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Aquascape
How to choose a tank
A tank is a container that holds water. Hardscape, plants, and lights can be swapped later. Clarity, how the walls handle pressure, and the room you have to scape follow material, thickness, and shape.
The same tank is also the container for a planted aquascape, a paludarium, or a rainforest tank with a spray system.
When choosing a tank, look mainly at the following:
- Material: mainly plastic, standard glass, ultra-clear glass, and acrylic.
- Thickness: so the tank does not easily deform or burst.
- Shape: long or square, and also shallow or tall.
- Size: shops stock a few common length, width, and height combinations. The studio also bands tanks by the long side, from nano to XL. Do not choose a very tall tank; height matters for lighting.
How to choose the material?
Aquarium glass is not “any old sheet.” What matters is clarity, color fidelity, strength, and price. Plastic and acrylic can make a tank too.
| Kind | Traits | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Usually small, and meant to be temporary | A short-term, small volume |
| Standard float glass (soda-lime) | Longest-used, most common, and cheap. Clarity is decent and it lasts. Edges often show a slight green cast that grows with size and thickness | Tight budgets when crystal-clear white is not a priority |
| Ultra-clear (low-iron / high-transparency) | Very low iron; light transmittance can reach above 91.5%. General physical properties and working behavior match ordinary glass. Near-colorless edges, clearer face, truer colors | Planted, display, and show tanks—biggest look upgrade at the same thickness |
| Acrylic | Weathers well and can be formed into very large tanks, including public aquariums. Softer than glass, so it scratches easily when algae are scraped off | When the tank has to be very large |
Most planted tanks lean ultra-clear: a bit more money, a clear step up in look. People want a clearer view, so ultra-clear glass is becoming the mainstream choice.
How to choose the thickness?
Thicker is not always better. Pressure rises roughly with depth; on large tanks the long span bows most in the middle. Too thin: more flex, leak, and failure risk. Too thick: more weight and cost, and greener standard glass (ultra-clear softens that cast).
Makers differ; for large tanks, defer to the manufacturer’s structural calculation. Common ranges (with some safety margin built in):
| Tank size (long side) | Typical thickness |
|---|---|
| Nano / small (~20–60 cm) | 5–6 mm (smaller end often 5 mm) |
| Medium (~60–90 cm) | 6–8 mm |
| Large (~90–120 cm) | 8–10 mm |
| XL (~120 cm and up) | 10–15 mm or thicker, often with bracing |
How to choose the shape?
Shape affects swimming room, scape layers, maintenance, pressure, and the viewing face. No universal best—only better fits for the job.
| Shape | Strengths | Watch | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | Strong volume use, clear layers, easiest filtration and lighting | Slightly wider footprint than a cube | Most freshwater fish, planted tanks, everyday first tank |
| Cube | Window-like face; depth can be fine | Lateral swim space often worse than a same-volume long tank | Small scapes and desktops; be careful with sideways cruisers |
| Shallow / long-low | Broad surface, good depth of field; lighting and care often easier | Shallower water means less absolute volume | Planted and scape-led layouts |
| Tall / column | Small footprint, tall look | More bottom pressure, cramped layers, harder netting and water changes; many fish need width more than height | Specific displays—not a default choice |
- Unsure? Start rectangle—filtration, lighting, and care stay simplest.
- Decide livestock and the scape you want before locking L×W×H.
- Align size with studio bands (nano through XL) so filters, lights, and hardscape ratios stay easy to match later.
Common sizes
Common trade sizes are length × width × height, in centimeters.
Studio sizes by long side: nano ~20–30 cm, small 30–60, medium 60–90, large 90–120, XL 120+.
| Band | Long side (cm) | Common finished size (L×W×H, cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | ~20–30 | 20×20×20, 25×25×25, 30×30×30 |
| Small | 30–60 | 40×40×40, 45×30×30 |
| Medium | 60–90 | 60×40×40 |
| Large | 90–120 | 90×45×45, 120×50×50 |
| XL | 120+ | 150×50×50, 180×60×60 |
Do not choose a very tall tank. Height affects the light, and that affects plant growth.
Things to watch
- Ordering by liters alone: Volume does not say thickness or span. The same 60 L in a low-long tank vs a tall-skinny one can need very different glass.
- Defaulting to a tall tank to save space: Footprint shrinks, but bottom pressure rises, layers get cramped, and netting gets harder. Most fish want width more than height. Height also affects light penetration and plant growth.
- Overbuilding thickness: Enough is enough. Extra thickness only adds weight and cost—and more green on standard glass.
In the aquascape studio, try hardscape and substrate at a close ratio. Renders are composition references—not build drawings or product photos of a specific tank. For filtration, see how to choose a filter. Details worth adding? Tell us via Contact.
2026-09-06