Three new Blood Parrots
- Thread starter RajunCajun06
- Start date
I don't think you should add an oscar even if you return one of the parrots. An adult oscar needs 75 gallons minimum just by itself, and your parrots will grow to a bulky 8-9 inches at adult size, so you can see how a 100 gallon seems huge now but isn't really a ton of space for adult cichlids. If your parrots aren't getting along, watch for signs of aggression like nipped fins, darkening of coloration or black blotches appearing, and/or vertical stripes on the fishes' sides (applies more to fish with adult coloration). If you see aggression and it doesn't get better, you'll need to return one, probably the aggressor.
To draw your new fish out into the open, you could try adding dither fish if you want. Tiger barbs, Buenos Aires tetras, black ruby barbs, columbian tetras, and other hardy schoolers of similar size are good choices to keep with parrots. Add at least 6 of one species for a school.
Parrots are not picky eaters and generally accept any foods after they have gotten comfortable in your tank. Mine didn't eat for nearly a week after I got them, but I had one of them (RIP) eating out of my hand within a month. There are foods that are more likely to entice them to eat than others while they are settling in. Have you tried frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp? Live foods like brine shrimp or blackworms are even better for getting new fish to eat. Just don't feed brine shrimp too much, as it has little nutritional value. IMO, cichlid pellets or sticks are often preferred over flakes, so you could try that as well.
Good luck with your new fish, and be sure to post any other questions you might have. Welcome to AC!
Thanks for all the good advice. I really like congo tetras as I was worried about tiger barbs nipping fins. i didnt put any in yet because i figured it would be too much adding about 15 fish at one time. so maybe in about another week or so.
i dont know how to post picshaha
Click post, then below the row of post icons you will see Additional Options, in this section you will see a "Manage Attachments" button. Click this button, it will open up a new window. In this window hit the browse button and pick the picture file you would like to upload. When you're all done click the upload button. When it finishes uploading close the window and click "submit reply"
Sounds a lot harder than it is! :thumbsup:
Yeah sorry! Notorious thread hijacker here. :lipssealedsmilie: Back to your regularly scheduled topic!
Hmmm.... I really like Congo tetras as well but I'd be hesitant to put them in a tank with parrots. You could try it, but I'm not sure that they are as hardy as the species I mentioned (not that there aren't a ton of other great options, just throwing some out there off the top of my head), and they are quite pricey in comparison. That said, I've never kept them myself so take that for what it's worth.
I suggested the barbs and Buenos Aires because they are tough as nails; giant danios would be another good option, or bleeding heart tetras, something like that. Provided you have enough barbs in a school you shouldn't have to worry about fin nipping, and trust me, your parrots can hold their own, LOL. I've kept mine with tiger barbs and black ruby barbs in the past with no problems.
Do neon tetras have any nutritional value to the blood parrots or would they basically be expensive feeders. I like them but know they will most likely get eaten but they might last a while. I know this may upset some people just throwing it out there.
Fish are high in fat, and not really nutritious. Expensive feeders...
Try frozen foods, with some flakes as a staple.
Try frozen foods, with some flakes as a staple.
I had a couple of tiger barbs in mine and they worked out fine.. They just picked on each other. And then one day I came home and couldn't find the smallest one anywhere, I thought it got eaten but then I found it in the filter! Haha he got sucked up. So I was down 3. I forgot whAt happened to the next one but then I was down to 2. I put them in a seperate tank with 2 convicts. I think the largest bard messed him up so I had to toss him. Leaving me with one left the biggest one surviving in the convict tank! The sucker is just as big as the female convicts
Well just an update the tank is now fully stocked in my opinon with the three blood parrots, 6 cory cats(green i think) and 9 tiger barbs. would love to do a birchi but thinnk this would be asking for trouble. I'll get some pics next time i head home.
