# Jewel Rio 240



## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Hi Guys,
I am new here, just signed up as i want to set up a new tank.....been in it years ago both with plannted tank (not succesfull) and salt water later which was going quite well. time and work brought me down....and now after years i'd like topick up something again. i am particularly fond of african cichlids and their habitat this time and wanted or was hoping that a self contained system would do.....i am looking at the Jewel Rio 240 which is 1.2 meter x 50 cm tank.

everywhere i read about cichlids i hear ...filter, filter, filter .....even over filter is better. so will such a contained system be sufficient? i am thinking to add 2 powerheads in the back to ensure enough flow between rocks and caves, but was hoping to do without an external canister filter.

the lighting that comes with it, i think is sufficient for some slected plant growth that suits cichlids, i am planning to keep it rocks mainly but want to set it up with the rule of thirds in mind what design depends and also a tank without any plants would not look realistic i think.

I live in tropical hong kong so think temps in the house would be normally sufficient with the heater provided, it doesnt get very cold in here, in winter maybe lowest is 10 degrees celsius, so i think this system's heater should be able to cope.

what do the experienced guys say? any feedback welcome!

Thanks a lot!

Marco


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

hmm, ok will wait for reply its holiday season after all.
though i wish to add another question, what other species can match to a cichlid tank, and i am not referring to fish, but more to what plants will survive with them, mussels, clams (fresh water off coures)....shrimp, any others and species i have a hard time to finding any info to this regard on the web.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Welcome to C-F, Marco!!!

Sorry for the late response, I was researching info for your new tank as I was unfamiliar with the product plus I needed to convert to U.S. measurements.

Your aquarium has a footprint of approximately 48"L x 16"W x 22"H and holds a volume of approx. 70 gallons. It is a very nice looking set up and it has an internal filter of approx 3L.

You will have to choose your species stocking level carefully based on the footprint or floor space of the tank and the integral filter. The filter does seem rather small to me but then I am more familiar with canister and external power filters.

I don't think you will have any luck keeping mussels, clams, shrimp or any similar small invertebrates or fish with cichlids as they are seen as a food source. Plants can be a good choice depending on the species. Anubias nana, Java fern and similar plants would be an excellent choice however, I would avoid any fragile or delicate plants that may be considered tasty.

Do you know what species of cichlid you are planning on buying? What species are available where you are? Which ones do you like?


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Hi, Thanks dee,
I was a bit quiet as i was shopping around and comparing prices......since my last tank, my god have prices increased! its now a expensive hobby! In the end i settled for something entirely different, a tank with overflow filter build in behind it with 4 compartments big enough to house not only filter material, but also UV, heater, air stones etc, it comes with stand with plenty space. the tank is 36 inches wide, as wide as i finally can fit at home, and i have opted for a dark stone background with relief to be fitted.

bought everything at once, and mean everything, pump, uv , led light, heater, filter and bio materials, sand, gravel, rocks........food.....ph, kh and nitrite tests, silicon glue. cost about HK$ 4500 for the lot.

tank arrives next week wednesday  am seriously looking forward to it!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Sounds great, looking forward to the new equipment set up.


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Quesdtion now, rocks in HK are super duper expensive....i mean i want a rock scape on the right that reaches to the top of my tank, and on the left until midway up the tank hight, plus some strewn smaller ones in between the sand. as it looks like currently this will set me back about 3000 HK$ in HK shops, almost 400 US$

not something i want to afford.......i live right next to the sea side, and our waterfront is protected by brought in boulders and rocks.....

they surely come from mines/blasting etc, so .....should i or should i not? i do understand this is not good, as si am taking away rocks which form part of our defenses against the sea,.....but assuming that not every household here is a aquarium enthusiast....i think for one time this should be ok....i mean US$ 400!

any reasons to be against this ? due to salt water? minerals?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Many aquarists, myself included, don't buy rocks specifically from an aquarium store due to the high cost. We tend to buy from landscaping supply, rock quarry or stone yards because there is more of a selection and the price is considerably cheaper. I don't know if this option is available to you in Hong Kong.

There is an article in the Library called Suitability of Rocks in the Aquarium that may be helpful for you to read.

I usually don't recommend 'borrowing' rocks from the side of the road or places you aren't sure of that may contain contaminated substances. If the rocks are porous, unknown sources can be a potential problem.


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Thanks dee......oh no i just relized i bought an open top tank......but have three cats......ok swimming lessons maybe needed hehe


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I'm interested to see your new tank dude. Be sure to post a picture of it!


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Delivery of the tank is tomorrow, and finally found out what rock it is at our seaside after some investigating. Its granite, just perfect!


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Ok so tank received all well, just one small problem, it came out smaller then i thought so lots of rocks left, also a small problem with the sump behind it, somehow it seems if i put a decent amount of filter material in there, it flows of way to slow, filling the tank to almost spilling level. so for now i just left only a small bit in which is way to little if you ask me.

view of the tank:

photo2 by Mac V., on Flickr

sump:

photo5 by Mac V., on Flickr

filter problem:

photo6 by Mac V., on Flickr


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

You will probably need to tweak your filter media a bit to allow better flow. A coarse sponge in the first compartment will catch the bigger debris. Filter floss tends to clog up quickly so you might be better off using a fine pore sponge in the 2nd compartment before the bio-media. You will probably have to buy your sponge media in large pieces and cut them to size unless your tank manufacturer has pre-cut media for the sump section.

What are the dimensions of the fish part of the tank in length, width and height?


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

i had a rio 240 with the original filter and a another large internal plus a 1400lph canister filter. i don't have it anymore but with knowledge i would have ripped out the original filtration and had two canister filters for mbuna! 
i am suprised to see one of these divided into a sump at the back....it now must be very small for the fish area?

you won't keep too many fish in there, depending on what you want.

sorry i just don't get the idea that you have :?


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

ok long time absent.......started with a setup as shown, then resisted to buy a fish......and went with getting sand and bio material from a friend and doing the whole messy ammonia thing etc......
once ready added 7 fish......
so far going strong after 1.5 months all alive and looking well and growing.
todays water parameters:
KH = 6
PH=7.8
NO2 0.05

pls comment on that as i dont know, i just know NO2 seems good

i hit a problem though, very fine algea growing on my rocks.....or isnt this a problem? pls see the link.....also my 2 plants, root growth is tremendous, but leaves seem to just wilt away and orjust get covered in the smae soft silky algea.

link here: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5507/1118 ... 44b9_b.jpg


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi Marco, long time absent.

Glad you finally were able to get fish in your tank.

How is the filter system working for you? Have you changed any of the media around at all?

You should not have a nitrite (NO2) reading in a properly cycled tank and a reading of 0.05 seems too accurate a number just using a liquid test kit. Can you post what brand & type test kit you are using?

The algae does not appear to look unusual, I can just barely see individual 'threads' sticking up and the color looks green. This can be a good thing if the fish you have enjoy eating or scraping it off the rocks.

If you don't like the look of algae, you could try and decrease the amount of time the light is on. Do you still have the same light fixture on the tank?

What species of fish did you decide on stocking?


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Hmm the filter, i chose this as i came from marine fish before and had a sump system.....with this one i am not to happy. i am stuck with a small strip of filter foam, tried different things even a coarse to fine layer on things, but the problem is to exchange them i need to take them out while the system is full with water, which means most dirt gets washed through. so back with foam but a small strip only 1 layer and change it every 5 to 6 days.

I use the JBL test kit for NO2 and its pretty consistent at this level......or maybe i am a bit color blind? haha. should i be worried about the 0.05 reading?

same light yes and its not on so much, mainly from 5 to 12 in the evening, but we have big windows in the house, so there is a lot of daylight eventhough the tank is 5 meters away from the windows.
the fixture is te same yes, the algea doesnt disturb me but seems to kill of leaf growth in my 2 plants, eventhough the roots grow rapidly.

I choose malawi cichlids as they are common here and cheap.......once i get a better grip on things we will see.

Marco


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

sorry double post


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

hit a possible problem now, after 7 fish i introduced 4 new ones today and it seems fighting is non stop.
i have an open top tank so lots of water spillage but that doesnt bother me.....i am just worried did i do something wrong sas everyone was happy yesterday and today its just chasing and chasing adn more chasing......i know they are territorial (malawis) but this look slike insane....any tips?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

It would be very helpful if you could post the scientific names of all the species you have in the tank now. Also, do you know if the new fish are male or female?

If you are unsure of the species you have, you can post some pics in the unidentified folder.


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Hi There, yep was a bit vague, here you go a short video on youtube, the white ones are clearly under attack and hiding in open corners....


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Do you know what species of fish you have? What and how many did you just add?

Looks like your bully is the blue barred fella in the center. My guess is he's forcing the new fish in the corners and you may have not added enough new guys.


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

i have added 5 i think, and yes the blue striped one seems the bully, alsoa striped yellow one. 
have no idea whos male and female, no idea yet how to identify that.

what to do in this case, add more rocks so they have more hiding spaces, or ......offer a sweet death to avoid sickness setting in?

nothing looks right anymore now.....


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## Hongkiegwailo (Aug 8, 2013)

Hi There, yep was a bit vague, here you go a short video on youtube, the white ones are clearly under attack and hiding in open corners....


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