# Which fish to sacrifice? advice needed



## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I have a tank with 3 blood parrots and 4 EY labs and 7 Black tetras (they used to be 10 but that's a second issue I will make another post for it related to changed behavior after introducing home made food)

Okay the story is blood parrots and EY labs all turned out to be males. One of the blood parrots is the dominant male and is larger than the other two he chases everyone else. he has good health and appetite and shows good behavior of nesting under a drift wood.

My question is I want to introduce a female or two but I am thinking of removing him instead of the less dominant males to make it easy on the electric Yellows as well.
But I also don't want to do this because I am feeling I am giving out the good fish.

Whats your opinion what do you think I should do?


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

What size tank?


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## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

30 Gallon, well filtered well oxygenated.

I know it wont be enough in the future, but I am going to buy a 75G in 2 months aprox.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Excuse my ignorance on blood parrots, but are they not sterile? So adding females would not really accomplish anything?


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## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

ahud said:


> Excuse my ignorance on blood parrots, but are they not sterile? So adding females would not really accomplish anything?


Most of the male blood parrots are sterile, females are not. But recently their has been many reports by hobbyists that their parrots breed successfully.

Even if they are sterile they will still breed but the eggs wont hatch. I want to give it a try.


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## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

let me rephrase my question. Is it better to breed a dominant mail or breed a non dominant mail with better colours?


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi Argentumblade,

Personally, I would prefer to keep and attempt to breed the most dominate and largest cichlid. But you can always choose your personal preference based on appearance and attitude. That is what breeders do to get blood parrots that look the way they do, along with hybridizing.

I have not kept blood parrots, but perhaps with the right decorations and a larger sized tank, another option would be to keep your single favorite blood parrot, remove the extra male yellow labs (keeping the one with the best colors) and trying to get a harem of females for the males. If you have lots of rockwork and hiding places the BP cannot reach, you could end up breeding some yellow labs.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

Thanks matt


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

I have never had much luck force pairing. But I have no experience breeding the "designer" fish.


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## Argentumblade (Oct 13, 2013)

whats making me not sure here is that the dominant fish is orange ans has a white botch near its gills it doesn't look bad but but one of the other is smaller but reddish and his colors are deeper.

So in the end it comes to size versus colors?


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## simon m (Feb 19, 2013)

Sorry ! but get rid of parrot get proper fish. :lol:


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## simon m (Feb 19, 2013)

simon m said:


> Sorry ! but get rid of parrot get proper fish. :lol:


But 30g only one !


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Unless your actually planning on trying to breed these fish and keep a line going, then I would stop worrying over it and just keep the fish you like. Unless you have multiple tanks to raise batches of fry in, then you are not going to notice much of a difference. Plus, your not even sure the fish can produce viable eggs?

I know my post sounds like a negative ned, but I do not mean it that way!


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## SeverumDude (Nov 8, 2013)

Hi, I've Had Blood Parrots To Breed But Only With A Convict Or A Red Devil. I've Never Had Two Parrots Breed With Each Other And Produce Fry Tho... If You Want to Try, Just Put The Female In With All The Males and Let Her Choose, Parrot Fish Can Harass Each Other But They Cant Bite Because Of The Deformation Of Their Jaw, Its Usually Fused Open. Good Luck


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