Going vertical

[Mookiesurfs]

After many years of big tanks, including building a few plywood ones, life intervened and I gave it all up. I have no real desire to return to conventional horizontal, big fish, big filter life, although I do still admire and enjoy it. Which leads us to:

What about going vertical? Is it possible to build a six or seven foot tall vertical tank, maybe 30" square, with minimal bio loading and minimal active filtration? More of a quiet vertical biome than a highly loaded active tank?

I've had all the fish, fresh, salt, terrariums, turtles, even caimans, so I don't need any particular kind of fish. A few fish, plants, and structure would be chosen to fit the vertical profile.

What do you think?

Pros? Cons? Possibilities? Ideas?

 

[Ceiling_Matt]

A tank like that is going to be pretty heavy in both the per sq/in and in glass weight, as well as lacking in surface area where gas exchange can occur.

 

[celebrist]

Some of those tall cylinder tanks are pretty sweet

 

[Mookiesurfs]

True and true. Weight is not an issue as it will rest on a finished concrete floor. Hadn't thought about gas exchange. Although, the idea is to have a visually interesting biome, and not too many fish. Something you could stare endlessly at and never see all of. The occasional deep, mid, and surface dwellers. And extremely low maintenance.

I wonder if an under gravel would work? Would that help w gas exchange? It might be hard to push air down six feet... Hmmm

 

[duanes]

The most irritating problem I have with tall tanks, is because light has a hard time getting to the lower depths, brown algae tends to build up in there, and because the glass must be very thick, none of the magnet type algae scrapers work well.
Obviously my arms can't reach, so the only way to get at it, is to get into the tank and scrape with a snorkel or SCUBA gear on.