Royal Gramma and Sexy Shrimp

[Duane Clark]

I have been planning on adding a single Royal Gramma to my 14g nano with my existing 4 sexy shrimp. I have been searching but it seems unclear. so....should I avoid this combo?

If so, otherwise I may just get a firefish goby.

 

[bean2986]

I'd go with the safer option. Unclear answers mean it can/ has happened. My Royal Gramma is massive now and could easily devour a sexy shrimp, so I will not risk it.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I would not trust a gramma with sexy shrimp.

 

[ncaldwell]

Maybe i can help, my wife bought me a small sexy shrimp for my 100gal because she thought they were cute. I had a royal gamma but hoped if I put the net on the rocks it might be ok. Well as soon as the net goes in the water the gamma swims into the net and eats the shrimp. I'm talking like as soon as the corner of the net breaks the water it's gone. I think it saw her bring it into the house and was plotting

 

[Duane Clark]

Glad I checked with you guys. I went with my other scenario and picked up a fire fish and a green mandarin that has already been trained to take frozen food (I also have a very healthy pod population). these are my first fish so super excited.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even if a mandarin is trained to take prepared foods their digestive tract is so short that they still need to rely primarily on pods and a healthy mandarin will consume 5000+ pods a week....

 

[Duane Clark]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even if a mandarin is trained to take prepared foods their digestive tract is so short that they still need to rely primarily on pods and a healthy mandarin will consume 5000+ pods a week....

Not a problem. I am friends with the shop owner. He has had the fish in quarantine and "training" for over two months. The good thing is, I get pods from algae barn monthly to augment my pod pop as well as have access to local pods from my local store so I am going to give it a go. wish me luck.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Not a problem. I am friends with the shop owner. He has had the fish in quarantine and "training" for over two months. The good thing is, I get pods from algae barn monthly to augment my pod pop as well as have access to local pods from my local store so I am going to give it a go. wish me luck.

Ok, but it will annihilate a bag of pods in under a week....

 

[Duane Clark]

Ok, but it will annihilate a bag of pods in under a week....

I understand what you are saying. She will not be eating just pods but I am also not in the practice of killing animals so if she seems to be getting too thin, etc. then I will take her back.

 

[Legal Reefer]

You have a lid on your tank? I lost my fire fish and always use a mesh top now. Really nice tank by the way. I found this post as I was researching the royal gramma also, guess I won't be getting one either

 

[Duane Clark]

Hey thanks for the reply. I do have a lid. The fire fish will definitely jump so have that covered. Since my last post I have my little tank stocked now. Everyone is doing “swimmingly”. I ended up with 4 sexyshrimp (collectively now known as the Four horsemen), a fire fish named spike, my mandarin named fancy and now my snowflake clown named Cloi. I have my daughter to thank for the names. Could not be happier with the mix but would have loved a gramma all the same. Will get one in my next tank. ;-)

 

[Jesterrace]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even if a mandarin is trained to take prepared foods their digestive tract is so short that they still need to rely primarily on pods and a healthy mandarin will consume 5000+ pods a week....

Agreed. I had a Mandy starve to death in a 36 gallon after just shy of 3 months despite adjusting to frozen foods (and despite spending hundreds of dollars on pods). They need about 75lbs of live rock (per fish) with a healthy well established copepod population in order to survive long term.

 

[Duane Clark]

Yeah I understand. I wish I had not fallen for the “trained to eat frozen food” line. She does not eat frozen food at all since I got her. I am running my own pod hatchery now and feeding almost daily but it is quite a production. I’m at the two month mark now. It’s an awesome fish for sure but lots of work.