New Blood Parrot Owner

[onidrase]

That's what I though. I didn't think they looked quite like full-blooded pink convicts, I guess it's different because I can see them in person, not just by a picture. I absolutely love them, I really don't want to get rid of them, but if they're really aggressive like Onidrase said they were that I might have to. I've been waiting over a year and a half to get some blood parrots, and eventually wanted to have 4 or 5. Would I be able to keep these with some blood parrots?

Umm.. That's a good question, really. It mostly depends on the tank size and how much convict aggression they may or may not have. You'll definitely, regardless, want to have a lot of tank decorations, and the like. I don't know a thing about blood parrots (honestly, their mouths really turn me away) but people do keep them with aggressive fish, so I guess somehow they can hold their own.

How big is the tank? Do you have a lot of caves, driftwood, etc?

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

I think it's a 55gal? I'm not 100% sure, I'd have to ask my dad. Right now we moved them into a 10 gallon for the next couple days because we discovered the larger tank has a small leak and my dad will need to re-silicone it. I have TONS of decorations

 

[onidrase]

http/parrotcichlid.com/node/15287

Go ahead and read through this article, it has some info on "low quality blood parrots" being sold at major stores which can close their mouths (they sound better than 'quality' blood parrots imo ) "short bodied pink convicts" and "king kong parrots"

It also has some general info on tank size for a lot of parrots, etc etc

All of these are possible and relevant, if it weren't for the orange splotches, I'd say you've got some of the short bodied pink convicts.

I think it's a 55gal? I'm not 100% sure, I'd have to ask my dad. Right now we moved them into a 10 gallon for the next couple days because we discovered the larger tank has a small leak and my dad will need to re-silicone it. I have TONS of decorations

I can take a gander if you have the dimensions, 55 gallon tanks are typically 4 feet long, 12 inches wide, 21 inches tall

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

I still beleive they are a cross of some sort.
I think I'm going to try what Man Of Fish suggested, and complain to the store in the hopes of getting the fish I actually paid for, without having to return these guys.

 

[GShorty1981]

They are Jelly Bean Parrots which are short bodied pink convicts (often died), they are most common in America (and Asia of course), they have no blood parrot genes whatsoever they are just a regular Pink Convict which has a deformed spine.

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

I still believe they are a cross between the Blood Parrot and Pink Convict. Theres no possible way to know for sure obviously, but that's what I am going with. I can't see them being pure pink convict because after all the reading I've done i've never heard of any pink convicts that have had the orange splotching to the extent that these guys do. I don't have any good pictures of it because they've lost a bunch of there color since I brought them home, probably because of stress.

They are Jelly Bean Parrots which are short bodied pink convicts (often died), they are most common in America (and Asia of course), they have no blood parrot genes whatsoever they are just a regular Pink Convict which has a deformed spine.

Hmmm Everything I've read about Jellybean/Bubblegum Parrots have said that they are a hybrid of Blood Parrot X Pink Convict. I've even viewed threads on another forum posted by someone who was breeding some themself.

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

Starting to get a bit concerned, over the past hour or so, the fish who's always hiding in the castles in my pictures has started chasing the other fish when it approaches the castle. I'm not quite sure where this is coming from as just a few hours ago they were completely fine with one another, and at several points, even in the castle together

Should I be worried?

 

[GShorty1981]

i've never heard of any pink convicts that have had the orange splotching to the extent that these guys do.

My 4" Female Pink Convict is 40% orange.

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

That sounds pretty, I've only seen them with pink along there bellies. My guys had it all over, in the store they were almost all orange with a little bit of pink/white marbled in, it's part of the reason why I actually believe the employee when she told me they were young Blood Parrots, I figured the arch on there back would come with age.

There is still something about them that makes me think they are half blood parrot, It really doesn't matter though, I still love them, and have no intention of returning them, and I'm still going to get my actual blood parrots this Thursday. I think I'll go to the petstore I got them from and see if I can get, at the very least, some of my money back.

 

[GShorty1981]

Young blood parrots are grey with black vertical stripes with no colour in them whatsoever, they look like young Red Devils, they go black once they hit about 3" then they start to peel to yellow which eventualy turns to orange.

I had a 6" female BP that still was black.

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

I am hoping to go shopping one of the nights this weekend, and get a couple pure Blood Parrots,
Right now I am starting to notice some black patches on my little guys, don't know what it is it looks like it's part of there actual color but I didn't notice it before.

 

[GShorty1981]

This is what they should look like if they are young.....before they peel to orange, they will always have the parrot shape (bent spine, squashed head, broken jaw)

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

Thanks, any ideas about the black splotching?

 

[GShorty1981]

Well if they are Blood Parrot x Convicts then chances are they are starting to peel, the black will go yellow then the yellow will go orangey red.

Another cool thing about Parrots, which could be the case here, if you have a trace of ammonia in your water, Parrots will get black spots appear on them, do a big water change and usually in 24 hours the black markings will disappear.

Could be either of those things.

If they are parrot x Cons, i doubt it will be parrot x pink con because like gold severums, Convicts tend to revert back to there black and white colouration (severums revert to green) when cross breeding, the main way to get pink con fry is to cross pink cons with pink cons and even then most of the fry comes out black and white.

So if it has striped convict blood, it could be something to do with that.

 

[Xox-Zip-xoX]

Thanks for the info
I'm curious to learn more, I would try to do a water change to see if that's it, but they're in the process of building a nest/trench and I really don't want to disrupt them.