What tank to buy DH

[RVPisnomore]

My DH used to have a large bi orb fish tank which we had to eventually get rid of due to moving house. However, we a re now in a position to be able to get one and I would like to get him one for his birthday.

He wants to keep tropical fish so is there anyone who can recommend what to buy?
TIA

[EauRouge]

Not a biorb you can get a much better tank for less money. How much space do you have?

[RVPisnomore]

Thanks Eau, I have a sideboard in my dining room. It's roughly 3ft long by just over a foot wide. Would really appreciate any recommendations that you may have.

[Lovelydiscusfish]

We had Juwel ones, which seemed quite good. Your local aquatic shop, if you have one, should be quite helpful - they usually take the time to talk you through the different options and considerations.
What I would advise is to get the largest tank you can afford /accommodate from the outset, as you don't want to needing to upgrade in a year or so if he gets more into the hobby (it can be quite addictive).

[EauRouge]

Yes, Juwel ones are fab if you want something you can just fill up and switch on (and do a fishless cycle, obv!). I think the Rio ones are all too deep but a Rekord might fit. The filter comes with some stuff that you won't need (like carbon, it annoys me that this has become standard!), but it will do the job just fine with plain old sponges. You could have a shoal of small fish in there, like neon tetras for example.

[TreeSparrow]

Hello, just be aware that sideboards are NOT designed to take the weight of a fish tank. Calculate how heavy your tank will be full and it will shock you. I'd not recommend using conventional furniture as a tank stand unless you're sure of its weight-bearing capacity.

Juwel make good, solid tanks with good lights, I have one of their bigger models. I normally find you'll need an extra filter for them though (a good one is an Eheim canister filter), or you can cut out the Juwel internal filter and just have a canister for a cleaner look.

[bowsaw]

used to have a juwel rio, but replaced with with a cube tank with a sump filter, dead simple to run and look after, though its now set up as a marine system so slightly trickier than fresh but still very simple

[RVPisnomore]

Thanks everyone who has taken the time to post.

I am looking at the Juwel Rio 125. Does anyone have any thoughts on this tank? I have one on reserve at a shop and it's a 4 hours round trip to collect so I hope it's worth it!

[EauRouge]

They are pretty popular tanks. I've never had one myself but I know a lot of people that have and I've only heard good things about them. The filters are fine for lightly stocked community tanks but I wouldn't add anything messy.

[TreeSparrow]

Yup, Jewel are good tanks. German-made and reliable. I've had a 350 litre model for a few years now.