Depressed?

[FINWIN]

A power head sounds like a good idea. Maybe have the flow directed to the bottom of the tank just during the day? That way he can sleep without being pushed around at night.
I can’t see it being overweight. I only feed once a day 4-5x a week since all the tanks are kept cooler during the winter months. Does he look fat?

Yah, he looks cold...my fish kind of 'draw up' their fins when cold and dart fast.

Might also watch the tank at night to see if some 'action' is going on. Or maybe you moved his favorite plant/rock? Lol.

I don't think he looks fat, he's just a large fish.

I'd have the flow going at a 45 degree angle from the corner. That way he can hover and enjoy the circulation all around. My O will do that, hovering crossways in the current while his tail flaps around.

 

[Castlk]

Raise the temp a few degrees and see if starts being his old self again. Lowering the tank temp in the winter doesn't make sense to me, if anything raising it up a few degrees would. His clamped fins and laziness makes me think he's cold.

 

[Rocksor]

I had a very active male GT at 75F that was even very active during cold water temperature changes (drop of 5 degrees to 70F) for a few hours. It would swim into the 55F degree water from the python opening. If you look at their origin, they thrive in the low 70s. That's not going to change much through aquarium breeding.

Whenever my pike was cold, it would hang out by the heater. It wouldn't lay on the bottom, showing a preference for 75F. Of course, my Atabapo pike originates from warmer waters than my GT.

 

[MrsE88]

Raise the temp a few degrees and see if starts being his old self again. Lowering the tank temp in the winter doesn't make sense to me, if anything raising it up a few degrees would. His clamped fins and laziness makes me think he's cold.

I don’t drop the temp. My house is old and drafty. The room he’s in (sunroom) is the most drafty room in the house. There is heat loss having the heater in the sump with how much colder the room is.
that’s why I said I might need to move the heater inside the tank itself to give him more heat.
But like Rocksor pointed out gts should be fine in the temp he’s currently at. That’s what made me wonder if it’s boredom/depression because he has been alone for the first time since I got him.


I have raised the temp up to 78 and he is slightly more active.
An observation I’ve made is that when I sneak a peek at him when he’s been alone he’s out swimming In his favorite corner.
It’s only when I’m in the room for a while that he goes to the middle and sits for a few minutes. If I approach he tank he’ll come over and go back to swimming.
Im so confused.

 

[Rocksor]

An observation I’ve made is that when I sneak a peek at him when he’s been alone he’s out swimming In his favorite corner.
It’s only when I’m in the room for a while that he goes to the middle and sits for a few minutes. If I approach he tank he’ll come over and go back to swimming.
Im so confused.

If it's only been a month since you took out the other cichlids then problem solved. He remembers you taking out another fish. He may be traumatized by your presence so he stays still. This can take months to fix. Just give him time.

You should be able to bring back to the normal temperature.

 

[Niki_up]

If it's only been a month since you took out the other cichlids then problem solved. He remembers you taking out another fish. He may be traumatized by your presence so he stays still. This can take months to fix. Just give him time.

You should be able to bring back to the normal temperature.

Uggghhhh so true!!! I have a female guppy that’s terrified of me since I moved her.

my female jack is also terrified of me (even though I’m not the one who moved her or kept her in a tank with bullies) she always darts when something moves outside her tank and she is always banging her head on something....fish def remember traumatic experiences...maybe it’s survival instinct related

 

[MrsE88]

If it's only been a month since you took out the other cichlids then problem solved. He remembers you taking out another fish. He may be traumatized by your presence so he stays still. This can take months to fix. Just give him time.

You should be able to bring back to the normal temperature.

He’s been alone since Oct.
If it is pouting he sure holds a grudge?

 

[Rocksor]

He’s been alone since Oct.
If it is pouting he sure holds a grudge?

It's possible that "stay still, they won't see you" is what' he''s thinking until "Oh wow.... foood!"

 

[RD.]

I agree, your fish doesn't look obese/fat. Also, while this species is typically fine at cooler temps (so are most Amphilophus) my suggestion of increasing the temp was to stimulate his metabolism, in the hopes that it brought him out of his funk. You can always cool things down again at a later date. Just a suggestion, while you are waiting for him to stop hating you.