# Rio 125 - GroBeam 600 vs Juwel T5



## aaron.c (2 Feb 2015)

Hey Guys

I have a Juwel Rio 125 which is fairly well planted - currently battling getting co2 and flow balanced, but that is not for here.

In the tank, I currently have 2 x T5 and a Grobeam 600.

I have another Grobeam 600 that is not currently in the tank.

My question is, would I be better removing a T5 and replacing it with the second grobeam, or leaving it as is?

So it is 2 x T5 and 1 Grobeam vs 2 x Grobeam and 1 x T5.

For what it's worth - I am actually not running the first Grobeam at the moment.  I need to get on top of BBA and GSA and have reduced lighting to help with this.


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## Andy Thurston (2 Feb 2015)

Just use the grow beams and bin the t5's 
My mate has a rio 180 and the lights too much for that tank if co2 not perfect. At least you can buy dimmers for the leds if their too much light


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## kirk (2 Feb 2015)

Hi Aaron I'd too go for the 2xgro and dim them.


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## aaron.c (3 Feb 2015)

Great stuff.  I will go with that. Now comes the challenge of trying to retrofit them into a crappy Juwel hood with that meddlesome bracing bar!


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## ian_m (3 Feb 2015)

aaron.c said:


> crappy Juwel hood with that meddlesome bracing bar!


No its not. Mine is quite a garden for growing emmersed.

This is my bar a year or two ago, a moss and glosso farm. Obviously got there as I use the bar to "park the plants" whilst planting and some spores/cuttings got left and started growing.



 

Currently looks like this with masses of glosso taking over the bar. Also got some HC growing in it, that arrived as one stem stuck in soil of another plant I bought. Currently farming that ready for planting. (sorry no pics).


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## aaron.c (3 Feb 2015)

Haha! It has some uses, but mounting 2 Grobeams does not seem to be included


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## kirk (3 Feb 2015)

How are your diy skills? Sounds like a custom made hood or brackets are in order


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## ian_m (3 Feb 2015)

Some people have removed the bracing bar and replaced with a length of clear plastic.

- Empty the tank, don't want to see how far glass bends whilst doing this mod. Could actually brace & clamp the tank if you don't want to empty it.
- Cut the centre section of the bar out leaving "stubs" a couple of cm long.
- Drill holes in stubs and suitable length of 8/10mm acrylic sheet.
- Bolt into place using stainless nuts and bolts.


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## aaron.c (3 Feb 2015)

I have ordered the T5 end caps for the TMC MMS rail - will see if that works first.  I think the problem is likely to be that that the light with touch the brace if mounted this way.

I can see me ordering some extra MMS rail and having a crack at welding 

Aaron


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## aaron.c (3 Feb 2015)

Removing the brace sounds slightly scary!!  I will see how I get on without getting that drastic.

Make sense swapping for acrylic though, as it is completely in the way of the lights.  It will block one of the CREE LEDS completely

Aaron


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## Jamie McGrath (4 Feb 2015)

This is going to be a stupid question, what is the bracing bar do and my tank dosnt have one, should I be worried?


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## alto (4 Feb 2015)

It seems some of these tanks went on the market sans braces (mine had none), I suspect you'd be able to tell if the brace were removed aftermarket.


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## Julian (4 Feb 2015)

A brace is a length of glass or plastic that is glued to a panel of glass to give it extra strength and prevent seals from failing, usually on tanks that are 100L+.  In this case the brace runs across the top/centre and joins the front and rear panels to help prevent them bowing outward. If your tank didn't come with them, assuming it is a decent brand and not a DIY tank, you should be fine. They can be removed, but I'd find it hard to sleep at night!


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## critch (4 Feb 2015)

My Rio 125 didn't come with a brace,
Could try euro bracing,

But I believe the brace on these tank's is easily removed, it just pulled off on my brothers tank, he has had his running for about 2 years with it removed,


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## Jamie McGrath (4 Feb 2015)

My tank is Jewel and its 120cm X 40cm with a 6mm thikness. It dosnt have a brace but it dose have a lighting canopy. Im going to remove the lid and have a suspended over tank lighting. you dont think the canopy is acting like a brace do you, it dosnt seem to have any strain on it. Should I worry about using the new light pendant fitting?


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## aaron.c (16 Feb 2015)

So it turns out I can move the Grobeams on the Bar to dodge the bracing bar, so I won't be ripping it out just yet.

I need to get a dimmer now to take the light down 2 Grobeam 600's are super bright!


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## aaron.c (28 May 2015)

The lights just didnt quite fit properly, they stopped the bar hood sitting flush.  I decided to swap the hood for a TMC bracket set up.

Much neater and much better spread of light.

Just need to repair the wall, we had to remove a shelf that was glued and scewed on *sigh


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## Tim Harrison (28 May 2015)

Ahhh...there's nothing like a bit of Destroy It Yourself at the weekend...
The light looks fine...from reading similar posts regarding the bracing bar, there seems to be more than a few people out there without one...in that it broke and wasn't replaced. So perhaps it's a case of belt and no braces...


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## Iain Sutherland (28 May 2015)

there was a thread a while back of a member completly removing the top blacing and sound for an open top look... it worked fine but he didnt report back long term so maybe it failed later..  I dont think the brace is structurally critical though, i took mine off my old vision 260, i kept it for a year after with no problem.


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## aaron.c (9 Jun 2015)

Indeed, I don't think they are required.  I won't do it with this tank.  I think it's days are numbered as the cabinet is annoyingly small.


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