Royal Gramma harem

Makers Marc

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Mine grew fast. The male was about 3 inches. How big is your tank? They don’t eat dry or flakes. Almost exclusively frozen food.
Are they healthy and FAT? They should be fat.
Both were fat for a few months. Now only one is, the other has been skittish. Still eats but it's like his head has stayed fat, but the torso and body is narrower.

But even the fat one doesnt seem to be growing much length. Its a 180g
 
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norfolkgarden

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Both were fat for a few months. Now only one is, the other has been skittish. Still eats but it's like his head has stayed fat, but the torso and body is narrower.

But even the fat one doesnt seem to be growing much length. Its a 180g
Is it badly losing weight? The skull can't shrink but the body will. Any fish with a noticeable "neck" is close to starvation.
Do they normally eat well? Could it be an internal parasite? What other fish do you have in the tank?
 

Makers Marc

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They are male nourish . Their body should be fatter then their head bone. When their muscle mass shrunk due to malnutrition, or parasites then the head of bigger than the body
I figured some parasite. It was a transfer over from my 75g, the old guard never got prazi treatment.
 

Makers Marc

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Is it badly losing weight? The skull can't shrink but the body will. Any fish with a noticeable "neck" is close to starvation.
Do they normally eat well? Could it be an internal parasite? What other fish do you have in the tank?
This isn't something that has happened rapidly. Over the past 6 months, I noticed it just wasn't as front and center or as shaped like a "pickle" as it used to be. Timing coincides with when I added a hippo tang, my first larger "predatory" fish so I wasn't surprised..
 
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norfolkgarden

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This isn't something that has happened rapidly. Over the past 6 months, I noticed it just wasn't as front and center or as shaped like a "pickle" as it used to be. Timing coincides with when I added a hippo tang, my first larger "predatory" fish so I wasn't surprised..
Yeah, you would think it would have been fine. Not like the Hippo's are real aggressive compared to some of the other tangs.
 

John Minnix

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They are small fish.
How long can they live for?

Our neon blue cleaner gobies are 2 and 1/2 years old now.
At the LFS near my house, they have a big ole Gramma that's gotta be close to 3.5 inches. The guy at the store says it's been in their showcase tank for at least 8 years.

I just got a really great looking Gramma from them. Its in my QT, but I'm excited to move it over. Great coloring. They do lose the brightness of the purples and yellows as they age, but they look really cool still. One downside is that they do have a tendency to stay in their cave except for feeding time, so if you have an all Gramma tank, you might not see too many fish most of the day.
 

ReefJunky

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Royal Grammas are my favorite reef community fish. I have always kept one per aquarium because I always thought more than one would fight to the death, but having a harem would be awesome. My aquariums are 75 gallons with maybe 80 to 95 pounds of live rock for lots of hiding places and to grow lots of amphipods and isopods which RGs love to hunt. I also fed a mix of frozen food. Mine have lived for about 8.5 to 10 years or so. They have a great personality and know when it's feeding time!
 

um02122

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I've had a harem of four in a RSM130.
I've added three small ones initially and there was always a hassle. Then added my three year old one from another display and there was harmony.
My feeling was that there is a hierarchy between females too.
Lost mine while not at home for two weeks due to an unknown disease (my best guess from seeing the surviving clowns is velvet).
My initial try was with quarantine. The successful try was woth dump in display and prophylaxis with PolypLab Medic for two weeks.
Your aquascape should have plenty of caves and crevices to keep them happy.
Video this year before disaster:

 

Makers Marc

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All I can add is with three at a time, they probably hovered together/yawned at each other about 20% of the time. But for the most part, they find their crevice and hover near it until you feed.

I want a single 4 inch fatty Gramma.
 

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Last summer I purchased 8 very small grammas from blue zoo. They were the only ones I could find that could guarantee the small size. I still have seven going very strong there is an occasional squabble and one seems to be growing larger than the others but my blotchy Anthias keeps them in line. My tank is 120 gallons
 
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norfolkgarden

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Last summer I purchased 8 very small grammas from blue zoo. They were the only ones I could find that could guarantee the small size. I still have seven going very strong there is an occasional squabble and one seems to be growing larger than the others but my blotchy Anthias keeps them in line. My tank is 120 gallons
Once they settled in do they mostly hide or are they out and about near the entrance of their caves?
 

Davy Jones

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The bold ones will be hovering near their cave. The scared ones will pop out to grab some food then dart back in.
If they hide most of the time im probably going to vote against doing the harem in my tank. Thanks for the info! I think ill get a pair of black caps instead.
 

CalebWBrink2000

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If they hide most of the time im probably going to vote against doing the harem in my tank. Thanks for the info! I think ill get a pair of black caps instead.
Black caps will likely be the same. Nearly all grammas are like that- I've seen that it helps to have a very /full/ tank in terms of coral and rock- the more shadows the better. It'll entice them to be out in the open more.
 

Makers Marc

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If they hide most of the time im probably going to vote against doing the harem in my tank. Thanks for the info! I think ill get a pair of black caps instead.
Every tank and its inhabitants are different. I have more than enough caves for mine, but it also is minimally scaped so maybe that makes em more skittish...
 

Davy Jones

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Black caps will likely be the same. Nearly all grammas are like that- I've seen that it helps to have a very /full/ tank in terms of coral and rock- the more shadows the better. It'll entice them to be out in the open more.
Correct, but a pair in stead of a harem is the main difference. I still like the species, just dont want to devote that large of bioload to a species that hides 70% of the time. With just a pair, i can get a different centerpiece species :)
 
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