Parrot & Clown squabbling

[Aquawoman]

Every now and then I catch my parrot cichlid and clown loach squabbling. Neither one has done damage to the other. Do I need to be concerned about it escalading, or is it harmless disagreements?

[Lady Hobbs]

I doubt there will ever be any injuries. I take it you mean Blood Parrot and not Parrot Cichlid? (two different things) Blood parrots just like to push things around. They can't do much more than that. It will also depend on how large the loach is.

[smaug]

Ime blood parrots hate bottom dwellers with a passion. I had a feather fin with mine for awhile and whenever he came out they just beat the heck out of him. Keep an eye on it,even though the parrots can't really harm the loach it is still stressfull for all of them and could lead to illness.

[Aquawoman]

Yeah, blood parrot Well, the loach is a couple inches and a bit of a fatty.

[Lady Hobbs]

I had the same experience with my featherfins that Smaug had. My BP hated them and I had to give the featherfins to my son. But if your loach is only a couple inches, he's just a wee baby so maybe he won't be safe at all. If you only have one loach, he's probably stressed out already and the parrot won't help much.

[Aquawoman]

So, he probably would be better in another tank.

[Aquawoman]

I think it's time I rethink my fish stock.

[smaug]

Are these fish in the 29 gallon mentioned in your profile? How many other fish and what types are also in there?

[fishguy66]

Every now and then I catch my parrot cichlid and clown loach squabbling. Neither one has done damage to the other. Do I need to be concerned about it escalading, or is it harmless disagreements?

Clown loaches have sub-ocular spines that pop out like switch blades. I would worry more about the parrot than the loach. I have 3 in a 180 gl w/ a 6-inch Managuense & they hold their own, & a Jag has substantially better dentition than a parrot. I think the parrot will learn to leave it alone after acouple of whacks fron those spines!!!

[Lady Hobbs]

Perhaps if the loach was 6-7". A 2" is just a baby and a few rams from that parrot could kill him. But if this is a 29 gallon, neither of them belong in that tank anyway and the loach should be in a school of loaches in a huge tank. Best to "fix it" now before anyone gets killed.

[WaMiss]

+1 to Lady Hobbs.

Clown Loaches get BIG. I have 4 in a 135 gallon and they make use of the entire tank.