• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Rio180 questions ???

tko187

Member
Joined
18 Jun 2008
Messages
244
Hi guys and girls, just finished cycling my new tank which is a Rio180 with internal lighting (new t5 high lite) filter/heater. I have been on this site a couple of weeks now and been doing lots of reading and also admiring the aquascapes .......very nice work, i hope to achieve what you all have some time soon.
I have a few questions i am not sure about if anybody can help i would really appreciate it. Firstly the tank i have setup is planted but nothing like the scale you are doing on ukaps!! Im a noob (come back to the hobby after 7yrs) and have forgot a lot of stuff. Questions here we go.

1. Is the standard lighting in a rio180 ok for a planted tank. I want carpeting plants, i have heard they are ok as they are the new high lights t5, i might add reflectors would this be ok??

2. Regarding the filter its an internal, i think im just gonna change the sponges to that hula hoop stuff over a period so i dont lose the bacteria, would this be sufficient??

3. I havent added any substrate at the begining of the setup as i wasnt aware, i know i need it now, what would be the best possible way of doing this without restarting another cycle and killing all my fishies and which do you recommend? I have heard good things about eco complete and tropica.

4. Co2 kits???? I need one if i want good growth right! Ok so ive been advised a jbl system which is £230, can i get a similar decent system for a cheaper price. And also if anyone can advise the fitting of one of these systems would be good.

Thats it for now thanks to all in advance, and hopefully you will all see some pics soon, ill post some of my tank just now but dont get too exited it just me trying.....i one day hope to get to your level(next level).....thanks.
 
1. Is the standard lighting in a rio180 ok for a planted tank. I want carpeting plants, i have heard they are ok as they are the new high lights t5, i might add reflectors would this be ok?? - YOu might need more depending on what type of carpeting plants you want.

2. Regarding the filter its an internal, i think im just gonna change the sponges to that hula hoop stuff over a period so i dont lose the bacteria, would this be sufficient?? - I wouldnt bother. I'ved used the sponges for years with no problem and you wont really see any different with that type of biomedia. Getting it out for cleanign will be a real pain as well

3. I havent added any substrate at the begining of the setup as i wasnt aware, i know i need it now, what would be the best possible way of doing this without restarting another cycle and killing all my fishies and which do you recommend? I have heard good things about eco complete and tropica. - Tropica and eco complete would be good choices. The only one you cant go for is Aqua soil as this leeched amonia when its first introduced to water. Great for a new fishless tank as it kicks off the cycling process.

4. Co2 kits???? I need one if i want good growth right! Ok so ive been advised a jbl system which is £230, can i get a similar decent system for a cheaper price. And also if anyone can advise the fitting of one of these systems would be good. - I use a JBL one and have no problems at all. I would invest in a minimum 2kg bottle though,
 
Hi,

I can answer a couple of your questions for you

Question 1
You have 2x45w T5 tubes in there so 90w in total and you have 180litres, so you convert the litres to US gal which is 47.5 gal, so what you have is 1.89wpg (watts per gallon). If you add reflectors this will increase by about 50% so IMO that would be enough to grow the plants you need.

Question 4
You could get the JBL Easy set 2 which should be about £150 from you LFS or you could get it here http://www.swelluk.com/aquarium/aqu...-32/co2-sets-195/jbl-co2-set-easy-2-6558.html
The easy set 2 includes a solenoid that enables you to turn the Co2 off at night (plants give out c02 at night so don’t really need to waste the gas at night) and uses disposable bottles rather than refillable ones. There is an adaptor available from JBL should you wish to use larger 2kg refillable bottles later.

I have two of teh JBL kits, they are easy to setup and run, the instructions are very clear, you will have it up and running in no time.


You probably also need to think about dosing fertilizer, either following EI principle with powder ferts or using Tropica Plant Nutrition + liquid fert..

Cheers.
 
I grow glosso, hairgrass and HC in my Rio 180 with just the T5 lights. I have some good, gull-wing reflectors to use the most of the light.

While the Juwel filter is fine I do like using sintered glass media so have replaced the bottom sponges with that. Not necessary, but I like it. What you will need to do is address the flow rate though. The Juwel filter pumps are not strong enough to distribute CO2, nutrients and everything else around the tank. I use a Hydor Koralia in my Rio.

You can add aquasoil and do daily 50% water changes to help remove the ammonia that will leach out. The tropica base substrate seems to be a good choice under sand or gravel though without these issues and cheaper too.

Get a regulator off Ebay and an FE from Dan! You can do pressurised CO2 for less than £100 then. I have the JBL Easy kit as it fits nicely in the Rio cabinet, but you can pick them up for about £100.
 
Thanks for the help guys, ok so when i put this planting substrate in, how long before i can add the fish, is it ok straight away because i dont have another tank to put themin and will be using a bucket, so basically im gonna take fish and decor out in to bucket wit heater in there also and then just take gravel out and change over apply old gravel over substrate and add fish back, would this be ok or would my nitrogyn cycle be lost and would adding substrate spike ammonia levels?? tHANKS.
 
Aquasoil will release ammonia but the Tropica one won't. There will probably be a mini-cycle as you will lose some of the bacterial population that was in the gravel but you shouldn't even notice it and your fish certainly won't. The bacteria levels will return in a day or less.
 
swackett said:
You have 2x45w T5 tubes in there so 90w in total and you have 180litres, so you convert the litres to US gal which is 47.5 gal, so what you have is 1.89wpg (watts per gallon). If you add reflectors this will increase by about 50% so IMO that would be enough to grow the plants you need.

The WPG will not increase if you add reflectors. The 1.89wpg assumes that you are using reflectors already. Without reflectors then you will have 30-40% of this as being a tube only 30-40% of the circumference of the tube will be aiming at the tank with the rest aiming sideways and up. Reflectors will redirect a good amount of the 60-70% that would be lost back towards the tank (not all but enough)

T5 cannot be used with the WPG rule (IMO) assume that 1.89WPG (with reflectors) is more equal to 3WPG on the old and out of date WPG rule.

Therefore carpeting plants are OK. You can of course go higher if not but I don't think you'll need it.

Adding a substrate doesn't need to kill fish. they are much hardier than you think. I take the fish and plants out and put them in containers. Then empty the tank of water and then your current substrate (keeping it moist in a container in your case) Chuck in the dirty water content of your current filter. Add the nutrient substrate. If Eco Complete then you are ready to scape and plant straight away. If something like Tropica then put it in and then put your original substrate on top of it (This keeps your bacteria.) Then scape/plant.

When I go through this sort of process I sometimes leave the fish in their container fo as much as 24 hours!!! As long as the container is nicley wrapped in blankets to maintain some heat then they will be OK. Then I return the fish once the temp of the tank water has reached the desired level and float the container with the fish in it on the top, swapping water back and forth to 'equalise' for a couple of hours before tilting the bucket to let the fish back into their home.

Last time I did this I had cardinals, plecs, Otos and Rams. 15 hours they were in their containers (plecs in a separate container to avoid injuries to the others) and all survived to explore within seconds of their return. No problems at all.

Good Luck and welcome.
Andy
 
Thanks so much for the input, i soo appreciate the help, i think im gonna go for the tropica as i think i will only need two bags and ive heard good stories about it, regarding the filter i will change the all the sponges over a couple of months time to hula hoops (spirulax i think) and add a hydor koralia if thats the right name for flow. Then all is left would be a co2 kit and ferts and adding some plants. Hope to post some pics of current setup how do i do it, i dont see an option to upload pics. Thank you again.
 
I use an external site like photobucket and then add the link to the photo using the Img button. I don't think there is a facilty to upload direct to this forum.

Steve
 
You will only need 1 5Ltr bag of Tropica in a 180. Under your existing gravel/sand

Andy
 
What you will need to do is address the flow rate though. The Juwel filter pumps are not strong enough to distribute CO2, nutrients and everything else around the tank. I use a Hydor Koralia in my Rio.

Hi thanks again, do you know which model number of Hydor Koralia and where to buy??
 
tko187 said:
What you will need to do is address the flow rate though. The Juwel filter pumps are not strong enough to distribute CO2, nutrients and everything else around the tank. I use a Hydor Koralia in my Rio.

Hi thanks again, do you know which model number of Hydor Koralia and where to buy??

I bought mine from Charterhouse Aquatics online and bought the Koralia 1. I think it's perfect for my 180! There's some more info on how I set mine up in the article I wrote. Some advice on positioning CO2 diffuser and the pump too.
 
Back
Top