Unfortunately I think a 10x2x2 is out of the question for me. I am going to aim for a 6x2x2, unless I can get an 8 footer at a good price.
Breeding the true parrot
- Thread starter TheBeardedFish
- Start date
That may work, but keep a close eye on them. They can turn suddenly and do serious damage overnight. Good luck!
The real question is, how to maintain a pair bond, that, if it breaks, the pair becomes a single? As long as I had a couple of other "threat" fish that could handle themselves in with my pair, their bond held firm, through thick and thin. Remove the threat (distraction) that causes them to 'pull together', and ...! The tank has to be large (at least 6'x2'x2'/180G) with plenty of structure to provide defensible areas not only for the pair but for the targets to feel secure. My targets were a large male C. kraussi and a large male A. rivulatus. I also had a handful of less aggressive tankmates in there that flew under the radar, but played their bit as well They would challenge the pair but always backed off. But their presence resulted in a long term bond that resulted in at least half a dozen spawns spread over two years, and would have lasted indefinitely, if I hadn't had to change things up. Bottom line ... keeping a pair alone in a tank (undivided) is a ticking time bomb. I'd never do it.
This was the tank they lived and spawned in. It busted one morning and I gave the pair to a friend. He kept them in a 180 divided. The male knocked down the divided and killed the female. So yeah...
[video=youtube;VbSN0G90D44]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbSN0G90D44[/video]
[video=youtube;VbSN0G90D44]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbSN0G90D44[/video]
I can only imagine what would have happened if I didn't start this thread... I hadn't come across any of this information during my research. Do you think several severums and a chocolate would work as 'threat' fish? Or would they be considered too passive?
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That was a nice setup peathenster, it's too bad you had to break it down, especially with what ended up happening to the pair.
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Sorry to hear it. Another instance of an 'all to common' scenario playing out. It takes a lot of work, attention and luck to pull off long term maintenance of a species like psittacus.
I feel that Severums and Chocolates would not have the toughness to stand up to a psittacus pair. My male psittacus killed a 10" male Chocolate, just because it could. I would suggest a more "hard assed" fish like the two SA species I mentioned. Or even a couple of CAs. I have a trio of P. breidohri in with my Madagascan 'polleni' and they do the trick. They happen to be in there by accident but it worked out, so I left them in. Breidohri are feisty, quick and smart to say the least.
I can tell you that my male psittacus was a royal pain. I can't imagine what his attitude would have been like if he'd been part of a breeding pair. At 14" he went up against two male lenticulata pikes of the same size and constantly fought/lip-locked with my Atabapo severum pair. I would say the only reason the severum pair did well with him is because they were a mated pair and they spawned constantly, so their aggression was always heightened. I had to rehome my chocolate cichlid because the psittacus hated her and showed her that every chance he got. He harassed her to the point that I couldn't keep her anymore.
I also kept a group of eight full-grown geos with them -- six G. brachybranchus and two G. winemilleri from Peter. He didn't bug the geos too much, but again, if they were targets for a pair, I don't think they'd hold up well. You will need something that isn't afraid to push back. My pikes certainly weren't afraid to push back, but then again, if a fish pushes a pike too much, the pike may snap and kill it. So I don't know that they'd be a great choice either. It's a real crapshoot, IMO.
I also kept a group of eight full-grown geos with them -- six G. brachybranchus and two G. winemilleri from Peter. He didn't bug the geos too much, but again, if they were targets for a pair, I don't think they'd hold up well. You will need something that isn't afraid to push back. My pikes certainly weren't afraid to push back, but then again, if a fish pushes a pike too much, the pike may snap and kill it. So I don't know that they'd be a great choice either. It's a real crapshoot, IMO.
