royal gramma acting strange

[fishgardener]

My royal gramma is acting strange. She? stays in the rock work all the time and I only see her eat occasionally. When I do get a breif look ar her she seems fine. I don't see any obvious parasites on her. The other fish look and act fine. There is a firefish, 6 line wrasse and a chalk base also in the tank as well as a few snails and hermit crabs in a 40 gal with a 20 gal sump. I have had this fish for about 2 years. It is very large. What is their life expectancy? Any thought on a cause? :unsure:

 

[kwl1763]

is this different then the previous 2 yrs? If recent I would be more concerned but generally they like caves and often sit there upside down and just come out to eat.

 

[fishgardener]

This is not the way she has acted in the past. She wasn't out alot but readily came out when there was food - she was a pig in fact. Now she eats sparingly and only if the food comes near her cave.
Could the fish spawn without a male (if she is a female-don't really know for sure one way or the other)? Chickens can lay unfertile eggs. I don't know much about royal grammas in that department.:unsure:

 

[jetchris]

All i have seen act like that, i have one that is 12 years old.

 

[jetchris]

ALso, take some pics of your kids tank, did you put my rock in there?

 

[ralph atl]

she's most likely fine.

 

[fishgardener]

Yes the rock is in the tank. Thank you so much. I think it is done cycling. The kids tested the water on Thursday. No ammonia, no nitrites and no nitrates. The pH was a little low 8.1, but I am going to test it with my Seachem test kit on Monday. I have had trouble with accuracy with my API pH test kit which is old.
I took advice and put in some Seachem Stability. Intend to move the brittle star into that tank on Monday as well as a few hermits.
Sheryle