Fluval U4 position

[Carrots]

Hi I’ve bought myself a Roma 200 to kick start my old habit of fish keeping. Been a lot of changes since I’ve been away.
I am currently doing a fishless cycle in my live planted full set up. So the question is. The Fluval U4. Does it have to break the water surface to create better oxygenated water or is the top of the water being roughly agitated and plants swaying in the current enough?
many thanks.

 

[Naughts]

Agitation of the surface is enough for gas exchange. What species do you intend keeping (as different fish have differing needs regarding flow)?
I hope you are enjoying getting back into fishkeeping.

 

[Carrots]

Agitation of the surface is enough for gas exchange. What species do you intend keeping (as different fish have differing needs regarding flow)?
I hope you are enjoying getting back into fishkeeping.

Hi thanks for the reply. I want another community tank. Some neon tetras danios swordtails etc some loach maybe a couple of Zebra Snails for clean up too. No mollies lol was thinking, in while, a crab or frog too.

 

[Naughts]

Seriously Fish — Feeling fishy?

seriouslyfish.com

is a great site for researching species requirements. Check out your water providers webpage to find out your water hardness - the species you mention have differing requirements so you can see which of them match your water hardness.

Maybe frogs don't like much flow but they are best in a species only tank. Some of the loaches need high flow.

 

[Byron]

I agree with what's been posted here. "Plants swaying in the current" is likely too much (too strong) a current; depends upon the fish species, as already noted, but this is relatively easy to fix. You want good surface disturbance; I have a similar filter on my 40g cory tank, an Aqueon Quiet Flow Internal Power Filter. The filter return is at the surface at one end at the back, aimed down the back wall to the opposite end; there is a good surface disturbance, and the current carries down the back wall of the tank. By the time it hits the end wall and starts back, it is much reduced.