Fish Tank Showdown: 20 Gallon High vs 20 Long!
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Hello Fellow Fish Keepers!
A 20 gallon fish tank is a great size for someone who wants to keep a nice variety of fish, but doesn't have a lot of space or doesn't want to invest a lot of money. There are two main sizes of 20 gallon tanks - the 20 gallon high and the 20 gallon long.
In this video we look at both, and break down the advantages and disadvantages of each. If you have a preference for one over the other please feel free to share that in the comments section below.
Want to see some stocking ideas for a 20 gallon fish tank? Check out this video! • 20 Gallon Fish Tank St...
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Thanks for watching!
Hi Everyone - at one point in the video I say a 20L is 3ft, I meant 30in (which is what I say in the rest of the video). Thanks for watching!
Want to see some stocking ideas for a 20 gallon fish tank? Check out this video! ua-cam.com/video/H6jbUbwTUHc/v-deo.html
If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! ua-cam.com/channels/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA.htmljoin
Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch
For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics
Thanks for the video. I'm looking to take a 20L and divide it into 4 sections, housing a Male Betta in each one.
20 long here. It's like a widescreen tank.
Very true! : -)
hahah it really is.
Several things not mentioned in the video:
-20 high holds slightly more water (around 1 gallon more) than the 20 long
-20 high has less water evaporation than 20 long (due to less surface area)
-20 high can have deeper substrate
-5:18 The 2 ends of the 20 long may not be well lit if using same light as 20 high
-If you use 2 filters, 20 long is better since you can fit 2 filters further apart
-20 long usually don't come as a kit
-Glass is thicker on the 20 high
You can fit more gallons in a 20 gallon tank? Why are they all called 20 gallon tanks?
Because they want to. It's convenient to call it 20. You can do the measurement yourself. The actual volume of the 20 long is closer 19 gallons. 20 high is closer to 20 gallons. You can't fit more.
The 20 long is more aesthetically pleasing because the added 6 inches in length give a more mid sized tank impression than the 20 high which seems barely bigger than a 10 gallon. and the added length has practical application if you are keeping dwarf cichlids. I feel like the 20 tall mainly exists because the compact dimensions are more practical to most homes.
My husband bough me a 10gal and accidentally broke it, so I grabbed a 20gal long cause I’d been debating between a 20gal and the 10gal in the first place, and today my husband goes “YOU GRABBED ONE 3x THE SIZE OF THE 10!” It looks so much bigger 🤣
the 20 long is just a sexy beast.
20 long IS THE way to go..it just looks better than a square box tall 20
I'm a big fan of the 20-long, particularly as a first aquarium.
I was debating between the two till I realized a 29 is the same length as 20 long but taller… I’m going with the 29 since it seems to have the best of both.
a 29 is almost 100 pounds heavier.
A 29 gallon is the best of both tanks
yeah, was thinking the same
I have a 20 gallon high tank (Aquaone 510). I do like that it has the different heights for different fish to inhabit. Currently I have 4 platys, 7 Glowlite tetras, 5 ember tetras, 1 Bolivian Ram, 1 Bristlenose catfish, and 2 Golden Mystery snails. And they all get along quite well
Thanks for the vid!
Personally, I like the 20-gallon long... especially with planted tanks. Easier to do plant work all around. It looks nicer, IMHO and for schooling/shoaling fish, the extra space length-wise is simply more pleasing.
This is NOT to say that I don't like 20 highs... I do!
Started with 20 Talls, but I’m in love with my 20 Long.
Good comparison 👍
My friend just gave me her 20 high the other day and I was just sitting here looking at 20s and cube aquariums and was like, cubes hold more water in 24s×24s but you get less in length for swim room. If you're trying to have more swim room then long aquariums is what you want. If you want different swim levels then a tall aquarium is what you need to keep top swimmers away from bottom swimming fish, making it seem like a big aquarium full of different fish. It's a hard decision but it all comes down to your fish of choice and the space that you have available to place the aquarium. Pick your aquarium based on your favorite fish that you would want to raise and that'll help out a lot when it comes to picking out an aquarium.
Dinosaur Bichirs anyone? 😆
I have a 1 year, 5 month old 55 gallon reef tank that I want to make freshwater again but looking at my new 20 high and it's compact size... there's just something about nanos that I like that my 55 gallon and 220 gallon doesn't quite offer..maybe it's the lightness of it and simplicity. Nanos are easy to move around.
My tall tank is so amazing! It doesn't take up alot of space and it was very cheap for 20 gallons I recommend taller tanks!
i am eye balling a 20 long now in my local store
would love to do a plant carpet for half of it then do a mountain scape of rocks and sticks
I like the 20 high as a showpiece aquarium. I have a 20 high in my living room with artificial coral by "instant reef" in it. The deeper tank allows for taller rock or coral arrangements.
20 high better viewing and if you stock it right no really aggressive fish with tall plants you have a beautiful tank
20 long looks better
I prefer 20 high because i use high substrate with high stem plants. Also i mostly keep live bearers and tetras. If i wanted to keep cichlids or gouramis i would go with 20 long.
Of all my tanks. 20 gallons up to 150 gallons. 20 long and 33 long are my favorite tanks. Love watching the small fish school.
That is certainly fun!
20H is good for me so it can fit on my dresser just so I can have something to look at in my room lol. I'm somewhat wanting to do a planted 20 gallon High Gourime community tank somewhat like how I'm doing my 55 gal Angelfish tank in my living room ;)
I was on the fence , deciding to get a 20L or 20 H tank.......but thanks to your video & some of the comments i read...... im going with 20L.......thank you.....now i can go tank shopping.
Very cool! I know you will enjoy it.
But the real question is...which one holds more water??
The long
If you dont fill to the top the long has a bigger foot print so half inch from the top is more in the long
One may have more surface area than the other but the volume is still 20 gallons. :0
The 20 high holds 19.9g and the 20 long holds 18.7g. So the 20 high holds an extra gallon of water than the long
lol, if there is a difference between the two, then the name of the tanks are incorrect
@@dagnal1367 So should be called a 20 high and a 19 long
I use a high since i dont have much horizontal space to keep it and it fits in also its a nice column of water to see different fish at different levels with but long def looks better
my favorite size is a 29 high, but I have a 20 long set up as an amazon river biotope with the hob filter on the end instead of the back to give the flow lengthwise. really has that miniature river feel for me and the fish seem to like it too. they all wait at the other end at feeding time for the food to come to them.
That sounds really cool. Do you have a lid? Or no concerns about any jumpers? I really think the idea of having a hob at one end is really neat.
This is why I’m getting the Aqueon 29. It’s the best of both worlds.
the best way I explain it to anybody is imagine a rectangle typically the long side is horizontal not vertical so imagine the tank being the rectangle, witch one would you rather have? The rectangle standing upright or the rectangle that's in a normal position witch is horizontal?
which, not witch
I loved the video of the comparison. I love my 20 long. It gives the impression of a large tank and like you said the real estate is bigger. Thanks so much for sharing.
One thing that I was told when I first started keeping aquarium fish (years ago), was that most all fish like to swim back and forth and not up and down. Having a longer tank gives the fish more room to do their natural thing, which is to swim.
Their is a lot of truth to that.
I know this is nitpicking but a 20 long tends to be better for oxygenation because of the surface area too. This allows me to grow out a little longer before moving the fish into another tank.
That is a very good point!
This is an interesting topic as both tanks are great for certain fish . I'd be torn in which to have but again it depends on the fish .
I picked up one of each during the Petco $1/gal sale. The 20L is in use with my Platy fry, the 20H is still un-used. Guess that says which I prefer. I might try and find a 15. Same footprint as the 20H but not as tall.
I'm sure you will find good use for the 20H as well! : -)
So late but, YOU SAVED MY LIFEEEEE we’ve been looking for a cheap 20L and had 0 luck they’re so expensive if you’re also getting a hood! And the kits are 20H! The deal ends the 2nd of feb!!!!
I have an old 20 High tank with a variety of small tetras. Amazing tank. Lot of life in it
I like the 20 long but it may be easier to gravel vac a 20 tall. I'm upgrading my two 10 gallon tanks and getting a 20 long and a 29 gallon to start a fish room. I want to raise corydoras in the 20 long and start a mixed community tank in the 29. Just collecting everything I need one paycheck at a time, waiting for the next 'dollar a gallon' sale.
Sounds like fun!
Great video, I prefer the 20 high for the water column space that being said I also prefer the 29 gallon to a 20 😊 where I get the best of both
i prefer the 20 high because it takes up less space against my wall in my small living room.
They are good for that!
20 long all day, unless you want a deep substrate. More swimming room, better atmospheric exchange (this could be a caveat if you’re trying to keep co2 in I’d imagine, not really a FW guy), easier to maintain, better light penetration. Best choice for a nano reef tank imo. Always surprised that these are so much less popular than 20H but I guess the longer length makes finding a suitable stand or place to put it more difficult.
More plant height and less substrate. I'm sold 20 high it is!
I am gonna have a rack of 20 longs, my wife just doesn't know it yet. I have the first one and the rack :)
I prefer the 20Long, it really gives my fish that runway for long sprints, some fish are really fast swimmers
Love the 20 highs for Angel grow outs, I just toss the parents to the next. 20 longs awesome grow outs for corydoras toss the parents/community to the next 😉
Smurfy Goodtimes Ya, I have a 37 that I always think would make a good angel grow out too. Someday I’m going to have to use it as one!
20L all day!
Thanks so much. Exactly what I was looking for. 1st class presentation. You have a perfect voice and presentation style. Informative, interesting and contained everything I needed.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching.
I want a 20 long but I don’t have the space for it
Move out of a cardboard box
Same here that’s why I’m seeing if it’s good to have a 20 high lol
I'd choose the 20 long as well for the same reason. I'm a cichlid keeper first and I keep plants for ornaments and functionality.
I wish they would sell more 20L kits for beginners.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics yea thats wat i need
20long ALL DAY. Especially if you're trying to carpet a tank for the first time! My cardinal Tetra and cherry shrimp love and so do I
I was debating between the long and the high so I just asked my 5 year old, she goes “THE LONG ONE DUH!” So I grabbed the long one…. I just realized that while you were taking about ease of use, that I’m 5’2 and need a step stool to work on my 29gal and that my daughter was completely correct in her decision.
If you fuse two 10g together to make a cube, i think that would be so good.
I don't understand why they don't make short wide square tanks
And thats y cube tanks were invented :|
20 high with a second level might work. Just need a nice sized acrylic slab and some adhesive and you could create that border.
aspect ratio...16:9 vs 4:3...I prefer 16:9 :)
I have both and I prefer the 20 long. Just like a wide-screen TV
20 long is the way to go!!!
I use bins I have a 49gal bin that I got for $20 it’s long and clear I can see great through it some clear bins have great clarity some don’t but all of line are great
I recently bought a 20 long and I really like it. I'm going to use it as a grow out tank for my jaguar cichlid fry. Your tanks look amazing! I hope my plants will grow as nice as yours.
Thank you
Love your video's Thanks, I'm currently building a fish room with 3-20 long tanks on a rack, can't wait for it to be done.
That will be a nice set-up!
I want to do the same with two, one South American, and one Asian.
Great points, I need to pick up more 20L.
Glad I could feed the fish tank addiction. : -)
29g best of both worlds.
I like them too!
Plants will grow up fast so root for tall tank
This is one of the best info videos I have seen. The information was clear and informative. Thank you.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching
New to the hobby. I definitely prefer the 20 long! Since I have a Betta I value the extra horizontal swim space for him (: I don’t grow tall plants (mainly easy stuff like anubias), and it’s easier to clean since I don’t have to get up on a stool or something (it sits on a dresser). But since I’m a noob maybe my opinion will change later on 😃
Cottonie Hime 20 longs are great tanks!
@cottonie 3 years later do you still have that same opinion?
Setting up a new 20 gallon high this weekend.
Currently have a 15 gallon high with neon tetras. Ideally I want to get them into a 20 gallon long with corys, and have the 15 gallon for a betta.
Setting up a 20 high, I want to put guppies, cowries and cherry shrimp. Is that a good combo, also Anubis, swords, maybe some guppy grass. Also can I put a female beta in as well.
Regina Rena The female betta may snack on smaller shrimp from time to time, so you'll just have to watch how the shrimp do, but the fish might work (just watch the female betta with the guppies too).
I am actually keeping a female betta with around 15 guppies in a 20 tall. I have never seen anything remotely close to a fight between them.
I'm in the minority I guess being in favor of a 20T. I find the shortness of the 20L leaves me looking at the surface/water line when closely spectating, and either having to elevate the tank or hunching over.
It's ok to be different. Haha. That's why they make both sizes. : -)
For the guppy breeding tank for the 20 high. My question is how do you make water changes. I feel like there’s too much plants and fry in it
The fry tend to move out of the way of the gravel vac. The gravel vacs we use also have a grating inside to prevent fish from getting sucked up.
I like the 20 long because I like my dwarf hairgrass carpet
That's cool!
Awesome detailed explanation
Can i keep my Betta fish at a 20 gallon tall the water only goes up 11 inches tall and he gets up easy🙂
Sure. That's still around 10 gallons of water or so. Plenty of volume.
I have a 10 gal and a 20 long. Im waiting on the petco $1 per gallon day. And will upgrade the 10 to a 20 gal.
That will be fun!
Prime Time Aquatics will neon tetras and neon gouramis thrive in a 20 high
Very informative, thank you!
What brand of 20 gallon long aquariums would you recommend? I would like to have a second opinion before I buy, so I just wanted to ask! Great video as well.
All of ours have come from the Petco dollar per gallon sale. They aren't top quality, but haven't leaked either.
20 long
Great video! I currently have a 20 tall but am debating on switching to a 20 long- I have albino cories, zebra danios, and thinking of getting a honey gourami
Both dimensions work great for those fish. It's always nice adding another tank though! : -)
Always enjoy your videos....helpful and well done! Thank you.
Hi there, we are about to embark on a show tank just curious if a 3ft x 2ft x 3ft high is too tall we’ve gone that way based on room. We are going on a planted Malawi Cichlid tank or a large colony of
Tropheus moori “ikola” undecided yet with just anubias Java fern java moss (maybe) and Vallisneri.
Love you channel
Regards Duzzy 🇦🇺
Thank you! I have a 4ft 150 gallon - it's roughly 4' x 2' x 30". I personally hate working on that tank because of the height - it's really hard to work on moving things around. I haven't kept large groups of tropheus, but know lots of people who do. The prevailing theme seems to be a lot of space because the males can be hard on each other. Malawi cichlids would have to be limited to, most likely, a breeding group or mbuna or peacocks? I have a 75 filled with mbuna and anything less than that can be hard to manage aggression without proper over-stocking (hard to achieve in a smaller tank), but do have success in 40 breeders with breeding groups. Peacock males can sometimes be even worse. I have a group in a 75 gallon and males are always sparing for hierarchy (granted there are females in there as well). The tank you are planning sounds interesting. Might make a really cool angelfish tank with maybe some rams, apistos, kribensis. or smaller crypto heros species? You could plant it heavily too! I hope your tanks works out great no matter what you decide.
How many pounds of gravel would be right for 20 long because I'm getting it...I'm on a wheelchair and I can't put my hand in the tall to plant.
I usually get a 20lb bag.
I have a 21 high what light would work best for a planted tank
Depends on the plants - I like Finnex Stingray lights for most beginner plants. If you are going to do high-light plants, or inject CO2, I really like the fluvial 3.0s. If you want to go super high-tech and get that shimmering effect then Kessil has some nice lights as well. I've done reviews on all of them. : -)
And my tank is rimless , so does that change your suggestions?
Great sharing. Now I know the difference
Thank you!
Very helpful bud, thanks!
I want a 20 long rimless in glass and having a heck of a time finding one. 😢. And when I find one, its out of stock. Arrgghh!
Those are hard to find. You almost have to look at the Fluval offerings and see if they have something similar. : -)
Nerd Girl you can use a box cutter and remove the rim
Longer is always better than higher more room to go side to side rather than up and down
For sure!
I like the 20 high
Thanks! That was helpful, as I’m deciding between the two :)
Have fun!
What'd you end up getting?
I have a 20 high and I don’t have anything in it yet I want to put in gravel and artificial plants but I want a chic lit just one and some different tank buddies what do you think I can get??
This will help! ua-cam.com/video/pK5GqBIsepE/v-deo.htmlsi=pyjavJOcLzOWFj4-
4:35 hi. why do you have so many algae in the center of the aquarium? is it on the stone? how long has it been growing? did you grow it on purpose? does it not apply to plants around?
It's actually growing off a piece of wood.
Note, a 20 gallon long is 2.5 feet, not 3 feet. 3 feet tanks are usually either 30 gallon long, 38 gallon, or 40 gallon breeders.
Yes, just noticed at one point in the video I said 3ft instead of 30in. Nice catch!
What did you use to make that little cave in the 20 long
I have slate in the planted tank and use terracotta watering stakes in others.
Can I keep my Betta fish at a 20 gallon tall the water is only 11 inches tall he gets up really easy🙂
I just got my tank, not even done cycling yet and im new to the hobby so I didnt know there was a difference and got a 20 high and now these comments are making me regret my life decisions
You'll enjoy the 20H too :-)
These tanks do have advantages over the long designs. In addition to more of a stratified area for the
fish as Jason mentioned, a centralized water column can be more efficiently filtered than a long tank.
Also ... I once converted a 30g high tank into a 'Lagoon' tank. Half water with fish - the upper half a wet
terrarium (known in the hobby as a Paludarium) with plants, a turtle and salamanders (the miniature waterfall I built was a fun and satisfying project and hypnotically soothing). Hope this is helpful & inspirational.
Edit: Checkout MD Fish Tanks: Newt Waterfall Paludarium and some Nano Saltwater setups. Welcome
to the hobby!
Long tanks are more aesthetically pleasing imo. I have a 40 gallon long, as opposed to the 40 gallon breeder.
I think 40 longs - cool tanks!
My daughter has 3 bulgy eye fat gold fish. Which tank would be good. 20 high or 20 long. Please advice
The 20 high in this case might be better until they get larger (usually when full grown a 55 gallon might be needed). Cool fish!
Hey late to the party but i just purchased a 20 Long from Petco for my niece and when i got it home i noticed one corner is not flush it overlaps the other piece of glass a little . It seems sealed well but worried about the integrity of it. My niece will have it in her bedroom upstairs and just worried that it might crack etc. is this common in fish tanks and is it ok to use?
Super new looking for something my 2 toddlers will enjoy. Any tank brands you recommend?
We always buy whatever is on sale at either petco or petsmart for this size tank.
I would like to see a video on 20 extra tall tanks
They make great display tanks for tall, inactive fish!
This is the video I needed to see.
Accent Aigu Glad it was helpful.
Accent Aigu meeeee too! Was in petco trying to decide! Thanks!
I'm convinced: 20 long for life!
They sure do come in handy!
Tbh if you want the best of both worlds go for a 37 or 29!
Great video! Tanks are looking great too!
Thank you!
Tanks are looking great as usual. I use them both both I like the 20L just a little more than the 20T. and Love the peacock gudgeons where can I get some?
Thanks Barron! I know they are usually available on Aquabid. Every once and a while I'll see them at a local fish store, but they aren't that common.
20 long it is for me
Hey ive never owned a fish tank myself but i know a little on how to take care of them should i get a 20 long and buy the needed stuff or get a 20 high that comes with filter, and a little more price difference is the 20L is 25 and the kit is like 129
20 high kits are easier for beginners to get started but I like the 20 gallon more long term.