Royal Gramma

[smokinjoe2122]

Hey guys, I just bought a Royal Gramma for my tank, and while he seems healthy he is very shy and recluse. Do they get less shy after adjusting to the tank??? He has a tendency to hide behind a powerhead when I walk by.. I was also under the impression they could be fed flake food, after doing more research, I understand they need a variety of foods...I did get him to eat some frozen krill, but he whiffed at the flakes and wasn't sure on the freeze dried brine shrimp. If anyone has one, what are you feeding it and where do you usually get your food?? He is the only fish in the tank (29 gallon hex) right now after I have removed all of my damsels (Too mean and a few were killed by each other)..He is with a purple reef lobster, CC star, and some cleanup crew... Also would clowns make a good tank mate?? I'd like to try to get a pair.. I'd do my own research on this forum, but the search engine isn't working... Thanks!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Do you have a lot of rockwork for him to hide in? Mine was shy for a short time but now is out more often than not. He does have a peice of hollow of rock which he lives in (and defends it against everyone quite aggressivly). Sometimes he will stay hidden away for awhile though and it is fairly normal for them to spend some time in the rock work.

He will be fine with a pair of clowns.

 

[smokinjoe2122]

Do you have a lot of rockwork for him to hide in? Mine was shy for a short time but now is out more often than not. He does have a peice of hollow of rock which he lives in (and defends it against everyone quite aggressivly). Sometimes he will stay hidden away for awhile though and it is fairly normal for them to spend some time in the rock work.

He will be fine with a pair of clowns.

I wouldn't say A LOT of live rock... I have about 15 lbs or so in there... Unforunitally the lobster scurries throughout most of the live rock which might deter him from going in it. The Royal Gramma has made a home behind a powerhead which is kinda wierd.. I'd rather him pick live rock as opposed to a powerhead...
What are you currently feeding him?? Has he eaten and flakes or freeze dried food?? I can feed him meaty foods, but would like to alternate... Also we feed our tangs and angels in the large tank frozen brine shrimp, I haven't tried that yet....

 

[Don Trinko]

Mine is a little shy but it is out most of the time. They like to dig in the sand under the rocks.
Mine eats formula 1 flakes, spirolina brime shrimp and pellets. It likes the shrimp best.
Mine is in a 75 with green crommis, firefish and 2 clowns. They chalange each other occasioaly but so far no actual fights. Don T.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

You probably need more rock work in there for him to feel comfortable. Would also worry about any lobster in a tank with fish to be honest.

With regards to food mine eats everything I put in there (flake, mysis, bloodworm, brine shrimp). He didnt really eat much flake at first but has got a taste for it now.

I feed all my fish a little bit of flake in the morning and then most days give them a cube of mysis shrimp (which is probably one of the better live/frozen foods you can get). Ocassionally I throw in some live baby brine shrimp or different frozen food.

 

[smokinjoe2122]

You probably need more rock work in there for him to feel comfortable. Would also worry about any lobster in a tank with fish to be honest.

With regards to food mine eats everything I put in there (flake, mysis, bloodworm, brine shrimp). He didnt really eat much flake at first but has got a taste for it now.

I feed all my fish a little bit of flake in the morning and then most days give them a cube of mysis shrimp (which is probably one of the better live/frozen foods you can get). Ocassionally I throw in some live baby brine shrimp or different frozen food.

Yah the live rock has always been an issue...I wish I would of known how much better it would of been to buy all at once instead of trying to add, considering I don't have another tank or any extra powerheads to let more die off before I put it into the tank. I did the best I could of creating caves and whatnot with what I have. The reef lobster to this point is more harmless than the CC star..That thing eats everything... I have gotten him to eat, so it's a good start, maybe I'll rearrange the live rock if he doesn't stop from going behind the filter... I will keep trying to mix up the food... Thanks guys..

 

[BigC]

Hi heres my little begger

They tend to be a bit skittish at first dissappearing into the rockwork when you approach the tank. (as do a lot of marine sp)
What really brought mine out was newly hatched brineshrimp which he truely realishes. Now he's feeding on Flake, frozen Brineshrimp, Mysis Shrimp and Krill pacifica.
He also likes Cyclopeeze, and Copepods. Hes really come into his own now and comes out at every opportunity. Not aggressive at all towards anything and is a real nice addition to the tank in general. He has adopted his own little territory on the right of the tank but he doesn't really defend it as such.
Regards
BigC

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Not aggressive at all towards anything and is a real nice addition to the tank in general. He has adopted his own little territory on the right of the tank but he doesn't really defend it as such.

Maybe mine is just a bully then

With regards to the liverock you can probably pick up a powerhead and a small heater for next to nothing and then just chuck it in a bucket somewhere. Alternatively in the short term you could always just add some base rock in there. Doesnt look very pretty to start with but it will soon start to blend in. When I upgraded my tank I put in a couple of KG of base rock and while it started out looking very white and out of place it is actually starting to blend in really well (and its only taken a few months) and its full of life.

 

[smokinjoe2122]

Not aggressive at all towards anything and is a real nice addition to the tank in general. He has adopted his own little territory on the right of the tank but he doesn't really defend it as such.

Maybe mine is just a bully then

With regards to the liverock you can probably pick up a powerhead and a small heater for next to nothing and then just chuck it in a bucket somewhere. Alternatively in the short term you could always just add some base rock in there. Doesnt look very pretty to start with but it will soon start to blend in. When I upgraded my tank I put in a couple of KG of base rock and while it started out looking very white and out of place it is actually starting to blend in really well (and its only taken a few months) and its full of life.

Yah I haven't considered doing that, but maybe I should. It's hard doing anything in this tank because of it's odd size and length from corner to corner.. I have a powerhead I'd love to hide because it's so long and sticks out like a sore thumb, with the live rock... So far he has gone into the live rock and behind that powerhead, but hasn't swam around the tank much. I've only gotten him to eat a little frozen krill so far... But luckily he still ate... Maybe I'll add some base rock when I pick up some different food.. I supposed I'll need it if I add the clowns to the tank...

 

[stanchod]

Hey guys, I just bought a Royal Gramma for my tank, and while he seems healthy he is very shy and recluse. Do they get less shy after adjusting to the tank??? He has a tendency to hide behind a powerhead when I walk by.. I was also under the impression they could be fed flake food, after doing more research, I understand they need a variety of foods...I did get him to eat some frozen krill, but he whiffed at the flakes and wasn't sure on the freeze dried brine shrimp. If anyone has one, what are you feeding it and where do you usually get your food?? He is the only fish in the tank (29 gallon hex) right now after I have removed all of my damsels (Too mean and a few were killed by each other)..He is with a purple reef lobster, CC star, and some cleanup crew... Also would clowns make a good tank mate?? I'd like to try to get a pair.. I'd do my own research on this forum, but the search engine isn't working... Thanks!

Hi Smokinjoe2122

I've got a Royal Gramma in my tank which consists purely of corals and rocks - plenty of hiding places, which this fish loves. I've had him for over six years now and he thrives on the only food I feed my fish - Aquarian Marine Flakes. He is quite a shy fish and will stake out a particulat hiding place but will come out, particularly at feeding time. He is not bothered by my other two fish - Clowns that are both eleven years old! (How long do these fish live for?). So, yes, your Royal Gramma will get on well with Clown Fish if mine is a benchmark

 

[rabbut]

Mine's realy outgoing. You will almost always find him at the front left quater of my tank now... Not been too agressive e.t.c yet, but he's only been there about a week... The first day I saw him for probibly a total of 3 seconds, 5 the following day, then he was in and out for food, and the next day he was out and about properly

Live brine shrimp seams to drive him nuts, but he greadily accepts everything I throw at him

Royal Grammas will often be teritorialy agressive towards eachother and similar shaped fish, but are rarely a problem for anything else from what I've read

All the best
Rabbut

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah I had read they where peaceful as well. My royal gramma obviously hadnt read that book though and was really quite bad (and he really hated my clowns). Funny enough he has not been half as bad since I added more fish.

 

[Demm]

I feed my gramma frozen foods. i have 2 different kinds of mixes that i use. one is emerald entree, the other i cant remember the name of. both have algae, brine and a mix of other things.

my gramma is always out. he gets along with everyone in the tank (out of ocellaris, starry blenny, 6line wrasse, pajama cardinal, peppermit shrimp) except for the 6line wrasee. most of the time they stay away from each other. but every now and then they have a run-in. its always fun to watch because the gramma opens its mouse really wide, and the wrasse always runs away lol.

wierd thing about him though is that at night he sleeps sideways! i thought he was dead on many occasions but when i turn the room light on i see his little eye look at me lol. i have some pictures somewhere that i'll have to post sometime