Interesting Royal Gramma behavior

[mvallee]

My Royal Gramma is soo cool, I had stuffed a ball of chaeto in the corner of my DT to boost my pod population about a week ago. I had seen it with a piece in its mouth the other day and bring it into its cave reminding me of a bird building a nest and I thought that was pretty cool.

Tonight I saw him struggling with a piece of chaeto about 10” long with 3-4 strands intertwined and thought he was bringing it to his cave but nope, instead of bringing it to his cave he brought it back to the ball of chaeto and started tucking it into the ball, it floated back away and he immediately grabbed it and went to back to work tucking in all the loose strands until it stayed, I was blown away at his effort to get it to stay and after he was done he hovered for a minute and lunged in grabbing a big copepod.

Does he realize he has a little copepod farm going and is protecting it or does he like his home neat, whatever the reason it is fascinating.

I have kept fish since I was a little kid catching minnows and crayfish in the brook, about 6 years ago I setup my first SW tank but had to relinquish due to a major renovation in my house 2 years later. I went back to FW for 2 years because I have always had fish and needed something but found them so boring in comparison I just had to get back into reef keeping and so glad I did. So much more work and money but definitely much more interesting and rewarding.

 

[Chris A.]

That’s awesome and weird at the same time lol

 

[this is me]

That's a fascinating thing to see!
I think royal gramma is one of the most underrated fish. Reason being because they are on the cheap side and offer it as a beginner fish.
I love the one I have as well.

 

[bageling]

I’ve never seen something like that but it’s really cool. I don’t know if it goes as far as understanding it keeps the pods coming, but certainly he seems to understand it’s supposed to be in a ball! Fish’s intelligence is so underrated

 

[mvallee]

I’ve never seen something like that but it’s really cool. I don’t know if it goes as far as understanding it keeps the pods coming, but certainly he seems to understand it’s supposed to be in a ball! Fish’s intelligence is so underrated

agreed, last night he grabbed another small strand that was floating around and he brought it into his cave, with a flashlight I could see in and sure enough it was lined with Chaeto. I wonder what the purpose of that is.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

That's really neat. Amazing what a fish thinks of sometimes.

I also find most marine fish personalities are so much more interesting than the majority of FW (especially tetras). So many fish have so much more varied behavior.

 

[Matt W]

This seems like nesting behavior.

 

[bageling]

I also find most marine fish personalities are so much more interesting than the majority of FW (especially tetras). So many fish have so much more varied behavior.

This is why I have an irrational dislike for cardinals. They’re the FW fish of the SW world, and as dumb as a goldfish. And why I always wasn’t interested in FW.. the fish just aren’t that active or interesting!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Which is why I've never wanted to get cardinals...