PARROT FISH there i said it

[mtchllro]

Before anyone has a dig I know they are hybrids and should all be destroyed before birth etc etc ,but I have brought a second hand tank and I got 2 blood parrot fish with it .
I am not willing to get rid as I wouldn't like someone to get rid of me just because of my parents...
Right the problem I have is they are both attacking the "pleccy"(not sure of the correct name)which also came with the tank this is constant attacking all day and night when one stops the other starts apart from seperating them (I only have the 1 tank)what can I do? sensible answers please no hybrids must die nonsense thank you..:help:

[ibr3ak]

How big is the tank?

[lucy42083]

What size is the tank? You probably have to take the pleco back - what kind of pleco is it? If it's a common they get huge anyway. Are there any other fish in the tank?

[mtchllro]

sorry should have said 240 litres.
here is the tank (well the same tank I have)
http://www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/juwel-beech-aquarium-cabinet-p-78.html
As to returning the pleccy It came with the tank theres nowhere to take it back to (private classified not from a store) aparently they were living very happily together before the only other fish in the tank is a "Bristlenose"(suckermouth catfish) which has been left alone

[lucy42083]

Hmm well, you can try to "donate" the pleco to a local pet store, give him away on here, craigslist, etc. The bushynose is a pleco as well, but should be ok in your tank as they stay smaller (assuming the parrots aren't picking on it). Do you have driftwood, caves, pots, or other places for fish to hide in the tank?

[mtchllro]

If thats the only option then that will have to do but I would prefer to keep them all (the tank is a replacement for 1 that got smashed by burglars and the fish left to die)I was hoping they would settle down and get on but this has been going on fo 6 days now and I am getting stressed about it(well stressed for the pleccy)I have only had this set up for 10 days the first 4 days there was no problem someone suggested the pleccy would "smell" different as there had been a change of most of the water and the algy it was eating would take time to grow back when it did the pleccy would smell the same as before and all would be ok pardon the pun but to me that sounds fishy or am I wrong? by the way the pleccy is about 10 inchs long from nose to end and a dark Leopard pattern.

[petluvr]

How big is the plec and are you in the U.S. I would be willing to buy it from you?

[DominionDesign]

The smell explanation smells funny to me also. When everything gets changed/ moved it stresses the fish so behavior may change. It could also be breeding behavior. I would make sure there are plenty of hiding places. You could also try a tank divider, I've used this before where you keep them separated but where they can see each other for a week or two, untill the parrots stop paying attention to him, then remove the divider and usually that will end it. I agree, its not the fishes fault and dont feel that they should be destroyed, I doubt many, if any, around here feel that way. Just that breeders should not do it.

[mtchllro]

How big is the plec and are you in the U.S. I would be willing to buy it from you?

The pleccy is about 10 inches long in total but I live in the UK sorry.

as to hidey holes there is a large piece of driftwood also I have made some caves (of sorts) with the rocks that came with the tank and also in the corner is 1/2 a trawler about 15 inches long and about 10 inches across which is hollow but the parrots hide in there whenever I lift the lid .

[petluvr]

DARN!!!! I have been looking for a larger plec for my flowerhorn tank. Good luck:)

[mtchllro]

I would post pictures but I'm on an old pII laptop that was in the loft with no usb ports so I can't transfer any pics from my phone (other laptop and digital cam went in burglary (along with my backup dvds so can't even post pics of my old tank))

[paperdragon]

DARN!!!! I have been looking for a larger plec for my flowerhorn tank. Good luck:)

heh, I've got a 10" common plec myself that I should probably rehome. Don't have a clue about shipping fish though.

[Woofy]

No matter what anyone says i love blood parrots, and having had a pair i know that they can get aggressive in pushing around fish out of there areas. What u can do is add something to the tank that they can both fit in to hide and claim as THERE space. I havent really seen parrots do alot of damage other than slightly stressing out the persistan fish. Mines never nipped or actually bit other fish just kind of pushed them away.

[mtchllro]

last night I get fed up with the attacking so got my net out and(wait for the telling off lol) chased the larger parrot around the tank every time it went for the pleccy.in the end it went behind the large piece of driftwood nose down this morning everytime I point my finger at the tank in the large ones direction it scoots over to the corner (where wood is) nose down again when the wife does this it ignores her and carries on attacking so I have just recorded a smal video of me pointing my finger after sitting still for about 2 mins and have put this onto our small 10 inch digital photo frame (was also in the loft as have no had a 15 inch one ) using the memory card from my phone since setting this up beside the tank (the pleccy stays on the left most of the time) the attacks have stopped

[mtchllro]

problem solved the picture frame did work but I have now made a large cave at the other end of the tank which the pleccy has taken to and the parrots have taken up the trawler it seemed the parrots wanted the trawler and was attacking the pleccy to evict her all is peacefull thanks for your suggestions.