swims only when filter is off

[Proudfishparent]

curious if anyone knows why this behavior is happening:

my cichlid only swims around happily when the water filter is off. otherwise, he stays at top of tank not moving.

i've filled water level high such that there is minimal current with the water filter, but he still doesn't seem to like it

 

[Arget]

What kind of cichlid? What kind of filter is it? Some are really weak, and even if you can't see the current on the surface the current in the tank can still be pretty high.

 

[Proudfishparent]

He's a jack dempsey cichlid. Thanks for your reply, i'll look into getting a weaker filter then. Right now, i've been leaving the filter off for periods of time for him to get his "exercise" swimming around

 

[Arget]

I don't any experience with Jack Dempseys, but you still need a filter good enough to handle the bio load. Jack Dempseys can get pretty big, so a good filter is a must. Canister filters work the best for me, and you can diy a different outflow that can reduce the current. I've got a 7" Red Oscar in a 90g with a fx4, and that filter has a lot of current, enough that I was worried that it was too much for the Oscar, but she's fine. I'll have to fix the outflow eventually, but she seems fine for now, and at her size she's a lot stronger then when I first got her. You can get a lily pipe, but at the size and activity level of Oscars then glass is not a good idea.

 

[libertybelle]

You could try two weaker filters rather than one strong one? Some filters like aqua clears you can turn down the flow without handicapping the filter.

How long have you had this fish; could he just be getting used to the flow.

Any ornaments in the tank that can block the flow in some areas?