60H Tall (21 gallon)

60H Tall is a 60 × 30 × 45 cm (23.6 × 11.8 × 17.7 in) aquarium, about 81 L (21 gal) to the rim. Its footprint is 60 × 30 cm and the water stands about 39 cm deep once a 6 cm substrate layer is in — the two numbers that decide what you can plant in it and what you can stock it with.

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At a glance

Size60 × 30 × 45 cm (23.6 × 11.8 × 17.7 in)
Volume81 L (21 gal)
Water after substrateAbout 65 L (17 gal) with a 6 cm substrate layer
Footprint60 × 30 cm (23.6 × 11.8 in)
Water depth39 cm (15.4 in)
Substrate neededAbout 11 L for a 6 cm layer

Before it goes in

  • 60H Tall is 60 × 30 × 45 cm (23.6 × 11.8 × 17.7 in) — about 81 L (21 gal) to the rim, and roughly 65 L (17 gal) of actual water once a 6 cm substrate layer and the hardscape are in.
  • That layer takes about 11 L of substrate, which is what you order by.
  • 118 of the 160 animals in this library list a minimum tank at or under 81 L (21 gal). The biggest of them that still fit are Bleeding Heart Tetra and Buenos Aires Tetra. Electric Blue Crayfish and Convict Cichlid need more than this.
  • The water sits about 39 cm (15.4 in) deep over the substrate. Plants that get taller than that — Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' and Water Sprite — reach the surface and start growing along it, which is a look you either want or trim.
  • Its footprint is 60 × 30 cm, and that is the area a carpet has to cover — the number that decides how many pots you buy, not the volume.

What are its dimensions?

60 × 30 × 45 cm (23.6 × 11.8 × 17.7 in).

How much water does it hold?

About 81 L (21 gal) to the rim, and roughly 65 L (17 gal) of actual water once the substrate is in. Stocking works off the second number; minimum-tank-size advice works off the first.

How much substrate does it take?

About 11 L for a 6 cm layer.

What fits in it?

118 of the 160 animals in this library list a minimum tank at or under its volume, and the water depth of about 39 cm sets which plants can grow without reaching the surface.

What fits in it

Often compared with

60H Tall20 Gallon High20 Gallon Long
Size60 × 30 × 45 cm61 × 30.5 × 40.6 cm76.2 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm
Volume81 L76 L76 L
Footprint60 × 30 cm61 × 30.5 cm76.2 × 30.5 cm
Water depth39 cm34.6 cm24.5 cm

More tank sizes