Pygmy Angel Killed Royal Gramma...is this possible?

[WhiteCloud]

I ordered a Royal Gramma from Saltwaterfish.com last week, along with 2 percula clown fish. The Percs are doing GREAT (even snuggling with my Hammer Coral...that was unexpected)..but I am assuming the Royal Gramma is dead. He was VERY healthly looking during the acclimation process. When I finally put him in the tank...my Pygmy Angel immediately when after him. The Pymgy Angel would not let him alone. I saw the Pygmy for a quick minute the day after, and his fins were all torn and had cuts on his body. I have not seen him since, so I am thinking the Pygmy inflicted a little too much damage to him and killed him.

Has anyone ever heard of this??? The Pygmy had never bothered any other fish (including the new percs) before. I was wondering if the coloring was perhaps too similar and the Pygmy thought perhaps it was another Pygmy Angel? I had a Royal Gramma before, but he was much bigger than the new one, but they Angel never had any fights with him.

Would anyone recommending trying a Gramma again...but perhaps a larger one...or should I avoid this combination??

Thanks

Whitecloud

 

[Florida8]

Well, I have learned 1st hand, they are masters at hiding, that Royal Grammas can and will hide for weeks in a new tank, I bet even more so if they are being bullied. I would NOT move any LR, you can trap him or smoosh him instead of helping him. He will come out when he is ready... I thought mine was dead and a few weeks later I was washing some barnacle that I was removing from my tank and out he popped, I thougth he was long gone. So don't give up hope and I wouldn't add another until you are 110% sure yours is dead.

If it's dead, do you have a big enough clean up crew that can take care of a fish fast enough to prevent water problems? Checking your water parameters if not, to make sure it's in check?

About the bully situation, I have never had that problem, but are you saying your angel is battered? Or the gramma was? I have no idea if you need to take measures, or QT to heal, again, never had that, but you might want to ask others in the forum if you need to do anything to help your angel heal or just allow it to do so in the main tank.

Anyhow, I hope your angel heals, the gramma show up and they both know to back off LOL.

Way cool about your clowns lovin on the hammer, I'm hoping to have the same luck with hosting a easy kept coral of some sort as I am not brave enough to try an anemone anytime soon

Pictures by chance???

Keep us posted

 

[WhiteCloud]

Thanks for the glimpse of hope the Gramma is still alive. You know...that may make sense. The Pgymy still seems to be "on edge" like he is looking for the Gramma and can't find him, which he has never been like before. I do have a lot of cracks and crevaces that the Gramma could hide in. I am worried about him not eating though. If he did die, my cleaning crew would take care of him in a matter of hours.

The Angel doesn't have a scratch on him...it was only they Gramma that got beated and torn.

I will try to get a picture of the "Clowns in the Hammer" (sounds like a nice Book Title or something). They don't go to it when the lights are fully on, but when just the actinics are on they start, and then each morning before the lights go on I find them there. I found it most interesting as the Perc are Aquacultered an many do not even take to an Anenome.

Thanks!