# Looking for advice or opinions. Possibly overcrowded?



## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm fairly new to cichlids. I first started out with a blood parrot in a 35 gallon tank with a leporinus, 2 angels, a rainbow shark and pleco. The blood parrot would attack everything, especially the shark. If it couldn't get the shark, it would attack the next closest thing. I recently inherited a 55 gallon tank that had the brace broken. I replaced it and set it up. I gave my old tank to my girlfriend with some of the fish, but kept the blood parrot, pleco, and leporinus. I also added some new tank mates. I added a Jack Dempsey, Green Terror, Salvini, and Flowerhorn/BP Mix.

I have a feeling this may be overcrowded in the future. Right now there hasn't been too many agression issues, except for the blood parrot who likes to attack the pleco. The flowerhorn attacks the green terror if it gets too close, and the GT,JD, and salvini occasionally gang up on the leporinus and beat it up a little, then leave it alone.

Here is a run down on size/sex:

Blood Parrot-Male-6.5"
Plecostomus-?-6"
Leporinus-?-6"
Green Terror-Female-4"
Salvini-Male?-3"
Jack Dempsey-Female-3.5"
Flowerhorn/BP (bonsai?)-?-3.5"

The smaller cichlids(excluding the flowerhorn mix) have shown no agression to one another and hide/swim together. Its strange. They're like a little school. The blood parrot shows agression to the pleco and leporinus but doesn't mind the smaller fish. I'm thinking of giving the leporinus to my girlfriend. I also have a feeling the JD might get too big for the tank. I would not mind selling her. Opinions? Will the smaller cichlids grow a lot in agression?

The flowerhorn is pretty agressive now, but not a good swimmer or agile. If it bites at one of the other fish, they have no issue getting away in time. It seems to have no interest in chasing them either.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Almost all of those fish can take up a 55g alone. Your already over crowded.


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## sumthinfishy (Jan 26, 2013)

+1


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## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm going to be re-homing the JD and leporinus at the end of the week.

With those two out of there do you think the rest will work with significant hiding spots? I have a lot of driftwood built up with various holes and caverns, slate and various stones and a lot of tall faux plants throughout.

If not, which would you get rid of?


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

You may get away with that stocking for a short period of time. However as stated above, the majority of the fish listed will need a 55gal to themselves.. if not larger.


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## TnAWill (Feb 14, 2013)

I have a 6in Blood Parrot myself and I can tell you that it WILL go after anything that is smaller than it, period!!!

Mine is now in a 40Gal by himself now, until my EBJD grows and catches up to him. I did hear (haven't tried yet) that there is a trick you can do to blood parrots since they are intelligent fish. If it starts to get aggressive and you catch it and put it in a dark covered 5 Gal bucket for a little while (like a time out) and then add it back to the tank eventually it will "learn" that if it is overly aggressive it will be put in "time out" and it will become less aggressive.

Also depending on Temp the BP becomes more/less aggressive, if my temp is up around 78-80 mine is fighting mad in no time, at 75-77 he seems to be a lot more mellow and hides in his giant log ornament he has when he does freak out.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Lmfao I've done time out with some of my fish too lol. It does work haha


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## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

I've had my BP for a year and a half. He started out in a tank wtih 2 angels, 2 rainbow sharks, leporinus, and pleco.
In the new tank, he's very tolerant of the smaller fish. He only attacks the larger fish like the pleco and leporinus. The Green Terror has made a territory right next to his little fort out of driftwood and he seems fine with it. He does show agression toward me when I look in the tank right next to his territory (he bangs on the glass, flares his gills and fins). He seems to prefer the dark, as he just keeps to his little area during the day, but when its night and the lights go out he's swimming all over.

Right now the flowerhorn is still the most agressive. The JD is starting to get meaner, but I'm selling her...


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Yeah the flower horn will just get meaner, meaner. How big is the female, I'm looking for one lol


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## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

Its about a month later now,

I gave the leporinus to my gf because the salvini started attacking him.

So far everything is working out. The blood parrot is a big bully and chases the flowerhorn about once a day. The JD started to get a bit agressive and tried bullying the salvini. They never actually lip locked, just got really close and acted like they were going to bite one another. Now the tables have turned and the salvini chases off the JD regularly. He seems to be growing the fastest. The flowerhorn and green terror are very calm and don't really cause any issues. The salvini, flowerhorn, and green terror regularly swim together and have territories very close to one another. THe JD is about 3" and seems to be growing slower than the rest. I'm still looking for a new home for her.

Out of all of them, the flowerhorn seems to be the most people-freindly. He was pretty nasty when I first got him, but now he seems very calm and tolerant of the other fish.

So far so good...


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

What state are you in? If you'll ship I'll take the female JD after I see a pic ;-)


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## CMN (Mar 24, 2011)

A few things.

1. The Flowerhorn (FH) and the Green Terror (Gold Saum I'm assuming) if male will grow larger then the width of your tank. Or should - if they don't then it's because they are stunted from being in too small of a tank.

2. FH's don't play nice once mature and often times require a tank of their own. I have seen them in a community setup but with tanks larger then 300 gallons.

3. If your Sal is a male and your JD is a female they might try to spawn. Sal's are nasty fish for their size, there could be mass chaos soon.

4. JD's don't normally grow slow, Gold Saums do though.

5. Everyone who has commented thus far as told you pretty much the same thing - your tank is too small for your stock both in terms that the fish you have should out grow it and there isn't enough room to establish territories. If you upgraded to a 125 gallon and took out the Flowerhorn then you'd be sitting pretty good.


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## evenningstar (Feb 26, 2013)

TnAWill said:


> I did hear (haven't tried yet) that there is a trick you can do to blood parrots since they are intelligent fish. If it starts to get aggressive and you catch it and put it in a dark covered 5 Gal bucket for a little while (like a time out) and then add it back to the tank eventually it will "learn" that if it is overly aggressive it will be put in "time out" and it will become less aggressive. .


OMG! I put my fish in time out too. Not any that seem to agressive. I didn't know if it actually works though! I catch them in a large fish net and then just let the net sit in the tank. lol


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## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

The flowerhorn is not a REAL flowerhorn. Just a bonsai. I was told they should not get over 6". The GT is a female.

Cryptic,
I'm in WI. Not sure how I would go about shipping a fish and doubt it would survive in transit (its 20* here today and even if I sent it next day, i'm not sure if any shipping facilities are heated). Plus I'm sure it would be cheaper to buy a JD local, as they are only about $10 at a pet store...


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Lol I can't find a verified female for the life of me for months. Driving me insane lol I'd teach you, but yeah I wouldn't expect you to. Its 20 here to it sucks.


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## red_ghost (Feb 18, 2013)

Thought I would post an update. I moved the JD into my gf's tank. About a month after my last post my green terror died. I'm not sure what the caused it, but i'm assuming an internal parasite, as she was not being bullied and had no external injuries, the water parameters were fine, and towards the end of her life she wasn't eating and wasn't very active. All the other fish were fine. I reintroduced the JD a couple weeks ago and now she's doing well. ALl the other fish ignore her even though she's smaller than them. The blood parrot is psychotic. He regularly bullies the flowerhorn. He is the puckered mouth type, but he can close it all the way. He bit me a month or two ago and actually made me bleed (so much for people saying because of the shape of their mouth they cant hurt you). The flowerhorn is very passive and calm. Usually he just takes the parrot's abuse without fighting back. He does occasionally fight with the salvini but they never lock jaws. just bite back and forth at eachother and eventually they both stop and go on their way. The flowerhorn is a bonsai by the way his body is shaped now. He's almost 5" long. The parrot is about 7" now, the salvini is about 5", and the jd is 4". I will be setting up a 40 gallon tank soon and might just put the parrot in there or sell that demon spawn to someone else.


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