Planted Aquarium Tank Dimensions
How to Determine Your Planted Aquarium Tank Dimensions
After choosing the ideal location of your aquarium at your home and the stand to be used, you have to determine your planted aquarium tank dimensions. You have to take measurements of the Length, Width, and Height (LxWxH) of the stand. Take into consideration where you will put your equipment, tools such as aquarium filter, aquascaping tools (straight tweezers, curved scissors), siphon, etc.
Table of Contents
It Depends on the Location and Chosen Stand
Cost Considerations
Recommended Sizes
Standard Aquarium Dimensions (Rectangular)
Aquascaping Style and Faunas You Want to Keep
Standard Aquarium Dimensions (Cube)
Closing Remarks
It Depends on the Location and Chosen Stand
If you have a custom cabinet made for your aquarium, measure the dimensions at the top of your custom-made cabinet. That is the length and width of your aquarium. You have to decide now the tank’s height that you are comfortable with while doing aquascaping and maintenance. It shouldn’t be a stretch for you to reach the tank’s bottom using your hands and without using any stool or chair.
Custom-built cabinets will allow you to conceal all your equipment (canister filter, co2 tanks, fertilizers, fish food) by putting them inside the compartment/s.
If you have a hardwood table or waist-high flat-top furniture, remember your tank length may not necessarily span the length of the furniture. You can allow space on the sides to organize your tools for quick maintenance/trimming and then put your filter under the table if you have a canister filter.
Custom Made Cabinet – Client Tank – Aquascaped by Fritz Rabaya – Philippines
Custom Made Cabinet – Client Tank – Aquascaped by Jay-r Huelar – Philippines
Re-purposed Rack Stands – By Omar Krishnan Afuang – Philippines
Cost Considerations
Another consideration is cost. As the tank of choice gets larger, the aquascaping materials (substrate, rocks, and driftwood) cost needed for a nice scape will be proportionally higher. Sometimes, even higher than the tank costs itself plus the equipment (filter, lights, submersible pumps).
Some hobbyists bought a large tank and ended up with a half-bare scape because there is no budget anymore.
Aquascaping Materials Les Paul Villanueva Philippines
Recommended Sizes
I recommend long-short tanks [they have more depth (width) front to back than height] as they are easy to aquascape with. 10, 15, or 20 gallons ‘long’ are good choices to start with.
Standard Aquarium Dimensions
Measured in inches (L x W x H):
10 gallon – 20″ x 10″ x 12″
15 gallon long – 24″ x 12″ x 12″
20 gallon long – 30″ x 12″ x 12″
Avoid tall tanks, as you may overexert yourself while doing the designing of your scape or while doing maintenance. Tall tanks also require you to use stronger lighting, which will add to the cost. Light waves decrease exponentially as it travels deeper in water.
There are many standard tanks sizes that you can choose from, or you can find custom tank makers that will build your tank based on your own specifications/dimensions.
Different Aquarium Tank Sizes
Tank Size (Rectangular)
L x W x H (inches)
Considering the Aquascaping Style and the Faunas You Want to Keep
The aquascaping style you have in mind also factors in when determining your tank’s dimensions. For example, you can do most aquascaping designs in a 15 – 20 gallon long tank and compliment with nano fish/es, shrimps, snails, etc.
There are aquascaping styles that can be done on cube tanks as well, like Nature, Iwagumi, Biotope, Walstad, Hardscape Diorama, etc. Below, we provide the standard cube tank sizes for those with limited spaces in their homes.
However, suppose you want to preserve the scale of a Jungle or Nature Style aquarium for big fish species like Arowana, Discus, etc. In that case, you need at least 50 gallons for a group of 6 Discus and at least 100 gallons for a single Arowana.
For the ideal tank sizes for each aquascaping style, go here. Choose the style that you want and see the “What Tank to Use” Section.
Tank Size (Cube)
L x W x H (inches)
You would be surprised by some amazing aquascape pictures on the internet that looks like it was done in a large tank, but in reality, they were just done in a 15-gallon or lower tank, like the image below. This was done in a 15-gallon long tank 24 x 12 x 12 by Fritz Rabaya – Philippines. The aquascaper can be called an illusionist. He/She can create a sense of depth, scale, and proportions in a small aquarium.
We can produce great results by focusing our efforts, time, and money on small to medium tanks.
Hardscape Diorama Style Aquascaped by Fritz Rabaya – Philippines
Also, the volatility/instability of small/nano aquariums are overblown across the whole internet. Small planted aquariums are cheap and easier to re-scape (as a beginner, you may/will be doing this a lot when experimenting with different layouts, or you commit a mistake). The problems you may encounter are easier to correct and less costly if you did an oversight, or if you are testing/experimenting with your ideas or theories and it didn’t work. It is much easier to do plant maintenance (trimming) and less water to change as well on small aquariums.
Unless you already did your research, and are very willing to learn, we still don’t recommend small/nano tanks for beginners. The water volume is so small that water parameters can simply go awry in an instant.
You should already have the keen observation and insights on what to do in a specific scenario/problem and should have done the necessary precautions for that problem not to happen in the first place (like overfeeding, overstocking, wrong combination of faunas, tank neglect, overdosing, wrong size filter, wrong lighting, etc.) – unless you are experimenting.
You will be able to grasp the intricacies of a planted aquarium quickly though when using small to nano tanks. Medium to large tanks simply just give you a certain buffer to get away with mistakes. Also, problems do not manifest quickly on medium to large tanks until you are not certain anymore what you had changed. Rectifying the problem is also the same story, results do not reveal immediately if it solves the issue or not.
No planted aquariums are the same. Not everyone’s experience is the same, regardless of the size of your tank. Do you have the motivation, determination, and dedication to keep a planted aquarium at home? Do you easily quit at the sight of algae infestation? Are you discouraged easily when your plants are not thriving, or your fishes are dying one by one? Are you willing to find out the cause of your problems and rectify them?
Let me tell you this, and this might come as a warning, the first few months might be a nightmare to a beginner if you didn’t do your research first. I am not saying everyone will, but the chances are great. Even for someone who did my research before undertaking this hobby, I still have many downs keeping my planted aquarium. But I love this hobby, and I didn’t quit, and I triumph on every burden that came along the way. Most importantly is that I learned a lot from these experiences.
You are in the right direction by finding this site, and we will help you on your journey with this hobby. We have your back!
Nano Tank – 2.5 Gallons – Aquascaped by Omar Krishnan Afuang – Philippines
Want to Explore More?
Closing Remarks
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have additional questions or want to share your experiences with how you determined your ideal tank dimensions, please leave a comment below.
Next, we will be discussing the types of aquariums and how it can help you with your decision if you want a Rimless Tank or a Braced Tank.
I used to have a 50 gallon braced tank when I was younger! I was a teenager and my mom thought it would be cool. It takes a LOT of work to maintain we realized. Ours was glass, not acrylic, thankfully. Still heavy. We definitely got easy freshwater fish.
Our tank came with a cabinet attached. That thing was a heavy, giant monster to move or even clean. And once, when we added a few new fish to our tank, there was a tiny snail in the bag. We didn’t think that would be a big deal until one snail turned into hundreds! Holy moly! The snails were useful, definitely, but they bred out of control!
Looking into doing an aquarium today, and while I’d love braceless looking ones, I will probably go for a normal glass, braced aquarium. Though NOT 50 gallon again. I also think I’m going to pay attention to hidden snails.
Thank you Jade for sharing your experience with the snail. I have a similar experience, the only difference is that I really bought those ramshorn snails 3 of them, but didn’t researched enough that they breed profusely, they are hermaphroditic, two organisms of any sex have the ability to breed and produce offspring. I came to love these snails, I just pick them out if they get too many and give them to my fellow hobbyist. Please watch out for more articles coming soon. Maybe an article about aquarium snails. You just gave me an idea for another article.
I enjoyed your article on aquariums. I didn’t know there was so much to learn about them. We had an aquarium when my children were small. My youngest enjoyed it so much that now she has her own. At one time she had multiple aquariums going at one time. Now with a family to care for, she enjoys her one aquarium and my grandchild does as well.
Just watching fish in an aquarium can have a calming effect on an otherwise stressful day.
Thank you Carolyn for sharing your experience as well. Please come back for more articles coming soon.
Thank you very much for this detailed article. I found this article very useful as I was planning soon to contruct an aquarium . I really found what i was looking for. I also thank you for theatre hardwork you put in to bring this websites together. I thought my place was small but according to how you explained now i know what exactly to do. Thanks
Thank you so much that you like this article. Please come back for more articles coming soon.
I am planning to install a fish aquarium in our next home when we move later this year. For me, this site is highly relevant and timely. Getting the size of the aquarium right, is clearly a critical part of the process. As well as choosing the right location. The sort of pragmatic advice you suggest, such as not having to stretch to reach the bottom of the tank, is very sensible. The custom built suggestion is terrific to “hide” all of the necessary equipment. Or if it’s a free standing tank on a table, to ensure you leave space for the essential equipment. Your recommended sizes is also invaluable. I am saving your URL for future reference. Thank you for this excellent resource and advice.
Hi Trevor, I am really amazed how you noticed those small details and sensible advises that I included in the article and I hope in some way or two, I was able to help you in your decision making in starting up your planted aquarium at home. Please watch out for more articles coming soon.