what's with my royal gramma?

[daisy]

There are two fish in my tank that like to redecorate - my maroon clown and the royal gramma... they scoop up sand and put it elsewhere.

But the difference is this - I am convinced that the clown is making improvements on the space he wishes to inhabit.

On the other hand, the RG, I think, is just trying to use the sand to redecorate the tank. It is scooping up sand from one area of the tank and dumping it on all of my zoas!!!!! Which are in different areas all over the tank!!!!!

What's up with that?!!!????!!!!

 

[marrone]

It's very common that Dottyback/Basslet pick up and move around sand, the same goes for Clowns. Clowns tend to do it in the area that they're living, they're usually cleaning up, while Dottyback/Basslet will do it over the whole, some of the larger ones may even move rocks around. When Dottyback/Basslet do it they're usually moving sand or rocks out of the way so they can get through an opening or into a hole.

Some people do have problems with Dottyback/Basslet dropping sand on their corals, mostly Zoa's and keeping them from opening.

 

[LeslieS]

My engineer gobies will bury anything even remotely close to the rock they are living under - problem is, once I move everything away from their opening, they switch rocks!!!

 

[yiliyang]

If you think your royal gramma is annoying, try a banded goby, aka bullet goby. Mine spit sand all over the place, all day, everyday.

at least it is good for your sand bed to get churned.

 

[JHOV2324]

I'ma post a pic of what my pistol shrimp did to my sand bed....u gonna be like ok RG..u not so bad....

 

[NYreefNoob]

fish

my bullet goby does the same thing. drops sand all over my corals and rocks. i have 4 or 5 craters where he has dug and moved sand

 

[basiab]

Mine did the same for a couple months and then finally stopped.To me it looked like he was taking sand out of the area he stayed at night. Did not care where it dropped. It seemed to be all over the place.

 

[daisy]

cool - i thought he was just not happy with the new corals i added... couldn't figure that one out.

 

[SIReefer]

My RG never moved sand but the pistol shrimp, reef lobster, engineer gobies & jawfish give me a run for the money. I think I'll be repositioning my zoas & shrooms off the sandbed. I did some reading before getting these underwater steamshovels & put my sand in after the LR was firmly in place. Its a PITA but amusing to watch. :lobster:

 

[daisy]

I find that i have to go in with a turkey baster every day and often again in the evening to gently blow the sand off the corals...

argh.

but the RG is so pretty...



so it's all good.