Blood Red Parrotfish?

[Mindy]

I'm sorry if there's already a thread about this. The search option isn't working for me on this site; I don't know if it's my computer or the site. Anyways...

I'm wanting to possibly get a small blood red parrotfish. I have a 29 gallon with 4 mollies, 2 silver hatchets, and 5 of those little zebra danios. I plan to get 2 small kissing fish soon as well.

I've read a little bit about them and I always hear something different about the parrotfish. I've read that they eat small fish, then I hear that their mouths are too small and you've got to soak some food for them to eat or they can easily get swim bladder. I keep hearing different things. If there's anybody out there that has a blood red parrotfish, could you please tell me how they are with other fish and would they be alright with some mollies and tetras?

 

[Balloon Fish]

parrotfish are the geneticly altered ones right? the weird looking gold fish that is in a differnt colors? if so i think you could fit like 1 or 2 of them =\ as for the kissing fish i hear they are semiaggressive so they might attack your other fish since they are all so small. If any of this info is incorrect please correct it cause i'm using background info to answer this

 

[OCCFan023]

i dont htink you should get one, I have two blood parrots (and their not dyed if their not red then thwir dyed, but blood parrots arent dyed) but they will eat youe other fish, My sister bought two mollies and didnt tell me and she put them in the tank and boom they were gone wihtin 2 minuets

 

[Balloon Fish]

i'm pretty sure those blood parrots are geneticly altered =\ maybe it was a differnent fish...its been a while

 

[OCCFan023]

I think I am wrong on the red ones, Im not sure but I thought the red blood parrots werent dyed

 

[Mindy]

I was only wanting to get one. I don't think they could really eat mollies...my mollies aren't itty bitty. Plus, the parrot fish's mouth seems rather small. I could be wrong though, this is why I'm asking. haha I've heard that they're mild mannered...but I'm not sure. They don't seem aggressive in the tanks as opposed to the other cichlids that look like they want to bite your fingers through the glass.

They are genetically altered it's a cross between a Gold Severum and Red Devil.

 

[Balloon Fish]

ya i had this faint memory in the back of my head that they were genetically altered by some company or something, anyways right now it might look cute and cudly but it can grow =) not too sure how big it grows but if it grows to like 6 inches max your fish could still be safe

 

[OCCFan023]

well if its a cross it isnt bad, just if its dyed, which this isnt. My parrots chased the mollies around and would take bites until they got it half way in their mouth and slurp all gone.

 

[ilovebillwillia]

The blood parrot cichlid is a man-made hybrid. The exact origins of the fish are unclear but it appears to be a cross between a South American cichlid, likely the severum (Heros severus) and a Central American cichlid, likely the midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellum) or the red devil (Amphilophus labiatum).

pasted from the freshwater index, this site.

 

[Jadenblack]

Just a though look at your local pet store...what fish do they keep the parrots with???


I am pretty sure they are listed as agressive.

At my petstore they are kept with the baby oscars and I have seem them pick at the oscars. Just think what they could do to a molly.



My though no, but hey if you get one and it kills your molly don't say we didn't warn you *PEACE!*

 

[Jadenblack]

Found this.....


Suitable Tankmates
I have found that the parrots do well if there is some "busy" fish are present in their tank. These fish are called "dither" fish and serve several purposes. First, the dither fish will create movement in the tank, this seems to make the parrots more relaxed when out in open water. The second function of dither fish is to divert aggression. Dither fish should be tough and fast. They will be the target of aggression of the parrots, but because they are fast, are rarely even nipped by the parrots. This will help keep aggression down between multiple parrots in the same tank. Good dither fish that do well with parrots are:

Silver Dollars
Black Skirt Tetras (Black Widow)
Giant Danios
Congo Tetras
There are many other suitable dither fish, these are just a few that came to mind.

Other good tankmates may include, but are not limited to:
Cory Cats
Any variety of Pleco
Twig Catfish
Kribensis
Convicts (can be aggressive and there is possibility of cross breeding)
Sevrums
Large Angels

Make sure when choosing tankmates, not to put parrots with fish that are overly aggressive. Parrots could have a hard time defending their territories against the likes of large aggressive fish.


here....
http://www.geocities.com/parrotcichlid/setup.html

 

[nesthead]

This is a good thread...thank you!

I saw some Crimson Parrots at the store, and then some small Jellybean Parrots over the weekend....personally, I think they're cute- they look like they're smiling at you. But now that I know they are cichlids, I can't get them. I don't want "Jaws the Resurrection" happening in my house.

This is my first tank, 10 gallon, and I started with a couple black mollies. I was thinking to put one of the Crimson Parrots in there, but after reading this I don't think it's a good idea.

The mollies are doing well - except they HATE the light. So I've left it off.

Maybe I'll go back to my original thought of an angel fish...

 

[geekrockgirl85]

i think a parrot will get too big for a 29g tank if he lives long enough... i saw one full grown at the lfs the other day, and i would have been reticent to put him in anything smaller than a 55-75.

and nesthead, unless you are planning on getting a bigger, taller tank in the reasonably near future, i would not advise putting an angel in your ten. they get pretty large (check freshwater profile), and they are also cichlids, so sometimes they get cranky and aggressive as they get older.