thanks que. it was custom built for a guy who raised plecos, but the person who had it before me grew plants in it. i like that it is shallow, it does work quite well for plants. I really prefer the look of a taller tank, but i will say i really appreciate this one, i have never tried live plants, and so far so good... still think i need more light and am quite excited about using CO2, soon as i feel i have done enough studying, it seems complicated!