Two parrots always fighting !!'

[fishboy87]

I house two bp parrots in a 55 ... I've noticed that they are always squaring off against each other.... Is the tank too small for them now... I don't plan on getting any more fish and I thought 55 would be enough for them ..

 

[Luananeko]

2 parrots should be okay in that size tank... I wouldn't add much more though. They are cichlids and as such tend to have their own personalities and can be territorial. You can add decorations to break the line of sight and create distinct territories. Any time they start squabbling you can mix up the arrangement. That should distract them into exploring the new setup.

Since you only have these two, you could also try adding a divider in the tank to force them into two territories. Leave it there for about a month, then try removing it... They should stick to the areas they know. If none of this works then they just might not have compatible personalities and will need to have one of them rehomed.

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

I agree with Luananeko. They are likely fighting over territory. What do you have for decorations in the tank? Put in some plants (plastic is ok) to break up sight lines so they aren't always seeing each other. Add a few caves of some sort so they each have a place to sleep. Parrots are intelligent and curious fish. If they are bored they will become a little more aggressive, so give them an environment that stimulates them, one which they can explore. Also add a few more fish to help distract them. I kept a handful of corey cats with mine and it worked out really well. The coreys were lots of fun to watch and they just add to the environment. Also if you have 2 fish of the same sex it might cause increased aggression.

If you give them a good environment, they will establish a pecking order and the fighting will diminish.

 

[fishboy87]

I will def do that.. I noticed that one is laying eggs and I understand that they get aggressive with each other when they do that.. Hopefully that's the reasoning behind their aggression ...

 

[fishboy87]

this is decor now

 

[Luananeko]

Yeah, that looks pretty sparse. I'd add some more plants and decor to break up line of sight more. Having only the two decorations means that when sitting at opposite ends of the tank the two fish can just stare each other down. It also means there's less for them to interact with other than each other. Distract them with hidey holes, arches, and plants to swim through and they should have much fewer squabbles

 

[fishboy87]

Ok.. I just don't want to take away from their swimming space...

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

They each need a place to sleep at night. Think caves- a flower pot on its side, a few rocks etc. Also just a few vertical plants will not impede the swimming space and give them something to swim through.

 

[fishboy87]

So two flower pots with some plants and I'll remove the bro she setup I got.... But would two flower pots be too much?????

 

[fishboy87]

Remove the bridge setup*

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Two flower pots could be fine. You could even do like four if you wanted too. The more caves the better. Parrots are cichlids, and are extremely territorial and will square off with each other. My parrot always does this with my gourami and then he goes and hides.

 

[fishboy87]

Ok I'll do two pots .. I don't want the tank to be crowed with decor...

 

[fishboy87]

I'll post a pic up late on when I get the doctor to show you how it looks....

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

2 flower pots are just what you need, so each one has their own hiding space. Parrots are skittish by nature, so having a safe place to sleep and a little cover will put them at ease. Also, not having to stare at each other will help. The female will lay her eggs on or in her cave too, so it will be a win win for all.

 

[fishboy87]

Perfect dude !!! Thanks sooo much... Can't wait to show you the new pics....

 

[fishboy87]

I do put too much decorations ???

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Nope you're good. You could add more if you wanted, cichlids love hides.

 

[fishboy87]

Couldn't find find flower pots lol...

 

[fishboy87]

Kinda felt like the one in the middle is too big

 

[Luananeko]

Nah, its not too big. Honestly you could add even more plants and such if you wanted. Then again I may be biased since I tend to add LOTS of plants and decorations in my tanks.