Royal Gramma is a very beautiful saltwater fish that dwells in reefs. They are mainly found in the Atlantic ocean and are kept in the home and office aquariums by many people for so many reasons. They are small in size and very peaceful. They are great fish for community tanks. Although they could be very active if they want, many people do complain that their Royal Grammas do hide a lot and barely comes out. If you have experienced this with yours, you might be asking if these fish hide or if they are hiding fish. I suggest you read this article to the end.
Do Royal Grammas hide? Royal Grammas are shy fish, they hide a lot when they are with other aquatic animals in the same tank.
These are reef-loving fish, they are normally found in the reefs in the ocean and they also require the same in their tanks to hide and stay away from other animals, so it is just their nature to hide.
If you are seeking to know any hiding fish, then Royal Gramma is one.
When kept with other fish or other aquatic animals, they will go into hiding, and sometimes you could not even see them in a full month, but don’t worry, they are still eating because they will come out in the night to eat and will still go back into hiding.
Although it is their nature, but I have seen some of these fish that are very active and could even drag food with other fish, so the question is, why is yours hiding and some others are active.
Why Is My Royal Gramma Hiding?
Royal Gramma is shy fish that loves to hide, but they could still be active depending on how they were raised.
Some of the reasons why yours is hiding are:
1. Shyness: Generally, it is in the nature of Royal Gramma to be shy and hide from other fish.
Just know that this is their nature and there is nothing you can do about it because even those that seem to be active will from time to time go back to hiding and cone out when it suits them.
So, one of the reasons why they hide is because they are shy in nature no matter how active they may seem to be.
2. New Environment: Another great reason why some of these fish might go into hiding, maybe for a long time is that they are new in your tank and need time to get used to the new environment.
This is very normal and it happens to some other fish too.
Your Royal Gramma will go into hiding in rocks, substrates, caves, etc especially if it is not the first fish to be in the tank.
I mean getting them in an already populated tank will get them nervous and they will disappear in rocks and caves, etc.
3. Type of Tank Mates they have: Your Royal Gramma may be hiding due to the aggression going on in the tank.
Naturally, they are very peaceful fish and are a great fit for other peaceful fish too and when kept with aggressive or semi-aggressive fish, they will be very afraid and will be hiding always to avoid being bullied.
4. Unsuitable Tank Condition: Lastly, they could be hiding due to poor quality living conditions.
What I mean to say is, if yours are hiding, it could be as a result of the presence of toxins in the water, dirty water, or even as a result of an unsuitable type of water.
Buy API water testing kits and test their water and do a change of water if you notice any atom of toxins like ammonia, nitrites, etc.
I think a filter could help with keeping their water clean, so you might want to buy one for them.
Again check their water temperature which should be between 68°F – 80°F Get them a heater to maintain their ideal temperature.
These are the reasons why your Royal Gramma fish is hiding.
Do Royal Gramma Hides All The Time?
Yes, they prefer hiding all the time to coming out to socialize with other fish.
They are very calm and gentle in nature that they often stay in the shadows and could only come out when the environment is calm and other fish have deserted or gone to sleep.
They prefer staying in their holes and caves to coming out more frequently and moving about with other fish.
Conclusion
These fish are very fond of hiding, so you shouldn’t be surprised nor worried when yours hide, maybe for a long time because they will be okay and it is their nature.
