]

not a fan of column tanks, to hard for me to clean and scape

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

I’ve had many a scraped and sore arm.

[@mattsquaaaared]

me watching this while im looking at my 4-year-old Aqueon column 15 in the living room: 👁👄👁

[@mrsprimetimeaquatics5497]

Lol!! ☺️☺️☺️

[@kimberlyd2308]

Can you list what you have in your column tank?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

At the time of the video I think it was gold tetras, ember tetras, a super red bristlenose pleco and possibly a honey Gourami?

[@wisconsinaquatics]

Shrimp or a pair of mbuna

[@BigJeec]

I would have been curious to hear what type of lightning you would have recommended for these tanks...as traditionnal rule of thumb watt per gallon won't work. I'm using a spiral light bulb that the pet store sell and claim to work with plants, in a reptile dome light fixture. I'm testing that out...we'll see in a couple of weeks...plants are Staurogynes Repens and water wisteria sprouts for other tanks so..if anything...I lost 10$. In my opinion, the worst tank designs are the ones below 2.5 gals...more specifically those Labelled ''Betta Habitat'' or other cute names.

[@SilverSkyCloud]

will guppies be ok in a tank thats 55cm deep? ive been getting mixed messages, also whats your opinion on angels with guppies? i keep getting mixed messages on that too lol

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Guppies will work just fine. They use the entire tank. Guppies and angels can work too.

[@SilverSkyCloud]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics awsome, thanks :)

[@michaelyciano2123]

I'm switching to all bow fronts and CUBES. Loving the cubes. Cylinder tanks are too $$$$

[@BigJeec]

Used can be a steal, got my 20 gal Hex for 20$

[@gregorycalizaire]

This why I have a hob and a sponge filter...problem solved!