Parrot fish

[iluvtrigger]

My lfs is selling a parrot fish for 25 bucks and it is about 4 inches in size. It is one of the prettiest fish i have ever seen, but have questions before i make a decision. Are these fish fragile? Second will it do ok in my aggressive tank which houses a huma huma, blueface, yellowbelly puffer, naso tang, and a sailfin but i am selling the sailfin to a buddy of mine within the next few days. Third are they an all around hardy fish?

 

[dREEFd528]

they get real big and will actually bite pieces of rock/coral. they also like algae and will feed on algae encrusting on the rocks. plus they get big. the princess parrot is probably the parrotfish you are talking about, because they are beautiful, but they get to 14 inches long and need at least a 150 (which is still pushing it, because in the ocean, they cruise all over the reefs, not staying in one area.) most of the times they starve to death in aquariums, but you can use plaster of paris feeding blocks that you put food in for them, so they have something to chew on and at the same time, giving them the nutrition they need. If you were talking about the bicolor parrot, dont waste your time, because they get to be over 2.5 feeet and need at least a 300 gallon, which again would be pushing it.
hope the information i have given you helps

 

[Triterium]

For $25, it has to be a bicolor. I had one and it did very well in my tank. It ate nonstop; eating seagrass, algae on dead SPS and rocks and any food that i put in the tank. I traded it in when i bought a 3' eel.

I hear parrotfish is quite delicious if you're worried about it getting too big.

 

[iluvtrigger]

Thank you very much for the information, and i checked back with the lfs and they told me it is a princess, so i think i might go ahead and get it, they have had it for about a month now and it is doing great. I have some algae on the fake corals i have so she should have a field day. If there is anything else that you would like to tell me before i go get it please let me know.

 

[PuffersKick]

I've read they are very hard to get to eat in captivity and usually starve to death. I thinking about getting one but decided against it for that reason. Why not get a lunare wrasse instead. They look similar and are very hardy.

 

[iluvtrigger]

Oh good choice not a bad idea. I will consider that now. Thank you very much.

 

[DragonMorayEels]

The thing is they just not eat pieces of LR, they eat LR as well they feed on corals so it best that you past this deal by :eek2: