# juwel rio 400l (new pics 03032011)



## wearsbunnyslippers (6 Dec 2009)

hi everyone,

this is my tank...

it is juwel rio 400, 8 x 45w t5's with pressurized co2 and flourite.

i dose 1 tsp kno3 and 1/8th tsp kh2po4 on mon, wed, fri, and 10ml traces tue, thu, sat with a 25% water change on sunday.

i have been inspired by james and fluo preferring almost dutch nature tanks, and belgian tanks. i am wanting to move to a lower type maintenance tank, all the stem trimming is taking up too much time.

this is the second incarnation of this tank, as i had to break down my first scape when i moved from johannesburg to cape town.


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## Mark Evans (6 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

That's gorgeous!

I'm really starting to like the 'Dutch' themed tanks. It reminds me of when i first started. without intending to do so, my first scape revolved around the idea of the 'Dutch' style tank.

could we have a plant list please?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (6 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

thanks saintly, your tanks are super awesome, so thats a nice compliment!






1.   vallis
2.   hygro difformis
3.   rotala rotundiflora
4.   myriopyllum tubeculatum
5.   hemianthus macranthemoides
6.   hydrocotyle verticillata
7.   ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
8.   polygonum sp. 'kawagoeanum' 
9.   bacopa madagascariensis
10. echinodorus quadricostatus
11. pogostemon helferi
12. giant hygro
13. pogostemon stellatus narrow
14. rotala wallichii
15. rotala macrandra
16. ammania gracillis
17. ludwigia ovalis
18. narrow leafed hygro
19. limnophila aromatica
20. heteranthera zosterifolia
21. alternanthera reineckii
22. hairgrass and tenellus
23. ludwigia brevipes
24. hydrocotyle leuacocephala
25. hygrophil polysperma
26. cryptocoryne wendtii brown


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## bazz (6 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

hi,

i personally just love the beauty of aquatic plants over hardscaping (although i fully appreciate and love the iwagumi style etc... also), but this aquarium for me, is a sight to behold!
awesome!


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## gratts (6 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

Gorgeous tank mate 
Can't see too many fish though! Whatcha got lurking in there?


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## Simon D (6 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

Really nice set-up and congratulations for getting out of Jo'burg! 

Cape Town's beautiful (well most parts are), I had the pleasure of spending a year in Stellenbosch in the early 90's and worked in Cape Town. Changed a lot since then, I know, but so much better than Jo'burg. 

Where in Cape Town are you?

Love the tank.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (7 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

@bazz - thanks!

@gratts - i got 20 king blue tetras, Boehlkea fredcochui and 10 or so rummynoses and 1 galaxy ancistrus, i am waiting for some cardinals or green neons, to come into stock...

@simon d - i am staying in bloubergstrand, yeah - also really glad to be out of joburg


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## wearsbunnyslippers (28 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

i am still getting the hang of my wife's new camera, so this is the best i could do for now...


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## Garuf (28 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

Whaaaaa! That woods amazing! 
It's a shame it's not a fresh scape, it's showing massive promise for something truly special.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (29 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

thanks garuf! its a couple of pieces i attached to a slate tile with some stainless steel screws...

why do you say shame its not a fresh scape? i did pull everything out and replant...


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## hydrophyte (29 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

What a beautiful plant layout in that first picture. The new iteration looks great too. I can't wait to see it grow in.


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## Garuf (29 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

I said a fresh scape because I assumed you'd kept the tank full of water. 

I really like the wood, an improvement would be to slope the substrate like in Tom Barrs similar scape.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/547902-post100.html


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## Garuf (29 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

better veiw.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/634356-post326.html


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## wearsbunnyslippers (29 Dec 2009)

*Re: juwel rio 400l*

i drained it down to about 20% so i could move all the flourite across the put the slate tile down...

i made the wood without taking the braces into consideration, it took some fancy maneuvering to get it in there, it just just fit, with a bit of bending on that long piece of wood...

i am hoping once the hc fills in, it wont matter if there is a slope or not.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (29 Apr 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 29042010)*

i took some new pics tonight:

front click for larger:




one of my blue tetras up close:





and some new giant hygro i got that the edges go a nice pink color:





i am still getting the hang of the new camera, i think the iso is too high, etc etc. hopefully pics will improve soon.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (10 May 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pic 10052010)*

time for an update 

i seem to have beaten off all the algae, except in two spots. on the two top most pieces of driftwood there are some tufts growing. i can either keep nuking it with excel, try h2o2, or cover the driftwood with some black plastic, what do you think?

i also seem to have gotten the hang of the camera... 

front, click for larger...





i added some cardinals, some serpae, some pristellas and silver tip tetra's, so my tank now has some movement now too. i would still like to get some black neons and glowlights.

the plants are growing in nicely!

this is what my tank looked like exactly a year ago today


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## TBRO (10 May 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pic 10052010)*

That's looking really nice, the vallis in the wood makes it look very dynamic, like in the flow of a river. Discus tank also looks sweet, T


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## laimyzaz (10 May 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pic 10052010)*

Very impressive tank


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## wearsbunnyslippers (31 May 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pic 10052010)*

it really needs a trim and a rearrange 

click for larger...


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## wearsbunnyslippers (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

so i tackled the trim over the weekend and yesterday...

i am pretty happy with the growth and colors i am getting at the moment. i am still fighting with clado but it is a lot better than it was. i also have a sudden infestation of malyasian trumpet snails, they are playing havoc with the hc that manages to escape the clado. i think i must give up on the idea of an hc carpet for now. my nano is almost totally carpeted so i guess i should be satisfied.

i am not dosing any nitrates since i have added fish, just some phosphate, traces and food.

i switched out my glass diffusor to the hagen elite mini filter diffuser, it works great. anyway enough chit chat, here are the pics:

front - click for larger




left side:





middle:





right:


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## wearsbunnyslippers (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

i found an Aponogeton madagascariensis






i brought my Hygrophila sp. 'Araguaia' to the front a bit so you can actually see it...





i also got a piece of emersed bolbitus





and in case you think the back right looks a little bare, there is some rotala colorate, cuba and reineckii still coming up in the back there:


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## wearsbunnyslippers (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

here is a pic of the diffuser in action:





an obligatory side pic:





and my favourite pic to show what a riot of color a healthy planted tank can look like:


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## Garuf (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

That's not emersed bolbitis, sorry. It's a non-aquatic quiet common in lfs'.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

ok, it has grown roots, oh well.

i do have some normal bolbitis anyway, so if this doesnt do well i will take it out.


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## hydrophyte (17 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

That pseudo-aquatic is I believe a _Selagenilla_.


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## arty (22 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

Nice Tank, realy nice. 
Can You please show how going flow in Yours tank ?
I have too Juwel Rio 400 and tired adjust flow 1 more month, high load of fish and organics floating around.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (22 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

@arty - i have a fluval fx5 in there. i took out the internal filter. i have the intake and outflow of the fx5 both in the back left, the outflow blows diagonally across the top from left to right looking at the tank. and then i have a powerhead above my diffuser at the back right at the top blowing from right to left across the top. this creates some nice circular flow, and even plants in the front right have leaves that move in the current...

hope this makes sense


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## arty (22 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

Thank You for advice. I will try same way make flow. I have already two ext. filters and i'l order tonight from Ebay powerhead 3000L/h. I think will be approx. 1400+800+3000=5200/400L=13x flow rate
And how much You dose ferts with Livestock, what's is best safety margin ?
Did You keep plastic brass on top( i once tried remove  but later decide risky) ?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (23 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

i am dosing a bit of a modified EI regime. with my stocking levels of fish quite high, i am not dosing much nitrate, i am still dosing phosphates and traces at the recommended dosages for my tank. i also only do 25% water changes weekly not 50%. i mix the powders in a glass of tank water and pour it into my tank, otherwise my fish try and eat the powder, retards...

the tank is stock standard besides the removed filter, i have not removed any of the bracing.


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## chilled84 (23 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

Im likeing the reds and vivid colours your achieving.


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## arty (23 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

And what's dosages in ppm is recommended for Yours tank  ?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (23 Jun 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 17062010)*

2tsp per week of kno3 gets me to about 16ppm
0.2tsp per week of phosphate gets me to about 2ppm
the above also adds about 11ppm of potassium

but like i said i have been pretty lean on the nitrates maybe 1stp every two weeks...


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## wearsbunnyslippers (10 Dec 2010)

*Juwel Rio 400 (video 10122010)*

this tank is empty again 

i am moving on tuesday, so everything needs to dry out...

i will re-setup up in january, i have some exciting new changes. flourite dark, maybe a sump, new scape etc.

in the meantime here is a video of what it was like a few months ago...



there is an HD version, camera was a bit shaky, coz i was using a skateboard as a dolly, and it was bumping over the tiles, i will make another plan next time...


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## LondonDragon (10 Dec 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (video 10122010)*

That looked very good indeed, its amazing to see so many fish in a tank! good luck with the rescape when you set it up again


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## wearsbunnyslippers (10 Dec 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (video 10122010)*

thanks!

it looks like a lot more coz they all swim in the open space in the front. rummies tend to like swimming in and amongst the stems though. i purposefully chose 8 to 10 of a few different types of tetras to add lots of color and movement, they all swim at slightly different heights and schooling patterns, so it looks busy all the time. as you can see with the plants and colors, i like busy


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## russchilds (10 Dec 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (video 10122010)*

Love it - looks great  I could watch that for hours!


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## bazz (11 Dec 2010)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (video 10122010)*

hi,
lovely aquarium, good luck with the move and new scape, will watch out for this, i love large tanks!
cheers, bazz!


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## wearsbunnyslippers (8 Jan 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (video 10122010)*

thanks for all the support!

this tank has been empty for the last couple of weeks.

i cleaned it and hardscaped it today, take a look:

front





anyone else spot the antelope?






going to dry start some carpets to start with...


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## Celestial (8 Jan 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (newly setup)*

Wow! That really does look like an antelope haha  The hardscape is looking pretty good!


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## wearsbunnyslippers (2 Feb 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (newly setup)*

and without further ado here are some pics...

the nice thing about reusing your old substrate is that you get some nice surprises popping up:

from left to right, some hc, a crypt and a dwarf lily






this aponogetan ulvaceous has been in for a bout 2 weeks and is already flowering..






the leaves on this echinodorus "red diamond" are a brilliant red and it stays quite small:






can anyone tell me if this is cardamine lyrata or hydrocotyle sibthorpioides?






and lastly the FTS! click for larger


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## Garuf (3 Feb 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 02022011)*

Looks real good, nuke that co2 and you're onto a winner, antelope island?!


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## StevenA (3 Feb 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 02022011)*

In the video on page 4 what is the name of the plant at the front right?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (4 Feb 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 02022011)*

hydrocotyle vulgaris?

it is like verticillata but grows much bigger...


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## logi-cat (4 Feb 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 02022011)*

Good luck with the rescape, can't wait to see it


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## wearsbunnyslippers (3 Mar 2011)




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## Themuleous (4 Mar 2011)

Love that wood! The right side looks nice, but the far left is a bit dark perhaps, missing something?  Just a thought.  Lovely healthy plants by the looks of it, which is half the battle.

Sam


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## wearsbunnyslippers (4 Mar 2011)

the back is a little dark, i like the a. ulvaceuos, but it is getting a bit too big, and shading out the back, i will work on it, maybe trim it hard to get it to stay a bit smaller...

the "white drip" is actually a crypt in the front and the back streaming bubbles  if you click on  the pic for the larger view you can see...


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## wearsbunnyslippers (21 Mar 2011)

update time

no changes, just growing in...





glosso is growing slowly, starting to look pretty natural, i am still letting everything grow where i put it or where it has sprouted on its own..


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## spyder (22 Mar 2011)

Loving all the scapes. Looks like my kind of tank and inspiring for my Rio 125 I should be starting shortly.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (29 May 2011)

*Re: juwel rio 400l (new pics 29052011)*


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## sanj (29 May 2011)

Very nice, love the jungle and the Torpedos.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (13 Jun 2011)

thanks sanj!

i have taken the wood out, it was using up valuable stem real estate. i know i was going for a lower maintenance scape, but i can't say no to new stems...

front, click for larger





left side:






middle






right:






so it looks like i am heading towards a dutch again..


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## Alastair (13 Jun 2011)

Looks really nice. Very colourful looking too. Are you still using 8 x 45 watts? If so which lights/units do you have. I have the juwel 450 and want more lighting


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## wearsbunnyslippers (14 Jun 2011)

thanks alistair!

up until sunday i was only using 4x54w.

i switched another two on when i took out the wood and added more stems..

i use the regular juwel light fitting that came with two t5's, and then i added another 3 dual ballasts, i just rest the tubes on the braces.. if i am not using the lights, the connections just hang down the back..


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## Bobtastic (14 Jun 2011)

What are the long leafed cyrpts on the left and side?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (14 Jun 2011)

i think they are c. becketti


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## Bobtastic (14 Jun 2011)

Thanks!


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## wearsbunnyslippers (4 Jul 2011)




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## Ian Holdich (4 Jul 2011)

loving the red in there!

*thumbs up*


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