My Royal Gramma

[Anonymous]

Okay, so there's a bit of a story behind this guy. Got him just over a week ago. Acclimated him, put him in, he swam around a bit, happy as could be. Then my antias saw him. Not good. Anthias started bullying him for awhile. Lights went out, and the gramma found a little hole in a rock to curl up in. An hour or so later I shined a flashlight in to check on him, and my green chromis is in front of the hole, mouth open and fronting someting terrible to the gramma.

Next day, no sign of the gramma anywhere. I thought he was a goner. Sure enough, no sign of him for a week.

Well today before the lights came on I happened to glance over at the tank and there he was!!!! Now he's out and about all the time, but always pretty close to the rockwork.

 

[John_Brandt]

Hurry up and get another one. They will become a pair and spawn. It happens almost every time for me.

 

[Anonymous]

...I've heard you can even do small groups. I have a pair in a 135 too. John, what do they do when they spawn? Mine are always in a hole they share, so I assume itf they are they do it in there.

 

[Anonymous]

Sweet really? I may just have to do that!!

 

[John_Brandt]

Yes, you can have groups, but when they begin to spawn there will be aggression by the pair towards others.

They nest in a smallish cave, preferably dead-ended. Normally they will use filamentous algae to make the nest. One of the pair generally stays in the nest while the other stands guard.

A way to tell that they are spawning is that it will be preceded by them spending lots of time together in a particular area of the tank. You may see them gathering nest material and taking it to the area (they will build the nest in a cave or crevice that you may not see). Then one of them will seem to be missing (this one is in or at the nest). Ideally, they would like a golf-ball sized dead end cave and filament algae to make whoopie. They are prolific is the situation is suitable!

In some cases I would imagine aquarists have spawning grammas and don't really know it.