Parrot Fish

[LisaLQ]

We've been given the chance of two parrot fish, probably around the 8-10" mark, and was wondering - will they be compatable temporarily with my plecs and 2" boesmanni? My sevs are going to their new home soon, and my herotilapia multispinosa (using that name rather than rainbow cichlids so as not to get confused with the rainbow fish before anyone thinks I'm snobby lol!) could go in my hubby's tank.

The reason I'm saying temporarily is because I'm getting a new 7ft tank, and my plecs will be moving over there, and my boesmanni might too depending on whether they're compatable long term with the parrots. But my new tank wont be set up for a month or two at least, as we have to clean it, build a stand, get filters, heaters and lights etc.

The tank they'd be going in, if we decide to get them, would be the 6ft 180g tank. I know smaller parrots can go in with boesmanni, but my boesmanni are only small, and these parrots are BIG.

Ok, to make it a bit easier to understand - here's a list of what is in the 180g now:

2 x 4-5" red shouldered sevs (new home waiting for them)
2 x herotilapia multispinosa aka rainbow cichlids
4 x 2" boesmanni
2 x common plecs (one is 9", one is 4-5")
1 x bristlenose plec (4-5")
1 x rusty plec (6")
and as of this weekend coming, a 9" royal plec.

Should I move the boesmanni and rainbow cichlids into my hubby's 6ft tank in the meantime, or leave them in?

Also, both parrots have been brought up on koi pellets. I dont know how ideal that is, but I'd probably move them on to Hikari Gold cichlid pellets as their main staple - would that be better? Or is there a better food for parrots available in the UK? Both parrots are bright yellow, not orange or red. Is that normal - or will a better diet improve their colour?

Lots of questions for someone who doesn't even know whether she's getting them or not yet - but better to ask in advance than afterwards

 

[~T~]

Hi

I have always kept my parrots with pl*cos and they have never bother them.My big female currently lives with a juvie bristle and clown loaches and have lived with medium sized barbs and at one point some rainbows(AND rainbow cichlids now that I think of it).Mine never bother with fish that are smaller than them unless they can fit them in their mouths.If you think they could swallow the rainbows then yes I would move them.Can you post a pic of yours, they may be whats known as king kong parrots although both KK and regular parrots can be natuarally yellow.

 

[LisaLQ]

Cant post a pic I'm afraid, as they're not here yet - we've not decided 100% whether we're getting them or not (well, it's likely we will as hubby wont let me hear the end of it if we dont!). He's seen them, not me, but described them as big for parrots, and very round, but not so much of a beak as many have. Kind of like this one but yellow:
http/pets.webshots.com/photo/1216587316059960004KrfLBf

I dont think the parrots could get the boesmanni in their mouths, both have apparently got problems with their mouths, but obviously are eating ok if they've got to 8-10"

Dont suppose you've got any pics of a KK parrot? Google search only brought up a couple.

 

[vancouver]

If the rainbows can fit into the parrots mouth there is always a chance they will become food..

 

[LisaLQ]

I dont think the parrots could get the boesmanni in their mouths

 

[vancouver]

I don't know how I missed that

 

[dakotagirl]

I have my two parrots in a tank with a severum, three rainbowfish, and a rubberlip pleco. They all get along fine. One thing though is that they are only about 4-5" and they have grown up with the severum, but I added the australian rainbowfish and pleco later and there was a little pushing around to start with (parrots were trying to keep the rainbows out of there corner), but no problem after the first day or two with the rainbows. Did your two parrots have anything else in the tank with them? That might help you decide.

Barb

I love my parrots, I think they have as much personality as an Oscar, just alot cleaner than one lol. Took them 2 weeks to come out of hiding when I first got them, but now I hand feed them and they sleep in a corner together leaning up against each other, it is really cute.

 

[~T~]

Cant post a pic I'm afraid, as they're not here yet - we've not decided 100% whether we're getting them or not (well, it's likely we will as hubby wont let me hear the end of it if we dont!). He's seen them, not me, but described them as big for parrots, and very round, but not so much of a beak as many have. Kind of like this one but yellow:
http/pets.webshots.com/photo/1216587316059960004KrfLBf

I dont think the parrots could get the boesmanni in their mouths, both have apparently got problems with their mouths, but obviously are eating ok if they've got to 8-10"

Dont suppose you've got any pics of a KK parrot? Google search only brought up a couple.

Heres a few pics of my female KK.Her base colour is yellow with a grey/black marbling.

With her mate the syn.

Heres another parrot that I had a few years back that was bright yellow(natural too as I got her in her brown juvi stage).

 

[KimA]

Hi,

Have got my 2 BP's (largest is 5" nose to tail) in with 5 Bosemani's - no problems at all, don't really even pay much attention to them (unless they go near the BP's cave, lol, but the same goes for anything that goes near it, even my hand! I added the Rainbow's a few months after the BP's as dither fish to bring them out more - worked a treat.

 

[LisaLQ]

Thanks everyone for all the help Hubby's going to see them again tomorrow and if they're still needing a home, we'll be buying them

Hubby says those first pics are identical to the ones we might be getting - only difference being they're all yellow. Thanks for posting the pics, because I cant go to see them, he was trying to describe them - saying they weren't as beaky as most parrots, and were a lot bigger - and when he said they were yellow I immediately thought he was getting them confused with gold sevs LOL but he was adamant they weren't (and we've had gold sevs before so I should really have trusted him). After seeing those pics, I know what he's on about now!

 

[newtankgirl]

Hi,
I have a parrot fish in with a plec,rainbow fish and bosemani rainbows. They get along fine - he (i assume bp is male i have no idea how to tell?) ignores the plec and boseman's and, as i have tried to ask on forums before has an extraordinary relationship with the rainbow... Seemed to be a thread stopper interspecies flirting...
Anyway new tank appears to be cycling ok - thanks Lisa for your advice few weeks ago - no fishie casualties! Keep us updated - parrot fish so cute and very entertaining!

 

[~T~]

Thanks everyone for all the help Hubby's going to see them again tomorrow and if they're still needing a home, we'll be buying them

Hubby says those first pics are identical to the ones we might be getting - only difference being they're all yellow. Thanks for posting the pics, because I cant go to see them, he was trying to describe them - saying they weren't as beaky as most parrots, and were a lot bigger - and when he said they were yellow I immediately thought he was getting them confused with gold sevs LOL but he was adamant they weren't (and we've had gold sevs before so I should really have trusted him). After seeing those pics, I know what he's on about now!

No problem, if they are like mine then I would be more wary of tankmates as thier mouths are much stronger and they can do damage.Mines left me bleeding a few times now.I have to pin her with the net to clean algae off the tank although all other fish she has lived with she has not bothered.

 

[LisaLQ]

Will bear that in mind - what do you think would make good tank mates if they are KKs? They're currently in with silver sharks, tin foils, geophagus and plecs as far as I know - maybe others, not sure til hubby sees them again today.

I've not heard back from the lady who was planning on taking the rottkeil sevs, so if it turns out she's not interested any more, is there a good chance they'd end up as parrot food? They're about 4-5".

Newtankgirl - glad everything's going well and everyone's happy

 

[LisaLQ]

They'd been sold

But they did have two babies in at about 2" - but they were white/cream? Shouldn't they be black at that size?

 

[~T~]

I dont know about the babies, BP's cant reproduce with each other so its highly doubtful that they are their offspring.