Little Shop of Coral
Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
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The Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) is one of the most popular and beginner friendly fish to come out of the Caribbean, and for good reason. That split of electric purple at the front fading into bright yellow at the back is unmistakable, and it stays small, hardy, and full of personality. It spends its day darting in and out of caves and overhangs, often hanging upside down under ledges, which makes it a fun, active splash of colour for reefs of almost any size.
Why we love it
- Striking purple to yellow colour split that pops in any aquascape
- Hardy, peaceful, and one of the best beginner saltwater fish
- Stays small and reef safe, so it fits nano tanks right up to large systems
- Constantly active around rockwork, with loads of cave dwelling personality
Suggested parameters
- Temperature: 24 to 26°C (75 to 79°F)
- Salinity: 1.024 to 1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1 to 8.4
- Alkalinity: 8 to 10 dKH
- Ammonia/Nitrite: 0
- Nitrate: under 20 ppm, stable is best
Care and temperament
- Difficulty: Easy
- Temperament: Peaceful, but territorial around its chosen cave, especially toward other grammas and similar looking fish
- Reef safe: Yes
- Minimum tank size: 30 gallons recommended, with plenty of rockwork, caves, and overhangs
Diet
Royal grammas are carnivores that feed on zooplankton in the wild and adapt easily to aquarium foods.
- Frozen mysis and brine shrimp
- Quality marine pellets and flakes
- Finely chopped meaty seafood
- Feed small amounts 1 to 2 times per day
Compatibility and tankmates
- Excellent community reef fish that mixes well with most peaceful tankmates
- Best kept one royal gramma per tank unless the system is large with lots of separate territory
- Watch pairings with dottybacks and other cave dwellers, which compete for the same hiding spots
- Provide plenty of rockwork so it can claim a home base and retreat when needed
Health and acclimation notes
Royal grammas are hardy and not prone to any species specific issues, but like all marine fish they do best with stable water and a calm acclimation. They are accomplished jumpers, especially while settling in, so a tight fitting lid is strongly recommended. Drip acclimate slowly and give it a cave to claim, and it will usually settle in within a day or two.
What you are buying
- You will receive: 1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
- Colour and size will vary between individuals
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LIGHT
LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.
MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height.Â
HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.
FLOW
LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.
MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.
HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.
SKILL
ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.
While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.
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