Royal Gramma Problems

[Tennyson]

I bought a Royal Gramma, perfectly healthy and all about 1 1/2 months ago. It died about two weeks ago. This happened because it was going in and out of the rocks and getting dirt and scratches on its fins and sides (The scratches got infected and it died).

I would have removed it, but many times, it would be in the holes of a rock. One time it didn't show up for two and a half days.

I was just wondering if this is typical behavior of this fish, to get scracthed up, or is there something wrong with my live rocks? I want to get a replacement, but I'm kind of reluctant to, thinking that it will share the same fait as the first one.

[betat]

Not sure if this is typical but it makes sense. We just lost our Gramma after six months and it exhibited the same behavior that you describe. It spent more time hiding than swimming around. The puzzling thing is it seemed fine, eating, moving around, etc. and then we woke up to find it under an overhang with the mithrax and a hermit chowing down on it!

[Charlie's Angel]

Just happenend to me as well after having it for 3 years. Very strange. I know they do tend to hide in the rock work.

[LisaD]

I just had a similar experience. I wonder if there is something going on with the source - issues of disease, handling, catching with drugs?

the royal gramma I had before this one I kept for over seven years. normally, I'd say if it was scratching itself, it probably had parasites or some other disease. healthy grammas live among rocks and can dart in and out without scratching themselves.

[Newlin]

Yup, I have had mine for over 2 years and he loves one spot in the rocks. They do sleep in the rock and go there when something is bothering them. I'm not sure why yours would get scratched up like that as mine never has.

[Sheol]

I had a similar experience. One of my Grammas died like that, then the other started hiding more, than one day didn't appear for his breakfast. When I checked the water params, I eventually found I had nearly re-created the Dead Sea! Frackin hydrometers..

Matthew

[philter4]

Royal grammas wont hurt themselves going in and out of the rocks. I've watched them in the ocean and collected them and never have seen a healthy one with scratches. There are several things that could do that though, the first thing I would do is eliminate the tankmates as the cause, any basslet or clown could be beating up the gramma, causing the damage (the torn fins could be a clue) or any disease that leaves lesions.

About how they are collected, it is legal to use drugs to collect them, quinaldine is the most common. I have dove with commercial collectors and watched how they are collected. They dose a particular ledge with the drug then go back and grab all the fish that float out. Quinaldine isn't too bad for the corals and inverts so it is legal, but I've read that fish caught with the drug only live an average of about a year. I'm not saying that this is why any of your grammas died, but even for some of you that have fish that survive a couple of years while others die within a month, the average is shorter rather then longer. There are a few hand net only collectors, try to find out the source and only buy these fish and maybe you will be more successful, I have 3 that are close to 5 years that I collected myself with hand nets.

[Tennyson]

thanks everyone, this is very helpful info, do you think that it would be a good idea to get another and not have to worry about this behavior?