Royal gramma
Gramma loreto
Also known as Fairy Basslet, Royal Gramma Basslet
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F
- 22–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 3.1 in
- 8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 29 gal
- 110 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Very common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Grammatidae
- Origin
- Western Atlantic and Caribbean, including the Bahamas, the Antilles, and reefs off northern South America
Overview
A hardy, easygoing carnivore that spends its time near a chosen cave, darting out to grab bits of food from the water. Feed a varied meaty diet of mysis, brine, and quality frozen preparations. It is peaceful toward unrelated tankmates but territorial toward its own kind and toward the similar-looking blackcap basslet, so keep just one per tank unless the system is large. Fully reef safe: it ignores corals and leaves ornamental shrimp, crabs, and snails alone.
In the wild
Lives on Caribbean reef walls and in caves, often hanging upside down under ledges and orienting its body to the rock surface rather than to gravity. It stays close to a home crevice that it defends, and it favors shaded overhangs and steep faces. In the tank it wants live rock with plenty of caves and dark nooks.
Good to know
Gramma loreto is a small basslet in the family Grammatidae reaching about 8 cm. Its body splits sharply from vivid purple at the front to golden yellow at the rear, with a dark spot on the front of the dorsal fin. It is a substrate spawner: the male tends eggs bound into a rock-crevice nest, which makes it one of the more approachable marine fish to breed for a dedicated hobbyist.
Did you know
It habitually swims and rests upside down against the roofs of caves and ledges, so seeing one hang belly-up under an overhang is completely normal, not a sign of trouble.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Royal gramma is a mostly peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Yellow watchman goby
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Saltwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Camel / dancing shrimp
Rhynchocinetes durbanensis
Saltwater2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Fighting conch
Strombus alatus
Saltwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Blue gudgeon dartfish
Ptereleotris heteroptera
Saltwater5.1 in (13 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Starry goby
Asterropteryx semipunctata
Saltwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Royal gramma need?
A Royal gramma needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Royal gramma need?
A Royal gramma is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a Royal gramma get?
An adult Royal gramma reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).
Related species
2.8 in (7 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Golden basslet
Gramma dejongi
2.8 in (7 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Blackcap basslet
Gramma melacara
3.9 in (10 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)40 gal (150 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Brazilian gramma
Gramma brasiliensis
3.5 in (9 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)29 gal (110 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Banggai cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
3.1 in (8 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ocellaris clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Percula clownfish
Amphiprion percula
3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)