Royal Gramma?

huseman808 · 11/11/2010, 10:13 AM

I bought my first fish for my tank yesterday. It has been runnning for a little over 3 weeks. I seen my Nitrates, Nitrites, and ammonia spike up then jump back down to zero. Salinty is 1.025

I acclimated him for a half hour with the turkey baster method. Introduced him to the tank and he went into hiding and have not seen him since. I threw in a frozen thing of fish food this morning, but he didnt come out to eat that that I seen.

I guess for my first fish I shouldnt have picked one who likes to hide so much, because now I dont know if hes just hiding or dead. Is it normal for them to hide for that long?

GhostCon1 · 11/11/2010, 10:17 AM

How large was the piece of food? You may need to get that out. Firefish are skittish little guys, it may take him a bit of time to adjust before he comes out. IME, when they get hungry enough and you feed, they will come out and start to settle in.

Sugar Magnolia · 11/11/2010, 10:21 AM

It may still be hiding. Grammas can be very timid. How big is the tank?

huseman808 · 11/11/2010, 10:21 AM

maybe the size of a pee, a little bigger. Its all broke apart now, but the cleanup crew should take care of it. So you think when hes hungry, hell come back out and then I can start feeding?

huseman808 · 11/11/2010, 10:22 AM

26 gallon tank with 30lbs of live rock with a lot of spots to hide.

Ritten · 11/11/2010, 11:21 AM

They can be very shy at first. He'll come out when he's ready. You'll just overfeed trying to get him out with food

.

sslak · 11/11/2010, 11:51 AM

Often new fish hide for a few days. Generally nothing to be worried about.

dixiedog · 11/11/2010, 01:28 PM

Grammas always hide for a few days at first IME.

mistacheese · 11/11/2010, 01:33 PM

My gramma hid for the first couple days as well. I was told by many that this was a character of this fish. He now lives right in the exact middle of my tank and basically just sits there waiting to be admired... He'll happily stand his ground to my Orange Striped Bristle Tooth tang, and just sits there. He will also chase my laser pointer against the front glass with my clownfish. Just wait, he or she will come play...

GhostCon1 · 11/11/2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostCon1

How large was the piece of food? You may need to get that out. Firefish are skittish little guys, it may take him a bit of time to adjust before he comes out. IME, when they get hungry enough and you feed, they will come out and start to settle in.

Replace "fire fish" with "royal gramma."

huseman808 · 11/11/2010, 01:58 PM

cool, i dont feel as worried now. Thanks guys

huseman808 · 11/12/2010, 02:36 PM

He died

Not sure why, just did a salinity and nitrite, ammonia, nitrate and ph test and all came back fine.

Salinity = 1.025
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ammonia = 0
pH = 8.2

Drez · 11/12/2010, 02:42 PM

Dont sweat it, mine was super shy at first. With time as he feels more comfortable he'll come out more. Even my last clown was that way fore the first couple weeks, by week three he was eating out my my hand.

mike_cmu04 · 11/12/2010, 02:43 PM

Sorry to hear that. I got one a few months ago he would not come out for anything and a few days later died. My levels were also all zero must have just starved.

dublo8 · 11/12/2010, 02:45 PM

Sorry to here about your fish. Even though you acclimated him. I dont personally think it was long enough. Some may disagree but did you test the water from the LFS? The salinity could have been way off from what you currently had in the tank your tank. Also, when they go into hiding any number of things could have got to it. A bristleworm, a crab as well could have got to him while he was hiding. It's hard to say what truly happened but I would have acclimated him a little longer. just keep that in mind for your next fish purchase.

Jstdv8 · 11/12/2010, 04:44 PM

Hows your surface aggitation?
Do yuo have powerheads pointed at the surface of the tank to cause lots of ripples?

11/11/2010, 10:13 AM	#1
huseman808 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Dubuque Iowa Posts: 279	Royal Gramma? I bought my first fish for my tank yesterday. It has been runnning for a little over 3 weeks. I seen my Nitrates, Nitrites, and ammonia spike up then jump back down to zero. Salinty is 1.025 I acclimated him for a half hour with the turkey baster method. Introduced him to the tank and he went into hiding and have not seen him since. I threw in a frozen thing of fish food this morning, but he didnt come out to eat that that I seen. I guess for my first fish I shouldnt have picked one who likes to hide so much, because now I dont know if hes just hiding or dead. Is it normal for them to hide for that long?

11/11/2010, 10:17 AM	#2
GhostCon1 Rebmem Deretsiger Join Date: May 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,590	How large was the piece of food? You may need to get that out. Firefish are skittish little guys, it may take him a bit of time to adjust before he comes out. IME, when they get hungry enough and you feed, they will come out and start to settle in. __________________ In the works Current Tank Info: Getting a big'un

11/11/2010, 10:21 AM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	It may still be hiding. Grammas can be very timid. How big is the tank? __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

11/11/2010, 11:51 AM	#7
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	Often new fish hide for a few days. Generally nothing to be worried about. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

11/11/2010, 01:33 PM	#9
mistacheese Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 178	My gramma hid for the first couple days as well. I was told by many that this was a character of this fish. He now lives right in the exact middle of my tank and basically just sits there waiting to be admired... He'll happily stand his ground to my Orange Striped Bristle Tooth tang, and just sits there. He will also chase my laser pointer against the front glass with my clownfish. Just wait, he or she will come play... __________________ This message will self destruct in 30 seconds... Current Tank Info: 90 Gal drilled Starfire Display from Miracles / Vertex Illumina SR1200 / 70 Gal Sump / Vertex Illumina SR600 / Vertex Alpha 250 / Vertex CA Reactor RX4 / Vertex Biopellets / 2 Vertex UF20's / I Might need to rename it the "Vertex Project"...

11/11/2010, 10:22 AM	#5
huseman808 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Dubuque Iowa Posts: 279	26 gallon tank with 30lbs of live rock with a lot of spots to hide.

11/11/2010, 11:21 AM	#6
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	They can be very shy at first. He'll come out when he's ready. You'll just overfeed trying to get him out with food .

11/11/2010, 01:28 PM	#8
dixiedog Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gainesville, Florida Posts: 1,626	Grammas always hide for a few days at first IME.

11/11/2010, 01:58 PM	#11
huseman808 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Dubuque Iowa Posts: 279	cool, i dont feel as worried now. Thanks guys

11/12/2010, 02:36 PM	#12
huseman808 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Dubuque Iowa Posts: 279	He died Not sure why, just did a salinity and nitrite, ammonia, nitrate and ph test and all came back fine. Salinity = 1.025 Nitrite = 0 Nitrate = 0 Ammonia = 0 pH = 8.2

11/12/2010, 02:42 PM	#13
Drez Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 55	Dont sweat it, mine was super shy at first. With time as he feels more comfortable he'll come out more. Even my last clown was that way fore the first couple weeks, by week three he was eating out my my hand.

11/12/2010, 02:43 PM	#14
mike_cmu04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Shepherd, Mi Posts: 2,348	Sorry to hear that. I got one a few months ago he would not come out for anything and a few days later died. My levels were also all zero must have just starved. __________________ 92 Gallon corner tank, 2-radion gen 2 led lights, 2 mp40's Current Tank Info: 92 Gallon Corner Tank

11/12/2010, 02:45 PM	#15
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	Sorry to here about your fish. Even though you acclimated him. I dont personally think it was long enough. Some may disagree but did you test the water from the LFS? The salinity could have been way off from what you currently had in the tank your tank. Also, when they go into hiding any number of things could have got to it. A bristleworm, a crab as well could have got to him while he was hiding. It's hard to say what truly happened but I would have acclimated him a little longer. just keep that in mind for your next fish purchase. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

11/12/2010, 04:44 PM	#16
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	Hows your surface aggitation? Do yuo have powerheads pointed at the surface of the tank to cause lots of ripples?

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