Low Boy 28G suggestions(getting back into the game)
- Thread starter Bloodthirsty77
- Start date
I think lowboys make great marine setups. I would do kind of a beach setup, 2” of sand with some LR spaced out with some basic corals like mushrooms , Xenia , GSP etc…and a pair of ocellarus clowns and maybe a smaller wrasse OR a dwarf angel. It’s really cool watching the fish swim throughout a setup like that. The flow will make ripples in the sand and if you get a light like an AI or Kessil, the shimmer will make it look a shallow beach. You really wouldn’t need a filter although something like an AC70 or 110 would be sufficient, all you would really need is LR and good flow and just use distilled water. If stocked lightly , maintenance would be minimal . You could also have cool inverts like conch’s, crabs, shrimp, snails , Stomatella starfish etc…
Low boy tanks have such a great footprint, especially for fish that really use horizontal swimming space instead of vertical height.
With a 28g low boy, I’d personally lean toward a heavily planted setup with smaller active fish—maybe a pair of rams or apistos, a nice shoal of ember tetras or rummynose, and some corys. The shallow height also opens up some cool options with emergent plants or hardscape-heavy layouts.
For filtration, I’d probably use a solid HOB or canister with gentle flow, but adding extra circulation can help a lot in shallow tanks too. I’ve even been looking at pond fountain and circulation setups lately because flow patterns make such a big difference in avoiding dead spots.
Interesting examples here:
https://scottaerator.com/collections/pond-fountains
Different application obviously, but the idea of improving circulation applies to aquariums too.
What kind of setup are you leaning toward—planted community, species tank, or something cichlid-focused?
With a 28g low boy, I’d personally lean toward a heavily planted setup with smaller active fish—maybe a pair of rams or apistos, a nice shoal of ember tetras or rummynose, and some corys. The shallow height also opens up some cool options with emergent plants or hardscape-heavy layouts.
For filtration, I’d probably use a solid HOB or canister with gentle flow, but adding extra circulation can help a lot in shallow tanks too. I’ve even been looking at pond fountain and circulation setups lately because flow patterns make such a big difference in avoiding dead spots.
Interesting examples here:
https://scottaerator.com/collections/pond-fountains
Different application obviously, but the idea of improving circulation applies to aquariums too.
What kind of setup are you leaning toward—planted community, species tank, or something cichlid-focused?
Welcome back! A 28g low boy is a dream tank for unique layouts. For filtration, go with a reliable HOB filter—it'll be plenty for that volume. If you're into American cichlids, check out some of the dwarf species; they'd be perfect for that tank size.
