Can African and Blood Parrot Cichlids Get Along?

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SilverArowanaBoi

Redtail Catfish
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Sep 21, 2023
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Hey everyone! Can blood parrots and African cichlids could get along in a 55-gallon? If y'all have read the threads "Gutsy Mix, Can it Be Done?" and "Gutsy Mix, Can it be Done 2.0," then y'all would know I'm going to the fish store tomorrow and trying to figure out tank mates today.

I know the general rule with cichlids is that Africans and SA/Centrals don't mix (and I've first-hand experienced why, lol), but I've seen a couple of setups with African cichlids and Blood parrots getting along, usually a single boss blood parrot with a little army of various Africans, such as peacocks or mbunas. Could it work in a 55-gallon?

What are some SA/Central cichlid tank mates for a blood parrot if not? I'm not interested in any Asian fish or small schooling fish (like tetras, barbs, etc.), but I am interested in oddballs from Africa or SA/Central.

I appreciate any help you can provide! :D
 
I wouldn’t do it. Given the lack of a functional mouth, the parrot has no good way of defending itself against something meaner than it.
 
I presume you primarily mean Malawi cichlids, considering the diversity of size, shape, and aggression among cichlids in the rift lakes...

Can they? Sometimes. I've seen them together, typically in tanks large enough to house more than a few Malawi cichlids, enough so the bp isn't particularly noticed or targeted. Will they in any given tank? Just depends, the smaller the tank the lower the odds, I suspect. Also, some Malawi cichlid males get psycho-aggressive and it's when or if one targets a bp that I'd expect it's ungainly shape and mouth to be a problem-- more likely if the bp is male.
 
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Yeah, Malawi cichlids would be my primary target. I won't probably do Africans, but I'm still considering the concept.

On that note, can any predator haps live in a 55 (assuming minimal tank mates)? I used to have a large male and female deep-water hap pair (7+ inches), and they seemed fine. I seriously miss them (I had to get rid of them after they killed my angelfish, yeah, rookie mistake. I was scared they would eat my smaller catfish then), and I would love to have them or something similar back.
 
I've kept blood parrots with yellow labs, Aulonocara, Demasoni, I personally recommend Yellow Labs but you may try experimenting with other African cichlids (male sure you have a large enough tank before experimenting, you know how some African cichlids are. surprised nothing happened to my blood parrots or Demasoni when I kept them together)
 
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