Tropical Fish Forums

miss.ann · New Members Joined: 17 Jan 2007

I think they might be Red Devil or Blood Parrot, but I don't know. When I got them from the store they just said "Parrot Fish". They've been laying on their sides at the bottom of the tank...and I don't think it's normal. I was just wondering if anyone knew what they might be and why they just lay there most of the time. Oh and they don't seem to be eating. I just use regular fish flakes and I never see them eat. Am I just feeding them the wrong kind of food?
A couple of the pictures show how they just lay at the bottom.

Here are the pictures:

number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

really not normal... these are the mutant hybrid cichlid call parrots or blood parrots... were these guys added to a new tank, old running tank with other fish?
what else is in the tank?

if you can provide more details we can help.
_________________
"Just don't look in my fish room honey... it's just better for all of us. "

miss.ann · New Members Joined: 17 Jan 2007

um, I think its about a 80 gallon. there was turtles in it but I got rid of them. all thats in it now are medium sized goldfish and a plecastomous (sucker fish). its my boyfriends tank, he's had it for like a year. its fairly clean (we clean it every 2 weeks.). we added the fish in before we got rid of the turtles. they seemed active at first and kind of aggressive. the guy at the pet store said he thinks they're both guys because they "kiss", which, according to him, means they're fighting. I don't know if I'm supposed to feed them some special food. I just use fish flakes. their mouths are always open so I can't tell if they're eating. at the store they were mixed in with about 4 others like them, and I think a catfish, and a pleco (sucker fish). they were all about the same size, and now its with fish a couple inches smaller. um thats about all I can think of.

number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

I'm not sure what could have affected them so quickly... it may be "old tank syndrome" where pollution quietly crept up and the existing tank mates got used to it, or perhaps the water at the pet shop is signficantly different to your tank?

It may even have been that you bought them sick...

When in doubt, I change water again and again... it is one of the fastest ways to cure a sick fish that I've found... use a good tap water conditioner to protect from chlorine or chloramine.

try that, see how they are by tomorrow, and good luck.
_________________
"Just don't look in my fish room honey... it's just better for all of us. "