# New Tank Fluval Roma 240 = Ordered!



## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

Yay, I have bitten the bullet today- put hands over eyes with regard to overdraft and ordered new tank!

It is the Fluval Roma 240 and it comes with a cabinet too. It * should * arrive on Wednesday... I have the day off on Wednesday so I can stay in all day and whimper over the cabinet assembly instructions.

Many reviews say that the instructions are unfathomable. I'm not exactly a DIY expert and my boyfriend has vowed that he will have nothing at all to do with the fishtank- including assembing cabinet.

My plan for cycle is

-1. (oops, this has to go first!) ASSEMBLE CABINET!

1. Put the fishes into a bucket of tank water, with the filter still filtering stuck to the bucket.

2. Empty the old tank water out and throw it away. put water plants in the bucket with the fishes?

3. put the old tank on the floor, move the chest of drawers that old tank sits on away, and put cabinet there. Put empty new tank on cabinet. Put mixture of brand new gravel (washed) and old unwashed gravel from old tank into new tank.(?) Put decorations and things in to new tank as well.

4. This bit seems a bit tricky. I only have two buckets (washing up bowls really, clean ones though). I will be very very very slowly filling the 240 L tank up, 9 Litres at a time, with a jug and basin of water. I have a thermometer to match the temperature, and a PH meter to check PH. I will be using King British declorinator to ensure the water is fish-safe.

5. Put OLD dirty filter into the top of the new tank, as well as having the new filter that is big and came free with the fish tank running. I don't know how this filter will work or what kind it is particularly so I will be relying on my small filter from the 35 Litre tank initially...

6. Put the goldfish in, I suppose..

Is there anything important I have missed here?


I know I will have to do frequent water changes for the first few weeks...
I really really hope the cabinet isn't really hard to fix up- have never done flat pack assembly before. just hate reading everywhere about fishes internal organs getting squashed because their tanks arent big enough, and how much space goldfish need and mine only have 35 L-

I thought it was a pretty big tank when I bought it! thought they would be happy in it for a good few years!

Oh well. I should have done more research first, and not just relied on pet shop information....  

Soon my little waterbabies will have a palacial paradise ! :animated_fish_swimm :fish5:*run over*#3


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Wow, pics online shows that to be a very nice setup! 

Whats the boyfriend going to say? LOL. 

You can look into a water changing system. I use a Python. It hooks to most sinks and is virtually spillproof. They are fantastic to get water in and out of the tank. 

If you havent, invest in a master test kit so you can keep an eye on the water params. Frequent waterchanges and youll be cycled safely. 

Pics when its setup and done!


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

Yep- I have also ordered the API master test kit, based on recommendations from here 

Already got an ammonia test kit, but that doesn't account for the breakdown products. Might have a look for one of these python pipes too. will be taking frequent trips to the aquatic shop in the next few weeks, can see if they have some 

Hopefully darling boyfriend will come around to the idea when he sees how happy the fish look.... he mentioned that he thinks i love the fish more than him. will have to work on this. if not, i don't know- as long as he doesn't find out how much it cost, i should be ok..............! :fish9:


and yes! I will definitely put up pictures when it is all set up. I have even got an underwater camera, so I might be able to take some really nice fishy-photos too, hopefully


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

from AquStock, this makes me very happy indeed:

_
Your aquarium filtration capacity is satisfactory.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is 102%.Help on Filtration capacity
Recommended water change schedule: 1% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 16%_


I am collecting it from a nearby aquatic shop on Sunday. Can't wait. I am slightly.. confused though. when I use the converter on here to convert 240 Litres to Gallons, it tells me 60. AquStock tells me 1142.9 gallons.... and I chose the Roma 240 based on what I read on the internet about goldfish needing like, at least 60 or so gallons, so I thought that this one would be only just acceptable.

Oh well.


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## Marshall (Jul 8, 2013)

maybe try using AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor, put in the actual dimensions or the tank and see what it comes up with, 240l is indeed close to 60g


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

Marshall said:


> maybe try using AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor, put in the actual dimensions or the tank and see what it comes up with, 240l is indeed close to 60g




Ahhh I have worked it out. somehow when I was putting the tank in, I had created a mix up with the units, the numbers from the correct tank were brought through correctly, but the website had put the figures which were actually in CM as inches... creating a massively bigger imaginary tank. I didn't pick up on that to begin with.

Have got a far more realistic one now! I did think it was strange, but for a moment there I was gleefully happy.... oops. I did notice though that I didn't put the size of the fish in before, so have done that now as well:


It says this now:
_
You have plenty of aquarium filtration capacity.

Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is 672%
Recommended water change schedule: 4% per week.
Your aquarium stocking level is 21%_


Which is still fine, for now!

What I think I will end up doing is keeping them as long as I can, and if they become so big that they are no longer suited to the tank, I will arrange with the man at the pet shop to see if he will let me exchange them for new small fish.... owh I don't want them to grow up!


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## Marshall (Jul 8, 2013)

seems to me something is still wrong, how could the water change % only go up 5% but you now have 672% filtration,

could you tell us the tank size, filters and fish going in there?


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

Certainly.

The difference between the first and the second figures that I posted were the size of the tank (from inches in first post to centimetres in second post), and I also added into the equation that my goldfish are currently very small, one is 3 inches and one is two inches.

So the initial figures I posted were just based on "2 x goldfish" in a ridiculous sized tank

the second figures were "1 x 2 inch goldfish and 1 x 3 inch goldfish" in the actual sized tank.

I know that the fish grow really fast, so I cant rest on my laurels and think that they are set for life in this tank. 

It is a 240 Litre tank, 120cm x 40cm x 50cm. I will have two filters running in it, one is the fluval 305 filter that comes free with the tank and the other is my tiny established filter the INterpet PF Mini.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

I recently changed substrate in one of my tanks and did not make sure the plants that were "in waiting" got completely under
water during this time and some are now loosing leaves and/or have damaged leaves. Had bought a "bunch" in a pot of a new type
for the occasion and it lost a few of its pieces/w only 5 sprigs left alive now(I think as I have not removed any of the pieces of
parts which look dead as they may regenerate from the roots).
Plants will not be hurt by chlorine in water so not necessary to keep them in the water from the aquarium. But do keep
them completely covered with the water. Just a thought...


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

Ah that's really really helpful, I will do that as the first step in the process then, pop the plants straight into a bowl of water so that they don't have any time to dry out or deteriorate..

Thank-you


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