Parrot Cichlid

[Jenste]

Can you guys tell me more about parrot cichlids...
min tank size requirement?
suitable tank mates?
if standard cichlid pellets are exceptable or if another type of diet is recommended? I am having trouble finding information on them!

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Are you taking about Blood Parrots? (the weird shaped hybrid between a Midas and a red headed Vieja) true Parrots or Nicaguese (also called parrots)

 

[Jenste]

whoops sorry I was talking about Blood Parrots

 

[Ben Harper]

Hi there,

You will not get many people on this forums answering your questions about Blood Parrots because they are a man made fish. I will try and help you the best i can, like you i do like these fish and have a pair.

I believe they are best kept in pairs, they can grow quite large (my biggest is about 8 inches long), tank mates can be quite hard to find because Parrot do become quite territorial and they will nip at other fish. When i got my frist Parrot i was told that it needs to be kept in a tank larger than 150 litres. I feed mine a mixture of Cichlid pellets, live blood worm, live shrimp and some times frozen prawns.

 

[Ben Harper]

Sorry forgot tank mates.

In with my Parrots i have got Clown Loaches, a Large Plec, some Silver Dollers and upside down catfish, all most forgot a large Oscar. In the past i have kept Malawi's in the same tank and genrally they have lived ok apart from a little fin nipping. Parrots are hard fish to find tank mates for because they are bread from the Red Devil Cichlids, which are some of the most aggressive cichlids. You will see some videos on you tube where Parrots are coming and eating out of their owner hands and then there is the other end of the scale (which mine are) where you put your hand in the tank to move some thing and they are biting you.

 

[Josh16v]

Minimum tanks is about 30 gallons, then an extra 10 gallons per parrot.
Suitable tank mates, there's loads. Severums, angels, silver dollars, anything that will get relativly big or anything that can also be aggressive. Firemouts are great too. Just no little fish like danios or neons etc... They're best kept in 3s or more imo.

From my experience, they are very friendly sociable fish that come to recognise their owner (feeder )

As for diet, because they cannot close their mouths, do not feed them flakes. They do best on solid food, such as frozen or pelet. Tetra prima granuals are perfect.

 

[Jenste]

thanks guys! I was considering getting 1 or 3...I know that often getting two means that one will be dominant and one will be beaten up....


would a few angels and a shoal of tiger barbs and rosy barbs work?

 

[Ben Harper]

thanks guys! I was considering getting 1 or 3...I know that often getting two means that one will be dominant and one will be beaten up....


would a few angels and a shoal of tiger barbs and rosy barbs work?

I would be careful about getting an odd amount because they tend to pair up and with 3 you may find that 2 are picking on one. If you are interested i am looking to sell my paired of Parrots.

 

[Jenste]

okay than I will get either one or two....

I actually have some juvenile ones that have been offered to me....I think they would be a better choice than shipping yours to the US

So as tankmates, angels, tiger barbs, rosy barbs, and maybe a striped raphael catfish?

 

[Jenste]

would a few same sex kribensis work?

 

[Ben Harper]

okay than I will get either one or two....

I actually have some juvenile ones that have been offered to me....I think they would be a better choice than shipping yours to the US

So as tankmates, angels, tiger barbs, rosy barbs, and maybe a striped raphael catfish?

Yeah i do agree, that may be the best thing to do.....

I have always been told that Angels are not good fish to put in with Parrot, as the Parrots may nip at their long fins? I dont know too much about Barbs.

 

[Jenste]

okay thanks for the input...I am throwing around different tankmate ideas

 

[Jenste]

how would this be...


1-2 Parrots
1 tiger pleco
1 red tailed black shark
5 tiger barbs

 

[Jenste]

Just probably going to do 1 parrot, 1 tiger plec (if I can find one...if not maybe just a striped raphael), 1 red tailed black or albino shark, and 5-8 tiger barbs

 

[Josh16v]

Angels are fine with parrots.
My angels used to try and nip at the parrot, then he'd fight back. They soon learned to get along and share the tank.