A Blood Parrot in a 65g Community? Question for Hobbs/Mommie?

**ameliaaahx** · 03-21-2013, 05:07 AM

Thanks for the shots LH! Your BPs are lovely. I tried to get some good shots of mine last night but he's still a bit skittish. I'm going to get some floating plants today or tomorrow to dim the lighting a little and make him feel more secure. It's pretty bright and stark in there since the plants haven't grown in yet. So far he's not paid any attention to my little community fish, although he tends to follow my 2 german rams around the tank which is unusual. I'm not sure if it's him trying to be aggressive (I can't can't see him ever being aggressive with that cute little smile), or if he's lonely and just following them for a little security. I'm going to have to build a cave for him too, because he keeps trying to squeeze into the rams cave which is waaay to small for him.

Just out of interest, how have you managed to sex yours Hobbs? I thought BPs were extremely difficult to sex.

On a sidenote, I've realized why I liked this one so much than all the other BPs I've ever seen. He's able to close his mouth. Hope that doesn't mean he's a King Kong, or whatever they're called...

**fishmommie** · 03-21-2013, 01:14 PM

You will love your BP! I have 3 - all of them are so much fun to watch. They often eat out of my fingers. And they love peas!. Mine are in a tank with severums, an angel and a jurupari as well as some congo tetras. So if yours doesn't work out where you have it, you can easily add it to the tank with your sevs. So glad you got it and I'm sure it's happy too :o)

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-21-2013, 02:58 PM

Sexing is easy but they have to be a bit older. Photos in this thread of breeding tubes.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=16732 The photos come up missing in the first post so were added again today to the last.

With a closed mouth, you may have ended up with a Jelly Bean. In some circles, dyed parrots are called Jelly Beans or BubbleGums. In other circles Jelly Beans are referred to a female blood parrot that breed with a convict or even a severum or another cichlid.

I do wish one day all the old, uninformed and inaccurate information on these fish would be removed from the internet and new, updated and corrected articles written. Everything from their guts being smashed together, dying young, not being able to eat or swim and even 12-16" in length. I even read that the "heart" parrot is born with his tail shaped as a heart. *sigh* (It's been cut off with a pair of scissors!) I'm surprised someone hasn't written yet that they were born with tattoos.

But, that is the problem with the internet, isn't it? Everyone writes articles but no one updates them or corrects errors but regarding the parrots, you may as well not read anything about them because it will most likely be incorrect information. Everything about them is a secret so what is written in articles is conjecture or simply repeating what they have read in another inaccurate article. I don't know anymore about them than anyone else other than having them for 9 years but I do think keeping them for several years gives me enough of an edge to call most of the articles "bunk".

I'm sure your little guy/gal is simply interested in the rams because he's never seen one. Mine have been with just about everything. Not once with any fish was there a problem. Enjoy your new little brat and post a photo when you can.

**ameliaaahx** · 03-28-2013, 07:29 AM

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to this thread.

Thanks so much for everyone who helped -- Lady Hobbs in particular. Also I'm so so sorry about your poor little parrot, LH.

So, little "Iago" ended up spending a few days in the 65g community tank, until I caught him shredding plants. With that he was out and into the 120g, where he seems a lot happier. He follows the severums around all day.

Here's the best shot I manages to get of him.

**gronlaura** · 03-28-2013, 04:39 PM

OMG - he looks like he's smiling!!!! Obviously, a happy boy.

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-28-2013, 07:06 PM

Yaaaaa........a picture of your little character. And I see he is more orange than gold so will probably keep that nice bright orange color. I know you love him already. They do wiggle into your heart.

**Carapar56** · 03-28-2013, 07:51 PM

He's adorable :D I always loved blood parrots. Some day I'd definitely love to have a nice large tank full of them c:

**ameliaaahx** · 03-28-2013, 11:56 PM

He's a little more gold in real life. :) Had a bit of trouble getting him to eat for the first few days but he eats ravenously now -- I'm definitely not seeing him having any trouble competing for food with the severums. He likes to carry the algae wafers around in his mouth.

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-29-2013, 01:59 AM

Mine eat what they all eat. Cichlid pellets, blood worms, crispy flakes now and then and also cichlid sticks. Your severum is very pretty in your avatar.