1 of my blood parrot fish died suddenly :(

[ChasingFish]

Only had these two for about a month and a half, they came with a tank purchase we did and I'm not sure how old they are - but seem to be full grown (about 4-5 inches and fat, seemingly in good health). I noticed that one of the two looked paler than the other at feeding time a couple nights ago, but other than that, the behavior seemed normal, appetite normal. Then when I got home from work last night (so 24hrs later), it was dead. No other fish deaths (yet), currently housed in a 75 gal community tank and water parameters were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20 nitrate, and pH approx 7.4, water temp 82 F.

I'm not trying to diagnose it - there are just too many "it could be this or this or that", maybe it was old? I don't know, just sharing because it sucks. Plus the two of them were always swimming together so now I'm concerned that the other one is sad I will be trying to get another soon, get it quarantined, and hopefully they will get along. Even considering getting 3 more (so I would have a total of 4), because they will be moving into the 220 gal tank I recently got.

 

[GaryE]

4-5 inches is still young, as they can reach 8 inches. I have seen seen a lot of them that big, usually handed over to stores as they became too much work. My old local store had a tank full of older blood parrots.

Bear in mind the fish has been breeder designed to be unable to fight. The species whose DNA went into the petrie dish are ferociously antisocial in tanks, though they manage very well with all the space they get in nature. I think blood parrots swim around peacefully because their handicaps keep them from being to murder each other, which I suspect they want to do. Your survivor won't be lonely (they are solitary fish in the makeup/components). It's more likely the fish is congratulating itself on managing to kill its tankmate with its psychic powers.

 

[ChasingFish]

4-5 inches is still young, as they can reach 8 inches. I have seen seen a lot of them that big, usually handed over to stores as they became too much work. My old local store had a tank full of older blood parrots.

Bear in mind the fish has been breeder designed to be unable to fight. The species whose DNA went into the petrie dish are ferociously antisocial in tanks, though they manage very well with all the space they get in nature. I think blood parrots swim around peacefully because their handicaps keep them from being to murder each other, which I suspect they want to do. Your survivor won't be lonely (they are solitary fish in the makeup/components). It's more likely the fish is congratulating itself on managing to kill its tankmate with its psychic powers.

lol...well it would have to be psychic powers i guess, i have heard that some are more aggressive than others, but mine are pretty goofy and harmless like goldfish. they have that triangular mouth that can't really do anything. the previous owner told me they were raised together and i never saw any aggression toward other fish either. but good to know that it's a possibility (if i got others) since they will be going into my large community tank.

 

[GaryE]

One of the issues pet store people have told me about with blood parrots is, funnily enough for a test tube fish, evolution. A couple of years ago they started getting individuals whose mouths were no longer as deformed. Predictably, they did better than their severely handicapped brethren, and the behaviour of the ancestors was coming out. I have been told that has eased up as the farms are now killing all the individuals who are getting healthy (you can tell I don't like the trade in this fish - sorry), but some sneak through. If you are buying more, they have to be as messed up mouthwise as you can get. It's a balance. When they were first released into the market, a number of them became unable to eat as they grew, and starved. I think that is no longer an issue, at least.

I don't think that breeding will have changed the instincts though, and all of the component species that went into that experiment really hate sharing their tanks. They are really rough tough fish.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

One of the issues pet store people have told me about with blood parrots is, funnily enough for a test tube fish, evolution. A couple of years ago they started getting individuals whose mouths were no longer as deformed. Predictably, they did better than their severely handicapped brethren, and the behaviour of the ancestors was coming out. I have been told that has eased up as the farms are now killing all the individuals who are getting healthy (you can tell I don't like the trade in this fish - sorry), but some sneak through. If you are buying more, they have to be as messed up mouthwise as you can get. It's a balance. When they were first released into the market, a number of them became unable to eat as they grew, and starved. I think that is no longer an issue, at least.

I don't think that breeding will have changed the instincts though, and all of the component species that went into that experiment really hate sharing their tanks. They are really rough tough fish.

This sent me off reading about these fish... urgh, people can be so cruel. As if deliberately breeding deformities into hybrids wasn't bad enough, reading about them also sometimes being dyed, tatooed, or their tails cut off to make "heart blood parrots" is sickening.