Fluval Roma 200 - The Beginning.

Hello all,
After searching through forums and advice pages, I've decided to come a join the fishforums community!
 
Yesterday I collected my Fluval Roma 200 of which I purchased on eBay for about £70, the tank itself came with the cabinet, lid, flaps and two fully functioning T8 bulbs. The original filter was not included, and judging by some other posts that's not a problem as externals seem to be superior.
 
I've come with a few questions, and will be welcoming any advice and wisdon you wish to share!
The decisions I've already come to are that I'd like another planted tank, which will accomodate for my Long-finned BN and my albino cories. Ideally consisting of bog wood, and plently of hiding places and caves.
 
1) What filtration system will I need, preferably something that's more than enough, what brands and models would you reccomend?
2) What substrate will best suite plant growth, and also be comfortable for a peaceful community?
3) 1 or 2 heaters, where should they be placed? eg. The end of the tank, middle or one at each end?
4) A showpiece fish, I do love my smaller schooling fish, however with a larger aquarium now, I'd like to choose a larger, more interesting fish to be the focal point.
5) Will this lighting be enough for sufficient plant growth?
 
I will be uploading photographs of the progress, to document all of the changes made, and showing how any reccomendations and advise has been put to good use!
 

 

 

I have the same tank as you

 
1) I use Aqua manta 1000U. Its rated for 300L tanks, Gives 1000LPH and has built in UV. Really epic filter and well worth looking into.
2) I use black sand, http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/seachem-flourite-black-7kg-p-1735.html Gives really good plant growth if you can stand the price.
3) Only one heater is needed, I use a 200W and it sits at the side of my tank. Pretty much somewhere where your filter will brush water over it so all parts of the tank are heated.
4) Anggeeelllsss
5) The lighting is fine but you'll only be able to grow low tech plants with it

That filter does have a really nice spec, I'm heading over to Maidenhead Aquatics tomorrow to check out some stuff and find some more ideas so I'll definitely look into that, would you say it's better than one of the eheim externals, with a similar l/hr?
That sand looks awesome, bit pricey though how many bags did you use to cover your tank? which I gotta say does look really good, nice bit of wood in there!
Never looked at angels before, would about 10 serpae tetra's be okay with them? and how many angels is a good amount?
sorry for all the questions

Questions are good.
 
I have 14 emperor tetras in there and 2 angels. Angels get quite big so there good for "Show off fish" and emperor tetras are some of the bigger tetras, So I think you'd be around my mark, 14-15 on them.
 
You'd also want corys, or chain loaches etc there's tons of bottom fish choices.
 
As for bags of sand, I used two in that pic but am going to buy another two. It's well worth it though as you'll see plants love the stuff. It's like soil only in sand form
 
I did buy my filter from Maidenhead anyway, So look at there range. They also have EFX 200,400S ALL GOOD! really high LPH and cheaper than ehiems! Save yourself a ton of cash buying aqua manta from eheims that could be used in plants

I like your thinking with the filter plan and plants! hoping to have plants, plants and more plants!
 
With regard to the angels, is it advisable to get 1m/1f or which gender ratio? can they be aggressive at all?
Did you get your heater from maidenhead as well?
 
In my 35l I'm using standard sand bought from my LFS and fert tabs for the plants and they're thriving, is flourite black sand really worth the extra £15/bag if I'm gonna be using fert tabs? Also would you reccomend using co2 ?

Plants are epic so yes, More money for plants is good.
 
Yes, You want a proven/breeding pair. Two males will kill each other and same with females, Unless there a pair they'll sadly just murder each other. The easiest way to get around this is get 6 baby angels, Work out which ones pair up and sell the other 4. Leaving you with a proven pair that will grow up and be a pretty feesh.
 
I got my heater from my LFS as my older one cracked, Any heater will do just make sure to check what its rated for. You'll be looking around 200-250watts but you can always use a 300watt one. Makes no difference really.
 
The sand is worth it, I would have to admit. I don't use root tabs and never plan too. I do use CO2 and if you know your stuff CO2 is well worth it and very very easy to do/cheap!

I will see you tomorrow then Aviici Awww poor Techen, I might have a new friend
 
Aviici, when you go to MA (assuming you are going to Worlds End one!), ask to speak to Gemma, alternatively... look for the shorter of the two girls there I will likely be gravel cleaning tomorrow lol. Nice to know someone is so local!!
 
I can go through the products we have with you, you can play with an aquamanta filter to your hearts content If you come in as late as possible, we will have new plant delivery around 2pm..
 
Its all very well people naming fish for you to look at but if you bring a notepad and pencil (or I can write them down for you) then you can list fish you like the look of and  come on here to see what everyone else says! Different people like different fish, I don't much like livebearers like guppies and platies.... but they have their place if people want in your face brightly coloured fish (and most people do!) I am a huge fan of the smaller or less common fish... or at least... I can spend hours pointing out fish that people would initially overlook and might possibly be a little fanatical about it like... I love the celestial pearl danios, the iriani rainbows (pseudomugil species) and the splash tetras and weitzmani tetras and...and...and... actually... I like pretty much all of them except livebearers, goldfish and probably sharks and large loaches like clown loaches as they just hae no place in normal sized tanks.
 
For info on plants and co2 you are best popping into the plant forum and deciding what your budget is... full on co2, liquid co2, no co2.... obviously co2 is better but perfectly manageable without, just takes working around, can just choose your plants carefully to not need co2

Stop stealing mah friends

Where abouts is the one you're at? I think there are a few around the same radius from where I live!
I know what you mean about livebearers, and goldfish.. oh goldfish! One of my friends who's coming tomorrow to buy some plants for his 5ft rena has just got rid of his.. they destroyed everything, not to mention his group of 10 WCMM!
The only fish so far that's probably a dead cert for me is the Serpae tetra, getting a good healthy batch of bright red will hopefully make my tank look good!
The pen and the paper will be coming with me then tomorrow, Tank planning and OCD are a detremental combination haha
 
I'll have to research the co2 then techen, sounds brilliant are angels easy to sex anyway? just worried keeping them with Serpae, which can apparently get a bit nippy during feeding time!

Dont mix angels or gouramis with serpae, serpae are savage beasts!! I had a shoal of 20 serpae and 25 adult tiger barbs in a 5ft display tank....for a few hours.... the morning after adding the serpaes (yes all 20, tank was part of a system) and they had mudered all but 3 of the tiger barbs by morning!!
 
Dead set on Serpae Tetras? Red Phantoms are lovely!! Never colour up quite so well on systems but taken out of shop environment they will be lovely red in a week or two
 
Pretty typical of a nice coloured red phantom (carefull googling for photos of red phantoms as they are mixed with black phantoms and serpaes that are mislabled!)
https/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1091&bih=635&q=red+phantom+tetra&oq=red+phantom+tetra&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24l8.1681.6404.0.6540.17.13.0.4.4.0.209.1910.0j12j1.13.0...0.0...1ac.1.4.img.mbOMJiUZlnQ#imgrc=fIamORZreFK1hM%3A%3Be-lmtp10NQO0KM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.aquahobby.com%252Fgallery%252Fimg%252FMegalamphodus_sweglesi_1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.aquahobby.com%252Fgallery%252Fe_Megalamphodus_sweglesi.php%3B400%3B300
 
I work for MA @ Aylesbury (on the Aylesbury road going into Wendover) but you also have MA @Oxford (Wheatley), Oxford (Hinksey), Iver and Hillingdon near Uxbridge, Bourne End and Booker near High Wycombe, Hare Hatch on the A4 to Reading, the two reading stores (Winnersh and Arborfield), Bracknell, Chipperfield, Woburn Sands (out towards Milton Keynes), St Albans....
 
Not to mention a P@H in pretty much every town mentioned a few independants like Fathoms Aquatics in Leighton Buzzard, Deep Blue just outside Hemel Hempsted, Dunstable Aquatics in...well... Dunstable! If you fancy the trek towards Dunstable, then there is also Chiltern Aquatics and Japanese Koi Trading Company in Henlow as well....
 
Thats pretty much exhausted my local knowledge and covered most mentionable shops within an hour and a half radius of you!
 
And on the OCD... tank planning and OCD is fun, OCD and cleaning fishtanks in a shop is a nightmare

Oh my word, maybe they aren't such a good idea! I know they're all part of the same family but those serpae tetras do look really close to piranhas, and by what you've said they behave a bit like hungry ones too
 
The Red Phantoms are beautiful, do they sell them at your store? I'll be coming there tomorrow then for definite, need some pads for my smaller tank, and will be buying substrate and/or an ext filter The plan tomorrow is to strategically hit every single aquatics store around Aylesbury haha
 
Maybe see you tomorrow

Seems like the other guys have pretty much all your questions answered, but in terms of an external filter I've seen the Fluval range going quite cheap both online and in store recently. I picked up a Fluval 305 with 1000L/H turnover for just over £70! A bargain considering I was going to get an All Pond Solution filter with much less flow for more money and an inferior make of filter by all accounts (I asked in a few posts regarding APS and a lot of people told me to avoid it)

Thanks for the heads up milky The lad i bought my tank off had a 405 and told me to avoid Fluval ext filters, maybe he's just had a bad experience with that one! Is it recommended to pick up a second hand filter? or should I definitely try and get a brand new one, or just add some mature media to a new filter? Sorry that's all a bit of a riddle haha

Yeah but APS filters are..well... they are cheap and you get the quality you pay for...
 
And the '05 range of Fluvals are obsolete now... there is a very good reason they are going cheap! Ask the people with the '03 and '04 ranges how easy it is to get spare parts and media... It might be ok for another year to 18 months whilst Hagen finish selling off all the stuff they had laying about but they no longer make it, if you want a filter to last more than 2 years, don't buy obsolete ones
 
That said... the '06 range is new, not differently priced to the AquaMantas and are actually a very good filter... just.. less flow rate, bit more fiddley and less media capacity... though given choice between the '06 fluvals and any other filter (other than Aqua Manta!) i'd go with the new Fluvals... they are massively better than '05 range...
 
Aviici, we do have red phantoms and a lot more besides!  you will have to clue me into to other stores in the area! I know the Dunstable area as I used to live there and the High Wycombe area as I was working there, now I'm back in Aylesbury, I find I cant remember the independent stores!

Recently I've been using World of Water at Bicester, because P@H isn't exactly my cup of tea World of water has a large tropical stock as well as Koi and cold water fish, they sell a few tanks but not much in the way of substrate/filters/media/medications/food. I didn't even know there was a MA in Wendover until you said though, might have to be my new LFS is your store bigger than the one in Bourne End?
 
I'll definitely have so many questions for you tomorrow, getting the notepad out now in preparation