Blood parrots, will they stop fighting?

[Joshua75]

I've got a 120 gallon. I have a bichir who's the absolute must in the tank. I had a severum and a blood parrot and three tinfoil barbs. The severum kept wanting to swim with the blood parrot, but the blood parrot didn't really seem interested. At the fish store they didn't have severums, plus I was worried about their mating aggression, but I wanted something for it. He suggested adding a few more blood parrots, and said that school would likely accept the severum. I tried this. It hasn't worked. The severum stays by himself. And the blood parrots fight. One in particular is chasing the other two quite often. But the others will occasionally start it with each other too. It's only been a few days.

My fish tank is supposed to be my zen place. I don't like watching the fish fight and I'm not super attached to the blood parrots. Do you think they will eventually stop fighting and just have a pecking order, or is this likely to never end?

If it's likely or possible that the fighting will stop then I'll give it time. If that sounds unlikely I may take the blood parrots back. If I do take them back any recommendations about the severum. Do you think he's actually lonely or am I just projecting that on to it?

 

[Jexnell]

Before you added the new fish did you radically change the decor in your tank?

When a cichlid has been in a tank for a bit it will think the whole tank is his and will run off new fish. But if you change up your decor then add them all together, no one has territory set and it's easier to get them to cohab. Now there will be a pecking order set so will see some jostling while this happens.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Do you think they will eventually stop fighting and just have a pecking order, or is this likely to never end?

Maybe if you rearrange everything in the tank...maaaaybe, but not likely. Parrots are fairly territorial and aggressive fish. Your best bet is to get rid of the most aggressive and then even then the next one down will probably take his place.

If I do take them back any recommendations about the severum.

Keep him.

Do you think he's actually lonely

No, they're not particularly schooling fish.

or am I just projecting that on to it?

Probably.

 

[Go_redfish]

I have 3 bloods who get along with just each other. They have always been butt holes so I gave up and stopped trying to house them with other bloods. They've been cohabbing with a school of tiger barbs coz they're practically indestructible but everything else gets harassed to no end.

 

[RD.]

I've got a 120 gallon. I have a bichir who's the absolute must in the tank. I had a severum and a blood parrot and three tinfoil barb

IMO, in a 120 gallon that's where you should have left it.

 

[Gourami Swami]

After they have fought it out, they will establish a pecking order. But then, they will likely continue to pick at each other, in the order established. It sounds to me like you don't want to watch the bullying that is common with trying to pull off a community of cichlids. I don't blame you, I have little patience for it these days either.
I think your severum was likely just fine before, especially since he is not really alone, does have the other blood parrot and other fish in the tank. If things were working fine aggression-wise before the new parrots were added, I would return the parrots and go back to that setup. Sounds like you enjoyed it more, and It doesn't sound like the severum is getting any benefit from the extra BP's in the tank.

 

[Nick Park]

I've got three blood parrots in a 200 gallon (along with some giant danios & congo tetras). At first the biggest one bullied the other two, and they spent their time hiding among plants and among driftwood. But no-one got hurt since their mouths are too deformed to damage each other. After about a week they settled down and everyone gets on fine. Then I added a few clown loaches. Again, the biggest blood parrot harassed the loaches for a day or two, but now everyone coexists peacefully.

 

[Predator07]

Blood parrot with chocolate cichlid???

 

[Galantspeedz]

there will always be fighting....