More parrot fish trouble

RobUK

RobUK

AC Members
Apr 16, 2004
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Hi all,
I must admit I am starting to regret getting my parrot fish, He is turning out to be so picky and fussy.

This morning, I fed him some cichlid pellet (approx 6) which i believe he ate. Tonight he was offered bloodworm and at the mo he hasnt touched it.

The problem is that if he knows your watching he wont seem to eat, so you have to keep checking and to be honest I am not 100% sure that he ate his pellets this morning.

He had been in quarantine at my LFS while I sorted out a few tank problems and he has been back for a few days, My LFS assured me he had been eating (he was when I arrived) but for some reason he doesnt seem that enthuiastic to eat anything I offer.


Are Parrot fish picky/funny eaters as all the other fish I have ever owned have gone straight for food when put in the tank???

Just looked over as I am righting this post & I think he has found it but doesnt seem to be eating it.

This is getting really frustrating now, any help would be much apprieated.

MODS: please move this if it should be in the cichlid forum (I'm not sure if parrots are cichlids sorry :))
 
That is odd. My two parrots - and the ones I keep at the store - are some of the least pickiest eaters I've seen. Now, these are only mine and yours are obviously different. Mine love frozen foods (especially bloomworms) and ocasionally eat guppies. PM me if you want a full list.
 
Parrots are very picky about their water conditions, thus if your condidtions are even a little out of whack, they semm to become very reclusive. They are also very intellegent fish like oscars and sometimes will only take food from thier owner or a person they feel comfortable around. My suggestions would be check your water peramiters and see if the water is soft, and slightly acidic. They also do not like much light. It is almost nessesary for these fish to have a place to hide. If you give it time, I'm sure your fish will warm up to feeding in your tank.
 
So they like soft, slight acidic water??? Didnt relise that :eek: Hes in a tank with 2x30w bulbs overhead (1 marine blue & 1 pinkish one???)
He does have a terracota pot that he seems to somewhat live in :)
 
I'd say that you have a little too much light in that tank for his liking. is he in his own tank or is he in a community tank. They often don't do well in a tank that has fast or aggressive fish. The best tank mates for them would probably be angelfish, and other parrots. They require water conditions similar to that of a discus, but they are obviously not as picky as a discus would be!!
 
Its gonna be a community worked around him.

I was think maybe a couple of angels, my pleco, another parrot fish and then maybe some silver dollars or some smaller, cichlids but I will now rethink the last 2 selections.

I will check the water parameters tommorrow morning.

Just out if interest at the mo, how would you go about softening water???
 
the very easiest way would be to add peat moss to your filter. but make sure it is peat that is made for the use of aquarium filteration. This will not only soften the water but also make it more acidic to the liking of your fish. You can also buy chemicals to soften the water, but peat is much easier, and normally less expensive, so I'd go with that!
 
HI,
I have just tested the water and.....
The PH Lies somewhere between 7-7.5 (colour didnt quite match either box)
The GH/KH was a little more confussing, my test kit entails adding drops untill the water changes colour. It changed colour after 2 drops which would mean 2GH but it change to yellow which was the colour of the liquid I was putting in anyway??? After 17 drops and no change to any other colour I gave up. I think I will go to my LFS today and get a hardness and morre accurate PH test done.

Peat moss... How much would I need to use as isnt to much peat in an aquarium dangerous???
The tank is a 180L, running a external Fluval 204 with a powerhead.

Thanks :)

EDIT: just relised you'll probally need the figures before you would be alvbe to say how much peat moss is need
 
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