Aggressive purple parrot cichlid

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Hardyd757

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So I had purchased my 40 gallon tank and have at it running with fish in it for about 4 months now, in the tank I have 4 platys (those were my girlfriends ideas) about 10 green tiger barbs, 3 Cory catfish, and 1 purple parrot cichlid.
The the parrot and the platys were introduced into the tank after the Coryā€™s and the barbs and initially there was no issue other then the barbs picking on the platys a little, but it was funny because my parrot (sully) was actually protecting the platys from the barbs by chasing them off and bumping them away and such.
After a few days there were no issues and everyone was doing well together and doing their own thing within the tank. A few months went by of everything being okay from that and the barbs donā€™t mess with my parrot nor the platys but Iā€™ve started to notice within the last week my parrot will randomly start chasing my barbs around, from what I can see for no reason, Iā€™ve watched them and the barbs donā€™t pick first to cause it, itā€™s just random he will go after them. And I have notice my parrot will start to flair his fins and make them big and such. He never catches them to do any real harm, so Iā€™m not too worried because it isnā€™t a constant behavior for him. But Iā€™m just wondering if anyone knows what may have caused him to start acting this way and go after the barbs like he does.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Can you post a picture of the parrot so we can confirm its identity?

Parrot cichlids grow to about 6 inches and are not suitable tank mates for small community fish like platies and barbs. The fish might have reached sexual maturity and is now taking over the tank (the fish considers the entire tank as its territory) and considers all the other fish as intruders.
 
Well the thing is, he doesnā€™t bother the platys or anything else in the tank, itā€™s only the barbs that he will chase around here and there. And Iā€™m sorry it wonā€™t let me upload a picture because it is saying the file is too big, but I know itā€™s a blood parrot cichlid. He is probably about 2-3 inches right now, closer to 2 inches though. And all this happened about 2 weeks ago out of no where.
 
And the barbs are comfortable around the platys and the parrot, the barbs donā€™t bother anybody, they stay within their school. Itā€™s just my parrot that will go after the barbs sometimes.
 
Iā€™m sorry I keep replying so many times, but I wanted to add, heā€™s not showing aggression when I feed them or something like showing I guess how dogs, food aggression, lol if that is even a thing. Itā€™ll just be random times throughout the day. There isnā€™t any specific time or thing that triggers the chasing.
 
Iā€™m sorry it wonā€™t let me upload a picture because it is saying the file is too big,
If you set your camera's resolution to its lowest setting, the pictures will be smaller and should fit on here. Make sure you turn the resolution back up afterwards otherwise all your pictures will be smaller.


Iā€™m sorry I keep replying so many times, but I wanted to add,...
On the left underneath where you write things are three buttons called Edit, Delete, Report.
If you click the "Edit" button you can add more information to your comment.
 

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