pros/cons of a cube fish tank?

[Zabu]

Unfortunately, my old 35g tank cracked on me the other day and I need to really find a replacement tank asap.

Just wanted to know what are the pros/cons of a cube fish tank??

[Lady Hobbs]

Sorry, I know nothing of the cubes but can't your 35 gallon be repaired with a new piece of glass?

[bscman]

I don't like cubes shaped tanks, myself...but mostly for aesthetic reasons.

What kind of fish do you have?
With more active fish, it'd be better to have a longer tank, rather than a square or taller tank...the larger footprint will give them more room to swim and excercise.

If you have all bottom dwellers, they won't take advantage of the height, but will lose out on surface area...so cubes are a bad idea.

If you have a lot of mid-dwelling, shoaling fish, they would probably prefer a little larger footprint as well...as they tend to swim on a horizontal plane, not up and down!

So again, if it were me I'd go for a traditional rectangulare tank...but most of the fish I keep are pretty active, and/or like lots of space on the bottom!


As for repairing the tank with a new piece...you might be just as well off buying a new tank. By the time you get the new glass cut to fit, the old one taken out, and the tank re-sealed...that's a BIG hassle. I always seem to fracture more panels as I try to take tanks apart...

Check your local thrift stores, pets shops, etc. for used tanks (It's garage sale season!!!)...
In the past three weeks I've purchased a like new 25gallon, and 40g LONG for cheap ($36 for both). I also just bought a 30 gallon for $13, but it had a small chip in the corner (but doesn't appear to be a structural problem).
My neighbor just sold two 20gallon tanks, a new light hood, and a few odds and ends (plants/filter/heater) for $15 at his garage sale...someone got a GREAT deal!

I noticed last week, my LFS had a 55gallon w/ flourescent hood for $60. It is a used tank, but they re-sealed it and cleaned it up for sale. Maybe you have some good deals in your area, too!

[Zabu]

For the fish, I have one figure 8 puffer, 2 balla sharks, and a few rainbow sharks. I didn't know at the time that the rainbow sharks were that aggressive as they were given to me for free. I've been meaning to replace them with more community fish.

My old tanks is beyond repair now. It has a huge crack from top to bottom on the back. I really don't know how that happened, but I guess stuff like this happens. I just need to find a replacement tank fast, but I don't want to rush into buying something I might regret later on.

My fish are currently in a 25g tank and I know I need to take them out asap.

I also prefer more rectangular shaped tanks, but I found a nice deal on a 60gallon cube tank w/ an eheim 2217 for only $175. I looked on the internet for the price of that filter and that alone is near $115-130. Its also coming with an oceanic pine stand.

I would prefer to have something more beneficial to my fish like a rectangular tank, but I need to get something fast to replace that 25g tank.

[bscman]

You're right, those rainbow sharsk are very territorial and only get worse as they get larger. One is fine, two if it's a LARGE (long) tank...

As for why your tank cracked?
Most likely due to pressure/pressure point. If the tank wasn't on a completely level/smooth surface, it's possible the crack started at a stress point.

Did the tank have a brace in the middle, connecting the two longer sides? Broken braces can lead to cracks as well...all my tanks over 30" get a center brace--I don't feel comfortable without one. My "custom" braces are usually a piece of 1/4" thick glass, about 8" wide, siliconed between the two sides. Easy to make, and are actually quite strong.

IMHO, a 60g cube is too small for the fish you have right now...definitely not large enough for even a single adult bala shark. Those suckers get huge (a foot or more). Be aware that a 60g cube may only be enough tank for those fish for 6 months or so...

If it were me, I'd hit up your lfs or petsmart and pick up a 55g tank kit. Yes, a 55g holds less water than the 60g you want...but it's LONGER, and will give those bala's more swimming space, and more room for those rainbow sharks to set up individual territories. More space = Less aggression (typically).
It's still not enough space for all those fish, when fully matured...but more length would be beneficial over the added height of a cube tank.

As for the eheim filter...that's a LOT of filter for a 60g tank...those things cycle over 1,250 gallons per hour! That's about thrice the filter you actually need! But I guess a deal is a deal.

My petsmart has 55g kits (with heater, cheap topfin filter, etc etc etc) for $159. I hear some walmarts also carry a 55g kit for pretty cheap--though mine only carries 10g and smaller setups.