Bow-Fronted Tanks

[BlueDragon]

Now I'm talking about years ago here... when I kept Goldfish as a kid in a plastic ten gallon tank with gordie-coloured gravel, no filter and a ceramic 'Gone Fishing' oranament... but this was when I started seeing the new concept that was bow-fronted tanks. I loved the way they looked. But when I looked into them a bit later on (after I'd givien up with Goldfish and just after I'd got this new-fangled internet thingie) I kept reading about how people thought they were a bad idea 'cause they said they upset the Fish. Explaining that the warped and distorted view of the outside world upset and confused them about what they were seeing. The same was said about Fish bowls 'cause they were round, although we now know there's more to it than just the shape of them. So I didn't really give bow-fronts much thought after that, assuming that this was right. After all it did seem to make sense.

But I see now that lots of people have them and I was just wondering if this initial theory was wrong? Do they not upset the Fish or confuse them? Do the Fish not seem to mind at all? Has anyone had any issues with this?

Is just curious about what the updated view was about them really.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I would be very surprised if any actual research has been conducted to see how a bow fronted tank affects fish compared to a flat panel tank.

anyone know of any?

 

[ShinySideUp]

A long time ago I went to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and in their largest 'tank' they had viewing panels that you could put your head in and get an 'insiders' view of the environment. The panels were made of extremely convex glass and they gave a good view of the fish. Now I think I'll take a photograph so I put on my wide-angle lens and proceed to take the picture; strangely the picture was almost useless because of the extreme distortion that resulted. I can only assume that the window had been designed (taking account of the different diffraction of water) to give the human eye a good view of the fish but the addition of an extra lens caused distortion.

Translate this to the fishes-eye-view outwards through a bow-fronted tank and I can imagine the effect on the fishes vision would be similarly distorted as the glass is designed to give a good view looking in, not out. Of course this may all be complete tosh but it's an interesting thought. Good question.

 

[Bugdozer]

I can't comment on what it looks like to the fish, but my bow fronted tank does seem to act as a slight magnifying glass - fish look bigger at the back of the tank than at the front!
Regarding photography in big public aquariums - I have had horrendous problems getting clear photos even in flat glassed tanks there. I don't know why! It seems to be impossible to get a sharp focus with the camera, though my eyes manage no problem... I use a Nikon D90 which is a pretty capable SLR yet I get images where nothing is in proper focus, and I don't know why. I don't get this problem with my home tank.

 

[Gilli]

I have a 250L bow front tank and my fish seem to have no problems. They can spot and recognize me from the other side of the room and even from outside of the room!

 

[onebto]

I started off with bow fronted tanks I love them. I have the same fish that were in my Juwel bow fronted tanks now in a conventional flat tank, they have shown no difference in there behaviour in any of the Tanks they have been in over the last 4 years.

However as mentioned we will never really know how the curved front panel affects fish except to observe the symptoms of stress on our fish and with my Clown loach stress is well known born out in Clowns by them contracting Ich but not exclusively, I have had only 1 major case of Ich and 1 minor in the last 4 years and I am sure it was not caused by the screen but who knows?

Its an interesting question Blue Dragon and one I really never gave a thought to its one of those things I think we will never know the answer to, I must admit if I had the money I would love to commission an 8ft Bow front tank that would be nice but that's just me

Regards onebto.

 

[Akasha72]

The glass on my present tank and the previous one too appears to be mirrored and this has made me wonder how much the fish could actually see out of the tank anyway.

When they swim to the side panels and I look in from the front all I see is a reflection of the fish - the same at the back of the tank so I presume the front is exactly the same.

Taking that in to account perhaps they only see a reflection of themselves anyway?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I have a 250L bow front tank and my fish seem to have no problems. They can spot and recognize me from the other side of the room and even from outside of the room!

Same with my bowfront community. I have had these fish in both the bowfront and the flat panel fishtanks and I haven't noticed the slightest hint of behavioral changes in them.

 

[drobbyb]

I had a 72 gallon US bowfront tank, and my fish bred in there and grew to adult size in no time. No problems whatsoever. They certainly didn't appear to be too stressed because their enclosure had a curved front.

 

[onidrase]

sounds like it was just a rumor trying to shed negative light on a pretty neat product, one of those things that all the old people who don't like change do. Fish aren't all too self aware. I find the thought that they'd freak out because some things don't look like they should (if they even know what things outside the tank should look like in the first place) to be rather silly.

 

[Yanks15]

I had a 16gal(US) bow front that I kept some Honey Gourami for a while and they didn't seen affected when taken from the flat face tank.

 

[brian1]

Think I am with Gilli on this one, my fish spot me every time I go past, and go mad at feeding time before they get their food..........spec-savers is not an option.....

 

[Grant1897]

Bow fronts are fugly IMO. No other reason for not owning one needed.

 

[MBOU]

Kept a stunning *very* heavy planted 260 bowfront...

Seemed fine to me, fish were behaving as normal as i have ever seen for the species...

TBH in terms of maintenance, id not do it again! Bow glass wasnt the problem, drilled heavily planted tank was! lol

I kind of figured... if i can see in... with my 'good' eyesight'... a fish can see out in comparison to their eyesight? Either way, very few actually appear to 'care' or react/act differently in bow vs flat tank... even fish like angels who face out the tank a lot couldnt seem to care less.

 

[Cupster]

All fish will see is something approaching that is about to feed them no matter how distorted. I have had both flat and bow and this is my scientific result.