blood parrot tankmates

Flag Cichlid, Severum, Oscar, Loaches, Gourami (except for Giant Gourami), any peaceful fish is good. My Blood Parrots hang out with Oscar and Severum. All my big BPs protect the youngest fish, including my juvenile Oscar. One of my BP is the boss in the tank...he even boss my big Green Severum around.
 
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Oscars WILL NOT work in a 30 gallon tank with a BP. I dont know anything about BPs but Oscars need AT LEAST a 55 gallon tnak.
 
Originally posted by Andy16
Oscars WILL NOT work in a 30 gallon tank with a BP. I dont know anything about BPs but Oscars need AT LEAST a 55 gallon tnak.

No one told him to get a 12" oscar to live with the BP. If he plans to upgrade the tank in the future...I don't see anything wrong with getting a juvenile Oscar.

In fact, BP gets big too...even though not as big as Oscar, but very rounded. 30g can be a problem for a full grown BP as well with another tankmate.
 
I didn't see him mention getting a larger tank. As it is, the BP will outgrow the 30gal tank. You could put in a couple tougher fish if you were to buy a 75 or 90 gal tank... male convict and jack dempsey would probably work.
 
Originally posted by DarthV
I didn't see him mention getting a larger tank. As it is, the BP will outgrow the 30gal tank. You could put in a couple tougher fish if you were to buy a 75 or 90 gal tank... male convict and jack dempsey would probably work.

I will not suggest Con and JD because they will end up killing the BP when they get big. BP fights mouth to mouth too, but theirs are more like suction locking...nothing like Con and JD who can have jaw locking.

BP takes a while to grow to 8". My BP took close to a year to grow from 2" to 4". If you do plan to keep the 30g with a juvenile BP or even a 4" BP, you still got time before you need to upgrade your tank. Oscar does grow big fast...I would rather go for Severum. If you do plan to get Con or JD...then they better be juvenile or at least smaller than BP...or you will find your BP running and hidding all the time. Unless you have a BP like mine...tough as nail (went through live and death 3x)...and not scare of a fight (fought with 3" red devil)...and made all the fish coward away (even my 4" GT ran).

Another reason I suggested Severums because they get along better than they will with Con and JD. After all, BP is hybrid between Red Devil and Severum.
 
Originally posted by optix
A Blood parrot would handle its own against a con and a Jack. The jack would be the one hiding as they do by nature anyway. Blood parrots don't jaw lock because their mouths are too small. I would house one by itself. A 30 gallon is not big enough for alot of options.

Not all the time, optix. Some BP can't use the mouth properly. One of my BP has to be hand fed. Even then...still having hard time to keep the food in.

I have 8 BPs. Call me crazy :D All the BPs I have...have different personalities. Some can't even fight. Some will fight to the death.

Like I said...30g can hold the BP with a tankmate only if both of them are juvenile.

Here is a pic of my BP fighting with a Red Devil. I know it is a blur. They were shaking so much that it was hard to get a clear pic. At the end...the Red Devil has to be seperated because my BP wouldn't leave her alone. And the Red Devil got no rest. Even though my BP was torn up...he still wanna fight. The orange one is the BP. Only 5 of my BPs will fight. The other 3 rather hide.

http://www.peifc.com/Our_fish/105-0595_IMG.JPG
 
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It all depends upon the temperament of the BP.
Mine is 6 inches and killed a 6 inch turquiose severum, a 4 inch blue gourami, a 4 inch gold gourami, and is now keeping a 6 inch pink kisser in a corner and terrorizing an 8 inch oscar. For not being able to close it's mouth, he has done a good job damaging the oscars lips by locking jaws with it.
BTW, the BP was added after all the other fish but before the oscar.
The bigger it gets, the more agressive it gets.
 
Well what did you expect from a fish that is hybridized with a red devil or midas + some convict to boot. They definitely have the parentage to become very mean fish once they start to mature.

swreefer:

I don't think I'd keep gouramis with most sa/ca cichlids... oscars would be ok since they aren't overly aggressive (unless the other fish can fit into it's maw).
 
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