# Square or Circular tanks?



## Betta502 (Jan 27, 2014)

Hey everyone!

I am currently looking for a fish tank to replace my bettas current container. 

I looked online and found several tanks I like- all 2.5 gallons or more. 

My question is should i buy a square or a circular tank? Which ones are better for bettas and which do they prefer?

Thank you so much in advance.


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## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm not sure there really is a preference. I think the circle one sounds cool, but its up to you if it is going to accommodate to your available space


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## Kumo (Oct 26, 2013)

I always hear terrible things about BOWLS (spherical) tanks, so I always try for the standard rectangular tank. Hexagon shaped tanks are cool too.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Rectangles/squares are best for viewing the tank.


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

Agree with jaysee.


I had a tiny bow front I returned before, (I get headaches easily) I can't stand the distortion view.


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## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

A circular or domes bowl will have heating/lighting issues cause by diffusion and refraction.

If your tank gets any sun it will absorb heat like nobody's business and if it isn't the water temp will constantly diffuse out so the water around the edge of the bowl will be cooler than in the middle.

Straight is far easier to control in terms of temp and light. if you choose round for the look of it be prepared to do the extra work to keep it up to par


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## beautiful Betta (Sep 19, 2013)

Just thought I would add, square is also easier to attached filters, heaters and thermometer. also you tend to pay more for a fancy shape so I would opt to spend the extra on a larger square one. the fish will appreciate the space more. lol


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Good points about the equipment!


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

A standard rectangular tank also provides more floor space. They like that.


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## RainbowsHaven (Aug 28, 2013)

I've had my betta Gallifrey in this tank (an older version) for about 6 months now. We had a few MAJOR problems with it at first... The big one being that the tube down the center is totally open--it has a little "grate" over it, but the holes are massive. Gallifrey swam down it twice... The first time he flipped out and swam right back out, the second time I covered the grate in string hoping it would add an extra deterrent--he swam down again and that time couldn't get out. I pulled the tube out in an attempt to free him and he got sucked under the grate at the bottom. I seriously thought he was done for! Thankfully he survived! I ended up closing the tube off with saran wrap and plumbers tape and we just let the bubble tube sit loosely in the gravel. So if you're looking at that kind of tank, be very careful about the tube in the center!

Another thing I've noticed is that Gallifrey's swimming in the round tank is kind of limited... He loves the stuff on the bottom a lot, but he doesn't go down there that often because the tank is so deep and he prefers to be near the top. I keep his betta leaf near the top and have several taller silk plants to make sure he has plenty of resting room. 

We just bought a 5 gallon tank that I'll be setting up tomorrow, it's a square tank and I feel confident that he's going to like it much more. Not only does it look infinitely bigger, but it's shallower so he won't have to work as hard to get to the top and bottom. 


TL;DR -- Be careful about any tubes/add-ons in the round tanks and my vote is for a square tank because it's more shallow and provides more room for your fish to swim in!


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## NozzALa (Apr 10, 2013)

RainbowsHaven said:


> I've had my betta Gallifrey in this tank (an older version) for about 6 months now. We had a few MAJOR problems with it at first... The big one being that the tube down the center is totally open--it has a little "grate" over it, but the holes are massive. Gallifrey swam down it twice... The first time he flipped out and swam right back out, the second time I covered the grate in string hoping it would add an extra deterrent--he swam down again and that time couldn't get out. I pulled the tube out in an attempt to free him and he got sucked under the grate at the bottom. I seriously thought he was done for! Thankfully he survived! I ended up closing the tube off with saran wrap and plumbers tape and we just let the bubble tube sit loosely in the gravel. So if you're looking at that kind of tank, be very careful about the tube in the center!
> 
> Another thing I've noticed is that Gallifrey's swimming in the round tank is kind
> of limited... He loves the stuff on the bottom a lot, but he doesn't go down there that often because the tank is so deep and he prefers to be near the top. I keep his betta leaf near the top and have several taller silk plants to make sure he has plenty of resting room.
> ...



I had that same tank for a while, and I liked it at first, but then I started realizing how bad it was. He liked the bubbles but the filter isn't even really a filter at all, and at the fact that I was a beginner and used gravel and betta flakes instead of sand and pellets, the water was almost constantly foggy. Got a Fluval Spec and sand, and realized square tanks with actual filters are much better.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I like square tanks simply because rounded ones offer an obscured view of the fish due to the curve of the glass.


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## Exquisite (Jan 27, 2014)

Tikibirds said:


> I like square tanks simply because rounded ones offer an obscured view of the fish due to the curve of the glass.





jaysee said:


> Rectangles/squares are best for viewing the tank.





beautiful Betta said:


> Just thought I would add, square is also easier to attached filters, heaters and thermometer. also you tend to pay more for a fancy shape so I would opt to spend the extra on a larger square one. the fish will appreciate the space more. lol




I only have 1 rectangular tank (for my work Betta), the remaining 6 bettas I keep at home live in spacious spherical bowls and cylinder vases/jars that are 3-12 gallon in size. As someone who struggled to make these alternatives work, I will tell you they are gorgeous but as stated above, they do limit the view-ability and are harder to find attachments for.

IF you are talking about the cylinder shaped vase/jar where the curvature is consistent laterally, but fairly straight vertically then suction cupped filters and heaters with suction cups will work. 

IF you are talking about spherical shaped bowls where the curvature is all directions, then you will have to use a canister filter with flexible tubing that allows for modifications to your needs. Also, your heater will have to be large enough for the ends to touch the glass at a certain angle, so that the suctions can stick via the ends (hard to explain).

IF you are talking about the traditional bowls that are cheaper and plastic where 2 sizes are flat/straight and 2 sides are curved, then suction cupped filters and heaters will be fine. 

* There are no over-the-top filters that will work for any of these. There are no good under gravel filters that will work for these.

Nevertheless, if you want the most affordable option and you not going to have many bettas, you should do traditional rectangle tanks because anything deviance from the norm requires you to buy special items that cost more to make the alternatives work for you (i.e. larger heaters and canister filters in some cases).

Conversely, I have found that having my bettas in bowls allows me to 1) compliment their beauty with and equally beautiful enclosure. Visitors are more interested in my alternative "tanks" than the rectangle tank than I ended up taking to work. And 2) these alternatives allow me to have more bettas because traditional tanks are aesthetically limiting, IMO. I think that having multiple box/rectangle tanks in a room/house is less forgiving to one's eye, where as the correct size alternative glass enclosures are forgiving to one's aesthetic, as they are artistically and visually compelling, therefore allowing you to keep multiple in any given area.

Either way, good luck.


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## Exquisite (Jan 27, 2014)

Also, I should add that appropriately sized tank alternatives are harder to find, in addition to harder/costlier to support... that said, it is not impossible. So, just depends on you and your dedication to your vision.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

I like square & rectangular tanks the best.


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