Whilst the classic aquarium is a long oblong glass container, more recently a variety of taller aquarium have been appearing on the markets where they tend to be far taller than they are wide.
Understandably these tanks are very popular due to their aesthetics but when it comes to caring for aquarium fish one we must always start from the premise of what is best for our fish, and then find the best ways to accommodate these needs.
There are two factors worth considering in this context. Firstly, your fish tank typically absorbs most if it’s oxygen through the surface of the water and so the larger this surface area, the more fish you can keep in your aquarium, and the healthier they will typically be.
Secondly should you choose to keep aquarium plants, these will require artificial lighting if they are to photosynthesize and hence have a long and productive life. The the longer the distance from your lights to your plants, the stronger the lighting you will need to use to ensure your plants get sufficient levels of it.
Both of these factors mean that while taller aquariums aren’t necessarily *bad* per se, the longer, lower classic aquarium probably is better for your fish and so should generally be considered before taller tanks.
