Curved tanks

Mr Smiley

Mr Smiley

New member
I have done alot or reading over the last year. I picked up a 150 gallon tall tank before i knew what i was doing but luckly thats as far as i got!

I want to do this right and only once! So i have decided to either sell or trade my tank. My wife :debi: wants a Bow Front Tank. I was going to look at getting a 55 or 75 regular tank.

Is there any draw backs to a Bow Front? I keep seeing 72gallon tanks on craigslist.

Thank you!
 
I've had one bowfront and never again because it distorts viewing at certain angles.

Be careful with used Oceanic 72 bowfronts, check the front bowed piece of glass and make sure it meets squarely or overlaps evenly at the seams. There were a few years when Oceanic quality wasn't the best and it showed up mainly in the 72's. I would look for something else.
 
I have a bowfront and it does distort from certain angles but it isn't too bad. Taking macro pictures through the glass can be challenging and is impossible for anything that isn't close to the front of the glass.

The bowfront was the best way to maximize tank size for the space I had so I have no regrets there but if you have the space then go w/ a 75 gal instead of a 72g bow.
 
preef said:
I have a bowfront and it does distort from certain angles but it isn't too bad. Taking macro pictures through the glass can be challenging and is impossible for anything that isn't close to the front of the glass.

The bowfront was the best way to maximize tank size for the space I had so I have no regrets there but if you have the space then go w/ a 75 gal instead of a 72g bow.
Click to expand...


+1...

I've seen them from 26 gallons to 100+ gallons. They're nice tanks, but the view is slightly distorted depending on the angle.

Try showing your wife something with rounded corners...not the greatest tank either, but it's much better to view compared to a bow front.
 
I'm sure you'll get conflicting opinions here, but olemiss reb's complaint and caution certainly should be heeded.

If you have the room for a 75, I would recommend a 90. If you want to do it once, I think it's the one size tank that you'll have the fewest issues with in terms of system size, and aquascaping possibilities in a 4 foot tank.
 
Im going on the theory that I want a Blue hipp and a Moorish Idlo (OR! a False Idol) so when its time to finish the basement i want a 240G tank. Done Right.

So my thought process is that a 75 gallon is perfect for a starter tank. the cost should be reasonable (well for this hobby anyway). If i cant find a reasonable used tank then ill wait for the dollar sale to start this summer and then stop in at there competitor in Greenwood. and Get the 75 for a dollar per gallon.

So i just need to convince the wife that a rectuanglar tank will have a better viewing experance.....
 
Well having a 72 now, and a 46 bowfront before the 72 is nicer. I wear glasses and the 46 gave me a headache unless I was directly in front of whatever i looked at. Our 72 is fine in that regard. No headaches! except at water change time. I haven't managed to get approval for a big enough space to make up large amounts of water at once.
We got ours for 350, complete, light, livestock and all.
 
What's wrong with the 150? As soon as you get the 72 or 75 or 90 set up, you'll slap yourself and say "why didn't I set up the 150??"

Of course, if you do go with the 150, as soon as you have it set up, you'll slap yourself and say "why didn't I set up the 240??"
 
I had a 72 bow at one time. The brace in the top frame cracked when it was about 7 or 8 years old. I've heard of others having the same problem. I replaced the 72 bow with a 90, basically the same footprint.

I have a 36 bow now, as I needed a 30" footprint for the space I have. I really don't like to the look of any of the other 30" tanks.

As previously stated, don't get a bowfront tank if you're serious about aquarium photography.
 
Rybren said:
What's wrong with the 150? As soon as you get the 72 or 75 or 90 set up, you'll slap yourself and say "why didn't I set up the 150??"

Of course, if you do go with the 150, as soon as you have it set up, you'll slap yourself and say "why didn't I set up the 240??"
Click to expand...

Nothing major wrong with the 150g. It is scratched all the heck and back. I know i can polish them out with sand paper and Cerium oxide. But the other thing is that ist a 30" tall tank. so its 48"x24"(which i really like)x30". But as i look around the equipment to run this tank is going to be more expensive. and I not sure if the floor in the new house can hold this.

The house we are buying Monday has true dimensional floor joists and hardwood. But its also 100 years old. If I can convince the wife that the basement is mine and she will not want anything to do with it then were in luck......sorta. I have no drains in the basement what so ever!
 
I have a 72 bow front now, had a 72 corner and a 56 corner in the past. Certian angles may look a little weird, but its not that bad , really.
 
I have had a bunch of tanks before my current 46 bowfront. 29, 55, 75 ect. The bowfront is cool because when looking at it from the front, it seems alot deeper than it really is. My ~16" depth looks like 24". But the distortion gets annoying if you are moving your head side to side trying to look at something, or if you get drunk and look at things, it makes you queasy. But overall, I do like it though.
 
I loved my 46 gallon bow front tank. I think the distortion is very minimal at the worst. I bought it used for $100.0 tank and stand. I am still sorry to this day I got rid of it. In fact I liked it so much that I was going to buy a 155 bow front. That is until my wife talked me into getting the kids a 60 gallon cube that they have not looked at in months and dont even want to go to the fish store with me anymore. I would recommend a bow front tank. Also getting your wife interested could be a great idea.
 
I have a 150 gallon bow front and I absolutely love it! It has a slight bend and doesn't distort anything as far as I can see. It's 30 inches tall and I have 250 watt mh's.
 
i have one now, 46.. and hate it. I'm upgrading as we speak to a 70T. The box is a PITA to clean the front glass and as mentioned the distortion. Makes you feel like your drunk looking at it. I will never had another...just my 2 cents.
 
Maybe all we really need to do is go see one set up and see if she really likes it. If not then ill most likey end up with a 75g.
 
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