Flowerhorn acting very strange

[Sunscream]

So I bought a baby flowerhorn 13 weeks ago and have him in his own 55 gallon tank. He's about 5 inches now but he has started acting weird. He's really skittish and freaks out at the slightest things like movement and now he's made himself a den in the Java moss and anubis. He's eating well but just acting weird. Is this normal for flowerhorn fish? I'll post a couple pictures.

 

[Sunscream]

These are some pics of his tank and you can see where his hiding spot is

 

[FiremouthGem]

What are your water parameters? Have there been any lights flashing as of late or power outages? Is anyone moving quickly near the tank? Any other pets that might be agitating your Flowerhorn? Have they been bolder up until recently? It could be a flight or fight response. Beautiful Flowerhorn by the way!!

 

[lp85253]

white clothes can sometimes do it.. have you changed wardrobe ?

 

[GentleGiantsCichlidKeeper]

I know off-topic but great colors on your Flowerhorn!

 

[esoxlucius]

Parameters are the first thing you check when a fishes behaviour changes.

I also notice that your tank isn't against a wall, it's out in the open. You can see in from all sides, which means your flowerhorn can see out from all sides too! That would mean it's getting a barrage of shadows and movement from all over the room. If it's quite a busy room that could be the reason your flowerhorn is cowering away.

And I agree with the others, that is a damn nice flowerhorn, it's like an electric blue variety.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Btw I don't know if it's just me not seeing the whole table but it looks like the plants on the right hand side of the tank are the lil guy's only hiding place. Personally I would recommend either adding a decent sized pot or make a small cave for him to be able to hide when ever he feels threatened. As esoxlucius mentioned, with the tank not being against a wall he may feel threatened from all sides which could explain his sudden behavior change.

But as everyone else has mentioned, please post your water parameters here so that we can rule out any chemical causes.

 

[Sunscream]

Btw I don't know if it's just me not seeing the whole table but it looks like the plants on the right hand side of the tank are the lil guy's only hiding place. Personally I would recommend either adding a decent sized pot or make a small cave for him to be able to hide when ever he feels threatened. As esoxlucius mentioned, with the tank not being against a wall he may feel threatened from all sides which could explain his sudden behavior change.

But as everyone else has mentioned, please post your water parameters here so that we can rule out any chemical causes.

He's got a big cave too. There's not a lot of traffic down there and he's in the tank by himself. I'm not sure why he would hide? All of my other cichlids are very outgoing and want my attention anytime I'm around or want food. But this one is very skittish for some reason. This tank has been set up for about 6 months there are zero nitrites, zero ammonia, and the nitrates are 20 or under. The water is hard and the pH is at 7.0

 

[Sunscream]

Parameters are the first thing you check when a fishes behaviour changes.

I also notice that your tank isn't against a wall, it's out in the open. You can see in from all sides, which means your flowerhorn can see out from all sides too! That would mean it's getting a barrage of shadows and movement from all over the room. If it's quite a busy room that could be the reason your flowerhorn is cowering away.

And I agree with the others, that is a damn nice flowerhorn, it's like an electric blue variety.

Thank you. Yeah it is open from all angles but there's not a lot going on in the basement. My father in law lives down there right now but there's usually not a lot of foot traffic down there but I guess he could still feel exposed and that's why he's acting like that. I think they call this variant the blue dragon from what I've seen on here and on line.

 

[Sunscream]

white clothes can sometimes do it.. have you changed wardrobe ?

No I wear mostly all black. And my wife doesn't wear a lot of white but my father in law does wear white shirts