Centrepiece Fish

[B C M]

Hi folks, I just upgraded my tank from a Elite 60 ( rubbish I know) to. Juwel Rio 180 - older model but perfect condition, so really happy!

I'm now looking to expand what's in the tank, you can see from my Sig whats in the tank now but I'd like something big and bright for a centrepiece, does anyone have any ideas!


On another note can anyone confirm the right build up / green, black, white and blue order for the filter sponges on the built in filter?

 

[KittyKat]

You are overstocked as it is, even for a 180 litre tank and blue lobsters eat fish. Those fish (most specifically, the severums and gouramis) need at least a 4 ft * 18" * 18" tank, preferably larger.

 

[Essjay]

I'll let Katty Kat advise you on your stocking, but regards the filter, the fine blue sponges go at the bottom, then the coarse blue sponge, the green sponge, the black sponge, and finally on the very top the white pad. Details here http/www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/standard205.htm You'll need to download the manual.

But don't bother with the black sponge. It contains carbon, and you don't need that in the filter. Replace it with another non-carbon sponge, any make cut to shape. And the green sponge is supposed to remove nitrate, but there is little evidence it does. It is a good home for your filter bacteria though, so treat it like a blue sponge and don't change it like they say. And the white pad will need changing pretty often as it goes shapeless after a couple of washes. Don't waste your money on Juwel ones, get a roll of filter wool and cut it up.





Edit - just noticed your thread with a pic of the tank. It looks more like a Rekord than a Rio to me - it's down to the shape of the hood. I have a Rio 125 so I know exactly what the Rios look like. Even the handles on the cupboard look the same as the older Rekord stands.

Can I suggest you measure the size of your new tank and post the dimensions. That'll confirm what you have and how big it is. I still have a several year old Juwel catalogue, so I can look up the dimensions of the older models for you.

You really need to do this as the biggest Rekord tank is 120 litres not 180. The Rekord 120 measures 101cm wide by 31cm front to back while the Rio 180 is 101cm wide and 41cm front to back.

 

[B C M]

You are overstocked as it is, even for a 180 litre tank and blue lobsters eat fish. Those fish (most specifically, the severums and gouramis) need at least a 4 ft * 18" * 18" tank, preferably larger.

The lobster is only a temporary visitor, he'll be away soon, was thinking of changing from those larger fish as most are inherited from a friend with a tank change, would prefer more smaller fish than less big fish. Thanks for the advice though as I assumed that sticking was fine.

I'll let Katty Kat advise you on your stocking, but regards the filter, the fine blue sponges go at the bottom, then the coarse blue sponge, the green sponge, the black sponge, and finally on the very top the white pad. Details here http/www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/standard205.htm You'll need to download the manual.

But don't bother with the black sponge. It contains carbon, and you don't need that in the filter. Replace it with another non-carbon sponge, any make cut to shape. And the green sponge is supposed to remove nitrate, but there is little evidence it does. It is a good home for your filter bacteria though, so treat it like a blue sponge and don't change it like they say. And the white pad will need changing pretty often as it goes shapeless after a couple of washes. Don't waste your money on Juwel ones, get a roll of filter wool and cut it up.

Thanks! Thats cleared it up and made it easier, is it just as easy to buy sponge filters of the right size rather than the juwel ones? will it save much?

Edit - just noticed your thread with a pic of the tank. It looks more like a Rekord than a Rio to me - it's down to the shape of the hood. I have a Rio 125 so I know exactly what the Rios look like. Even the handles on the cupboard look the same as the older Rekord stands.

Can I suggest you measure the size of your new tank and post the dimensions. That'll confirm what you have and how big it is. I still have a several year old Juwel catalogue, so I can look up the dimensions of the older models for you.

You really need to do this as the biggest Rekord tank is 120 litres not 180. The Rekord 120 measures 101cm wide by 31cm front to back while the Rio 180 is 101cm wide and 41cm front to back.

It is a Rekord 120, just measured it and its exactly as said, one of the guys on here mistakenly identified it as a Rio earlier.

 

[Essjay]

In that case, your tank is a lot smaller than you thought. It's 120 litres, not 180 litres. So you need to rethink your stocking plans now you have a smaller tank than you thought.

 

[B C M]

I didn't have any stocking plans so saves me the problem. The severums are heading out the gouramis will stay until a bit more mature as they are only about 4 months.

 

[Essjay]

Forgot you asked about the sponges.

I took the built in filter out of my tank so I've never needed to buy sponges for it. But since they only need replacing when they literally fall apart - after several years - it won't cost much to get 1 Juwel sponge to replace the carbon sponge. Or get a Juwel cirax box, but make sure it's the right size for your filter. This is just one size http/www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/cirax549.htm you'd need to measure the width of your filter to be sure of getting the right one. It goes between the fine blue and coarse blue sponges.
The white pad will need changing regularly, but any make filter wool will do the job and be a lot cheaper.

 

[lilfishie]

any idea on what the pleco is?

 

[KittyKat]

You are overstocked as it is, even for a 180 litre tank and blue lobsters eat fish. Those fish (most specifically, the severums and gouramis) need at least a 4 ft * 18" * 18" tank, preferably larger.

The lobster is only a temporary visitor, he'll be away soon, was thinking of changing from those larger fish as most are inherited from a friend with a tank change, would prefer more smaller fish than less big fish. Thanks for the advice though as I assumed that sticking was fine.

Please do! So from what you have, a more suitable stocking would be..
* 2 Bolivian rams (if you get a pair and a one, they will fight)
* 1 molly
* 1 small pleco
* 15-20 5cm schooling fish of one species such as tetra or rasboras, I would advise to avoid danios and barbs

Although I personally think that a tank like that is too small for Bolivian rams and would rather have 1m 2f Apistogramma of one species.

 

[B C M]

When you speak about those schooling fish sizes nothing in my tank is that size yet, the sev's are about 3" at the biggest and the other 2 are smaller, the rams are about 1.5" and the gouramis are 2" at the very most!
I will be taking the advise tho!

I think the pleco is a bristle nose if what I've seen and read is correct.

I was starting to panic while reading your above post about only having half a dozen fish until I seen the schooling numbers!

 

[KittyKat]

When you speak about those schooling fish sizes nothing in my tank is that size yet, the sev's are about 3" at the biggest and the other 2 are smaller, the rams are about 1.5" and the gouramis are 2" at the very most!

5 cm = 2 inches, so the severums are already larger. It's not about what size the fish currently are, but more about what size tank they need so that they can grow to their full size and what size tank they need when adult.

Given the size your fish are currently at, they haven't come even close to their adult sizes, but the adult aggression could kick in at any moment.. The stocking you currently have could easily kill each other off and there's no predicting when it could start.

I think the pleco is a bristle nose if what I've seen and read is correct.

Has bristles on nose? Probably bristlenose. Do be aware that there are many species of them and some are even hybrids.

I was starting to panic while reading your above post about only having half a dozen fish until I seen the schooling numbers!

The difference between having a single schooling fish and a whole school is phenomenal.. At least in my experience, it is well worth keeping as many as possible of a single species, although there are people who prefer to keep more than one species, for example 10 of each.

 

[B C M]

I'll take it all on board folks, thanks.