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Fluval Roma 240 light replacement options

valevelo

valevelo

Member
Joined
13 Sep 2024
Messages
39
Location
Vale of Glamorgan
Hi. I've recently bought a second hand Fluval Roma 240 and the light unit only had the one tube. Previous owner didn't mind the low light and had no live plants in there. Tube is currently a 1050mm Classic (looks like Y38 on the tube as well but uncertain, even though they appear to be 38W). There is also a lot of sealant and insulation tape on it as well, so I'm thinking of just replacing with an LED unit but don't want to spend for the full Fluval replacement LED unit.

I found this as a conversion, but wouldn't want to get two

Aquasky Bluetooth LED 2.0

Or I just go Chinese off Amazon & get something like this: https://amzn.eu/d/hcX5Ouu and just have to either have it front or back of the existing but now disconnected light unit, or make my own lid/cover for the tank

Anyone had a similar issue to recommend one or the other?

Thanks
 
I find the Superfish LEDs reasonably priced, about £90, and effective, not sure how you would mount an LED bar in the hood (velcro pads perhaps) but the Superish lights I've used have come with little feet and clips, and I have always found cable ties my friend. They are a bit high Kelvin for my personal taste but if you keep the photoperiod short and are willing to use CO2 they work great, using one on a 2 foot tank currently and can grow most plants no problem. Aquaessentials are pretty quick at delivery in my experience. Hope that is of some use.
 
Connswater said:
I find the Superfish LEDs reasonably priced, about £90, and effective, not sure how you would mount an LED bar in the hood (velcro pads perhaps) but the Superish lights I've used have come with little feet and clips, and I have always found cable ties my friend. They are a bit high Kelvin for my personal taste but if you keep the photoperiod short and are willing to use CO2 they work great, using one on a 2 foot tank currently and can grow most plants no problem. Aquaessentials are pretty quick at delivery in my experience. Hope that is of some use.
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Thanks for all that 👌🏻 I've got a Superfish Scaper 45 and it's great, but this tank would need the Scaper 131 so c.£130, which isn't bad at all really.

Just need to figure out mounting. I can't just attach straight to bottom of light unit because it already sits on the cross brace, which means going front or back. Between the moulding on the cross brace and tube fittings at each end, I'm limited to a light bar width of 55mm. This is pushing me towards using the inner rim to mount the feet and making up my own lid. Don't want to butcher the existing light unit to retrofit LED and this way the light is usable elsewhere as well
 
Understand your problem, I had a wooden framed hood some years ago and a cabinet style 3 foot, and screwed three cheap but very effective LED flood lights to the hood back frame panel and threw away the double T8 tube fittings, but wood is more forgiving than plastic. It was a 26 inch deep tank and I needed better punch than the T8s, even when new, ever provided.
I personally wouldn't bother with the Nicrew, having experimented with Nicrew and Hygger unless you only want to grow Vallis and crypts, and I still don't know how you would make the fitting work, I have velcro padded a Nicrew to a shelf to overwinter some some terrestrial plants very successfully.
I used two 24 watt All Pond Solutions LED bars with a 66 watt Dennerle LED bar (don't ask the price, I still weep) very successfully, on a four foot, but I didn't have your mounting problems thanks to glass reinforcing panels.
Honestly I will be delighted how you solve this, using a second hand tank is a laudable idea. Your rocks, sand an bog wood stuck me as very attractive and compatible with maintenance. My main tank is built into the wall and rear access - maintenance nightmare, live and learn!
 
Connswater said:
I personally wouldn't bother with the Nicrew, having experimented with Nicrew and Hygger unless you only want to grow Vallis and crypts, and I still don't know how you would make the fitting work, I have velcro padded a Nicrew to a shelf to overwinter some some terrestrial plants very successfully.
I used two 24 watt All Pond Solutions LED bars with a 66 watt Dennerle LED bar (don't ask the price, I still weep) very successfully, on a four foot, but I didn't have your mounting problems thanks to glass reinforcing panels.
Honestly I will be delighted how you solve this, using a second hand tank is a laudable idea. Your rocks, sand an bog wood stuck me as very attractive and compatible with maintenance. My main tank is built into the wall and rear access - maintenance nightmare, live and learn!
Click to expand...

There's an internal lip with rim on the plastic frame that the wire feet on the Nicrew style would fit on, that's how I got the APA one to stand and the Superfish Scaper 45 fits them as well, be it they're both proud of the lid due to riser height. If I went down that route I'd just put a bit of clear silicon to stop the feet sliding back into the light bar.

More about being tight going for second hand 🤣. Wasn't certain I'd want a 4ft where this has gone and didn't want to spend on new just in case. Glad I have now, which is why I'd rather get something that could be moved to a future tank than spend on a retrofit for this one. The guy was giving up so it came stocked to the limit- hence the simple scape whilst I'm having to remove the wood to catch Kribensis to rehome. Plants will follow but have just put in some trimmings and floaters for the moment to help with Nitrates
 
valevelo said:
That's brilliant, thanks for checking. Definite step up in £££ but as long as the quality/performance is there I don't mind. One to consider!
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No problem. Honestly, I couldn't believe the difference between the Twinstar and the Oase lights. It has brought out the colours in my fish in spectacular fashion, has even improved the colour of the hardscape and the plants are really growing in nicely.
 
valevelo said:
There's an internal lip with rim on the plastic frame that the wire feet on the Nicrew style would fit on, that's how I got the APA one to stand and the Superfish Scaper 45 fits them as well, be it they're both proud of the lid due to riser height. If I went down that route I'd just put a bit of clear silicon to stop the feet sliding back into the light bar.

More about being tight going for second hand 🤣. Wasn't certain I'd want a 4ft where this has gone and didn't want to spend on new just in case. Glad I have now, which is why I'd rather get something that could be moved to a future tank than spend on a retrofit for this one. The guy was giving up so it came stocked to the limit- hence the simple scape whilst I'm having to remove the wood to catch Kribensis to rehome. Plants will follow but have just put in some trimmings and floaters for the moment to help with Nitrates
Click to expand...
Being tight also, at least theoretically, I have in the past used domestic LED tubes and had good results, but you would need at least two, I would want three on your tank. But my tendency to experiment has cost me a fortune over the past decade or two, and now I'm running my main tank with really cheap floodlights and fire extinguisher for CO2...I just don't tell my lovely wife what is moth balled in the roof space.
 
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