Why wider tanks are not more popular / common?

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Standard doorways exterior doors are 36 inches wide (although local codes may not require all exterior doors to be that wide), while most interior doors are 26-30 inches wide. Average arm lengths are much less than 36". It's therefore much less convenient and much more difficult to deal with a tanks of that width. As a result most people only see tanks in the common narrower widths and that becomes the standard size. The same factors affect the height (and in some cases compound the effect.)
 
With fish like Arowana and Bichir. surface and floor space is more important than depth. In fact, Bichir should have a long and shallower tank so they have plenty of swimming space and can get to the surface for a breath quickly, even if they are at the bottom of the tank. so i guess it should depend on the type of fish you have.
 
I am a huge fan of wide tanks and always will be, I just don't like the look of tanks taller than they are narrow. All of our large tanks here in NZ are custom made, I had a 150x70x60cm made years ago, then a 180x75x60, then a 240x98x62, now a 140x65x48 temporary tank and my next tank is be 240x120x70. I swear I'm going to end up with an 8' square tank some day!!

aclockworkorange said:
Get a 24" tall tank and turn it sideways to get it in the house. :)
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Works for the tank, not for the stand though, as the guy who bought my 180x75x60 tank found out! He could turn the tank sideways and get it through the door easy enough, the 180x75x80 steel stand was a different story though...

strollo22 said:
Like Bderick said it's supply and demand. it costs a lot more in material to make a 3' wide tank than it does to make a 2' wide
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But it takes less material (not to mention thinner glass/acrylic) to make a tank with a tank that is 2x3' LxW than 3x2'.

Miguel said:
My tanks are custom made. I want them as wide as possible. Width is way more important than height for me.
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Amen to that!! Having a good footprint that allows your fish to do more than swim left-to-right makes an aquarium so much more enjoyable to watch, IMO. A 12" cichlid may be able to live and swim in a 14" wide tank, but who really wants to just watch it go from one end of the tank to another. All the fish I keep benefit from a big footprint, arowana, geophagus, plecos etc, so it's only natural that I like wide tanks. But even for fish where floor space isn't so critical the extra depth and room to behave naturally is so much more appealing to me than a tall narrow tank of the same volume. I know/hope that some day my black aro will make my 120cm wide tank look not wide enough, and I'm not yet sure what I'll do (it's only 12" now!). I'd like to think I'll have the space and money to build something bigger, who knows...
 
David R said:
Works for the tank, not for the stand though, as the guy who bought my 180x75x60 tank found out! He could turn the tank sideways and get it through the door easy enough, the 180x75x80 steel stand was a different story though...
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Very true. I guess one just have to build a new stand or break apart and re-assemble the stand once the tank made it in! I am planning on having my next tank at least 36" wide which means I will only be able to put it in my garage so door way is actually a non-issue!

Your custom tanks sound awesome already. Any pics?

I am actually eyeing a 720G that is 9'x4'x30" right now... problem is, it has no stand, and I don't trust myself enough to build a DIY stand...
 
Best solution with the stand; make it <2' high high! Better height for viewing while seated, easier for maintenance etc etc, only downside is it doesn't leave much room underneath for sumps etc. My 240x120x70cm tank will be built on-site on the stand, and if ever I want to remove it from the room I'll have to take out a window (which won't be half as hard as lifting the damn tank!), but the standis only going to be 400mm high so will be able to be manipulated through the doorway. I haven't got any pics, other than the out-of-date thread in my sig. The stand is still ~4 weeks away, so once I have that it will be all go.

As for your stand, you could always buy the tank and have one made. The DIY timber stands aren't too difficult though, especially if you have a shop cut all the timber for you. 3' wide is great, how long? I've seen a couple of tanks 4x3x2' and 5x3x2' and they look great even with the short length.
 
The tank that is tempting me right now is 9 feet long, 4 feet wide, and only 30 inches tall with a center overflow, providing 360 degrees viewing pleasure. If I somehow get it done it will be my ultimate dream tank, and it will take up half of my garage. I might just be crazy enough to do it but I am holding back.
 
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