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Comments
I ALSO AGREE 100% WITH SHAZ
Until I found this site I also had two BPs, Merrill and Punch, in a 20 gallon tank - they were small at first (2 inches or so) and seemed ok. Then of course, they started to grow and all kinds of fighting erupted - it was just nonstop. They would also relentlessly attack me when I tried to clean the tank (although they can't bite or hurt me, it was obnoxious). When I found this site and posted my question... Why are my fish fighting and attacking me like this? Everyone told me what they are telling you. It was like I was keeping a couple cats in a shoe box! When I heard that I was horrified and felt really bad for them so I immediately upgraded to a 90 gallon tank.
Ahhhhh - it was lovely. Everything immediately mellowed out and everyone has lived in peace and harmony ever since! The personalities have come out - they watch tv...they watch my cats and dogs and they eat out of my hands. Also they have all grown substantially - Merrill and Punch are a good 8 and 7 inches now - a year and a half after I got my new tank. I added two more 1.5 - 2 inch BPs last summer and had no agression problems at all. The small guys, Swishy and Little Finn grew fast too and are now 4 and 5 inches. They all live in complete harmony with four blue congos, two giant danios, a couple cories, one syno. valentine catfish and one other catfish (about 4 inches - not sure what kind he is). I would never consider putting two BPs in a 20 gallon tank again. Although of course I didn't know at the time, I was being cruel keeping them in 20 gallons. So bottom line, please do your fish - and yourself - a favor and stick with at least a 40 gallon tank for two BPs or if you want more than that...add 10 gallons for each additional BP or for every ten inches of dither fish. I truly wish you the best of luck. You came to the right place.
Agree with Shaz
My single BP had some serious issues with only two other fish in a 30g.
If you don't have the tank yet, take a buyer's remorse story of go-big-or-go home. Thank goodness I got my 30 over a 20 (I was seriously debating it when I bought mine), but now I *still* wish I went with the 40 (55 would be too big for me though).
Good Luck!!
SIZE DOES MATTER!!!
I had a 30 gall with just 2 parrots, then added another one( but only small) BIG MISTAKE, you may think your fish are happy and may mistake the aggression and squabbles as normal, after all a blood parrot can argue with itself, but when you put them in a bigger tank you can see the improvement, its not just about water quality, its also about territory each fish needs, if each has too little , there can be endless fighting with all tank mates, if it is adequate they get along with those same tank mates,so I upgraded to 60 galls, but now the tank looked a little empty, so I added a forth,after all I had the room, right? BIG MISTAKE, within a very short time, they had all grown, paired off and claimed 1/2 a tank each so now they looked a little cramped,,so finally i did what i should have done in the first place and got a 390 liter( the biggest you can get here for home use)around 95 uk galls, AND NO MORE PARROTS, they live happily with 8 Cory's and 6 blue congos, I have 2 other tanks, one mixed community and one tank for misfits(one eyed, no fin, cant see , you know the type?) MORAL OF THE STORY, JUST GO AS BIG AS YOU CAN GET AND AFFORD!!!!!
Foods
Are there any foods that can be fed to a parrot to bring out his colour ?
colour
please dont buy a dyed fish, parrots should be orange or shades of it, type" dyed " into our seach box to read about it
Re: 15 gallon tank
i think there right about ur tank size, but were u going to buy a painted or tattooed fish? nothing against u taking care of one,but its just a cruel thing they do to fish. i wouldnt want to keep that going. but good luck, and hope ur able to get a bigger tank soon :)
15 gal tank
It is recommended that one parrot needs 30 galls, for 2 you should have 40 galls and 3 would need 50 galls, but not only that, your tank is a hexagon so the surface area ,which accounts for a large part of the oxygen exchange, is smaller than if your 20 gall tank was oblong, 80% of problems encountered on this site is because the tank is too small
Re: 15 gallon tank
As juveniles I think it would be fine, but eventually they will get big and you will need a bigger tank. Anyone here will tell you no go get a bigger one but its your call. I have one in a 20 gal and a second one quarantined that will go in the 20 gal in about 2 weeks.