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Thread: A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

  1. #1
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    A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

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    I am just 3 months into fish keeping seriously but has been an intensive 3months. After my initial starter 3ft tank leaked, I had opportunities to learn a lot.

    Now I have 3 main display TANKS 2 x 2ft(approx 16 and 18 gallon tanks) tank and 1 3ft tank(45 gallon).

    I also have 2 fully cycled 5gallon tanks with nothing it(which I used to house pregnant mollies) and a 2.5ft 20 gallon quarantine tank in the corner of a bathroom(protected from soap and water splashes).

    I ended up with 3 display tanks because of various mistakes I made in the past. I only wanted 2 display tanks now I have 3. Here is the stocking

    Tank A(16g): Two 2" size fancy goldfish, 1 Dwarf Gourami and 1 small brown pleco(Pterygoplichthys Pardalis) . Fish count in tank: 4

    I will be moving goldfish out(or giving away?) once they start growing. Golf fish was bought by my partner, who did not think of tank size and compatibility at the time.

    Tank B(18g): Two Angel fish(one big and one small), 1 small albino Pleco(Hypostamus Plecostamus), 2 Corydoras. Fish count in tank: 5

    Tank C(45g): 8 small Tiger Barbs, 2 small Clown loaches, 1 big brown pleco(8" size, Pterygoplichthys Pardalis) and 3mollies, 1molly fry in a small partition, then 2 Blood parrot cichlid. Fish count in tank: 17

    I got the Angel fishes, mollies and big pleco from someone who had to move out of Singapore and I had to adopt them. They were not part of the original plan.

    But the blood parrot cichlids were my original acquisition. I got them and the barbs for my first 3ft tank. And then it leaked 2 weeks after establishing it. So I had to frantically move in to multiple smaller tanks, until I re-established another 3ft tank 4 weeks ago.

    All my tanks are cycled and been up for at least 3weeks after stabilization. The blood parrot Cichlids were kept in two different tanks during the period I was re-establishing this new 3ft tank(Tank C), and finally when I put them back in, the bigger one started being a bully to the smaller one.

    I tried giving multiple hiding spots, breaking line of sight by using drift wood etc. Still big one considers the entire tank as it's territory. And constantly rams and pecks on the small one making the small one to lodge itself between the canister intake tube whole day and night. The bigger one doesn't even let the smaller one eat. I first saw this 3 weeks ago as soon as I put them together in the 3ft(Tank C) tank. So I moved the smaller one, that night to my QT tank in the toilet.

    Ever since I tried to also introduce this small one to my other tanks, in various combinations and all attempts failed. Like, I tried to put this smaller blood parrot Cichlid with angel fishes(Tank B), but it bullies the angel fishes and make them lodge into filter tubing. I tried to put this small one in the goldfish tank(Tank A), then it bullies goldfishes and pecks at them. And if I put it back in the 3ft tank(Tank C) it gets bullied by the bigger blood parrot cichlid which is already in there. I tried rearranging decor etc. Nothing works.

    Now I have to give away my small blood parrot cichlid or put it in a 5gallon tank until it grows a bit more? I dont even know. I definitely don't want another 2ft or 3ft tank. Is there anything I can do? some sort of dithering? or adding another species cichlid? or even another BPC itself of similar size as the bigger one?
    Last edited by RonJ; 2nd Nov 2017 at 13:34.

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    Re: A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Just to add

    The bigger blood parrot cichlid doesn't chase any other fishes in my 3ft tank(Tank C), heck it even shares the submarine hiding place with the massive 8" pleco body-to-body without any aggression a lot of times through the day(and possibly night).

    That decor is hardly big enough for the pleco itself. But somehow both of them go inside together with this bigger blood parrot looking out through the window while pleco's tail hanging out of the same window because the decor is too small for the pleco. I tried to give this BPC other flower-pot hiding spaces, but it still prefers cosying up with this pleco in that cramped space. Also it allows the clown loaches to occasionally come and visit the same submarine decor while it is already in it with the pleco. Only chasing it away when the clownloach gets too close to it's mouth.
    Last edited by RonJ; 2nd Nov 2017 at 13:32.

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    Re: A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Guess I wrote too much that, no one wants to read

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    Re: A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Blood parrots are not suitable to be kept with goldfish...they bully weaker fish.

    For the blood parrot bully case, imho, do not create territories for them to fight or defend. Create more obstacles for them to swiming around to avoid conflict.

    E.g do not create caves or dead ends in tank, have multiple fake plants/stones at random positions for ur small guy to run off. I hope it helps....


    Check out my Blog on planted tank, good for newbies ( i am lazy to retype all the info i know, so please click and read below link... i hope you don't fall asleep while reading)
    Link to my Blog

    I am not PERFECT but I am LIMITED EDITION !!! BIG Tank comes with BIG Responsibility...as they makan a lot of $$....lol

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    Re: A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Quote Originally Posted by wongce View Post
    Blood parrots are not suitable to be kept with goldfish...they bully weaker fish.

    For the blood parrot bully case, imho, do not create territories for them to fight or defend. Create more obstacles for them to swiming around to avoid conflict.

    E.g do not create caves or dead ends in tank, have multiple fake plants/stones at random positions for ur small guy to run off. I hope it helps....




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Nah I have not kept BPC with Goldfish.
    Thanks for the other suggestions.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    A beginners blood Parrot cichlid woes

    Anyway it seems better now as less pecking by the big BPC. But I am afraid this is taking a toll on the small BPC.

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