Chalk bass & Royal Gramma

Noah Hemingway · Dec 13, 2020

Does anyone have experience keeping these two together? I would like to put them both in my 25G along with a pair of O clowns.

EvanDeVita · Dec 13, 2020

I personally have not, but my LFS keeps a royal gramma and a similar sized chalk basslet in the same 30 gal. They are both small (in comparison to their max size) and live on opposite sides of the tank. It is a 'long' tank with a large footprint.

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 13, 2020

Noah Hemingway said:
Does anyone have experience keeping these two together? I would like to put them both in my 25G along with a pair of O clowns.

I wouldn’t do this. Neither will actually bite the other but they’ll mock charge and chase the crap out of each other as they’re both basslets. Dad had a harlequin and a gramma and they hated each other. Each owner part of a 90 Gal and the other stayed on their side.

Uncle99 · Dec 13, 2020

Chalk bass is not normally an aggressive fish, the Royal Gramma can have more attitude and display, so if there was trouble, it would start with him.

I see no reason why these two fish, of similar size, would not work in your tank, provided it has rock structure.

jdiefenbaugh · Dec 13, 2020

I've kept groups of both in larger tanks with no issues. 25G isn't a lot of room tho.

SaltyT · Dec 13, 2020

I‘ve had the opposite experience. My royal grammas have been mild but every chalk bass I’ve tried in small tanks have been very aggressive. IMO, chalk bass need more territory than grammas. I wouldn’t take the risk of trying to make them coexist in a 25 gal.