Bowfront Pros & Cons

squidy

squidy

Member
We would like to upgrade from our 4 year old 110g. We really like the look of a large bowfront and our LFS has a new 155g aqueon glass reef ready for sale. I have received mixed feedback on owning a bowfront and would like to get additional opinions from those who either currently own one or had one in the past. Some of the cons I have been told is that they are hard to clean and that the bowed panel can distort the appearance of the reef.

Now that I have had a chance to get hands-on with a large bowfront, Im so concerned about cleaning the front glass. I currently use a scrap piece of acrylic about 3” x 8” to scrape my 110. I took a credit card to see if the curve of the glass would prevent the card from making full contact with the glass and it didn’t seem to be a problem. This leaves me to believe that this may be more of an issue with the smaller bowfronts.

Please chime in as I am really on the fence with this one. Thanks! :dunno:
 
Bearjohnson

Bearjohnson

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
I can't really chime in on the pros and cons but I will say that they look awesome! Especially when they are that big because even though it's a 155 they just look so much larger IMO.

I have looked at a few and I can't ever remember them making anything inside the tank look distorted. I think you may be right about some of these issues with the smaller bows.

I sure hope you get only positive feedback because I'd love to live vicariously through you for a bit.;)
 
Brandon78

Brandon78

Active Member
I have a bowfront and I love it. There not that bad to clean IMO. As far as distortion or a blurry look goes mine only looks weird if your at an angle on the side you can see two of everything but besides that they look really good. And they do look bigger than they are which is cool
 
DesertOrchid

DesertOrchid

Active Member
+1 to Brandons advice. I have a 72 bow and it is my absolute favorite!! Easy peesy to clean with my magcleaner. A few tough algae spots come off with a scraper when I do a deep clean. The bowfront looks classy and there is little distortion even from this smaller size and I bet you wouldn't notice it at all in the bigger one. My hubby keeps saying it looks like a nice piece of furniture instead of just a glass box. Go for it!! You won't regret it. I have a standard 125 that I'd give up in a heartbeat just to keep my 72 bow!
 
squidy

squidy

Member
Oh…I am becoming dangerously convinced. :LOL:

So heres another question. They have the tank priced at $1000. This includes the plumbing as well. This is only for the tank and not the stand. My husband and I are pretty crafting in building furniture so we would prefer to build our own stand to match the current style in our office. What do you guys think of the price? I know they had a 220g tank in there for just under $700 So Im thinking I could get them down in the $800 range with a little work.
 
DesertOrchid

DesertOrchid

Active Member
There is always room for them to come down in price and that does seem a little steep even for a bowfront. They are pricier because of the special glass of the bow but shouldn't be that much I'd think. Never hurts to tell them you are serious but what's the best deal they'll give?! Look around too if there are other pets stores that might even order one in for you. Lots of people build their cabinets if they have the time and space. And they look awesome. If you do that you can think about how you would want your acces to the sump etc. I saw one build where the panels were held on by magnets to the sides and front. The whole bottom could be opened up and not just trying to clamber through those silly doors.
 
squidy

squidy

Member
Yea being able to build our own cabinet is a huge plus. We are also in the process of framing in a fish room directly below the tank in the basement. I purchase a 75g that I will use for the sump. So that part has a rough plan. One benefit I see to upgrading to a 155g verses something in the 200g range is that I could use most of my current equipment allowing a little extra time in upgrading some of the pricier items. The next focus would be lighting. We are looking hard at LEDS right now.
 
brandon

brandon

Member
I love my oceanic 46 bow. I dont see any distortion when looking through the front or side of the tank. Algae scraping is easy with a mag cleaner. Id buy the 155 you'll love it.
 
DesertOrchid

DesertOrchid

Active Member
squidy said:
Yea being able to build our own cabinet is a huge plus. We are also in the process of framing in a fish room directly below the tank in the basement. I purchase a 75g that I will use for the sump. So that part has a rough plan. One benefit I see to upgrading to a 155g verses something in the 200g range is that I could use most of my current equipment allowing a little extra time in upgrading some of the pricier items. The next focus would be lighting. We are looking hard at LEDS right now.
Click to expand...

Here's my take on a bigger tank.... If you are even comtemplating a bigger tank in the somewhat near future... do it now if you can afford it. You are already plumbing in a fish room and will need to get some new equipment like a skimmer etc that is rated for your tank. A little more money now will save you the headache of upgrading to the bigger tank later on. It is a royal pain in the rear I can tell you that! Not to mention mini cycles, upset corals from all the changes in lighting etc. Just my honest opinion from one fishy fool to another. Whatever you decide I'm sure it will be awesome and everyone reading this is already jealous of your fish room :LOL:
 
squidy

squidy

Member
Omg, you guys are evil. Im trying to make a responsible decision here. Lol! It is possible to make a responsible decision in this hobby?
 
DesertOrchid

DesertOrchid

Active Member
squidy said:
Omg, you guys are evil. Im trying to make a responsible decision here. Lol! It is possible to make a responsible decision in this hobby?
Click to expand...

Ha ha! Not evil....just obsessed! *L* The only real responsible decision in this hobby is not to ever get started. *L* :bouncer: After rereading that article it is a 198 bowfront. Awesome awesome awesome!!
 
squidy

squidy

Member
Actually there appear to be 2 different tanks. The first was a 150g and the second a bit larger. Thanks for sharing the link. The article mentioned Ziovit and Bio-pellets which I plan to read up on.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Well, as you can see, people that have bowfronts love them. That's fine. I'm of the other opinion. I just don't like them. I don't expect I'll ever own one, unless maybe I get the "deal of the century" on it. I just don't care for the way they distort the view in the tank. It's also a bit more difficult to use a razor blade type scraper on a bowfront, because you meed to go from side to side rather than top to bottom.

That being said, get what you like. If you like bowfronts, by all means get one. A lot of this hobby comes down to what you want out of it.
 
Bearjohnson

Bearjohnson

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
I have to be honest. I mean why decide at all? Look at the long term picture and buy them both and hope your husband doesn't decide that it's time you saw a shrink. Lol
 
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