ArtesiaWells
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2012
- Messages
- 1,392
The "Flow vs. Water Level Height" Factor: Are HOBs Right for my Goldfish Tank?
I have noticed that depending on how high I keep the water level in the tank, the HOB filters' return flow is affected -- this seems obvious, but let me explain the context in which I'm thinking of this scenario:
It's really during feeding time in my tank that I take this into consideration; I notice that both my Aqueon QuietFlow 55 and AquaClear 110 HOBs produce a tremendous amount of current from their flow return stages, at times it seems too much for my four fancy goldfish to handle -- while they're not really of the "super exotic" variety with large, fragile egg-shaped bodies, my fancies seem to be "thrown about" when they approach the return flow from these filters, hunting for their flakes (or even just swimming by them). With the Aqueon, there is no "flow control" to adjust, thus the filter is always running "wide open," while with the AquaClear, as we all know, there is a "flow control valve" which can be set from minimum to maximum -- on my particular 110, for whatever reason, this "lever" doesn't make much of a difference in terms of flow if I put it on minimum or maximum. Right now, it's running real close to minimum output and the return splash is really large and aggressive, splashing into the tank with force that's making the plant nearby really sway and sometimes bend under its power...
When my water level in the tank is below the brim line a bit (i.e. not filled to the very, very top), the Aqueon filter delivers an aggressive ripple across the surface that is enjoyable to watch, but which also causes turbulence for the fish especially when they're eating...at this water level, the AquaClear 110, meanwhile, delivers a steep "drop" of a splash return; if I fill the tank up pretty high, what happens is the Aqueon suddenly runs with almost NO current as the "ripple" across the surface disappears and you can hardly tell the filter is on, while the AquaClear delevelops the "ripple" across the surface...so it's like the opposite takes place...
I have also noticed that when the water level in the tank is pretty high up, the bubbles that are snapping from the two bubble bars in the rear of the tank at the surface are causing water to run down the back of the glass, leaving nasty looking water scar run marks; when the level drops lower, the snapping bubbles stop causing this -- but then the FILTERS begin their "too aggressive of a current" return flow...
What is the happy medium here? What is the best way to manage the water level of the tank, overall, while making sure the HOBs are delivering the "right" kind of return flow? If my goldies are being affected by the aggressive current of these filters, what should I do? Look into "baffling" their flow at the output with cut up pieces of soda bottles, as I've read about? Or should I keep the water level in the tank high enough so that both filters have a somewhat reduced output?
With the Aqueon, this rift across the surface it creates looks great -- but it seems way too "powerful" for the fish to deal with; likewise for the AquaClear's "wave" that's created when it returns water to the tank...if I keep the tank pretty much filled to the brim, is it okay that the Aqueon doesn't deliver a "ripple" from its return flow?
I have noticed that depending on how high I keep the water level in the tank, the HOB filters' return flow is affected -- this seems obvious, but let me explain the context in which I'm thinking of this scenario:
It's really during feeding time in my tank that I take this into consideration; I notice that both my Aqueon QuietFlow 55 and AquaClear 110 HOBs produce a tremendous amount of current from their flow return stages, at times it seems too much for my four fancy goldfish to handle -- while they're not really of the "super exotic" variety with large, fragile egg-shaped bodies, my fancies seem to be "thrown about" when they approach the return flow from these filters, hunting for their flakes (or even just swimming by them). With the Aqueon, there is no "flow control" to adjust, thus the filter is always running "wide open," while with the AquaClear, as we all know, there is a "flow control valve" which can be set from minimum to maximum -- on my particular 110, for whatever reason, this "lever" doesn't make much of a difference in terms of flow if I put it on minimum or maximum. Right now, it's running real close to minimum output and the return splash is really large and aggressive, splashing into the tank with force that's making the plant nearby really sway and sometimes bend under its power...
When my water level in the tank is below the brim line a bit (i.e. not filled to the very, very top), the Aqueon filter delivers an aggressive ripple across the surface that is enjoyable to watch, but which also causes turbulence for the fish especially when they're eating...at this water level, the AquaClear 110, meanwhile, delivers a steep "drop" of a splash return; if I fill the tank up pretty high, what happens is the Aqueon suddenly runs with almost NO current as the "ripple" across the surface disappears and you can hardly tell the filter is on, while the AquaClear delevelops the "ripple" across the surface...so it's like the opposite takes place...
I have also noticed that when the water level in the tank is pretty high up, the bubbles that are snapping from the two bubble bars in the rear of the tank at the surface are causing water to run down the back of the glass, leaving nasty looking water scar run marks; when the level drops lower, the snapping bubbles stop causing this -- but then the FILTERS begin their "too aggressive of a current" return flow...
What is the happy medium here? What is the best way to manage the water level of the tank, overall, while making sure the HOBs are delivering the "right" kind of return flow? If my goldies are being affected by the aggressive current of these filters, what should I do? Look into "baffling" their flow at the output with cut up pieces of soda bottles, as I've read about? Or should I keep the water level in the tank high enough so that both filters have a somewhat reduced output?
With the Aqueon, this rift across the surface it creates looks great -- but it seems way too "powerful" for the fish to deal with; likewise for the AquaClear's "wave" that's created when it returns water to the tank...if I keep the tank pretty much filled to the brim, is it okay that the Aqueon doesn't deliver a "ripple" from its return flow?