How to Breed Royal Gramma Basslets

Royal Gramma Basslets are vibrant tropical fish that add a bright color to home saltwater aquariums. With a bright purple head and a stunning yellow tail, these small tropical fish are easy to care for. While most Royal Gramma Basslets sold at aquarium stores are caught in the wild, breeding these fish at home in a small aquarium can produce great results. Breeding takes place over the period of a month and eggs hatch within five to seven days.

Things You'll Need

  • Established saltwater aquarium
  • pH testing kit
  • Rocks
  • Algae
  • Rotifers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Regulate the conditions of your aquarium to make them ideal for breeding. Royal Gramma Basslets thrive at temperatures of 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and in water with a pH-level of 8.1 to 8.4. Remove all other fish besides the male and female Royal Gramma Basslets to protect the eggs.

    • 2

      Create plenty of spaces for the male fish to make a nest. These nests are usually formed in crevices under rocks. Stacking small rocks or placing rocks that have natural crevices and caves encourages nest-building.

    • 3

      Place plenty of algae in the tank. The male Royal Gramma gatherw algae and bringw it back to the nest. This algae is where the eggs are attached.

    • 4

      Observe the mating behavior of the male and female fish. The male will lead the female back to the nest he created where she will deposit 20 to 100 eggs to be fertilized on the algae strand. She will continue to lay eggs on the algae strand for approximately a month or longer.

    • 5

      Monitor the small eggs attached the algae strands. The eggs will be approximately one millimeter in size with strands that connect them to the algae. They will hatch in five to seven days, usually at night.

    • 6

      Feed the newly-hatched fry 5 to 6 milliliters (about a teaspoon) of rotifers (microscopic animal material) per liter of your tank a day until they are large enough to eat newly hatched brine shrimp.