Are my Blood Parrot's trying to breed ??

[ILoveMyFish]

What in the world !?!? Our fish have been scared, having changes done to the tank and being new - totally freaked out for 3 or 4 days. Finally yesterday they started coming out and getting comfortable. The BP that has been here the longest (around 15 days) took over the planter (pot) that I put in there for the new BP. He/she picks at the other fish (new one) whenever he/she comes into the pot with him/her. lol. ...looks kinda like a bite but not really. Well, I was just starting to get worried because he/she was doing it more and more and then all of a sudden something REALLY WEIRD happened. They started connecting at the mouth over and over and over and chasing eachother in a circle.....going upside down over and over. They did this for 20 minutes straight. Are they FLIRTING?? DOES THIS MEAN I GOT A GIRL AND A BOY? Oh, I hope so. ha ha. Don't tell me what I want to hear. Give it to me straight. lol. Also when they were done their colors were WAY DARKER than before .......WAY WAY WAY DARKER. ....so weird. I am guessing they were kinda making out and then they parted their ways and are hiding again and they act like young people all in a huff trying to calm down. lol. I don't know anything about fish though. This is my first tank. It's so sad they can't have babies. One more thing the older BP's mouth is open wider now than it was before. His mouth is bigger. ?? Please tell me what's going on. ...fingers crossed....
Thanks to all.

 

[ILoveMyFish]

I don't know if this makes a difference or not but when they were going in circles over and over it wasn't violent....it was actually kinda graceful but I could be totally off base with my opinion. They weren't chasing eachother...they were going upside down over and over with eachother. ? Thanks alot !

 

[Old Dave]

So, do you have eggs yet?

You should be asking if Blood Parrots make good parents...

Congrats on your mated (not just male & female) pair..

 

[ILoveMyFish]

I like the smilies ! On another forum they think it is 2 males trying to figure out who is boss in the tank. You don't think so? Have your fish done this and then layed eggs afterwards? Does it mean something when you say not just a male and female pair....but mated. They can't ya know? can they? I'm real new at this. I hope you explain. Thanks alot !!!

Oh, I've been thinking about it and I'm wondering if I have a 55 gallon tank can I but 3 blood parrots in it and it be big enough for them even in adulthood? Is there any way to sorta guess which fish is a female when you buy a fish from the store? Thanks.

 

[Old Dave]

I'm no expert, but the behaviour of your fish doesn't sound like a territorial issue.
Mated pair? Fish can be a bit like people. Just because a woman and a man walk down the street together doesn't mean they are planning a family. Sometimes you need to give them some encouragement, but when in groups they usually choose their own mates.

Blood Parrots are hybrid bred which are supposed to have sterile offspring.
Just because they are(?) sterile doesn't mean they can't have eggs and go through the motions.
There are an awful lot of hybrid fish around??

How big are your fish? Tank size? Tankmates? Any pics?
Almost all juvenile fish can be sexed by reasonable LFS staff.
Before you buy, just google on your fish, it's amazing how much you can learn from the right sites.
The biggest cause of problems for fish keepers is impulse buying.
Plan, plan, plan. Time is your friend.

Old Dave

 

[ILoveMyFish]

Weeell, these fish are scared to death of me. lol. They came out more when the other fish were in the tank. Now they are happy to stay in their little caves and come out occasionally. They really are skittish fish. lol. ...so it's hard to get a picture of them. They're about 3-3 1/2 inches long and they're not big enough to have the pouch like things that hang to let you know if they're female or male. 40 gallons 2 blood parrots only. If I can get a good pic of them I will personally send them to you. ha ha.

Here is a lousy photo of one of them. This is when I first got him. He was so scared. ha ha. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/biorhythm/dudeandhisreflectin.jpg
and here is a 18 second video of the same fish
YouTube - Dude's fin

Thanks

 

[Old Dave]

Firstly, may I suggest that you move your air pump to above the waterline. Even if you use valves to stop water in the tube flowing into the unit you are providing a way that drips or splashes could follow the tubing to the pump.
Not only do we need to care for our fish....

Have you been to these sites:
Parrot Cichlid Breeding
The Blood Parrot Forum ::

Interesting reading.

I will PM you on another way to sex your fish, but courting behaviour and actual breeding tubes are the best in this case.

The timidity will reduce, maybe soften the light or leave it off a little longer. More hidey holes are good. Don't be tempted to overfeed to get them out. If they won't play the game feed every other day.

Remember, as long as the water is good, time is your friend.

Old Dave