Eheim cannister filter too much flow - help!

[cebalrai]

Hi there, I upgraded from a noisy Whisper 20 to a Eheim 2211 on my 20 gallon long tank this morning. So far so good...

... Except my plants are whipping around in there and my threadfin rainbowfish don't look happy. They avoid like half the tank now. Are there any ways that people have found to reduce the current? My poor fishies look stressed.

 

[P220]

You can drill the holes in the spray bar a little larger. Or I'd say you could get the spray bar kit, but I think the output pipe on the 2211 is to small for the 494 bar. You could also just forgo the bar all together, and just use the elbow part thing.

 

[stooker]

How is your spraybar set up? I have a 2215 on my 20g high and the flow is not too strong for my plants and fish. My spray bar is on the back of the tank and the outlet holes are near horizontally parallel with the water surface and just about a 1/4" below the surface.

 

[cebalrai]

How is your spraybar set up? I have a 2215 on my 20g high and the flow is not too strong for my plants and fish. My spray bar is on the back of the tank and the outlet holes are near horizontally parallel with the water surface and just about a 1/4" below the surface.

It's in the back of the tank right at the surface of the water so I can get a nice ripple effect... Then I heard from someone that in a heavily planted tank you don't need as much surface motion because the plants make oxygen and too much surface motion can get rid of CO2 faster than you want... I'm dosing liquid CO2.

Not sure what to believe.

 

[cebalrai]

So I positioned the spray bar about 1" under the water line and have it pointed up at about a 45 degree angle. it seems to keep the surface moving while also producing less current.