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blood parrot...

5K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  molliefan09 
#1 ·
Sorry guys but this may be a slightly long winded post....8)

so, i have gotten heavily into the aquarium hobby and my boyfriend always used to give me a hard time because he just didnt get it....well...a lot of you guys read my rescued oscar thread...that is where it all started...he went out and got another tank, a 55 gallon. He is the type of guy who will take your advise, consider it, but has to see it to believe it....so far...all my advice, except 1, has backfired in MY face. Currently he has 2 oscars, 1 jack dempsy, a frontosa, a dragon goby, and a fat headed sleeper goby (Dormitator maculatus). here is my current problem with MY 55 gal...

He wanted to try to see how a blood parrot (the hybrid), would do in his tank. he did well for several days THEN the JD decided he didnt like him anymore and would chase him out of his half of the tank. The parrot would just hover in the corner and sulk. I come home from work on thursday and the sucker is in MY tank with MY fish (3 albino mnbuna). He seems fine so far happily swimming and eating and it has been 2 days.

He is getting a 100+ gallon tank the beginning of february so his fish will have more room
 
#2 ·
I'm happy he's (the Blood Parrot) is getting his own tank soon. It will work with the mbuna until it doesn't, and it will be suddenly I think. If the albino (zebras?) are young, it will work longer than if they're mature. Mbunas, even yellow labs / acei (the least aggressive varieties) are way too aggressive for a blood parrot who has no ability to defend.

Blood parrots are neat fish -- one of my favorites, for sure.
 
#4 ·
Despite parrots being central americans, they are a hybrid whose mouth really isn't built for fighting. Some can barely eat. I agree the mbunas aren't the best tankmates. They have different diet requirements and the parrot might have a hard time defending themselves against them when they get larger. Jacks and oscars especially really aren't that aggressive(for a CA cichlid) so give them a bigger tank and they should be fine.
 
#7 ·
She knows that. I told her the fronts grow waaay to slow for that setup and need harder water than the oscars. She said the tank was temporary. Front really should be kept as a colony...
 
#11 ·
You need to tell your boyfriend that he is not considering the fishes happiness at all. he can't be. All your fish alone will fill a 55 thats how oversticked it is.
 
#13 ·
Tank is still grossly overstocked but it's an improvement so I am very happy. Hopefully he will give up one more oscar unless he is willing to get a 6ft tank.
 
#14 ·
he is getting a 110gal the beginning of february....he is not willing to let go any of the fish left unless he is absolutly unable to upgrade. The LFS he uses has a used 90 for sale at a good price so he is thinking of getting that one for the time being....there is a 150 he has had his eye on for $85.00...it needs to be resealed...so the 90 would be yet another temp home untill he could reseal the 150 and make sure it holds water. You know...he is so good at the regular maintanance he does a 30% PWC 2 times a week and went out and got a 2nd filter to help with the excessive bioload but he just doesnt understand the fish compatability....the front seems VERY happy with the O's and they swim together constantly...the reason he decided to give up the bala was because i pointed out the the red o's color was fading because he was stressed about the bala, because they are so quick and stress super easy that it was stressing everyone else out..they were all huddled in one cave, which the front has claimed so this was stressing him....it was just aweful!! when i got up this morning and saw him in the QT i was relieved!! I know this sounds aweful of me but watching the tank last night i was HOPING someone would eat the dang bala just to prove my point!! Although i would have been devistated if it actually happened...you know what i mean..
 
#15 ·
Very good to hear this is great news! All will be happy. But your front is still in serious trouble. As I said oscars are one of the fastest growing cichlids out there reaching a foot in a year while fronts cn take 3 years to reach 8in. They can seem happy all they want but that oscar will end up eating your front period. Fronts just don't grow fast enough and oscars are gluttons.
 
#16 ·
With all the set up's you got or wanna go for and the guy not fitting in anywhere....To be honest with ya; I'd talk to some LFS and trade the parrot in.
It ain't fitting in your BF tanks. You had other plans for your tanks too...I mean really I just think that would be easier on everybody incl the fish.
 
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