Parrot Fish Has Issues...

[fish_fetish65]

I went to visit my LFS, with the video that was taken of Jake and they said that he doesn't look to be in distress. They said it might be that the hot weather is affecting him so they advised that we turn the lights off in the tank, which seems to have helped! The tank has gone down in temperature and he's having less of his 'fits'. The other thought they had was that he may have hurt himself in some way and caused himself to have twitches every now and then. Apparently it's quite common for them to go through a kind of suicidal phase. They also told me there was nothing wrong with the size of tank he was in and that it wouldn't be causing him problems.

im not trying to continue where vancouver finished but an LFS will say anything to ya.

most of them only care about money so of course they will say your tank size is fine.

but if they only cared about money, wouldn't they try to persuade her to buy a bigger tank??

 

[The Lady Raven]

but if they only cared about money, wouldn't they try to persuade her to buy a bigger tank??

That's what I thought. Well, I'm not at home at the moment but I've got my mum looking after my fish for me and she phoned to say that he's been fine! Thank you valleyrich and fish_fetish65, you've really put a smile on my face saying that you like Jake! Everyone seems to fall in love with him just because he actually takes notice of you when you walk by him unlike a lot of fish. Aww, I really miss him now!

 

[valleyrich]

I'm so glad he's doing better. The fact that these fish notice you is my favorite thing. My Jellybeans spend more time watching me than vice versa. Jake is a real cutie.

 

[fish_fetish65]

but if they only cared about money, wouldn't they try to persuade her to buy a bigger tank??

That's what I thought. Well, I'm not at home at the moment but I've got my mum looking after my fish for me and she phoned to say that he's been fine! Thank you valleyrich and fish_fetish65, you've really put a smile on my face saying that you like Jake! Everyone seems to fall in love with him just because he actually takes notice of you when you walk by him unlike a lot of fish. Aww, I really miss him now!

like him? i love him. he is so adorable!!! we sell blood parrots where i work... i just wish they had half of his personality! anyhow, parrot fish crack me up to begin with because they look like they have their cheeks stuffed with something or have just come out of jaw surgery.

 

[fish boy]

This is what i have to say anyways...keeping a parrot in a 30 gal tank is ok IMO...although i do not approve of a fish being kept alone as they will get bored and atak random things and do random things as yours is doing (my texas cichlid does similer things to your parrot).I kept two parrots 7inch, platydorus costatus 8 inch ,6 inch plec and a 6 inch convict cichlid (in 3 months it grew to 6inch!) in a 45 gal tank for 1 year with no problems they grue and did not get stunted(btw the actual size is what they were at the end of the year..the parrots were 6 inch, the raphael catfish was 3 inch ,the plec was 2 inch).i know i overcrowded this tank but i kept up with regular water changes every week and they were fine...they are now in a 100gal tank with 1 new parrot cichlid ...so nobody hasto be posting to me and saying quik get them out of there the ammonia will build up ..because they are now in a sutable size tank B) .

To conclude...

Atleast 2 parrot cichlids or a parrot and another fish should be kept together at 1 time in a min of 40 gal tank(you should add 10-15 gals per new parrot cichlid,)everbody says..but 30 still is good(if you keep up with water changes..i h8 em lol ) so u don't have anything do worry bout,and vancover ...stop telling people to go out and buy big tanks for there fish when some people might need to spend it on more important things! .If u want more info on parrot cichlids go to www.parrotcichlid.com...they will answer all your questions..see if u can ask advice for harpazo if u need any...

 

[vancouver]

Don't spread bad information... parrots should not be kept in 30g tanks.. I have no clue why people continue to spread bad information.. I don't know if you've ever seen a full grown parrot cichlid, but 30g is nowhere near enough.

10-15 gallons per parrot cichlid??? come on!

 

[Navarre]

OK i have watched this thread and i am upset at the amount of personal missles and unconstructive comments that have been made.

The question was a valid one and i think we have all agreed that a 30 gallon system is simply too small for a parrot. Until last year i worked for a lfs and they kept these fish (and many others) in far smaller conditions. The problem is that when customers come in and see these fish they assume they will be fine in small tank. Those few that ask the question on whether the fish are ok to live in a smaller tank get the answer "its looking great in our tanks so dont worry". This is simply wrong and a shop would get far more respect if...

(1) they gave the correct information on the fish they sell and...

(2) they refused to sell the fish to people they felt had inadequate systems for (which i did all the time)

Why doesnt a fish shop try and sell a larger tank? they probably know from comments made that the member cannot fit a larger system so they know they cant make a profit there... also... They dont mind selling fish that will die within a few months simply because it ensures the customer returning to get more stock... if they sold a perfectly good tank and the right fish then the person would only want the odd bit of fish food etc.. I know this throws a grim light on many lfs but alas many of them operate like this.

We are however not here to point fingers and blame any particular lfs, we are here just to enlighten members that this practise does go on and more often than many people think.

Is a 30 gallon system too small for a parrot? I think we have all agreed that it is even though its possible it simply isnt comfortable for the fish.


Ok onto another subject... the fish is twitching etc... all water perameters are fine etc . I dont take the advice that the shop gave as good at all sadly. Heat may be a cause but i am more enclined to be searching for any stray electrical currents in the water? If the symptoms are less when the tank lights are out then maybe there is a stray current when the lights are on? I would advise the purchase of an earthing strap. It might not be this of course but at least you will have closed off one avenue of possible causes.

Please keep the remainder of this thread constuctive and helpful to the member in question as i really dont want to close a thread that has the potential of helping many out.

 

[The Lady Raven]

And still this discussion continues to be about the size of my tank...

The local fish store I bought him from has always been very concerned about the way their fish are looked after and the staff are incredibly compassionate towards both customers and fish. In no way would they have knowingly given me the wrong advice. As yet my parrot is not fully grown and appears to have plenty of room to swim around in.

As mentioned before, he now lives with a rhinocerous garra and more recently I finally found my bristlenose that I had been looking for for months! He's managing to live quite happily with these two tankmates and they keep out of his way since they are both bottom-feeders.

I'm looking to move house soon and if I do it's likely that I'll invest in a larger tank but until then Jake will just have to make do. He's a much-loved fish and has recently been looking much better. I only resent the fact that my hopes of being helped out in keeping him healthy have been met with people telling me I really shouldn't have bought him in the first place (having no room for a larger tank).

 

[vancouver]

It's likely the fish store just didn't know about the potential growing of parrot cichlids... I'm just trying to make sure someone new to fish isn't going to read about parrots in a 30g and think they can put a bunch in there forever.

 

[Navarre]

The size of tank is a major contribution to the longterm health of a fish. Its a major factor in the contribution to stress which leads to weakend immune systems and the onset of things like whitestop etc.
Any decent hobbiest will ask as one of their first questions (a) the size of tank and (b.) the water perameters.
Whilst the size may not seem to be an issue to the naked eye, how do we really know for sure how its effecting a fish that needs larger territories?
Now im not saying that the fish was stressed or directly ill from the small volume its kept in but as hobbiests we have to work on a process of elimination and the size of tank is one of these paths.
Im glad your fish shop seem to be such fish lovers, sadly they still advocate keeping fish in cramped condtions which to my reckoning is bad in so many ways.

This is not an attack on you as you are clearly a fish lover and want the very best for the fish under your care. However, should you ask a question on here please expect to get advice you dont always like to hear no matter how passionate you feel you care for them