Royal Gramma eggs How to help

[Raege]

Hello got a surprise checking tank today Royal Gramma swimming up glass leaving what looks to be eggs behind. From what I’ve found so far they build a nest with algae and I have been pulling loose gha from this corner thinking flow was taking what I scrubbed to location. I’d like to give eggs a chance if there is anything I can to facilitate. Any tips or recommended reading appreciated

 

[KJ]

Do you have Nerite snails?

 

[Raege]

i do thought that was what they were but wife saw gramma drop one . possible gramma had one stuck underneath?

 

[KJ]

Possible.

 

[Raege]

Probable snail with the placement. Eggs are near granna cave and saw some if the shimmy rituak of the gramma but have not seen them lock lips. Will have to soend some mire time watching them in back if tank. Either way still pretty cool. Thanks for the input. Hopefully will catch someone in the act myself.

 

[KJ]

Probable snail with the placement. Eggs are near granna cave and saw some if the shimmy rituak of the gramma but have not seen them lock lips. Will have to soend some mire time watching them in back if tank. Either way still pretty cool. Thanks for the input. Hopefully will catch someone in the act myself.

Good luck my friend

 

[Raege]

Well grammas seen locking lips and doing the mating shimmy. May have snail eggs and gramma eggs closer to cave. Will see what develops

 

[Surfzone]

Grammas will spawn a few eggs a night. It is best to have a larvae trap to catch the eggs as they hatch.

 

[Mariette]

Omg omg omg so exciting. SOMETHING’S coming out of those eggs and I can’t wait to find out!!! Hurryyyyy

 

[Salty Lemon]

This is the only expert I can think of who can help you on this quest.

 

[mr9iron]

Well, what’s coming out of the eggs? The suspense is killing me.

 

[Mrs. Herbert]

Any update on the eggs? Any of them hatch? If so, Happy Father's Day!

 

[cmcoker]

Might look up Todd Gardner and see if you can find any of his writing or talks on fish breeding. He has raised grammas, one of his macna talks he talks briefly about them

 

[Raege]

Had a mix some new snails arrived. The Grammas continue to lock lips and display mating but have not caught any of their fry. The spawn point is a cave with algae stuffed in it back of aquarium with little room to get to. Will try a fry trap see if we can get any past snack stage

 

[Raege]

Grammas will spawn a few eggs a night. It is best to have a larvae trap to catch the eggs as they hatch.

Might look up Todd Gardner and see if you can find any of his writing or talks on fish breeding. He has raised grammas, one of his macna talks he talks briefly about them

Thanks for info much appreciated

 

[Saltyanimals]

Thanks for info much appreciated

How did this turn out? I'm heading here as a research mode because my pair may have breed. One of them has been very reclusive for almost a month if not longer now coming out only occasionally and back into the cave. No aggression from the other gramma or any other fish so no other reason for the single gramma to hide out. One is out - presume the male - all the time yet I may see the other out for a split min or two every few days or so and I get to see my tank alot with it in my office. My earlier concern was the reclusive one not eating, but maybe this is normal while she cares for the eggs? The cave is deep so no luck in trying to help recover eggs or anything.

And I did see the locking of the jaw thing. Learning now that might have been the mating dance. =)

 

[Saltyanimals]

Bumping back to this tread to see if anyone has bred them successfully in your tanks.

Looking back at my last post above that was almost 30 days ago where I said one of my pair has been reclusive. Still hasn't changed which means he/she has been hiding for probably 6-8 weeks. I see a head poke out here and there so still alive, but largely hiding thus not eating. Looking at a general breeding cycle (clowns), I can't see a fish caring for eggs that long. I'm more concerned of the fish not eating because I don't see it come out to eat when I feed the tank. Anyone commit on breeding reclusive behavior? I don't see any other aggression in the tank

 

[sabeypets]

From what I understand they continuously lay a few eggs every few nights through their breeding season, so the male always has eggs to tend to.

 

[Saltyanimals]

From what I understand they continuously lay a few eggs every few nights through their breeding season, so the male always has eggs to tend to.

Thank you for the response.


Breeding season reads according to the below during the warmer months. It's still winter now, but I guess it doesn't matter for our indoor temperature controlled tanks that feels like summer all year round. My concern is how long is this "season". So far I'm looking at 2 months of the presumably male hiding out caring for eggs. Granted I've yet to see eggs as they're probably deep inside the cave if there are eggs. 2 months seems a long time for the poor fish to not be able to properly eat.

Is 2 months uncommon for anyone that has bred?

Royal Gramma: Full Care Guide, Appearance, Diet, Breeding

The Royal Gramma is the most adored tiny fish belonging to the deep water of the western Atlantic and Caribbean part. Easy to care for and can add variety to your water tank with their colorful body and playful nature.

theaquariumguide.com

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I've never bred them myself, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that they do spend most of the season (reportedly February to June) tending to the eggs (which reportedly hatch every 5-11 days), as the study below had two cohorts hatched14 days apart. For anyone who cares, the young can apparently be reared with rotifers as a first feed, and Artemia nauplii (BBS) starting on day 6 post hatching.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260189396_Development_of_morphology_and_swimming_in_larvae_of_a_coral-reef_fish_the_royal_gramma_Gramma_loreto_Grammatidae_Teleostei

https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Gramma_loreto%20-%20Fairy%20Basslet.pdf