# Blood Parrot Compatibility?



## Xox-Zip-xoX

Tomorrow I'm upgrading my Blood Parrot to a new 55 gallon, and I'm wondering what other fish I could put in there with him?
I've always had a huge interest in Rams, but I've gotten a lot of mixed answers regarding their compatibility with blood parrots, does anyone have experience with keeping them as tank mates, and if they're not compatible, what other fish would be? 

The Blood Parrot is particularly docile, I've had him in with a pair of pink convict fry, for a month of so while I was waiting to do a repair to their tank, and he didn't bother them at all.


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## emc7

Its hard to find tank makes for these. They are cichid hybrids, so they are naturally territorial, but because they can shut their mouths properly, they can't jawlock, which is how cichlids rate each other for strength, and would likely lead to them being abused by natural SA cichlids like Demseys. I guess you could try super shy, small cichlids like Laetacara, but I suspect even they would take out the parrot when they breed and defend young. This fish will be on the bottom of any cichlid hierarchy and that will be stressful for it.

The mouth-open thing means a lot of the food stays uneaten making them "messY' like goldfish and requiring extra maintenance for the size fish and most likely keeping the water quality too poor for picky water snobs like rams It also means the traditional dithers for cichlids (small, really fast fish like rainbows and danios and tetra) could conceivably take the food right out of the blood parrots mouth and make them go hungry.

Maybe a pleco or two. They will clean up the uneaten food and be armored against any aggression attempt. 

I don't know why anyone keeps these things. I mean, they are colorful and they have cichlid personalities, but how can you look at that wrong shape everyday? Its like taking home Quasimodo because he's "cute". I don't get it.


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## pete5315

I have one in with my African Cichlids and he has been in there for months and no one bothers him and he does a little chaseing others but never nips.and my friend had 2 really big ones with oscars. But i am sure i am wrong or someone Will have something to say. But thats my pippin
Opinion and mine has been kept with ghost knife, gar, rope fish, plecos, leporonis, Leopard Ctenopoma, peacock Eels,archer fish. And i never had a prob. But i only had one parrot don't know about multiple.


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## emc7

Good to hear from someone with experience with them. Cichlid personality may vary fish to fish. Try something and have a plan if things don't work out.


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## Xox-Zip-xoX

Thanks for the input guys,

I'm thinking I'm just going to have to go by trial and error, if things don't work out I have empty tanks sitting in my basement I can always use temporarily until I can re-home them.

I don't think I'll have too much trouble, especially if I choose peaceful fish, my current BP doesn't pay much mind to any fish I've put with him for temporary arrangements in the past. 

I heard someone say they've kept them with Paradise Fish, thoughts? What about something like Glass Catfish? I plan to add a school of them to my other community tank.

I really like fish that bright, or stand out.


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## Xox-Zip-xoX

Bump.
I know this was a while ago, but I'm still wondering if Paradise fish, or glass catfish could work with these guys? Also, what about live plants? I want to switch over to a sand bottom and possibly out in some live plants if they don't try to uproot them that is.


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## lohachata

blood parrots are a mixed crossing of cichlid species , which means that they are not the friendliest neighbors.. i would suggest maybe a few jewels since they do not get very big and stay in the lower parts of the tank..


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## emc7

SA cichlids do aquascape. But if they can't close the mouth, they really can't nip stems.


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