El gramma loreto It is a fish from the group of the most colorful because it is very striking and bright. Its common name is grandmother fish and it belongs to the group of Grammas. These fish are preferred by fans of small aquariums as they tend to move little and require little space. This makes them ideal for beginners to the aquarium world.
If you are a novice in the care of fish, in this post you can learn everything related to the gramma loreto.
Generalities
These fish are very famous for their great resistance and adaptation to the environment. They are not suitable fish to live with other fish since they are extremely territorial. If we want to introduce them with other fish, they should be the last to enter the tank. That way it will not be their territory and they will not have such aggressive behavior.
In nature we can meet throughout the Caribbean Sea at depths between 1 and 40 meters. They live associated with coral reefs in holes and crevices in rocks. In these places is where they mark their territory so that other species do not invade it. In addition, since they have low mobility, they usually spend most of the day in these places. They can travel in dense groups of individuals of up to 100 individuals.
Among its curiosities we find that it is the representative species of one of the characters in the Finding Nemo movie.
Characteristics of the Gramma Loreto
Its body is more or less cylindrical with a flattened belly. Your swim bladder is atrophiedTherefore, their swimming ability is terrible. They are usually floating near corals and hiding in crevices in rocks. For this reason they do not need a lot of speed to escape predators.
They have medium-sized and well-developed fins. They are quite thin and wavy in shape. The only muscles that are somewhat more developed are those of the back and pectoral area. If necessary, use these muscles at all quickly, but for a very short period of time. It takes a lot of effort for them to be able to swim in a column of water.
Its mouth is apparently small, but it can be opened to catch large fish. It has small front teeth. Its livery is bichromatic, very showy, and consists of a purple half and a yellow half. The most frontal area is purple and the entire surface of the body is yellow with mixed colors. The ventral fins and the first half of the dorsal fin are purple, while the tail and the other half are yellow. Contrary to popular belief, the pectoral fins are colorless.
It has a red streak that runs through each eye and runs through the upper jaw and operculums. They do not have sexual dimorphism. The average size is about 7 cm long and its life expectancy is up to 6 years.
Requirements of gramma loreto in aquariums
If we want to keep these fish in captivity, we must know that certain requirements have to be met. They are not very picky about the size of the aquarium. Given their low mobility, they do not need a very large aquarium, so they are perfect for beginner aquariums. The aquarium should be decorated with cracked rock places where it can hide. The volume of the aquarium is enough for it to hold 50 liters per specimen. If you have a lot of hiding places, you could even live in a 20 liter one.
If we want to have a partner who gets along, a 150 liter tank is the most ideal. As long as lots of rock holes and crevices are kept these fish will be in good condition. If there are other species, the gramma loreto it will dig a small hole in the substrate to mark territory.
As for the water, they require that it be well stirred and aerated. Therefore, it takes a good skimmer filter to avoid the accumulation of toxic products. The sand must be fine and without sharp edges. This way we will avoid harming the animal. The density should be kept between 1020 and 1025 and the temperature between 24 and 28 degrees. We remember that the natural habitat is the Caribbean. There the waters are warmer, so depending on our area, it will be necessary No products found.
It is essential that nitrites and ammonia are never present, as they are not tolerated, and that nitrates never exceed 10 ppm. Under inadequate maintenance conditions (deviated parameters, high nitrogen rates, sudden variations, ...) they are very prone to contracting all kinds of diseases, like Oodinium, which causes real disasters in the different species of this family de peces.
Grandmother fish feeding
In general they do not present problems in their feeding in captivity. It is advisable to give them some live prey during their first days as they can be Amphipocs and Copepods. These species are found abundantly in living rocks. Thanks to them, we will be able to recreate the natural environment in the best possible way.
During the first stage in its stay in the aquarium, it does not usually reject almost any food. It is capable of even accepting frozen food. If a vegetable intake is given once a week it benefits to purge the intestine.
Behavior
If there are fish in the aquarium that are too big or too fast can negatively affect your diet. This is because their ability to swim is low. Also, if there are fish that are too aggressive and territorial, they may refuse to eat if they feel intimidated.
They are very territorial fish that can be highly aggressive against any fish of a size similar to their own or smaller. If they get close to his hiding place in the crevices, he will violently scare them away without hurting him.
Reproduction
These fish can reproduce in captivity, although they need to always keep the aquarium conditions stable. It is advisable that there is no nitrogen in the water. To reproduce, the pair fill their hole with all kinds of materials. The normal thing is that it uses pieces of seaweed that it starts. It is there where they place the eggs after the graceful courtship they have.
During the incubation season, they are more aggressive than ever. They can kill their fish tank mates. Therefore, it is best to have them isolated. Young are vulnerable to water contamination.
If you are beginners in the world of aquariums, do not doubt that the gramma loreto it is one of the best options to start.