Blood parrot tank size?

[matt25550]

Hey, I have just finished cycling my tank and im ready to add some fish. I really like the blood parrots I have been seeing at the pet store, but how big do these guys get? I have a 20 gal. tank and would like to put a couple of blood parrots in. Will there be any more room for other fish? If so, what ones?

[Daybis]

A 20 gal. tank is going to be too small for a blood parrot. Blood Parrots can get between 6 - 8 inches and need a tank on the order of 50 gallons. You could probably get a pair of dwarf cichlids for the tank. I am sure some of the other Blood Parrot owners will chime in as well.

[Sharkman]

yea i wouldn't go with a parrot in such a small tank. What other fish interest you?

[matt25550]

I like angel fish and african cichlids, will they work?

[Ryuu]

Hi matt.
Im glad your diving into the huge world of cichlids. There are many types that come from many lakes such as lake Tangikyan (sp) Lake Mawli (sp) Lake Victoria (SP) African Cichlids, and The americas chichlids.

Since you are working with such a small tank, I suggest that you choose a small cichlid. Small cichlids include some Mbuna species, and dwarf cichlids such as Bolivian Rams, German blue rams, and blue rams.

Mbuna cichlids can grow to up to 9 inches, so you must be carefull with the type of cichlid you choose if you go with mbuna. Some smaller species are Rusty Cichlids, and Yellow Lab cichlids.

Rusty cichlids when they are juviniles, are a deep brown color, similar to the color of rust. When they grow and mature, they turn a deep purple color. If you choose the Rusty cichlid, I would only get one male, or one male and one female.

Yellow Lab Cichlids are yellow at birth. Although I have never kept this species, I have only heard good things. When Yellow labs mature they get a deeper tone of yellow, and may develop lighter yellow stripes. I would get one male, or a male and female for a 20 gallon.

Dwarf cichlids, are a very colorful and fun species to care for. They have tons of personality and are a joy to keep.

Bolivian rams are in my opinion, the best choice of dwarf cichlids. When you first see a bolivian ram, they will seem drag, and boring at the store, however, if you feed them a varried diet, they will color up very nicley, the one I have is deep yellow, with red and blue fins. If you were to choose this cichlid, I would only house one Male, or one male and one female in a twenty gallon.

German blue/Blue rams, are a very colorful species, they can have any color imaginable. They have a lot of personality, and will get to know there owner well. If you choose this cichlid I would choose one male, or one male and one female for twenty gallons.

I hope I could help and be of assistance

Mike

[matt25550]

Thanks for the post Mike, but are you saying I can only have two fish in my tank?

[Ryuu]

Yes, it would be best to just have two, otherwise fighting and other mishapps may occur

[Lady Hobbs]

Better be looking into a 40 gallon for two. A parrot would hate a 20 gallon and would not be able to grow to full size. Same for angelfish.

You may want to try some shell dwellers, like two females to one male.

[Ocellatus]

Also if you are very interested in Parrots, I think one or a couple of jelly beans ( cross breed of pink convict and Parrot ) would work in a 20g if you can find them around, they will stay under about 4". undyed ones are also available here, don't know about where you live.

[matt25550]

Yea, I have some jellybean parrots locally. Could I have a one Jellybean and maybe some small schooling fish?

[Abbeys_Mom]

You'd have to pick fish that won't fit in a cichlids mouth (and ones that won't be stressed by it too). I'd stick with 1 jellybean as they breed like convicts.

[s72450]

I'm new to chiclids, but I fell in love with two blood parrots at my local PetCo. Would two in a 55 gallon be too small? That's really all I want, just those two, no more than that.

[MCHRKiller]

Old thread but....sure 2 blood parrots in a 55G would work fine. You could also add some larger bodied shoaling fish to fill in the gaps such as serpae, black skirt, congo tetras or maybe even some quick fish like giant danios and you could even add some small species of pleco such as a bristlenose or two. Blood parrots have such a mouth shape and body shape that its hard for them to hunt down anything...most fish are safe living with them :22:

[s72450]

Thanks! I'm curious, is there more information on th blood parrots and what fish would go well with them? I didn't originally want to get into chiclids, but I really looked at them today and thought it would be interesting to do with my 55 gallon.

[MCHRKiller]

Do a google search on them, theres tons of info on the species. Blood Parrots IME can be housed with a wide variety of fish. They can hold their own in with moderatly aggressive CA/SA cichlids; I have an adult BP living with a Severum, Salvini, Convict, shoal of Silver dollars, Pictus cats, Kingsleyae Ctenompoma and a Bullhead...and soon to be a Firemouth. And due to their mouth which they cannot close most small fish are safe with them, now with that said I probably wouldnt risk neons or otos with them. But fish that grow to atleast 2" would be perfectly fine. Im sure even corydoras would go well with them as they pose little to no threat with their mouth being the shape it is.

[s72450]

Thank you! I really wanted a school of cories so that gives me hope that I could have both for sure.

[Lady Hobbs]

My two are in a 55 gallon with some loaches but my blood parrots chase the loaches and they also chased the featherfins I had with them previously. Mine are not too crazy about sharing their tank with bottom dwellers but are fine with tetra's, rainbows, danio's and others like that.

[*Sarah*]

I added a couple of parrots to my 100 gal a couple of weeks ago. SO far so good. They're MAJOR food hogs, and very interactive with people. When I put my hand in the one parrot in particular will rub against my hand and nibble me lol, it's pretty cool. I don't notice them chasing anything else, but I have severums, acaras and loaches in there and they all hold their own.

[Lady Hobbs]

I put my hand my parrots tank and get an all out assult from the female. She is a word I can not use here!

[MCHRKiller]

I put my hand my parrots tank and get an all out assult from the female. She is a word I can not use here!
:hmm3grin2orange: I love that mental image, a poor deformed ol BP trying to attack its owner. I admit I hated mine when my mom came toting it home, alas hes grown on me and is one of my favorites now. Wonderful highly intelligent fish they are:22:

[s72450]

What other fish would go well with two blood parrots? I'm trying to get an idea of stocking and since I don't know much about cichlids, I'm open to suggestion.

[MCHRKiller]

In a 55G Id probably avoid other cichlids, and stick to shoalers and bottom dwellers.

Any large bodied tetras 2"+, Id even include regular silver dollars into this as regular SDs dont get terribly large...unlike Redhooks which get to be salad saucer sized. Some less nippy barb species, such as rosies or checker barbs etc....really anything outside of tiger barbs. Giant danios would be good as well. Bottom dwellers, Raphael catifish....Larger corydoras species(Brochis would be awesome if you can find them) maybe even some smaller loach species keeping around 3-4" with the exception of more worm like ones. A redtailed/rainbow shark would work to. Plecos...Id go with their bristlenose or rubbernose....or some random Lnumber that stays under 8". Dont forget your Ctenopomas...lots of great fish in that category just try to keep under 6". I keep a Kingsleyae with mine. An upside down cat(not the one that gets 1ft but the smaller 4" max one) would do well even a Senegal or Delhezi bichir would work.

[Lady Hobbs]

Rainbows would also work.

[TempestCustom]

some one said that jellybeans are a cross with convicts and a parrot fish.i thought since parrot fish were a cross to begin with they were infertile.thats what i have read online??

[MCHRKiller]

I believe(correct me if Im wrong) that the mass majority of male BPs are infertile, but the female BP is usually fertile.

[TempestCustom]

oh ok.that makes more sense then.thanks!

[Ocellatus]

Yes female parrots can spawn with some other male cichlids like red devil, severum, convict, etc.

some one said that jellybeans are a cross with convicts and a parrot fish.
it was me, and I take back my word!
there are some dyed parrots get sold under the name of Jellybean parrots, they are just parrots dyed with various colors. but theres also another kind of dyed fish that is called Jellybean sometimes, and I referred to them in my first post and said they stay under 4" long and they are cross breed between male convict and female parrot, but recently I found out that they are usually just short body pink convicts! not a hybrid.
pink cons are almost white and without any noticeable color so they are easy to dye :scry:

there are a male and a female short body pink convicts in my photo gallery.