#juwelrio #juwelaquariym #juwelfishtank I promised I'd do a video on the things I don't like about this aquarium so here it is with a wee correction and apology too.
You can have the filter on the left side of the tank. You just have to rotate it by 90 degrees. So the pump outlet faces forwards, and the strainer faces straight into the aquarium. My tank is like yours viewed from the right end. So moving it has worked well. I thought it'd look odd, but it's been fine. Bit too late for yours without draining it for a few days to silicone the filter in. You could try double suction cups, but it's textured plastic, so may not suction well. Interestingly I have an old juwel filter from the late 90s that has a circular cut out level with the pump outlet on the right, as if it were made to allow for moving the filter. However the central uplift is offset to the right, meaning that the pump can never operate the opposite way round. It's odd they put that blank outlet hole in it without a function. Probably why it's now gone. My only issue with my rio 240 is I should have got the 350. I've found that the new glass seems easier to scratch than my old 125 from the 90s. I've got the original t8 light on that tank still going strong despite being over 20 years old. You can't go wrong with juwel tanks.
I’m going to do exactly this on a used Rio 350, although what I can’t understand is like Daniel’s setup my filter also has a vent the bottom and a hole up the top on the side stuck to the glass as if it could be used the other way round. I’m wondering if there would be any benefit to having the filter sit away from the back slightly to allow water to pass through the extra vent or maybe it’s not much use anyway being on the opposite side of the pump?
Great review, I’ve had Juwel tanks for about 20 years. I now have a rio 125 setup as a marine tank. I did remove the Juwel filter but then realised it was a mistake and put it back in. I wish Juwel could make the filter so it was some how held on the tank with magnets so you could remove it and give it a clean, but if it was Held on with magnets you would probably get vibration noises. Also when you was showing the holes inside the filter where the water flows in, the piece of plastic that holds the pump and heater actually slides out. So you can remove that part and give it a clean.
Thanks Andy. I wounder is it as simple as some kind of cradle system that fits up and over the gaps each side where the wires go so that the filter could be left or right seated. Even making them with the option of right or left when you purchase them or something. That said I'm maybe being a little picky, I love the aquarium regardless right enough.
With regards to the gunk behind the filter. You could get some black film and stick it to the outside of the tank, cut to the size of the filter, that way it will just be black and not unsightly.
Nicely said. Unlike another video I just watched where a Guy blocked the said hole but stuck to his guns when people pointed out his mistake. I had a Rio 180 years ago. The filter is okay for tanks that aren't overstocked. Especially planted tanks. Which I think is what Juwel originally designed them for. I am thinking of getting a larger Rio for chiclids. I plan to run two externals. I will take out the Juwel filter as three is overkill. I wish they would ship them without the filter attached. But then I suppose people would complain about that!
Yeah well got to admit when we're wrong hey. It's all about studying and learning. Yeah I agree, would be good if they sold it so you can position the filter where you want or even the option of left of right mounted. If you get a new one hope you enjoy it. Really like mine and think they're great tanks. 👍
Great review ,,, i also have a Juwel Lido 200 . i covered that portion of the filter with Black vinyl . Great working filter .no problems at all . the Lower basket is filed with bio balls in trays that i bought from Juwel media , opened up and swapped the media out .. lol i even have the same pothos plant growing out of the same place ... all the best to you ...
Absolutely stunning tank. Good honest review. Never had a jewel aquarium. I didnt notice the detritus issue til you mentioned it lol. Hope you and the family are well. Catch you in the next video😊👍
@@DanielKeepingFish plenty detritus in my canister filter. Christ it was stinking, yet somehow there was fry swimming in there 😂😂 you can keep it I got my own skanky crud 🤣🤣
I agree with the point concerning the lids. One great positive point is that you can get get replacement parts for all your stuff from tanks 30 years old or more, the design is the same for T8, T5, and LED. Something broken can easily be replaced. Now you can replace your t8 TL with led, just by changing the light beam. Negative point for me is that the inside filter is glued. I think its better to furnish the inside filter with a tube of silicone. So you can choose to use it or an external cannister without removing the filter. I think the filter is good but I want the extra space and visuals. The quality of the aquarium is very good, you never hear of glass separation from the silicone. I have mine for 30 years now.
@@Dragon69FlyTeam I have three, one from 30 year old, the others some 20 years. They glue the silicone with a robotic arm, standard amount every time and some 2000 a day! I saw a film of the firm with te production process. I think small firms or custom tanks are a liability, some times you hear that the glass leaks after a few years due to a not perfect clean surface before they glue the silicone to the glass or a not perfect application of the silicone. Juwel is a market leader and has a reputation to protect. Fun fact: the firm dates back to 1966, they have a little museum of their models. And just now I discovered that I gave a Juwel from 1968 to my son! still filled with water and no leaks. More than 50 years old! They used silicone, a gold aluminium frame and a gold aluminum light fixture. This one has excellent lids from gold coloured aluminum, indestructible!
@@MarijkeWillemsen990 Wow awsome to hear. Also great that youre son keeps fish to. I also got into this hobby thanks to my dad :). I realy have to look up for that making off film. I had serveral juwels in the past ( slowly growing in size over the years) an realy like them. Have a nice day!
The glass is pretty thick but I wouldn't like to say go for it. What I'd suggest if you're going to is placing plastic egg crate at the base of the aquarium before adding your substrate and rocks. The would spread the weight of the rocks out a bit and eliminate some pressure points.
I've got the rio 240. I moved the filter to the left hand side of the tank by putting what you called the "gunky" side of the filter against the back glass. But I found the filter was taking up a lot of the room within the tank so I got a fluvel 307 cannister filter which is awesome! The biggest disappointment with the juwel I found were the multilix lights that come with the tank. I just didn't find the led light tubes adequate enough for plants and the light unit got water damaged after a year and a bit so I bought the helialux light which is so much more efficient, easy to clean and more light from it, which helps with plant growth as it has the different coloured LEDs in it. Though the helialux doesn't come cheap! after 5 years or so of the rio 240 I am looking to upgrade my tank to a 500/600 litre tank. I was looking at the rio 450 but I just can't justify buying one when I know the lights are an issue and I would need to spend another couple hundred quid or so for a bigger helialux light. So I might just buy a different brand and have the current light system I use and put on top of the condensation glass.
I have grown plenty of plants in mine but none that really require high light I suppose. I took the filter out too eventually. Only because Fluval sent me their FX2 but certainly feels like an upgrade and as you say frees up space in the tank.
Could you turn the filter 90 degrees with return facing towards the front then put it in the left hand corner? Or just paint or cover the outside with some black contact to hide the gunk? Would it be possible to drill a few holes in the side to draw the gunk into the filter?
Could do all of these things for sure! Wanted to point these issues out though so anyone thinking of buying these aquariums knew the issues that I'd noticed. They're still great tanks too though. I really do love it.
Good point covered! Juwel tanks are solid however did face same issues you have, filter was good but had to go took up too much space now my tank is a proper 450 litre!
How easy was it to remove from the back right Mike? Thinking of doing this aswell when I upgrade my tank next year. Did you just silicon it into the left rear? Cheers
@@brianwatt8927 was quite easy to remove with thin putty knife gently cutting existing silicone between the glass and filter. Made sure to cut against the filter and not the glass. Then yes you can silicone it to opposite back corner, It gave a better direction of flow from there…
Put some black static cling blackout on outside of the glass to cover the back of the filter? IMO the led light is too bright. I got 3 sheets of optiwhite cut to fit and ditched the light unit. Now i can use any light i want over it. If the filter is noisy, try leaving off the filter lid. If think small fish will be pulled into filter side intake, buy Juwel intake strainer and fill the inside with foil to block it entirely. If you want to reduce the flow, buy multiple outlet pipes and slot them together to make a long tube and then fit onto filter. You can also cut up plastic syphon tubing and trap in the pipes to reduce flow further.
Thanks for the thoughts and ideas. I never had any problems with fish getting sucked into the filter and I didn't feel the light was too bright when it was a planted tank but I've changed it up quite a bit since this video. I have Malawi in there now and definitely feel the light was too bright for them so just yesterday I installed a Fluval Aquasky. It's much better and that's before I've even played with the settings. I also removed the filter and have an FX on it now.
Daniel your aquarium is looking absolutely beautiful mate! 🙂 The juwel filter is a absolute awesome piece of kit, it keeps the water quality pristine!. I do agree with the filter being to close to the glass , I've noticed that alot of waste builds up there but luckily enough I have door that hides that corner. But you could always get some black background to cover the filter with mate. Keep up the amazing work mate 🙂
Thanks man. I could paint it with black paint too but honestly the geek in me wants to study it for a while. Still a wee bit of a design flaw anyway but. Did the Guppy Grass get there okay bud?
The filter for me caused huge problems! I found that where the impeller sits, there was loads of waste in there and somehow managed to build up a little snail nest too! The part where it joins the glass was also horrible. Filled with waste that I just couldn't get out. Ended up cutting it out and using an Oase Biomaster. Extra space in the tank now and no little floaty bits in the tank. The lid just needs to be made of thicker plastic to help with the bend or as you said reinforced a bit.
Hi Daniel. How are you Sir? I see what you mean about the lid, it is a little flimsy and a bit fidgety. I too do not like when water and waste gets caught in that grove. As for the Filter, that is not too bad. If you want you can always make changes with some thought, planning and imagination. All in all, the Fish Tank itself is good. You could always put a nice Plant at the end of your Aquarium to hide that view of the gunk behind the Filter. 👍 It will look natural and nobody needs to know what is hidden by the Plant. 👍 I know it is always more money, however it is just a suggestion. Your video has just been given the Third big 👍 up. I appreciate you sharing. Thankyou very much kind Sir. Take care. 👍😊❤️
Hey bud. Honestly the filter I don't mind at all. It doesn't draw my eye or detract from my enjoyment of the tank. I do feel having a left or right placement option and having it flush with the glass or having a few mm so detritus either doesn't get stuck or is more easily cleaned away would be better but hey I still think it's a great set up. Think it's one of the better options outside of custom builds that are available at this point. Take care mate. Hope all is well with you.
@@DanielKeepingFish You have a point there. Besides, it is not that bad because it is easy to clean. You could even put spacers to move it away from the glass a little so the dirt does not jam between the filter and the glass. Indeed all is well with me, thankyou very much Sir.
Being able to have the filter on the other side seems like a decent option for people, another for me would be a low iron glass panel on the front of their bigger tanks. Ultra clear glass that doesn't have any green tinge to it. I took the filter out of my Rio 350 and run an Eheim external so the filter position isn't an issue for me. One thing about their newer aquariums is the depth, something they've increased from previous models. I'm 6 foot tall and can't stand beside the tank and reach to the bottom so it must be a nightmare for shorter people. An aquarium stand that had 10-12 inches lopped off it's height would be better for reaching into the tank and also for veiwing. If you're sitting down in a chair or on the couch enjoying your tank, you'r eye level is a couple of inches above the substrate level. You're kind of looking up into the water and seeing the surface instead of looking straight into the tank. A clever thing about the built in Juwel filter is you can add an external filter. Just put the external filter's intake pipe down into the void next to where the Juwel powerhead sits and the external filters outlet pipe at the other side of the aquarium. So if you have a lot of messy fish you can have extra filtration.
All great points! Thanks for adding them, I'm sure that will help people considering purchasing these tanks. The height thing may be a personal preference thing but it might be good to have either option right enough.
The way I got round that problem years ago was to stick black fablon cut to size on the glass just over where the filter shows and I thought it looked fine. It just ends up looking like the filter but covers up the dirt.
i have the rio aswell i agree theres a few things but over all im pleased with it just starting to remodel the tank and adding something new to go with my angles.
Yeah definitely agree. Think they're great tanks. Don't think there's anything such as the perfect tank to be fair, we can always find something we don't like about an aquarium or things we'd like to change or customise but these were only small points. Generally I think they're really good.
Opinions please! Which starter setup is best: - Juwel Rio 125 - Fluval Roma 125 Seems the Juwel has a better light but worse filter and vice versa with the Fluval..
Sorry Matt I only just noticed this comment. It's a tough one. Might come down to what cabinet and design you prefer because you can customise the others at a later point of course.
I just bought the Rio 240 and the only thing I did not like was the filter being glued onto the glass. Should be easy for Juwel to change that using suction cups. I did remove it carefully and it looks so much better with an external filter.
Yeah I don't get why it's got to be a fixture either. I've got the Juwel 3d background on it now so it's not quite as obvious but does still take up a fair bit of space though.
I've had a few Juwel tanks over the years, first thing I always do is out the internal filter for an external one but thats just my preference, but the main thing that bugs the hell out of me about there tanks is the black plastic support bars at the top and the shadows they put through the tank, not to mention if you have fish that jump abit the damage those bars do to their heads is ridiculous
We have taken that internal filter out of our tank, it is absolutely useless ! It takes up so much space, and leaves a lot of waste on the floor of the tank, the mess it has stuck behind the filter as you say is and looks horrible, the longer you have it that gunk builds and builds up and you cannot get to it to get it out, so we had to remove the filter and now have an external filter that leaves no waste or gunk behind. The internal filter is useless.
So I had a jewel Rio 180….I found the glass was so thin when the tank was full if you looked along the front top edge you could see the glass bowing. I’ve been thinking of getting one of these 450l tanks….but am concerned the 6mm glass is sufficiently thick enough and I would have the same issue……does yours bow out at the front?
Can't say I noticed it. I had a quick look there and I'm not 100%. Going to need to find a long straight edge to text it. That said there is some natural flexibility in glass so I'm sure they probably considered that at the design stage.
I think i would re mount the filter box with an additional few mm distance just so i could get something down there to clean .. im actually debating on this filter or an external for my marine setup.. something is telling me external would be better 🤔
Just make sure you leave enough distance between the tank and the wall for the pipes if you do. I just took the filter out because Fluval sent me an FX2 to try and I've just discovered I made that mistake. Gotta drain the whole thing and move it forward haha..
Thanks Matthew. The position of the lift tube, etc means it would only work on one side but as you say you can remove it. Could spin it around ninety degrees and secure it in the opposite corner then but not ideal.
I've just looked at mine i can put the out let on the right side if i remove the heater only problem is the outlet pipe needs to be a little bit longer i think the newer ones are slightly different as i didn't see a hole on your right side but the one in your tank has it. But it's to much work to cut it out and reseale it they definitely need to re think it like you say I've even tried suction cups to put it back in that doesn't work.
That lid definitely could be improved, the filter should be made to place on either side of the tank, all small things that could be improved, maybe you can contact the company that makes the setup and or send them this video so they can maybe make some improvements on the system.
Hi bud, I have this in the 240 version. Thing is my water is definitely not half as clear as yours 😭 and I'm under stocked. I set mine up the same as pondguru. How have you set yours up? I'm in 2 minds about buying a 307.
I just have the sponges that came with it (minus the carbon one, I only use those in specific circumstances). I have them all in the top section, course to the top working down to fine then the floss pad. In the bottom section I have left some space and have my biomedia in the very bottom. I had a big six foot custom built tank in this spot before the Juwel so the biomedia is the stuff I had in the canister filter when I swapped them over. Meant the Juwel pretty much insta-cycled. 😉👍
Yeah. It's not easy to remove it but you can do it and put it in the other corner but it's not ideal and my point is it would be good to have the option of either as standard.
@@DanielKeepingFish I don't think it would make much difference to the flow and function of it was mounted the way i discribed. I removed one of those from a Juwel Rio 350 not long ago. It's not very hard if you have a quite long knife with a thin flexible blade. Like a filé knife or similar. I only had cut through about half of the glue points before starting to pull harder and harder slowly.
could it not be put on the back glass on the left you would probably have to figure out how to get your outlet so it goes accross the tank instead of straight to the front but could work
Yeah you're right; you could but it's a pain to remove. Then you're repositioning it, replacing and fixing it and the flow's all wrong. Would be much better if they offered a left or right placement filter option. Like I said a small point but worth making folk considering buying this tank aware I reckon hey. 👍
You may not be an aquarium engineer Daniel but this company would be silly not to take some constructive criticism from such an experienced gentleman like yourself for sure Mate….great review DKF👍👍👍
Ah thank you. Coming from gentlemen such as yourself and Jack; experienced and innovative in the hobby I shall take that as high praise and gratefully reviced. Cheers boys.
I found the filter to be less than adequate on my Rio 240. So I removed it. I'm now running the Fluval 407 and I am MUCH happier. I also took off the flappy pads from the top, and the lights. Replaced with Hygger full spectrum LEDs and both the fish and the plants are thanking me for it with a beautiful growth. That means that I'm running the tank open top, but I'm ok with that. I got to go high with my driftwood and have it stick out of the top of the tank.
@@kierongreen3636 It really wasn't hard. You need a somewhat sharp, long and very flat tool, something that can fit in between the filter and the glass. And then you just carefully slice through every blob of silicone that holds the filter. It gets easier the more you go. Just be extra careful close to the corner of the tank so that you don't poke the silicone in the corner. Once the filter is off, scrape the remaining silicone off of the glass with a razor or similar. Remove all the pieces that fell off and you're good. Fluval connects nice, just hang the pipes through the coutouts in the tank top brace (which are designed specifically for this).
Dear Daniel: Is it necessary for the right side of the filter to be flush with the glass? It might not look ideal, but if you put enough room between the filter and the glass to get your hand in there and clean, the issue might be somewhat resolved. Jewel should definitely pay you for your review. This upload is "gold," for their Research and Development Department. Thank you for sharing this, detailed and expertly produced video. Your tank is stunning and the inhabitants and plants look right happy. All my best, Sincerely, E. J. Brinegar
Thanks very much E. J. That's very kind of you to say those things. I think if the gap were big enough to slip your hand in then the danger is a fish of some size may get stuck in there possibly. There is an intake vent on the side so I guess they did intend some passage of water and waste along that side, maybe a mm or two more would have prevented detritus getting stuck and allow for a small cleaning tool to pass through.
Dear Daniel: In that case, I wonder if Gil's suggestion, below, to "turn the filter 90 degrees with return facing towards the front," may be an option. You could add a wave-maker, since the flow would no longer be across the tank. Alternately, if your handy, like Gil, you could stop-up the out-take hole and drill a new one, on the right of the filter. I would remove this, internal filter and go with a hang-on-the-back or canister filter. I believe you said that hang-on-the-back (HOB) filters are difficult to come by in the United Kingdom and that this tank was not meant for a HOB. So, a canister filter might be the best choice. Either would increase real estate for your, lovely pets and plants. Whatever you do or don't do, the tank looks incredible, as it is. Thank you for sharing details of the amazing setup. Sincerely, Brinegar
I had one (Rio 180) and the tie-beam broke away. The glass began to have the belly. Furthermore a lot of dirty remains at the bottom of the filter and when the sponges are put inside after cleaning it goes around.
I have never had any problems with my Juwel filters, i use Seachem Matrix in 3 boxes on the down part and on the upperpart 2 coarse from top and 2 fine sponges and i have zero nitrate and nitrite. You just got to give it a few weeks from the first start …
This filter ate my cherry shrimp , I have glued some netting over it but it now looks a mess😢I watched a video that shows a different way to set up the filter which I am going to try😊
Yeah it's a big filter that's not really designed to be shrimp safe but there are several ways to customise it to make it more so. I bet your shrimp will still be in there by the way. I'd try to siphon the water out carefully with a large diameter hose when you are going to make the changes. Wouldn't mind betting you'll get your shrimp back.
Good review, Daniel! This aquarium (well, the Rio 125) is on my shortlist. Your review has actually moved it to top of the list. I am planning to use a deep substrate. How much space is between the bottom of the filter and the bottom of the tank? Could fish fry get sucked in through the filter inlet holes? It wouldn't be a deal breaker - I could always use a foam filter and separate heater. Any reason you prefer blue backgrounds? I can't make up my mind which colour to get and it must be a pain to get to the back of the tank to change background once the whole thing is filled with water.
sure looks like the one in the tank has the other hole if you really wanted to swap it to the other side you clearly can ... maybe add the single hole filter in it's place and get double filtration - 2 problems solved for ya there hey?
So I have an FX on it now which didn't come without it's own problems by the way but the point of this video was to discuss a couple of issues that comes with the tank as it is standard from the manufacturer. Thanks for your suggestion though. 👍
@@DanielKeepingFish Appreciate the reply. I ended up binging on a lot of your videos and seen you got the FX. I’ll buy the same tank in 2024 but with an FX6. I was curious why you didn’t go with the bigger FX version for this tank?
@andydefaoite2567 ah, because Fluval sent me the FX2 to review, that's the only reason. I was quite happy with the internal filter that came with the tank but when they sent me the FX I couldn't not switch it out. If I was to buy and FX for the tank I probably would have gone for the 4 if not the 6 but the 2 actually dies a stand up job too.
I got 10 multilux led tubes for £100 reduced 3 times from £500. They work fine in a T5 fixture with an led driver of the correct wattage. I aint got Juwel money, I still think they were a bit pricey at the reduced rate.
I lost two loach that got wedged up the back of the filter in the corner. Terrible design for a tank with fish. It was built to be planted tank with high level gravel
@@DanielKeepingFish as long as your happy with them ,that's all that matters!..I kept a couple of juwel aquariums a few yrs ago,and the first thing I done was remove the filters and put an external on them,the fluval recommended flow is no where near enough in my opinion!!👍
You can have the filter on the left side of the tank. You just have to rotate it by 90 degrees. So the pump outlet faces forwards, and the strainer faces straight into the aquarium.
My tank is like yours viewed from the right end. So moving it has worked well. I thought it'd look odd, but it's been fine. Bit too late for yours without draining it for a few days to silicone the filter in. You could try double suction cups, but it's textured plastic, so may not suction well.
Interestingly I have an old juwel filter from the late 90s that has a circular cut out level with the pump outlet on the right, as if it were made to allow for moving the filter. However the central uplift is offset to the right, meaning that the pump can never operate the opposite way round. It's odd they put that blank outlet hole in it without a function. Probably why it's now gone.
My only issue with my rio 240 is I should have got the 350. I've found that the new glass seems easier to scratch than my old 125 from the 90s. I've got the original t8 light on that tank still going strong despite being over 20 years old. You can't go wrong with juwel tanks.
Older versions of the Bioflow filters had holes for left and right side placement, wonder why they removed that.
I’m going to do exactly this on a used Rio 350, although what I can’t understand is like Daniel’s setup my filter also has a vent the bottom and a hole up the top on the side stuck to the glass as if it could be used the other way round.
I’m wondering if there would be any benefit to having the filter sit away from the back slightly to allow water to pass through the extra vent or maybe it’s not much use anyway being on the opposite side of the pump?
You can put a fitting black wrap at the outside of the glass covering the filter. Properly done, nobody will notice.
Thanks for your clear review.
Great review, I’ve had Juwel tanks for about 20 years.
I now have a rio 125 setup as a marine tank.
I did remove the Juwel filter but then realised it was a mistake and put it back in.
I wish Juwel could make the filter so it was some how held on the tank with magnets so you could remove it and give it a clean, but if it was Held on with magnets you would probably get vibration noises.
Also when you was showing the holes inside the filter where the water flows in, the piece of plastic that holds the pump and heater actually slides out. So you can remove that part and give it a clean.
Thanks Andy. I wounder is it as simple as some kind of cradle system that fits up and over the gaps each side where the wires go so that the filter could be left or right seated. Even making them with the option of right or left when you purchase them or something.
That said I'm maybe being a little picky, I love the aquarium regardless right enough.
I just used a glass cleaning magnet and put it in the top of the filter, then wedged the bottom in place with some driftwood. It doesn't move.
With regards to the gunk behind the filter. You could get some black film and stick it to the outside of the tank, cut to the size of the filter, that way it will just be black and not unsightly.
Nicely said. Unlike another video I just watched where a Guy blocked the said hole but stuck to his guns when people pointed out his mistake.
I had a Rio 180 years ago. The filter is okay for tanks that aren't overstocked. Especially planted tanks. Which I think is what Juwel originally designed them for.
I am thinking of getting a larger Rio for chiclids. I plan to run two externals. I will take out the Juwel filter as three is overkill.
I wish they would ship them without the filter attached. But then I suppose people would complain about that!
Yeah well got to admit when we're wrong hey. It's all about studying and learning.
Yeah I agree, would be good if they sold it so you can position the filter where you want or even the option of left of right mounted.
If you get a new one hope you enjoy it. Really like mine and think they're great tanks. 👍
Great review ,,, i also have a Juwel Lido 200 . i covered that portion of the filter with Black vinyl .
Great working filter .no problems at all . the Lower basket is filed with bio balls in trays that i bought from Juwel media , opened up and swapped the media out .. lol i even have the same pothos plant growing out of the same place ...
all the best to you ...
Haha Thanks Roland. Yeah I had it sticking out the gap at the other end but someone kept eating the roots.
Absolutely stunning tank. Good honest review. Never had a jewel aquarium. I didnt notice the detritus issue til you mentioned it lol. Hope you and the family are well. Catch you in the next video😊👍
And now you can't not see it I bet. Sorry Alison haha..
@@DanielKeepingFish plenty detritus in my canister filter. Christ it was stinking, yet somehow there was fry swimming in there 😂😂 you can keep it I got my own skanky crud 🤣🤣
@@alisonnicholson hahaha.. 😉
with the worse possible fish
I agree with the point concerning the lids. One great positive point is that you can get get replacement parts for all your stuff from tanks 30 years old or more, the design is the same for T8, T5, and LED. Something broken can easily be replaced. Now you can replace your t8 TL with led, just by changing the light beam. Negative point for me is that the inside filter is glued. I think its better to furnish the inside filter with a tube of silicone. So you can choose to use it or an external cannister without removing the filter. I think the filter is good but I want the extra space and visuals. The quality of the aquarium is very good, you never hear of glass separation from the silicone. I have mine for 30 years now.
Wow 30 years? i just restarted my rio240 and googling to much seeing life span is around 10 years. made me worried.
@@Dragon69FlyTeam I have three, one from 30 year old, the others some 20 years. They glue the silicone with a robotic arm, standard amount every time and some 2000 a day! I saw a film of the firm with te production process. I think small firms or custom tanks are a liability, some times you hear that the glass leaks after a few years due to a not perfect clean surface before they glue the silicone to the glass or a not perfect application of the silicone. Juwel is a market leader and has a reputation to protect. Fun fact: the firm dates back to 1966, they have a little museum of their models. And just now I discovered that I gave a Juwel from 1968 to my son! still filled with water and no leaks. More than 50 years old! They used silicone, a gold aluminium frame and a gold aluminum light fixture. This one has excellent lids from gold coloured aluminum, indestructible!
@@MarijkeWillemsen990 Wow awsome to hear. Also great that youre son keeps fish to. I also got into this hobby thanks to my dad :). I realy have to look up for that making off film. I had serveral juwels in the past ( slowly growing in size over the years) an realy like them. Have a nice day!
@@Dragon69FlyTeam Have a nice day!
What would you say about putting hevey river rocks in the jewel rea . Do you think the bottom glass panel could support the wight ?
The glass is pretty thick but I wouldn't like to say go for it. What I'd suggest if you're going to is placing plastic egg crate at the base of the aquarium before adding your substrate and rocks. The would spread the weight of the rocks out a bit and eliminate some pressure points.
VERY INSIGHTFUL AND INTERESTING, LOVE THE APPROACH OF SHARING THEN REACTING. BLESSINGS BOSS
Thanks Raleigh. 👍
I've got the rio 240. I moved the filter to the left hand side of the tank by putting what you called the "gunky" side of the filter against the back glass. But I found the filter was taking up a lot of the room within the tank so I got a fluvel 307 cannister filter which is awesome! The biggest disappointment with the juwel I found were the multilix lights that come with the tank. I just didn't find the led light tubes adequate enough for plants and the light unit got water damaged after a year and a bit so I bought the helialux light which is so much more efficient, easy to clean and more light from it, which helps with plant growth as it has the different coloured LEDs in it. Though the helialux doesn't come cheap! after 5 years or so of the rio 240 I am looking to upgrade my tank to a 500/600 litre tank. I was looking at the rio 450 but I just can't justify buying one when I know the lights are an issue and I would need to spend another couple hundred quid or so for a bigger helialux light. So I might just buy a different brand and have the current light system I use and put on top of the condensation glass.
I have grown plenty of plants in mine but none that really require high light I suppose.
I took the filter out too eventually. Only because Fluval sent me their FX2 but certainly feels like an upgrade and as you say frees up space in the tank.
Could you turn the filter 90 degrees with return facing towards the front then put it in the left hand corner? Or just paint or cover the outside with some black contact to hide the gunk? Would it be possible to drill a few holes in the side to draw the gunk into the filter?
Could do all of these things for sure! Wanted to point these issues out though so anyone thinking of buying these aquariums knew the issues that I'd noticed. They're still great tanks too though. I really do love it.
Good point covered! Juwel tanks are solid however did face same issues you have, filter was good but had to go took up too much space now my tank is a proper 450 litre!
Thanks bud.
I moved my juwel filter to the left rear of tank. Turned it sideways so to speak, works perfectly!
Actually get better water circulation…
How easy was it to remove from the back right Mike? Thinking of doing this aswell when I upgrade my tank next year. Did you just silicon it into the left rear?
Cheers
@@brianwatt8927 was quite easy to remove with thin putty knife gently cutting existing silicone between the glass and filter. Made sure to cut against the filter and not the glass.
Then yes you can silicone it to opposite back corner, It gave a better direction of flow from there…
@@mikepaton6896 thanks for that bud good to know it can be done with minimal fuss 👍
Put some black static cling blackout on outside of the glass to cover the back of the filter? IMO the led light is too bright. I got 3 sheets of optiwhite cut to fit and ditched the light unit. Now i can use any light i want over it. If the filter is noisy, try leaving off the filter lid. If think small fish will be pulled into filter side intake, buy Juwel intake strainer and fill the inside with foil to block it entirely. If you want to reduce the flow, buy multiple outlet pipes and slot them together to make a long tube and then fit onto filter. You can also cut up plastic syphon tubing and trap in the pipes to reduce flow further.
Thanks for the thoughts and ideas.
I never had any problems with fish getting sucked into the filter and I didn't feel the light was too bright when it was a planted tank but I've changed it up quite a bit since this video. I have Malawi in there now and definitely feel the light was too bright for them so just yesterday I installed a Fluval Aquasky. It's much better and that's before I've even played with the settings. I also removed the filter and have an FX on it now.
Daniel your aquarium is looking absolutely beautiful mate! 🙂 The juwel filter is a absolute awesome piece of kit, it keeps the water quality pristine!. I do agree with the filter being to close to the glass , I've noticed that alot of waste builds up there but luckily enough I have door that hides that corner. But you could always get some black background to cover the filter with mate. Keep up the amazing work mate 🙂
Thanks man. I could paint it with black paint too but honestly the geek in me wants to study it for a while. Still a wee bit of a design flaw anyway but. Did the Guppy Grass get there okay bud?
he should get other fish.. these fish need diffrent waterparameter and bigger aquariums with more plants!
The filter for me caused huge problems! I found that where the impeller sits, there was loads of waste in there and somehow managed to build up a little snail nest too! The part where it joins the glass was also horrible. Filled with waste that I just couldn't get out. Ended up cutting it out and using an Oase Biomaster. Extra space in the tank now and no little floaty bits in the tank. The lid just needs to be made of thicker plastic to help with the bend or as you said reinforced a bit.
That is why, you need to do regular maintenance.
Hi Daniel.
How are you Sir?
I see what you mean about the lid, it is a little flimsy and a bit fidgety. I too do not like when water and waste gets caught in that grove.
As for the Filter, that is not too bad. If you want you can always make changes with some thought, planning and imagination.
All in all, the Fish Tank itself is good.
You could always put a nice Plant at the end of your Aquarium to hide that view of the gunk behind the Filter. 👍 It will look natural and nobody needs to know what is hidden by the Plant. 👍
I know it is always more money, however it is just a suggestion.
Your video has just been given the Third big 👍 up.
I appreciate you sharing. Thankyou very much kind Sir.
Take care. 👍😊❤️
Hey bud.
Honestly the filter I don't mind at all. It doesn't draw my eye or detract from my enjoyment of the tank. I do feel having a left or right placement option and having it flush with the glass or having a few mm so detritus either doesn't get stuck or is more easily cleaned away would be better but hey I still think it's a great set up. Think it's one of the better options outside of custom builds that are available at this point.
Take care mate. Hope all is well with you.
@@DanielKeepingFish You have a point there.
Besides, it is not that bad because it is easy to clean.
You could even put spacers to move it away from the glass a little so the dirt does not jam between the filter and the glass.
Indeed all is well with me, thankyou very much Sir.
Being able to have the filter on the other side seems like a decent option for people, another for me would be a low iron glass panel on the front of their bigger tanks. Ultra clear glass that doesn't have any green tinge to it.
I took the filter out of my Rio 350 and run an Eheim external so the filter position isn't an issue for me.
One thing about their newer aquariums is the depth, something they've increased from previous models. I'm 6 foot tall and can't stand beside the tank and reach to the bottom so it must be a nightmare for shorter people. An aquarium stand that had 10-12 inches lopped off it's height would be better for reaching into the tank and also for veiwing. If you're sitting down in a chair or on the couch enjoying your tank, you'r eye level is a couple of inches above the substrate level. You're kind of looking up into the water and seeing the surface instead of looking straight into the tank.
A clever thing about the built in Juwel filter is you can add an external filter. Just put the external filter's intake pipe down into the void next to where the Juwel powerhead sits and the external filters outlet pipe at the other side of the aquarium. So if you have a lot of messy fish you can have extra filtration.
All great points! Thanks for adding them, I'm sure that will help people considering purchasing these tanks.
The height thing may be a personal preference thing but it might be good to have either option right enough.
What brand and make of external filter did u add , I have bought a rio350 recently and was thinking of adding a external filter
@@moinulhussain725 Captain Win added an Eheim and I experimented with adding a Oase Biomaster Termo in another video. Both canister filters.
The way I got round that problem years ago was to stick black fablon cut to size on the glass just over where the filter shows and I thought it looked fine. It just ends up looking like the filter but covers up the dirt.
Thanks very much for the suggestion Nicki.
i have the rio aswell i agree theres a few things but over all im pleased with it just starting to remodel the tank and adding something new to go with my angles.
Yeah definitely agree. Think they're great tanks. Don't think there's anything such as the perfect tank to be fair, we can always find something we don't like about an aquarium or things we'd like to change or customise but these were only small points. Generally I think they're really good.
@DanielKeepingFish I agree completly there's always some thing to do from differwnt media plants rocks and different fish
Opinions please! Which starter setup is best:
- Juwel Rio 125
- Fluval Roma 125
Seems the Juwel has a better light but worse filter and vice versa with the Fluval..
Sorry Matt I only just noticed this comment. It's a tough one. Might come down to what cabinet and design you prefer because you can customise the others at a later point of course.
I just bought the Rio 240 and the only thing I did not like was the filter being glued onto the glass. Should be easy for Juwel to change that using suction cups. I did remove it carefully and it looks so much better with an external filter.
Yeah I don't get why it's got to be a fixture either.
I've got the Juwel 3d background on it now so it's not quite as obvious but does still take up a fair bit of space though.
Yes I just bought one and the advice is good thanks from Australia
Cheers Scott. Enjoy your new tank.
I've had a few Juwel tanks over the years, first thing I always do is out the internal filter for an external one but thats just my preference, but the main thing that bugs the hell out of me about there tanks is the black plastic support bars at the top and the shadows they put through the tank, not to mention if you have fish that jump abit the damage those bars do to their heads is ridiculous
We have taken that internal filter out of our tank, it is absolutely useless !
It takes up so much space, and leaves a lot of waste on the floor of the tank, the mess it has stuck behind the filter as you say is and looks horrible, the longer you have it that gunk builds and builds up and you cannot get to it to get it out, so we had to remove the filter and now have an external filter that leaves no waste or gunk behind.
The internal filter is useless.
So I had a jewel Rio 180….I found the glass was so thin when the tank was full if you looked along the front top edge you could see the glass bowing. I’ve been thinking of getting one of these 450l tanks….but am concerned the 6mm glass is sufficiently thick enough and I would have the same issue……does yours bow out at the front?
Can't say I noticed it. I had a quick look there and I'm not 100%. Going to need to find a long straight edge to text it.
That said there is some natural flexibility in glass so I'm sure they probably considered that at the design stage.
@@DanielKeepingFish mine was really obvious, so if you can’t see it easily I presume all is good. Thanks, I will buy one. Cheers.
Informative review Daniel. Is the filter pump self priming? Thanks
Thanks very much Bob. Yeah just plug it in with enough water in the tank and away it goes.
@@DanielKeepingFish thanks
I think i would re mount the filter box with an additional few mm distance just so i could get something down there to clean .. im actually debating on this filter or an external for my marine setup.. something is telling me external would be better 🤔
Just make sure you leave enough distance between the tank and the wall for the pipes if you do. I just took the filter out because Fluval sent me an FX2 to try and I've just discovered I made that mistake. Gotta drain the whole thing and move it forward haha..
I cut my filter out and use a fx6 but i have noticed there is a hole on the outher side of the filter outlet so maybe it's designed to go on each end.
Thanks Matthew. The position of the lift tube, etc means it would only work on one side but as you say you can remove it. Could spin it around ninety degrees and secure it in the opposite corner then but not ideal.
I've just looked at mine i can put the out let on the right side if i remove the heater only problem is the outlet pipe needs to be a little bit longer i think the newer ones are slightly different as i didn't see a hole on your right side but the one in your tank has it. But it's to much work to cut it out and reseale it they definitely need to re think it like you say I've even tried suction cups to put it back in that doesn't work.
Nice sharing bravo ❤greetings from France 🇫🇷
Thanks Fabrique.
That lid definitely could be improved, the filter should be made to place on either side of the tank, all small things that could be improved, maybe you can contact the company that makes the setup and or send them this video so they can maybe make some improvements on the system.
Haha nice idea. Not sure they'd listen much to me much though mate.
Hi bud, I have this in the 240 version. Thing is my water is definitely not half as clear as yours 😭 and I'm under stocked. I set mine up the same as pondguru. How have you set yours up? I'm in 2 minds about buying a 307.
I just have the sponges that came with it (minus the carbon one, I only use those in specific circumstances). I have them all in the top section, course to the top working down to fine then the floss pad. In the bottom section I have left some space and have my biomedia in the very bottom. I had a big six foot custom built tank in this spot before the Juwel so the biomedia is the stuff I had in the canister filter when I swapped them over. Meant the Juwel pretty much insta-cycled. 😉👍
DANGEROUS DANIEL, that's a nice tank 💪
Thanks very much mate. It is that no doubt.
Hi, can you tell me what is the big blue fish called? Thanks!
They are Electric Blue Acara bud. The largest is the male and the smaller the female. Wonderful fish.
Can't you mount it on the left hand side by just turning it 90 degrees with the short end of the filter sitting against the left hand side short end?
Yeah. It's not easy to remove it but you can do it and put it in the other corner but it's not ideal and my point is it would be good to have the option of either as standard.
@@DanielKeepingFish I don't think it would make much difference to the flow and function of it was mounted the way i discribed.
I removed one of those from a Juwel Rio 350 not long ago. It's not very hard if you have a quite long knife with a thin flexible blade. Like a filé knife or similar. I only had cut through about half of the glue points before starting to pull harder and harder slowly.
Its definetely the walls in your house Daniel, they all look leftsided walls to me, no rightsided walls anywhere :P
Hahaha knew it! Nothing for it then I'll just need to move to a house that matches the tank.
could it not be put on the back glass on the left you would probably have to figure out how to get your outlet so it goes accross the tank instead of straight to the front but could work
Yeah you're right; you could but it's a pain to remove. Then you're repositioning it, replacing and fixing it and the flow's all wrong. Would be much better if they offered a left or right placement filter option. Like I said a small point but worth making folk considering buying this tank aware I reckon hey. 👍
ye they should offer that .... tank and fish are looking great
You may not be an aquarium engineer Daniel but this company would be silly not to take some constructive criticism from such an experienced gentleman like yourself for sure Mate….great review DKF👍👍👍
Ah thank you. Coming from gentlemen such as yourself and Jack; experienced and innovative in the hobby I shall take that as high praise and gratefully reviced. Cheers boys.
Put the filter on the back side in the left end.
Then get a 90 degre pipe to turn the water strem on they way back from the filter.
I found the filter to be less than adequate on my Rio 240. So I removed it. I'm now running the Fluval 407 and I am MUCH happier. I also took off the flappy pads from the top, and the lights. Replaced with Hygger full spectrum LEDs and both the fish and the plants are thanking me for it with a beautiful growth. That means that I'm running the tank open top, but I'm ok with that. I got to go high with my driftwood and have it stick out of the top of the tank.
Hi was it hard to remove the internal filter?? Also how did you use the fluval 407? Did you put the pipes over the top of the tank
@@kierongreen3636 It really wasn't hard. You need a somewhat sharp, long and very flat tool, something that can fit in between the filter and the glass. And then you just carefully slice through every blob of silicone that holds the filter. It gets easier the more you go. Just be extra careful close to the corner of the tank so that you don't poke the silicone in the corner. Once the filter is off, scrape the remaining silicone off of the glass with a razor or similar. Remove all the pieces that fell off and you're good. Fluval connects nice, just hang the pipes through the coutouts in the tank top brace (which are designed specifically for this).
All valid points, BUT it must be doing something right because that water looks good enough to drink.
Haha... video coming up; DKF tastes the tank water. Nope. Done it a few times by accident of course but setting out to do that? Just no haha..
I wanna get this tank, the 125L version, i wanna create a simple fancy goldfish tank, whats your thought on its internal filter?
I like it. I'd probably go with setting it up the way they recommend at first but there's plenty of room for customisation later if you feel to.
I've been looking to pur have the Jewul Lido 120L and this has helped as this is just a little bigger I think?
Dear Daniel:
Is it necessary for the right side of the filter to be flush with the glass? It might not look ideal, but if you put enough room between the filter and the glass to get your hand in there and clean, the issue might be somewhat resolved.
Jewel should definitely pay you for your review. This upload is "gold," for their Research and Development Department.
Thank you for sharing this, detailed and expertly produced video. Your tank is stunning and the inhabitants and plants look right happy.
All my best,
Sincerely,
E. J. Brinegar
Thanks very much E. J. That's very kind of you to say those things.
I think if the gap were big enough to slip your hand in then the danger is a fish of some size may get stuck in there possibly. There is an intake vent on the side so I guess they did intend some passage of water and waste along that side, maybe a mm or two more would have prevented detritus getting stuck and allow for a small cleaning tool to pass through.
Dear Daniel:
In that case, I wonder if Gil's suggestion, below, to "turn the filter 90 degrees with return facing towards the front," may be an option. You could add a wave-maker, since the flow would no longer be across the tank. Alternately, if your handy, like Gil, you could stop-up the out-take hole and drill a new one, on the right of the filter.
I would remove this, internal filter and go with a hang-on-the-back or canister filter. I believe you said that hang-on-the-back (HOB) filters are difficult to come by in the United Kingdom and that this tank was not meant for a HOB. So, a canister filter might be the best choice. Either would increase real estate for your, lovely pets and plants.
Whatever you do or don't do, the tank looks incredible, as it is.
Thank you for sharing details of the amazing setup.
Sincerely,
Brinegar
I had one (Rio 180) and the tie-beam broke away. The glass began to have the belly. Furthermore a lot of dirty remains at the bottom of the filter and when the sponges are put inside after cleaning it goes around.
On my water is not coming out for that pipe but it works i can hear that impala working .I even took out and opened it was clean ...
I have never had any problems with my Juwel filters, i use Seachem Matrix in 3 boxes on the down part and on the upperpart 2 coarse from top and 2 fine sponges and i have zero nitrate and nitrite. You just got to give it a few weeks from the first start …
I have a rio 330 the standard filter went in the bin and I put a fx6 on it 🎉 I never ran the standard filter 🎉
This filter ate my cherry shrimp , I have glued some netting over it but it now looks a mess😢I watched a video that shows a different way to set up the filter which I am going to try😊
Yeah it's a big filter that's not really designed to be shrimp safe but there are several ways to customise it to make it more so.
I bet your shrimp will still be in there by the way. I'd try to siphon the water out carefully with a large diameter hose when you are going to make the changes. Wouldn't mind betting you'll get your shrimp back.
You can get Shrimp guards to fit the Juwel filters, very cheap and work well 👌
Drill couple holes in so water drips out, and glue some hard plastic along lid to keep it rigid
Yeah good ideas for sure. Just feel like we shouldn't have to do that as those issues should be resolved at manufacturing level.
@Daniel Keeping Fish true but if it's not its something we can easy fix
Excellent review
Cheers Larry.
Good review, Daniel!
This aquarium (well, the Rio 125) is on my shortlist. Your review has actually moved it to top of the list.
I am planning to use a deep substrate. How much space is between the bottom of the filter and the bottom of the tank?
Could fish fry get sucked in through the filter inlet holes? It wouldn't be a deal breaker - I could always use a foam filter and separate heater.
Any reason you prefer blue backgrounds? I can't make up my mind which colour to get and it must be a pain to get to the back of the tank to change background once the whole thing is filled with water.
Nothing wrong with small flaps my friend 😂
😆
Great review 👍
Thanks a lot John.
Great 💡
How hard is it to remove the internal filter please
Try putting window film over the filter so you can't see it only needs to be big enough to cover the view of the filter
I love those filters 🙂
Me too. Think it does a great job.
sure looks like the one in the tank has the other hole if you really wanted to swap it to the other side you clearly can ... maybe add the single hole filter in it's place and get double filtration - 2 problems solved for ya there hey?
@@weldereiss7289 I’ve actually removed since then and I’m using a different filter but thanks so much for your thoughts and ideas. 👍
Would an external Fluval FX6 not solve this?
So I have an FX on it now which didn't come without it's own problems by the way but the point of this video was to discuss a couple of issues that comes with the tank as it is standard from the manufacturer.
Thanks for your suggestion though. 👍
@@DanielKeepingFish Appreciate the reply. I ended up binging on a lot of your videos and seen you got the FX. I’ll buy the same tank in 2024 but with an FX6. I was curious why you didn’t go with the bigger FX version for this tank?
@andydefaoite2567 ah, because Fluval sent me the FX2 to review, that's the only reason. I was quite happy with the internal filter that came with the tank but when they sent me the FX I couldn't not switch it out.
If I was to buy and FX for the tank I probably would have gone for the 4 if not the 6 but the 2 actually dies a stand up job too.
I got 10 multilux led tubes for £100 reduced 3 times from £500. They work fine in a T5 fixture with an led driver of the correct wattage.
I aint got Juwel money, I still think they were a bit pricey at the reduced rate.
When I get my Rio 450 I'm gonna change the plastic lid to glass and point the top of the glass black
السلام عليكم بالتوفيق والنجاح الدائم ♥️
ماشاء الله 👍 بالتوفيق
👍👍
👍👍
I lost two loach that got wedged up the back of the filter in the corner. Terrible design for a tank with fish. It was built to be planted tank with high level gravel
get a narrow drill bit and add your own drainage holes in the lid groove.
Could do Pup but thought it was a point worth pointing out to others considering purchasing these aquariums hey.
1 think I'd change is that ugly filter they supply with it.. I'd change it to a fx4 or fx6
I feel that the filter is weak, I see you roi 125
It's been great for me bud. I have no complaints about it but every system is different I guess.
Mertz Expressway
Addison Well
The juwel filter is absolutely horrible
Some people love it, some people hate it I think. For me it's held up well so far.
Un mélange d'espèces incohérent et un seul scalaire quand il en faut quatre ou cinq minimum
Rylee Camp
Damaris Hills
The filter is useless!!!!
Really? I think it's okay. Not saying it's as good as an FX6 or anything but for an internal filter I feel like it does a stand up job.
@@DanielKeepingFish as long as your happy with them ,that's all that matters!..I kept a couple of juwel aquariums a few yrs ago,and the first thing I done was remove the filters and put an external on them,the fluval recommended flow is no where near enough in my opinion!!👍
Bruen Squares