blood parrot...

molliefan09

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

Jill0

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.

molliefan09

yes they are zebras and they are very young....they are all 0.5-1 inch in length. the blood parrot is about 3-4 inches long

rrcoolj

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.

molliefan09

yeah, my o's are really the peace keepers of the tank, the JD is by far the most aggressive fish in there he has beef with everyone, but now...he is the smallest the rest are pretty intimidating

B14 VZR

non of your fish are compatible...oscars and jd's dont mix with fronts in any way and blood parrots dont mix with anything aggressive.

rrcoolj

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...

molliefan09

yes...i am aware of all this...all these issues are a result of my boyfriend....this is his tank....i go in there tonight to help him start the siphon for a PWC and what does he have in there now?!?! a Bala Shark....

rrcoolj

Bala sharks wil grow to the size of oscars and like to school. This is a formula for disaster...

molliefan09

yeah....ive tried telling him that but he wants to try....the bala has already shaddered the glass thermometer inside the aquarium and he has only been in there a few hours....