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Following on from my previous article about the great small or starter aquarium, the Juwel Rio 125, I was thinking that I would review an equally popular alternative, the Fluval Roma 125 in a similar style to the Juwel review in order that any would be buyers will have a like for like comparison of what are probably the 2 most in-demand aquariums of this size.
I'll start with a little about the company that manufacture the tank.
Fluval are part of the Hagen Group who are one of the largest privately owned suppliers and distributors of pet supplies in the world. The company was set up in 1995 by Rolf C Hagen. Fluval aquariums have a design of Italian origin and are some of the most popular and respected fish tanks available on the market. My review will again concentrate on the looks & style of the aquarium, the level of equipment that is provided as standard, ease of maintenance and value for money.
Looks & Style
The Fluval Roma 125, just like the Juwel, is a very good looking fish tank. It features the same clean lines but, in addition, it also benefits from the touch of the Italian designers and superior attention to detail. The addition of the cabinet (of which there are 4 options - Oak & Wenge, Black with Silver inserts, Oak with black inserts, Black with Titanium (which is my favourite) and Zebrano) actually adds to the overall attractive look. The cabinet stretches to the full width of the tank and the whole package really would be a great, stylish addition to any room.
Level Of Equipment
The Fluval Roma has the following as standard:- Fluval U3 Internal Filter, Filter Media, Fluval GLO lighting unit, 1 x Power-Glo fluorescent aquarium tube (T8 20 watt), 1 x Aqua-Glo fluorescent aquarium tube (T8 20 watt), Fluval Mirrored M-series Heater (150 watt) High-quality equipment which should be more than able to do the job just fine but slightly let down by the hood which is designed so that the light unit runs along the middle with 2 access flaps into the tank. If you open one of these access flaps there is not enough room to insert your arm and access the tank properly (acceptable for feeding but that's about it). For full access you have to remove both flaps and slide the lighting unit out of the way which is a little fiddly. Not a disaster however, not design utopia either!
Maintenance
The Fluval has quite a thin hood. It looks great, but due to this the lights sit a little bit nearer to the water so you just need to keep in mind if the bubbles from the air pump burst onto the lights you may have to clean off crispy algae on a regular basis. This can be avoided with careful placement of the pump to ensure the bubbles miss the lights. It's not a serious problem but something to bear in mind if you purchase the Fluval. Aside from that maintenance is actually comparatively easy (as long as you open both access flaps).
Score - 4/5
Value For Money
The Fluval Roma 125 has a RRP of 199.99 for the aquarium only but you should be aiming to pay around the 180 mark. The cabinet has a RRP of 104.99 but look at paying around 95 and the RRP for the aquarium & cabinet package is 328.84 but shop around for prices of around 230 mark.
Score - 3.5/5
Overall
Score - 15/20
It's a solid score from the Fluval Roma 125 which, while not the lowest priced in this highly competitive small/starter tropical fish tank sector of the market, has the looks and focus on detail normally only found in more expensive aquariums. It's a slight case of form over function in respect of the hood design but if you are interested in an aquarium that will look smart and stylish in any room of your house then this is definitely worthwhile considering.
A good place to search for the best deals on tropical fish tanks, marine fish tanks and aquarium supplies is Aquarium House (http://www.aquariumhouse.co.uk). They are a price comparison website for all things aquatic so you can be sure of a great deal. Plus, if you sign up to receive their newsletter (bottom right hand side of their homepage) they'll also let you know when the leading suppliers are running promotions, special discounts, free p&p periods or handing out freebies!
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