I had a 20 long for awhile and really enjoyed it but it does have draw backs. Being short you have to stay on top of trimming stuff. There is a link to my journal in my sig if you want to look through it. That was my first and last attempt at a dirt tank haha.

 

Being short you have to stay on top of trimming stuff.

THIS right here, I love just about every other aspect of my 20 long but the 12" height. Having a bunch of stem plants and co2 will definitely keep you busy. Luckily I really enjoy getting my hands wet and find keeping my tank clean and manicured very therapeutic. Added a recent photo below so you can see what Im working with.

 

This is my 20 long (near start and almost current):

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Hum - i have a 2nd 20 long don't have a start picture - this one is a month or two old:

What do i like about them? They are cheap; easy to setup; and tall enough for c. hastatus or dwarf cichild.

What is there to not like about them.

 

Awesome tanks. I like them. Crazily enough, I have never had a 20 long. I basically went from a 10 gallon, to a 25 gallon, which is basically an extra tall 20 high, and then to much larger tanks.
I don't mind the 12 inch height. Personally, like on my 33 long, this is what I prefer. It's much easier for maintenance and light penetration for growing plants. I can get away with using my basic Finnex Stingray light fixture, which I have always liked and preferred fixture in most setups to use. Anything taller and I would have to upgrade lighting most likely. Also, it tends to give your tank setup a unique look IMO.

My only hangup is the fact that going to a 20 long from my 33 long would sort of technically be a downgrade, given that I would be losing 18 inches in length. But, If I have any more issues with my floor in the future, I will probably go this route.

15 gallon tanks are cool, too. Very uncommon, though. I'm also curious to why they don't have a commonly made tank by brands like Aqueon, Marineland or Seapora that is 36x12x12. I feel like this would also be pretty cool. I know they have different fancy high quality glass or rimmed tanks in this size, but that doesn't really interest me personally.

 

Here's my old 20 long vs mu current 29. I liked the 20 long but ultimately got annoyed with the short height with some of the plants I wanted, like larger crypts and swords. The 29 is good too but ideally I'd get a tank that split the height difference at 15", I agree 36" foot print would be awesome too.

 

But that 20 long is magnificient

 

Both of your tanks look great. I agree the 20L is just a little to short especially with the thick black plastic frames on it and the 29 is just to tall. The closest to the perfect height I have found is a Truvu acrylic gallon long 30x10x14 with no distracting frame. Very nice aquarium but at $300.00 hard to justify. They also have a 26 Gallon acrylic aquarium with great dims at 36X10X16 for just a few more dollars.

 

A picture from before we moved.

 

Tank looks amazing! Honestly, I like short tanks. So many advantages of them. That's one of the reasons I've kept my 33 long all these years.
Like the 20 long, it's really easy to get in there for planting and doing stuff.
One of the things I like about the 20 long, being 18 inches shorter than the 48 inch 33 long, is the ability to make a tight, compact scape without having to worry about having to light the tank back to front with issues, like the 40 breeder, since it's so wide.

On both the 20 long/33 long, I can get away with using one simple Finnex Stingray fixture. I've been doing it for years. On a tank that is a bit wider like a 40 breeder, I would most likely need two fixtures, or one brighter fixture.

 

My favorite part about the 20 long is that its cheaper than the 33 gallon long! Theoretically Aqueon makes 33 gallon longs, but I've never seen them during the yearly tank sale. 33s are 55s cut short, basically.

I enjoy smaller tanks, but like the dimensions of show tanks. 20 longs get close to those dimensions while maintaining a reasonable footprint. The shortness is a huge benefit IMO - its much cheaper to light carpeting planets when you only have to punch through ~10-11 inches of water.

 

Yeah, 33 long's are definitely more expensive. I would assume anything with a larger footprint, even if it's still smaller in volume, is going to be more expensive.
I don't buy Aqueon tanks, but yeah, they did used to make one. Far as I know, they stopped. Mine is Seapora branded.
20 longs, even if you branch outside of Aqueon, for a good one like Marineland, can be had for around 60 bucks. That's easily half the price of the 33 long.

 

I like the height and length. Would prefer a 33 long but can't find one. I have a couple 20 longs setup now, had one I de-rimmed that I eventually stopped using. Back to my tanks with trims and lids. Not letting me post pics for some reason

 

I don't buy Aqueon tanks, but yeah, they did used to make one. Far as I know, they stopped. Mine is Seapora branded.

Seapora is all-around a better product no matter the size. Glass quality, silicone work, even the plastic used in the rim.

I'm also prone to liking the black silicone they use because it tens to disappear more visually or at least be less of a distraction when using a dark background or dark hardscape.

I've never had problems with Aqueon tanks, luckily.

I haven't had many issues with them in the past 20 or so years, either. They seem to be fine if you can find one with decent build quality - which is a soapbox none of us want to get on, ha. I have several Aqueon 20gal longs and some smaller ones. Mostly because I can always find them during major sales in the Nashville and Louisville areas. Got my latest one at Petsmart in Nashville this time last year during a dollar per gallon sale.

If you're lucky enough to live in an area with a reef shop or store that uses a distributor that moves Seapora tanks, definitely check them out when you get a chance. They're usually close in price to Aqueon and some smaller mom and pop shops will match sale prices as loss leaders during the holidays.

 

Seapora is all-around a better product no matter the size. Glass quality, silicone work, even the plastic used in the rim.

I'm also prone to liking the black silicone they use because it tens to disappear more visually or at least be less of a distraction when using a dark background or dark hardscape.



I haven't had many issues with them in the past 20 or so years, either. They seem to be fine if you can find one with decent build quality - which is a soapbox none of us want to get on, ha. I have several Aqueon 20gal longs and some smaller ones. Mostly because I can always find them during major sales in the Nashville and Louisville areas. Got my latest one at Petsmart in Nashville this time last year during a dollar per gallon sale.

If you're lucky enough to live in an area with a reef shop or store that uses a distributor that moves Seapora tanks, definitely check them out when you get a chance. They're usually close in price to Aqueon and some smaller mom and pop shops will match sale prices as loss leaders during the holidays.

Unfortunately I live in the boonies and it's a bit of a trip to even get to Petco. My wife has never had a fishtank since her guppy as a kid, so I need to earin her up to mukti tank syndrome before I can fantasize about my next one. Hopefully she loves the new 20g enough to start getting her own ideas.

 

aquatic-critter might sell them but they usually charge 1.5x any where else

I won't pay more than $5-$10 more for a 10-30gal tank and not more than $40-$50 for a massive tank. Don't remember what I paid but I know I wouldn't have paid more than $15-$20 total for a 10gal and wouldn't have paid more than $5-$10 extra than Aqueon for a 20gal long.

bowling green is a bit of a drive

It's definitely not worth it unless you have another reason to be there. Would make more sense to truck it all the way up 65 to Louisville or the shops in Southern Indiana. And even that's not better than your region, really. All stores in Louisville will leave you disappointed and the shops in Indiana will be gross (read gross with this emoji in mind 😐) beyond what you can get in terms of equipment. But they'll special order all of the neat little Seapora tanks I like without markup.

They just use substandard silicon these days - the stuff stops sticking after about 5 years and the panels separate...

Some of the 20gal long tanks I saw at both Petco and Petsmart this morning had panels that were nearly a quarter inch off at the top from the bottom with massive amounts of silicone. There were nicer ones that were squared up but the silicone work and glass quality were still disappointing. To the point that I am not wasting time on the 50% off sales and will have to take my own advice. Hopefully some of the shops in either Nashville or Louisville will have some pricing deals. If I find any decent stock in your area, I'll send you a message.

 

I went with a 20L for my first planted tank because I wanted more lateral room for fish to swim and for aquascaping. A larger footprint means it isn't quite so crowded like a standard 20-gallon might be. I do feel the height constraint of the tank, for sure. But I don't regret it at all. If I can just figure out why my fish have gradually disappeared, that would be really nice...

 

It's me, sorry. I can't help myself but sneak in a midnight snack.

Beautiful tank, by the way. That driftwood is sick

 

No lid? Start looking around for crispy jerky fish that have jumped out. Otherwise it is common in heavily decorated or planted tanks for fish deaths to go unnoticed and the other fish eat the dead.

 

I am still considering switching out to a 20 gallon long at some point. I like the idea of a tank that is smaller, but not too small. The 20 long seems to accomplish this well enough.
I am still having issues with my flooring, and I am afraid I will never figure it out. So the less weight, the better honestly.

I wouldn't mind going down to something like a 10 gallon or 15 gallon, but eh... I like having schools of about 12-15 smaller shoaling fish. A 20 long would be much better for this approach.

 

So... Similarly to a 20 long, why don't they have a commonly made size by brands like Aqueon, Marineland, Seapora, that is 36x12x12? That would be a cool tank.
I am sure they probably make fancy rimless style tanks like this size.

 

Look up the UNS 90L, a bit pricy but I’ve been able to find it for up to 40% off at LFS during sales at certain times of year. It’s still not cheap but in my opinion well worth it.