Blood Parrot Facts?

[Silvani]

I was wondering if I could get some info about blood parrots. I can't find any pinned topics about these guys, so I'm having to ask. Questions:

What is the minimum tank size for one?
Do they do well on their own or do they need to be kept with others of their own kind?
Would they do well with an oscar?
Are they extremely messy like most large cichlids?
What water conditions are they best kept in?
Are there any other weird facts about them I should know?

Thanks guys. I tried doing a search but didn't end up finding all the facts I need. I'd love to see a hybrid fish index for these.

Edit: One more question. What is the life span of these fish?

 

[vancouver]

What is the minimum tank size for one? - I'd say 55g, as they can reach 8'' in length

Do they do well on their own or do they need to be kept with others of their own kind? - They don't need to be kept with others of their own kind... but might be bored by themselves.

Would they do well with an oscar? - really depends on tank size and temperment of both the oscar and parrot.. my parrots killed an oscar when I tried them together

Are they extremely messy like most large cichlids? - not extremely like oscars, but they do have some nasty poo

What water conditions are they best kept in?- I've always kept them in neutral ph and whatever my tap water is at.. they're pretty hardy so should be able to adapt to most water conditions.

Are there any other weird facts about them I should know? - 99% of males are sterile, so you wont be able to breed them unless you use a female parrot and a male of a related cichlid.

 

[kubora666]

blood parrots and oscars to my belief can get on fine.
my bloodparrot eats ANYTHING is agressive towards everything beseids his mate ( Vieja Hartwegi )
hes bright orange and really fun to own he gets on with his tank mates witch are, a common pleco, the hartwegi cichlid,
a breeding pair of blue eyed sajicon ( sajica/convict hybrid + blue eye cichlid ) a rocket gar and some random surviving blue eyed sajicon spawn.
so yeah from what ive learnt about him and the blood parrot pair i previously kept ina large tank with oscars and chocolate cichlids they tend to do fine with other cichlids, only they tend to bully smaller fish so try keep the tank mates the same sort of size hope that helps

 

[vancouver]

Just remember that every cichlid has it's own personality..

his parrots were fine with an oscar, while mine killed an oscar..

 

[Silvani]

Yikes okie. I’ll have to be very careful then.
I’m just in the planning stages right now. I’m trying to make sure to research my fish before I buy them.
Thank you both for all the information! I really appreciate it!

 

[FishOwner]

I have a blood parrot in a 55g with a red-tailed black shark and a pleco. Mine is quite aggressive when she lays eggs, but with the way the tank is set up the other fish are doing very well. BP's love all kinds of food but as a treat give them mealworms, earthworms or even live ghost shrimp. They will also eat on the foods that I give my pleco like the algae tablets and the zucchini I put in the tank. They are an amazing fish, very smart, and they change color too (like right before they are ready to breed).

 

[JamieH]

Just remember that every cichlid has it's own personality..

his parrots were fine with an oscar, while mine killed an oscar..

ture enough... a severum a used to have would mercilessly attack any other fish in it's tank... cichlids or not.

whereas my current ones barely even notice each other

 

[kubora666]

lol i had an evil gold severum also...
so you know bloodparrrots have a habbit of changing clours throughout there life.
they are often a dull dark brown or grey colour when small, but soon change, most bloodparrots are orange or pinkish red.
pink specimens under 4" are died, as for an other obscene colours.
my one gos very verfy bright orange when breeding and fades otherwise, she likes to eat live crickets, morio's ( large type of mealworm ) cichlid pellets, cockle and bloodworm. and she has lil black teeth that she bites my hand with during water changes.
hope that sums it up!

 

[Jeewhizz]

I have two parrots in a 36" tank with a plec, clown loach and a catfish - they get on fine, no nipping/fighting etc...

Jee

 

[-*-MicHAeL-*-]

I have two parrots in a 36" tank with a plec, clown loach and a catfish - they get on fine, no nipping/fighting etc...

Jee

Sorry to say this but your parrots will need 55 gallons at least as they can get to 8" and your clown loaches will need 75 gallons or more as they can get to 12" and ideally need to be kept in groups.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

be careful mixing them with an Oscar.

very sad to say i'm having a bad experience with this at the moment, i've had them together since they were juvi's and they've been inseperable for 2/3 years... the last month they've started fighting and it's got progressivley worse.... i'm not faced with having to re-home one of them and i don't think i have another tank either of them can go in. They both have such lovely personalities I've become very attached to them and I'm absolutely gutted that I may have to give one of them away.

just a word of warning that although it can work it can be risky, and because they have such fantastic personalities in the time it takes to become an issue you'll have become very attached to them and find it very hard to part with one or the other.

 

[~T~]

be careful mixing them with an Oscar.

very sad to say i'm having a bad experience with this at the moment, i've had them together since they were juvi's and they've been inseperable for 2/3 years... the last month they've started fighting and it's got progressivley worse.... i'm not faced with having to re-home one of them and i don't think i have another tank either of them can go in. They both have such lovely personalities I've become very attached to them and I'm absolutely gutted that I may have to give one of them away.

just a word of warning that although it can work it can be risky, and because they have such fantastic personalities in the time it takes to become an issue you'll have become very attached to them and find it very hard to part with one or the other.

BP's are generally more aggressive than the more passive oscar but if the oscar has the size advantage then there can be trouble.

 

[gpgscott]

I am finding the discussion about Blood Parrots interesting. I aquired one just over a year ago at the advice of my local fish supplier placed it in a 50 gallon tank with two large angels, two large silver dollars and assorted other tetras, skirts, lemons, serpea and a handful of albino cories. My supplier told me that it was the mildest mannered of the Chiclids and in my tank while it is assertive it has not been so to the degree that it intimidates anyone else for but a short period of time. It seems to be least assertive during feeding. I have lots of large rocks and lots of plant (plastic) cover. I take the tank down and re-arange everything monthly and I have noticed that getting near the end of the month it is more agressive, I think that the changing of the environment helps keep it from dominating the tank.

I agree with Miss Wiggle about the charming personality and the attachment you will no doubt develop for your fish.

 

[chris_junior41]

I love my BP to bits! his got SUCH a personality my mum cant believe it! but my one CONSTANTLY digs!! Alllll the time, he loves it. I have a pleco in with him and my BP doesnt like it when the pleco hides and tries to coax him out to 'play', its fun watching the BP though. Mine loves Eastenders! I dont find them to be thattt dirty. Nothing compared to the pleco.

 

[tigger19565]

yeah blood parrots are great mine also loves digging theres always piles of gravel every where lol he gets on with all my fish ,when i get a lager tank im thinkin of getting him a friend as he must be sick of crazysmall fish lol