Manage/Monitor Flow

Karen00

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Hello fellow saltines,

I tried searching for posts about managing flow but couldn't find anything related to my issue.

I just setup a 5g top fin AIO. The tank currently has one rock and a Hi Fin goby/Pistol shrimp pair. When I started the system up my sand was smooth and even across the tank. The pump has a trickle down action down the back of the tank on the left side where the return is. I noticed it was creating a small recessed spot in the sand but it wasn't that bad. When I woke up the next day I noticed piles of sand around the lone rock in the tank which I thought was made by the goby and shrimp but as the days have progressed (about 11 days) the sand dunes are spreading across the tank. At this point I don't know if it is the goby/shrimp at work after lights are out or whether I'm getting bad flow patterns in the tank. I'm doubtful this is the goby/shrimp but I could be wrong so....
1. Do people with this pair of goby/shrimp experience this type of aquascaping with theirs or
2. If they would not do this type of sand moving is there anyway to get a visual sense of what is going on with the flow so I can correct it? Like they do with colored smoke to test air flow. The only thing I can think of is food coloring but of course don't want to add that to the tank.

The pics show the tank when I started it (the small recess can be seen on the left) and current photos showing the sizable sand dunes.

Unfortunately there is no built in way to direct the flow. That's what I get for buying a cheapo tank. This is a poor design (no control over flow speed and direction) regardless of it being used for freshwater or saltwater although I'm sure the rock is also contributing to the funky flow pattern.

I think Apex has a flow monitoring kit but I don't have Apex at this point in time.

Thanks!

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ying yang

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Not sure what you using for flow but i read you say it cannot be changed anyway,so all you could do if it just a hang on back filter is put a rock under it to absorb/slow down the flow from hitting the sand but then you may not have enough flow all around the tank but you could then buy a very all power head and get your flow in tank from that.
If the new power head to much flow then point it upwards at surface of water and towards the glass to create a pinball effect then this will slow it down some.
But i no experience of owning a small 5 gallon aquarium so not much use sorry.
But my goby/pistol shrimp making continous tunnels/entrances and shrimp never stops working moving sand about causing dunes and piles of sand.

Edit: i see some use airstones permanently in their tanks but can cause alot saltcreep as the bubbles hit the surface and pop this causes splashes and water evaporates but salt stays out the water then this therefore lowers the salinity so in a small 5 gallon tank the salinity or any parameter can change quicker than larger tank so be mindfull off this.
In my 15 gallon qt tank i have an internal canister filter with sponges and bio balls in,and it falls back in like water fall but as i want more flow in qt tank and get fish used to higher flow for when tjey go in dt i use another internal filter with no sponge or media in whatsoever and this just for flow only.
 
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Karen00

Karen00

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Not sure what you using for flow but i read you say it cannot be changed anyway,so all you could do if it just a hang on back filter is put a rock under it to absorb/slow down the flow from hitting the sand but then you may not have enough flow all around the tank but you could then buy a very all power head and get your flow in tank from that.
If the new power head to much flow then point it upwards at surface of water and towards the glass to create a pinball effect then this will slow it down some.
But i no experience of owning a small 5 gallon aquarium so not much use sorry.
But my goby/pistol shrimp making continous tunnels/entrances and shrimp never stops working moving sand about causing dunes and piles of sand.

Edit: i see some use airstones permanently in their tanks but can cause alot saltcreep as the bubbles hit the surface and pop this causes splashes and water evaporates but salt stays out the water then this therefore lowers the salinity so in a small 5 gallon tank the salinity or any parameter can change quicker than larger tank so be mindfull off this.
In my 15 gallon qt tank i have an internal canister filter with sponges and bio balls in,and it falls back in like water fall but as i want more flow in qt tank and get fish used to higher flow for when tjey go in dt i use another internal filter with no sponge or media in whatsoever and this just for flow only.
Thanks for letting me know the behavior of your goby/shrimp pair. Maybe mine are doing this which becomes exaggerated in such a small tank. I will have to watch them when the lights go off. I have a hard time thinking the filter is causing this unless water is bouncing around the tank in some serious way. The filter is one that comes with the AIO and is pre-fitted in the last chamber. It trickles down the outlet hole into the tank. I suspect the only thing I can change is to try and fit a less powerful filter in that spot.
 
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Karen00

Karen00

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I might've found another solution besides an airstone. After doing some more searching with different keywords I came across this. They're using rubber anemones.

 
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