Royal Gramma

[StPatrick89]

Just bought royal Gramma and after acclimation he took off and ghosted. Haven’t seen him since I put him in the tank. Is this normal, and is this a fish that just hides all its life?

 

[CrimsonTide]

Just bought royal Gramma and after acclimation he took off and ghosted. Haven’t seen him since I put him in the tank. Is this normal, and is this a fish that just hides all its life?

Most fish hide when being added to a new tank some can for a couple of days. Give them some time. Do you have other fish in the tank? If so could take a couple days for it to feel bold.

 

[Reef.]

Just bought royal Gramma and after acclimation he took off and ghosted. Haven’t seen him since I put him in the tank. Is this normal, and is this a fish that just hides all its life?

Mine hide for the first 5 months, now he is out, And digging a hole in the sand bed, he picks up the sand in his mouth and throws it on top of the rocks, I was told it's because he has turned to a male now and is digging a nest to attract a female? Not sure if all grammas turn to male if kept by themselves but he has definitely got braver then he was, he is no longer scared when he see me either but is not a great eater, so if anyone has any tips to get him to eat more, he is very picky. I feed frozen.

 

[StPatrick89]

Most fish hide when being added to a new tank some can for a couple of days. Give them some time. Do you have other fish in the tank? If so could take a couple days for it to feel bold.

Yea, I have 2Oclowns and a coral beauty

 

[StPatrick89]

Mine hide for the first 5 months, now he is out, And digging a hole in the sand bed, he picks up the sand in his mouth and throws it on top of the rocks, I was told it's because he has turned to a male now and is digging a nest to attract a female? Not sure if all grammas turn to male if kept by themselves but he has definitely got braver then he was, he is no longer scared when he see me either but is not a great eater, so if anyone has any tips to get him to eat more, he is very picky. I feed frozen.

 

[StPatrick89]

Wow5months!!!
I need a list of fish that don’t hide out lol

 

[CrimsonTide]

Yea, I have 2Oclowns and a coral beauty

It may take him a little longer with other fish in the tank. Angels are usually pretty bossy so just watch the coral beauty and make sure he doesn't mess with the gramma but it should unspook. It will get hungry in a day or two.

 

[Reef.]

Wow5months!!!
I need a list of fish that don’t hide out lol

yes he is a very strange fish, the first few days he hide, then was out for maybe a week, then he hide in a cave for the next 5 months, I would see him moving from one cave to another and sometimes he would lay on the rock at the mouth of the cave, then he decided to come out, I thought he was dead as he was out and in the sand bed just laying there, he then moved into the clowns area and sat watching them, they went mad, covering him in sand, they accepted him after a day, he stayed with them for a week, and now for the last 2 weeks has been in the middle of the tank in the sand bed digging! Just wish he would eat more.

 

[StPatrick89]

It may take him a little longer with other fish in the tank. Angels are usually pretty bossy so just watch the coral beauty and make sure he doesn't mess with the gramma but it should unspook. It will get hungry in a day or two.

Okay thanks

 

[StPatrick89]

yes he is a very strange fish, the first few days he hide, then was out for maybe a week, then he hide in a cave for the next 5 months, I would see him moving from one cave to another and sometimes he would lay on the rock at the mouth of the cave, then he decided to come out, I thought he was dead as he was out and in the sand bed just laying there, he then moved into the clowns area and sat watching them, they went mad, covering him in sand, they accepted him after a day, he stayed with them for a week, and now for the last 2 weeks has been in the middle of the tank in the sand bed digging! Just wish he would eat more.

Dag, I’m ready to take him back to my LFS smh

 

[Reef.]

Dag, I’m ready to take him back to my LFS smh

The ones I’ve seen on videos etc seem normal swimming around the tank, you might be lucky.

 

[NeuroNurse]

Just bought royal Gramma and after acclimation he took off and ghosted. Haven’t seen him since I put him in the tank. Is this normal, and is this a fish that just hides all its life?

I just finished the quarantine on mine and added him last week. We’ve been trying to play Where’s Waldo with him but can’t find him anywhere. It’s a 200g so there’s so many places for him to hide ‍

 

[blaxsun]

Royal grammas are not great display fish. They find a crevice or hole and **** off for days, weeks - even months at a time. Such that if they do eventually die you never notice it...

Yeah, I’ll probably get another one at some point...

 

[Reef.]

Royal grammas are not great display fish. They find a crevice or hole and **** off for days, weeks - even months at a time. Such that if they do eventually die you never notice it...

Yeah, I’ll probably get another one at some point...

strange as I always see them swimming around when watching tanks on YT but yeah that was my experience, hiding for the first 5 months then came out only to act strange for a few weeks and die.

 

[Homebrewer]

Dag, I’m ready to take him back to my LFS smh

Do no such thing!!! You just acquired the best fish in the hobby, in my humble opinion!

Their behavior is awesome and their color is unreal (really, best bang for the buck fish in terms of appearance).

Agree with others that they aren’t a great “display” fish but watching them act naturally is truly enjoyable.

 

[blaxsun]

Do no such thing!!! You just acquired the best fish in the hobby, in my humble opinion!

Flame hawkfish is watching...

 

[Homebrewer]

Flame hawkfish is watching...

Lol… yeah I get that! Love me some grammas though!

 

[blaxsun]

Lol… yeah I get that! Love me some grammas though!

I would if I could ever find the darn things. At least my dottybacks came out of their caves occasionally...

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Mine has his little personal cave that he periodically comes out of. He feels safest hiding about 50% of the time. It is too beautiful of a fish to take back to the store!

 

[>>klong<<]

Royal grammas are not great display fish. They find a crevice or hole and **** off for days, weeks - even months at a time. Such that if they do eventually die you never notice it...

This is not my experience. My royal gramma is always out and about. Even with a bunch of evening aggression in my tank, he's hanging out with the rest of the fish (clowns, wrasse, coral beauty, foxface). If I walk up on the tank quickly, he will dart back into his hole (always the same hole since he was added 8 months ago), but always comes back out within a minute. He's one of my favorites.

Quick example, but bad video: