Jellybean parrot cichlid question

[WrongerIndiana]

29 gallon tank --> Feb 2004
residents:
3 serpae tetra's
2 white clouds
2 jellyBean Parrot cichlids
3 dwarf neon blue Gourami's
2 green cory cats
1 dwarf bronze cory cat

5 Anacharis Plants 1 week
homemade div C02 2 days
oxygen curtain rod
30-60 aqua-tech power filter
Changed gravel and stones to pool filter sand last Friday

Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0
Hardness 300
Alkalinity 180
PH Level 8.4
Ammonia .25

I have 2 orange jellybean parrots. I love them, they are so funny. They come up to me and follow me back and forth. I go to one end of the tank and they swim to me real fast and I go to the other end and they come to me... It's so cute... I've had them since Feb, and I have noticed on the smaller one that he/she has blackess color on its fins and tail. The bigger jellybean is very aggessive and always getting after the smaller one.
I have serched the internet to find out what I can do to treat the condition. My LFS told me not to worry it would go away. Well last time it happened my jellybeans got ick.... I treated them for it with quick cure. I heard there's a vitamin for jellybeans. I asked my LFS they sold me a liquid and I use it 1 time a week in the tank. I know a lot of sites won't discuss jellybeans so I'm oping I can get some advice here. Thank You!

I had the Gourami's in my 10 gal tank but my 3 black molly's kept nipping their fins.

 

[Purple]

I've got a pair of these at home and this is very familiar ground.

That black streaking you can see is a sign of stress - take away the stress and the marks will disappear the same day. The cause of the stress in your case is the chasing, but water quality such as high Nitrate can do it as well.

I've had to split up my two parrots because of fighting, and it's usualy the big one going after the little one. They don't exactly have big nasty teeth, so physical damage is negligable, but the stress factor builds up and can cause big health problems in the long run.

The situation is unlikely to settle down I'm afraid, so if you've only got one tank you might have to choose which one you keep. One possible solution would to be to increase the number of parrots to spread the aggresion, but in a 29 two parrots is going to fill it as it is. Another way to distract the fish from the chase is to move the tank layout around - ornaments and plants - which breaks up territorial issues, but it doesn't last for long before they'll be back at it again.

In view of the tank size - I'd have to recommend you get rid of one of the parrots - take it back to the lfs or give it away.

 

[WrongerIndiana]

Thanks that is what I thought... Last night I put the smaller one in a 10 gallon aquarium.
I have moved things around in the tank more times then I can remember... Works for a day then it starts all over....
I hate to see the smaller one all by himself/herself....
Last week I noticed for the first time the little one acted like he was sick of being put in a corner and he took off after the bigger one... I thought it was so funny, but after a while the bigger one started chasing the little one away from everything...
Thanks for your reply!

 

[blueturq]

Welcome to the tank!

Umm, well the parrot you put in a 10 gal maybe not be a good idea, becuase a 10 gal is pretty small for a parrot cichlid.

Now if i recall....... i'm sure the cichlid experts could correct me if i'm wrong, but a jellybean parrot cichlid is a cross between a Blood Parrot Cichlid(Semi Aggressive) and a Convict Cichlid(Very Aggressive)

So you have:

3 serpae tetra's(may be killed)
2 white clouds(will be killed)
2 jellyBean Parrot cichlids(you have one now )
3 dwarf neon blue Gourami's(could be killed)
2 green cory cats(could get picked on)
1 dwarf bronze cory cat(could get picked on)


I'm going on a generalization, but you maybe have that one fish with a mild or aggressive temper (i've had aggressive black neon tetras!!!)

Lower your ph to about 6.5 or 7.0(8.4 is ideal for African Cichlids!!!! )

Is the other parrot fish chasing anything else in the 29 gallon tank? If not then your lucky

 

[WrongerIndiana]

Yiks! The LFS said they are a great community tank companions!
The larger JellyBean I left in the 29 gallon tank has never bothered the other fish! Yet Anyway! I've been watching him/her closely....
My pH has always been high. My water hardness is out of site.
I have tested my water straight from the tap and it reads high....
Thank You!

 

[Purple]

Originally posted by blueturq
correct me if i'm wrong, but a jellybean parrot cichlid is a cross between a Blood Parrot Cichlid(Semi Aggressive) and a Convict Cichlid(Very Aggressive)

Nah - a Blood Parrot is more like a cross between a Severum and a Midas. Having established the "breed", they then started to inject dye into the poor little things to change the colour from the original red/orange/yellow - to blues, purples and greens. These dyed fish are the ones called called jellybeans.

The hybrid is often "frowned upon" just cos it's a hybrid - but the jellybeans are the bad news because of the cruelty to the fish during the artificial colouring process.

Behaviour differs widely from individual to individual, but it's unlikley the parrot will go for a smaller/unsimilar fish. Mine ignore Acara, Aulonocara, Pl*cos, Oscars, Severum, and Mbuna (but will return any aggresion from all of these, including the Oscars).

This is a pic of one of mine showing how close they are to Severums and Midas......

 

[blueturq]

yes Purple but from what i've read JELLYBEAN parrots are Convict x REGULAR Blood Parrot

you have a regular blood parrot