column tanks

[meadeam]

Are there species that are well suited to column tanks?  I know most fish appreciate a larger footprint instead of tank height, and aside from the added water volume, column tanks don't make a lot of sense for many species.  However, I have a short wall and some unused space that would look good with a column tank visible on three sides.  I had considered a peninsula, but the room isn't big enough to be fully divided by a tank.  A 37 gallon column would fit in the space without being obtrusive.  

[Fish Folk]

I do not like them. I remember that my son set up a 10-gal tall once with a piece of drift wood going along from bottom corner to top, and some Anubias attached. He raised Bristlenose Plecos in there. You need to run a lot of air down to the bottom -- multiple sponge filters, etc -- to keep them balanced and operational, IMHO.

[Robert K]

I looked up a 37g column tank and what I saw wasn't an extreme footprint to height ratio. I think you could do many different things. 

Well to begin with shrimp and snails wouldn't mind a tall tank.

A betta or small gourami would work.

I'm thinking a panda garra would explore/use the whole tank.

Smaller catfish like a banjo catfish surely would work fine.

Some small tetras or rasboras.

Pea puffer tank! 😀

[madmark285]

Not sure if a 37 gallon tank (20" W x 18" D x 24" H)  is big enough for Mbuna cichlids but if you can build a rock wall with lots of caves built in it, the mbuna's will use the vertical space. The 56 gallon tank (30" W x 18" D x 34" H) would be a better option.

What I see from pictures of Lake Malawi, mbunas are living in the crevices between huge boulders around the islands. So living in vertical space is somewhat natural for them. 

[meadeam]

Interesting options.  I could probably fit a 56g in the same space.  I'll continue thinking on it.