Juwel Rio 180 Tropical

Well, if it's a good enough tactic for the boys, it's good enough for the girls as well. That's what I think anyway. 

I've been very good so far – haven't bought anything yet. I'm considering the Juwel Rio, as it looks so good in the piccies.
We're going away for a couple of weeks at beginning of July, so probably will order on my return.
I just wondered, does anyone (including your esteemed self, Colin) know how loud the pump is in the Rio? I realise that they all make a noise, but would like to get as quiet a tank as possible.

Of course, when it's all set up, I too can post a message saying (nonchalantly) 'just running the two tanks at the moment...' 

Good idea, thanks Sue 

Thanks dbaggie. I do really like the look of the Rio, so I'm definately 'leaning' that way at the moment.

I saw some CPDs yesterday that must have been more mature or well looked after than the other more dull ones I've seen they really are gorgeous fish but yes quite small. .. I'm used to small fish though with my little tank!

I've seen CPDs at my local fish shop at the weekend. They had really muted colours, no wonder I missed them before. Maybe I should rescue a few and get them home, bring a better colour out of them.

Juwel filters come in for a lot of criticism because the flow rating falls below the "5 times turnover per hour" standard. But they are good filters with appropriate stocking, ie no very messy fish. And a messy fish is defined as one that poos a lot (eg plecs) or one that eats a lot of meaty food and leaves a fair amount uneaten on the bottom of the tank (eg oscars).

There are a few of things about the media.
Unlike other filters, the white floss pads are first in the direction of water flow. Juwel intend them to trap the debris before it can get to the rest of the media, rather than 'polish' the fine bits from the water at the end of the water flow. The pads get clogged quickly (all that debris!) and won't wash more than a couple of times before going shapeless and holey so they need replacing every couple of weeks. It works out expensive buying Juwel-brand pads so get a roll of filter wool and cut it to the size of the pads. You won't dispose of many bacteria because they are changed too quickly to grow many, and filter wool is not a very good home for he bacteria anyway.
Keep the black carbon sponge in the cupboard.
If the media includes a green sponge, that is supposed to remove nitrate. Most people reckon it doesn't. But it is a good home for the bacteria, treat it like a blue sponge.

And don't change the media as often as Juwel say 

Thanks Sue and Richard. I'm pleased to read your advice because I do like the look of this tank.
Because I'm still a beginner, I don't intend to keep anything but 'easy' and relatively non-demanding fish, but would platies (just a couple of males, as I don't want to deal with babies) count as being too messy for the flow rate of this filter?
Also, when you recommend that I don't change the media (apart from the white filter wool) as often as Juwel suggest, how often should I change it and do I have to use branded Juwel filter media when changing? 

You might note, however, there have been a lot of reports on here of problems with platies succumbing easily to some disease or other. I assume that, like guppies, the various colourful types have been produced by inbreeding, with a consequent loss of robustness. Not a fish that I would choose these days for easy care and reliability. You might be lucky though ...............

I second what Richard said..... a number of my platies turned up their little fishy toes very quickly. The ones that didn't started beating hell out of each other once they reached fishy puberty. I would never have platies again.

Barbs, on the other hand, I would have tank-fulls of.
(Please excuse the mangled grammar of that last sentence. )

Thanks Colin, but don't barbs beat the bejeezers out of everyone else in the tank?

My 5-band barbs, cherry barbs, lemon tetras and neon tetras live in peace and harmony with the odd half-hearted chase. There're lots of plants, wood and Dave the Dinosaur for them to swim around and break up sight lines so maybe this helps.

However; my 'next tank' will be packed full of barbs. mmmm - or perhaps..........