Royal Gramma ?

[need4speed]

I got a royal gramma about a week ago and he is doing great but I have not seen him eat anything! I got him because i had seen alot of brisle worms and thought he would take care of them. After the first day he was swimming around and everything would come up to the glass when you would walk up to the tank, but now he has stayed in a hole and won't come out at all. the only thing that I have in the tank is 6 pepermint shrimp, one coral banded shrimp, and one damsal (not aggressive, won't come close to his on shadow) 3 emerald crabs, some blue and red hermits, and some snails, 2 brittle stars. this is a 55gal tank with LR about 100lbs? I have been feeding some brine shrimp. sould I try something else and what?

 

[kreach]

You might try mysis shrimp and try soaking the food in garlic (I recommend Kent's Garlic Xtreme). Brine shrimp isn't very nutritious anyway...

 

[wrassecal]

I'm not sure what you mean by take care of the bristle worms. I don't think royal grammas are known for eating them if that is what you mean. They are known for hiding in holes and poking their heads out. I agree with adding the garlic to the food to entice it. I'd feed mysis or finely chopped krill soaked in the garlic and I like to use zoe also, especially with new fish. I do not continue the garlic once my new fish are eating well and have adjusted to my tank. HTH

 

[need4speed]

I thought they were supose to eat brisle worms? not for sure any one eles have an idea?

 

[kreach]

I haven't heard of royal grammas eating bristle worms, but why would you want it to? Bristle worms eat detritus and left over fish food... they are a benefical part of your clean up crew.

 

[need4speed]

I had been told that they were bad for the tank. so its sounds like i may have been miss lead I have one that i have seen and he is about 5 inch long. is he to big and going to give me problems?

 

[nas19320]

Bristleworms are really beneficial, I'm actually trying to get my population up. I've never heard of Royal Gramma's eating them but they are beautiful fish, one of my favorites.

 

[zibnata]

Try to get some food right near it with a turkey baster. It took mine weeks to venture away from its hole.A couple months and it will explore the whole tank.

 

[wrassecal]

As stated above bristle worms are very good for your tank. Great part of the clean-up crew, eat detritus, and will clean up if say a snail dies or something. My sixline wrasse eats them, so I raise them in a seperate tank to keep the supply up in the main tank. Bristle worms=good

 

[need4speed]

Thanks for the info. I'm new at this so I maybe worrying about something i shouldn't be. But he was so active at first andnow won't come out.

 

[need4speed]

thanks Wrassecal

 

[lesleybird]

Originally posted by need4speed
I thought they were supose to eat brisle worms? not for sure any one eles have an idea?
It's the sixline wrasse that eats the brissle worms, but I would not add one now as my sixline ripped up the fins on my smaller royal gamma. Had to seperate them. I have see peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp eat small brissle worms. Most brissle worms are harmless though. Lesley

 

[need4speed]

thanks to all of ya'll just got some garlic and some mysis going to give it a try! thanks agian for all the replys.

 

[wrassecal]

Ok thime for my royal gramma story. Shortly after buying one and while it was still shy and hiding we decided to move some lr around. We took out several pieces and put them in a laundry basket. As we were adding the rock back in my husband noticed purple and yellow flopping around on the bottom of the laundry basket. He scooped up the fish and plopped it back in the tank. From then on he was almost always in view as if to say "please don't put me back in the laundry basket!" DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME it about scared me to death