Do some fish get scared of too much flow?

[Benga]

I have a Royal Gramma and during feeding time which is when I turn off the powerheads he comes out and swims a lot more. But when the powerheads go on he stays in his little cave. My mom who i'm teaching the feeding process so she can handle while im out of town says the gramma has been out too with the powerheads off.

Is this a normal thing or are grammas just a timid creature by nature.

The tank is a 40 breeder with 800gph on one side and 1600 on the opposing side

 

[Crabs McJones]

My firefish goby is the same way, only comes out when the pumps are in feed mode, and then runs and hides in the back. She'll occasionally come out during the day, but not much :)

 

[Mark Gray]

I have a lot of flow in my tank, maybe too much. This tank I have a 55 gallon with a 39 trigger sump and a sicce 7 rated at 1900 an hour, it is wide open. I also have a gyre at one end it is dialed back to 50% mu gamma stays out most of the day

 

[Flippers4pups]

It's most likely a "feeding" response. All my fish come out when the pumps go off. Some stay out and follow me from one side of the tank to the other when I walk by.

Feeding response.

 

[Benga]

It's most likely a "feeding" response. All my fish come out when the pumps go off. Some stay out and follow me from one side of the tank to the other when I walk by.

Feeding response.

The classic pavlov's dog lol

 

[NS Mike D]

agreed on the feeding response.

the cave is its home and it feels safe in it. the reef is a brutal place where getting eaten is 24 x 7 threat. Its instinct is to stay in the safe cave while only risking wandering out to feed. From reading posts by gamma owners (I can't speak from first hand experience) some gammas are wanderers and others are timid. Nature can be cool that way.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

+1 on feeding response being a key factor.

Another reason a gramma (or any other kind of basslet for that matter) would avoid high flow is that they struggle to effectively move about in said flow.