I had a 60 gallon planted tank about 12 years ago, but haven't had one in about 8 years. I want to do it again.
I have a deal on a 75g setup for $275 and a 60g(48x18x24) for $180. Tanks include stand glass tops and basic lighting. I will be using the Current USA Sattellite Pro 48" in addition to what came with the tank.

I'm weighting the height vs depth issue. Cost isn't the concern. I'd love to know your thoughts.

I liked the height of the 60, as it let my plants grow tall, they were low light, including swords and various stems. I kept Rainbowfish and Clown Loaches and male Congo Tetras, and while people say the top part is dead, I had a lot of activity all over the tank.

The 75 gives me more for aquascaping but I find the extra height of the 60 is more generally appealing to the casual viewer. I feel it's more visually stunning. There is no question that the 75 is better for the fish and a better Par level, but my goal with this tank is more visual appeal as it will be the centerpiece of my living room. However, I think the 75 has more overall upside to advanced aquascaping vs a bunch of tall stem plants an swords.

I love the look of a higher tank and taller plants, but is that offset by the depth of aquascaping and better light levels for moderate light plants.

I'm also struggling with substrate. I'm not sure if I want to do Eco Complete alone or mix it with a gravel 50/50 like I did last time. I'm also trying to decide if I want to paint the back black or a very dark blue.

I think you mean 48x12x24 for the 60 gallon? (48x18x24 would be a 90 gallon.)

You've described your options well; it boils down to whether you want the extra height or depth. I'd personally go with the 75 for sure, because it gives more depth for aquascaping and will have higher light levels at the substrate.

I'm no help with your substrate question as I always use 100% sand.

As far as painting it I'd go with black. I did it on my 55 and it turned out well. All the blue tanks I've seen don't look quite right IMO.

But in the end it's up to you, whatever you do make sure to start a journal and have fun!

You're right. I meant 12.. I typed 18.... too many numbers in my head and my mind is off to another thought before my fingers finish typing.

Bump: I would paint my African Cichlid tanks black with pool filter sand. Very cheap setup. Do plants grow OK in sand? I honestly had never thought about using it, but I guess it's no worse than gravel.

I agree that the 75 gallon gives more potential for 'growth'... in the hobby.... ha!

Fish Dude(not Dide... typo in registration)

No problem!

Sure, plants will grow in sand just fine. It is, of course, inert so you will need to provide nutrients in some other form (water column ferts, root tabs, dirt if you want to go that route, etc.). Actually you would probably need to do that with Eco Complete too as it is mostly inert as well (at least that's what I hear - I've never used it myself). Eco Complete is supposed to have a higher CEC however...

My point is that there are many people growing plants just fine in sand if that's what you want to do.

You only lose 3" of height with the 75 gallon, but you gain 6" of depth. If it was me, I'd choose the 75 and build my stand 3 inches higher. That way you have the illusion of a taller tank with all the benefits of the extra depth.

Another vote for the 75 here.


On my 40b I painted the back black. Its just a favorite of mine.


I have natural colored sand (pool filter sand) capped over mineralized dirt. Low tech with a few stems and various swords (amazon sword, red flame sword, red melon sword, kleiner bar sword, oriental sword, and E. parviflorus sword). If you decide to do dirt you won't really have the option to move things around once they 'root in' otherwise you could have a big dirt mess as the roots pull a lot of dirt with them. Just using sand with root tabs would make things less messy I'd imagine.


One thing with my swords is the amazon is the only one that grows upward, the rest grow more outward and so use the depth of the tank to fill out. A narrow tank would cramp them I feel.

I vote for the 75. You'll have better lighting at the bottom of the tank for low-growing plants. A longer tank feels bigger than a narrow and tall tank. Plus, you won't have the temptation to upgrade to a 75 later.