Do Royal Grammas dislike flow?

[JerryB1232]

I am starting up a 25g reef tank with high flow and I added a royal gramma as the first fish. I have had him for a week and when I added him, he went straight for a spot where the flow pushes him against a rock and does not move much. He darts out every now and then for food and will circle tightly to the rock but 95% of the time he is in that spot. When I turn the flow off he comes out and explores the tank. Does it just take time for him to get used to the flow? Should i rehome him if the flow is too much for him?

Mp40 on reefcrest set to the 6th dot and an AI orbit 2 on high variance with a high of 40%

 

[Mark Goode]

They like a cave to hide in, is that what he's doing?

 

[JerryB1232]

They like a cave to hide in, is that what he's doing?

Could be. It kind of looks like he waiting to ambush food coming through in the flow. Just wanted to make sure it will be good with the high flow in the tank. I might add some more rock to give it a true cave to hide in

 

[Mark Goode]

I had one once that lived in a cave - quite a deep one - that had its entrance facing the front of the tank. The gramma would spend hours aquascaping the sand around the entrance. I'd watch him every morning, as soon as the lights came on, picking copepods off the glass. Great little character.

 

[MnFish1]

No - there is far more flow at times in the ocean than in our tanks - however, if you have constant flow (no variation) in one direction, you may see behavior changes - I would try alternating flow like one pump on for x seconds and one pump off, then reverse. Flow itself is not likely to be a problem for a Gramma.