Care Level: Easy Temperament: Peaceful Reef Safe: Yes Max Size: 3" Diet: Carnivore Origin: Caribbean, Tropical Western Pacific Availability: Very common Price: around $25 to $35
This is a great beginner fish and is an ever popular fish. It is hard to find any reefer who has not kept a royal gramma before. It is beautiful and hardy and attains only 3" maximum size. But because it usually grows slowly and stays smaller, it makes a good nano fish if u start with a small one.
To some new reefers it may seem like an overcharged bicolor dottyback. However after having kept both, one would definitely tell you if you are facing trouble with your bicolor dottyback turning out to be a terror, why not spend a bit more and try the royal gramma.
When you are purchasing a royal gramma ,go for the largest size you can find in the batch. Bigger ones are stronger and healthier. Smaller ones tend not to do as well as the bigger ones especially when it comes to adapting in a bustling tank with a lot of fishes. They may hide and become stressed. However once past acclimatisation, royal gramma is a strong fish that will come out of its hiding place to feed and even hold itself up against the bigger, boisterous fishes.