[Blackheart]

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.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

 

[Blackheart]

In my area they are not 50% off not $1 per gallon so basically 30 or 40 dollars... on sale.
--
Having said that i've had 3 (or was it 4) aqueon aquariums fail on me since 2019; so I'm slowly replacing them with custom aquariums. You know when i was a kid we had this aquarium with a metal frame that you could throw across the room and it would keep on ticking - these days you just look at them funny like and they explode.

I think an Aqueon could be okay for a smaller tank like 20 gallon or smaller. But going bigger than that, personally I would not trust it. That said, I'd rather pay extra and get something a bit better quality.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

Yep! I prefer a Seapora tank out of any tanks I've had experience with. I've actually never had any issues with Aqueon, either. But I say due to their quality in recent years.. Let's not push it! I've also quite enjoyed Marineland, too. However, I had a 55 gallon actually spring a leak recently from them. That, however, may have been due to my own personal error. It's hard to say.

I'll still hunt down Seapora if and when I need a new tank. An LFS near me actually for the longest time has a had a Seapora 30 gallon breeder for 149.99, and I've been tempted... But I can't find myself pulling the trigger for that much money.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

 

[Blackheart]

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.

Yeah, not worth it to me. I'd rather have a 20 long.