Juwel Rio 240 Lighting

[jdprice1988]

hi all

i have recently bought a rio 240. i am new to the hobby and am in need of some advice. the tank is second hand and it has the old T8 lighting. im wondering if this will be sufficient for growing begginer plants? i dont want to pack the tank out but i want a fair few as i love the idea of a natural looking planted aquarium. would light reflectors help? i dont want to pay the hefty sum of money on the T5 light bar unless mine packs in. also, will i require CO2 aswell?

all advice would be greatly appreciated

thanks

 

[west-megaman]

T8 is more than enough for beginner plants. And also, no, you don't need CO2 for beginner plants. If you want to make the most out of your lighting, then reflectors would be a good addition.

I currently have a heavily planted jewel 450 and don't use CO2 or fertiliser but I do have reflectors.

 

[jdprice1988]

are you running T8s then? thats really useful to know. dont really want to pay hundreds for a CO2 kit do you use a plant substrate of just normal?

thanks

 

[lljdma06]

Just use plain gravel or whatever substrate makes you happy. If you dose with a nice all-puropose like TPN+ you'll be set.

llj

 

[jdprice1988]

great. thanks guys. do you know where i can get information on what fish i can have in my planted tank? i have a compatibility chart but dont know if this is 100% accurate.

 

[lljdma06]

Well, what were you thinking about putting in the tank? I might be able to help you out.

llj

 

[jdprice1988]

im looking for a hardy fish as im a begginer. i dont really want anything too small. its sooo hard to choose i just need some ideas to start so i can focus on reserching a particular species. theres so much information available i dont know where to start so maybe your experience could guide me in the right direction. sorry to blabber on lol

 

[lljdma06]

How big is the tank in gallons? I'm from the US, so I don't know the UK names for aquariums. I'm assuming 240l

 

[jdprice1988]

juwel say its approx 240lt. the measurements are L121xH55xW45.

 

[lljdma06]

That's a nice size tank. You know, I could recommend the usuals, but I think you might want to look into rainbowfish. They are larger, very colorful, and most of the species seem like they are quite peaceful.

Some links for you from our fish database.

Bosemani Rainbowfish

Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish

Red Iranian Rainbowfish

This is just to peak your interest. I find it great that these were written by our nano moderator, Steelhealr, when you like a species, you like a species. He has a planted 46g bowfront, so the species are all compatible with beginner plants. Could be a good match for you.

I've wanted to try rainbowfish as well.

llj

 

[jdprice1988]

they are just what i am looking for atm i think! they are beutiful fish the colours are amazing! i will definately be reading into them. thanks i think you just solved my biggest problem lol would you recommend a koralia in a planted tank? ill be using a tetratec ex1200 untill i can aford another one will this be ok for the time being as i wont be heavily stocking the tank? its amazing what you can learn in a week

thanks really appreciate it

 

[lljdma06]

Be aware, however, that rainbows can be semi-agressive towards other rainbows, so definitely read up on them before you add them.

 

[jdprice1988]

i will be sure i do. im not going to do anything yet untill im fully ready. thanks again