Hello all, I am new to MonsterFishKeepers and decided to come here after a referral from another aquatic site.
I just purchased my first pair of Blood Parrots. After weighing the pro's and con's and considering other fish for an established 75 gallon tank, I decided on these guys. I'm a little nervous considering my other stock - 2 Angels, 2 GBR's a Jurupari (eartheater) and a Chocolate Zebra Pleco.
I had a few things I was looking for in purchasing these - they had to be relatively young, mine are about 3 - 3.5" - I didn't want some dyed fish, and although I can't be certain I picked two that aren't, I chose ones that didn't look obviously dyed. I may have the "lower quality" ones, as the mouths don't look like upside down triangles, but I loved their personality and the two I picked seemed to swim quite well - something else I was worried about.
My biggest concern is my GBR's - they are a smaller fish and I don't have another compatible tank to put them in if things go south - they would have to be rehomed. My Jurupari is still a juvenile and a slow grower. My angels are full grown, and other then the occasional spat they are fairly non-aggressive with the rest of the tank. The chocolate zebra pleco I've actually seen out twice on it's own - every couple weeks I overturn some driftwood to make sure he's still ok.
The BP's are now on their 3rd day - and can be quite skittish when I come to the tank. When I'm observing from a distance, they seem very content in this setup (lots of terracota pots of all sizes, large driftwood forming driftwood caves, lightly planted tall plants and some rocks that provide cover for the GBR's.
I haven't seen much aggression other then a short chase once in a while and a shove of the Angels at times - but everything seems more out of curiosity then cruel intentions. They are very active and have added a lot of livelihood to this setup. So I genuinely want to keep them.
What I've been told is these fish are going to get super aggressive. I've also heard the opposite. So, I would like to ask - how long before they sexually mature, because I know that is when normally peaceful fish can start their move into the more territorial behaviors. Secondly - what should I look for and how worried should I be with my GBR's? I saw a video of a Blood Parrot chomping down on a rainbow shark - but it didn't specify if it was already dead or weak, or the BP caught it swimming around.
Are their any other tips BP owners can give me to keep things in check, or am I begging for trouble?
I just purchased my first pair of Blood Parrots. After weighing the pro's and con's and considering other fish for an established 75 gallon tank, I decided on these guys. I'm a little nervous considering my other stock - 2 Angels, 2 GBR's a Jurupari (eartheater) and a Chocolate Zebra Pleco.
I had a few things I was looking for in purchasing these - they had to be relatively young, mine are about 3 - 3.5" - I didn't want some dyed fish, and although I can't be certain I picked two that aren't, I chose ones that didn't look obviously dyed. I may have the "lower quality" ones, as the mouths don't look like upside down triangles, but I loved their personality and the two I picked seemed to swim quite well - something else I was worried about.
My biggest concern is my GBR's - they are a smaller fish and I don't have another compatible tank to put them in if things go south - they would have to be rehomed. My Jurupari is still a juvenile and a slow grower. My angels are full grown, and other then the occasional spat they are fairly non-aggressive with the rest of the tank. The chocolate zebra pleco I've actually seen out twice on it's own - every couple weeks I overturn some driftwood to make sure he's still ok.
The BP's are now on their 3rd day - and can be quite skittish when I come to the tank. When I'm observing from a distance, they seem very content in this setup (lots of terracota pots of all sizes, large driftwood forming driftwood caves, lightly planted tall plants and some rocks that provide cover for the GBR's.
I haven't seen much aggression other then a short chase once in a while and a shove of the Angels at times - but everything seems more out of curiosity then cruel intentions. They are very active and have added a lot of livelihood to this setup. So I genuinely want to keep them.
What I've been told is these fish are going to get super aggressive. I've also heard the opposite. So, I would like to ask - how long before they sexually mature, because I know that is when normally peaceful fish can start their move into the more territorial behaviors. Secondly - what should I look for and how worried should I be with my GBR's? I saw a video of a Blood Parrot chomping down on a rainbow shark - but it didn't specify if it was already dead or weak, or the BP caught it swimming around.
Are their any other tips BP owners can give me to keep things in check, or am I begging for trouble?
