2nd-hand 350L Juwel tank questions

[Electric Warrior]

Hi everyone. So I just purchased a second-hand Juwel Rio 350L tank with stand, and am going to be setting it up over next few weeks.

I've just cleaned it out today (cleaned the glass, removed all old substrate, etc), and I have a couple of questions for you guys. First, I do like the background, so I think that I am going to keep it, however there is also a background on the left side of the tank, width-wise and the person before was using the internal filter, so there is a gap of background where the filter was. I want to rip off this piece on the side of the tank, but my question is how difficult will it be to remove the silicon? It's stuck to the glass with four or five large blobs of black silicon, and I hear you can remove it with a razor and vinegar or alcohol, but I just wondered how easy that actually is..? If there's a chance that I won't be able to remove it completely, I would probably rather just leave it and hope that background plants eventually just fill in that gap with there's no background. Is removing silicon from glass a pain the arse?

This tank is basically an upgrade from my 240L so I have also bought an FX4 because my 406 won't cut it. I bought it before I realised that the FX4 is too big (wide) to fit in the cabinet. Doh! There is enough room to house it next to the stand/tank on the floor in a shallow tray or something, but not ideal. Has anyone else had this problem with the FX series, and how did you solve it? I can't remove and shelves or anything unfortunately

My other question is regarding heating. Since I am not going to use the internal Juwel filter, I am going to need a separate heater. What size heater do I need for this tank and what would you guys recommend? I currently use an Eheim 150W, but for a 350L should I get a 200W or a 300W? Thanks.

 

[seangee]

The silicone should come off easy enough with a razor blade or scraper that uses a blade.
FWIW the 406 is fine for that tank. I had one in a 450l tank for about 10 years.
300W heater. Many will recommend 2 of them but that's your choice. Personally I would go with an external heater but that's just because I like less stuff inside the tank and you are going with a canister anyway. My Hydor 300W, which I still have but don't have a tank to put it into , was still doing a perfect job in that tank after 10 years.

 

[Electric Warrior]

The silicone should come off easy enough with a razor blade or scraper that uses a blade.
FWIW the 406 is fine for that tank. I had one in a 450l tank for about 10 years.
300W heater. Many will recommend 2 of them but that's your choice. Personally I would go with an external heater but that's just because I like less stuff inside the tank and you are going with a canister anyway. My Hydor 300W, which I still have but don't have a tank to put it into , was still doing a perfect job in that tank after 10 years.

Thanks for the reply. Well, I already bought the FX4 because I got it for a good deal, so I am okay with it since I would rather have more filtration than needed anyways. Yeah, I will likely just do one 300W heater for now, possibly an external late on. I'll check out the Hydor, I have only ever use their wave makers.

 

[Electric Warrior]

So, if anyone is reading this, I have decided to get rid of the FX4. Since it won’t fit into my cabinet I was considering putting it on the floor next to the tank, but when I tried, I hated it. I had to move the tank and stand completely off centre and everything just looked horrible. So I am just going to stick with my 406 for now, and maybe upgrade to something a little bigger, later on. Anyone had any experience with Hydor canister filters? The Pro 600 looks like a good compromise between the 406 and the FX4, but it’s very pricey!

The silicon did come off the side with a scraper quite easily! I did get a basic Eheim 300W heater for now, but will look into an external at some point I think; it just makes sense. Just started the hardscape and going to plant it up this weekend. Just realised that I will need to get a longer Fluval hose for this tank though, so that will arrive on Monday.

 

[seangee]

Is it a proper upgrade; i.e. moving your fish and de-commissioning the old one or just an additional tank. When I went the other way (450 - 200 literes) I set up the new tank and turned on the heater. I bought a new set of hoses and aquastop valve and hooked those up. Then when I was ready I simply unplugged the filter and moved it to the new tank along with all my fish.

 

[Electric Warrior]

Is it a proper upgrade; i.e. moving your fish and de-commissioning the old one or just an additional tank. When I went the other way (450 - 200 literes) I set up the new tank and turned on the heater. I bought a new set of hoses and aquastop valve and hooked those up. Then when I was ready I simply unplugged the filter and moved it to the new tank along with all my fish.

Hi. It is an upgrade. I am decommissioning my 240, and complete rescaping the new tank, and then moving the fish over. I’m moving house so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do this, so after I get it all planted up filled, and running this weekend, i’ll be moving the fish and the filter over Monday or Tuesday. Then I’ll be emptying my old tank and tearing it down.