Shy fish? Check your water flow.

Hello All,

I've had a planted 55 gallon tank now for about 9 weeks. In the tank
are 5 cories, 6 otoclincus affinis, 6 false sae, 6 amano shrimp, 1
bamboo shrimp, and 3 cardinal tetras (i plan to get more tomorrow).
During the 4 weeks that i've had the tank stocked the cories have
spent all their time hidden among the plants at the bottom of the
tank. Suffice it to say that I was particularly disappointed that
while so many posters owned free swimming happy cories I for some
reason got a shy batch. I noticed that my amano shrimp were shy as
well.

It turns out that the cories and amano shrimp are particularly
sensitive to water flow! I have a fluval 404 for my 55 gallon tank.
The 404s come without a spray bar. I noticed that the water flow
return creates more than a little bit of a commotion. I hope to one
day keep some discus fish so I figured it would be best to get a spray
bar soon. I went to a local fish store, purchased a fluval spray bar
and elbow and went on my merry way. I get home and install it but
unfortunately the flow was too strong so I triple the number of wholes
and the tank became nice and still. To my surprise 5 minutes after the
spray bar was installed the tank literally EXPLODES into activity. The
cories are doing laps around the tank and the amano shrimp are zippin'
all over. Needles to say all the other inhabitants are ecstatic and
for the first time my tank looks alive.

I'm heading back to the fish store to buy a second bar so that I can
spread the flow along the length of the tank! Has anyone else
encountered this phenomenon?

-Felix