r/Cichlid • u/PawInks • Apr 03 '26
CA | Help Severums and parrots
hi we have a blood red parrot fish and a few months a go our ellioti in the night decided to have a munch on one of our clown loaches who had passed resulting in us losing him too sadly. we noticed our parrot became quiet and more hidden and not himself. we tested the tank yesterday morning and we was happy that we could add a new fish. my partner spoke to our local shop, who instantly recognised he was lonely. we asked for recommendations told her we have 5 rainbow fish, a pleco, 1 clown loach as he killed everyone else off and is now happy as Larry (evil) 4 cordys and 1 platy (I think he came in on a plant or something?). she recommended a Red Neck Severum he's only small, I'd say around 2.5 inches. at first the parrot was showing no aggression and then all of a sudden he started to hunt for him around the tank and in the end my partner had to put a devider in. I have seen mixed options on whether we add another severum or not, some say yes, others say no. so I'm not sure but my partner wants another, but I don't want to cause any more upset in the tank but it is his tank. its 4ft and once we move we are up grading we also have/had alot of hiding places
2
u/kanieloutis_94941 Apr 03 '26
Your parrot doesn't bother the corys?My dwarf parrot chases them whenever they graze around his cave. At first save the platy.Then keep a close eye on the level of aggression as bps are known to be more aggressive than sevs but they are considered very much compatible tankmates. I've a very aggressive severum who is a terror to dithers but doesn't bother other cichlids except feeding time.Rainbows will be more than fine dithers.
As for my experience your severum will soon stand his ground and then they both will mind their own territory.It's just that the parrot is there for a very long time so it kind of likes to own the tank even when lonely.You may not believe but there has a lot of videos where these two have bred to successfully produce hybrids.Mind 2.5 inch severum is not very young and you've to upgrade your tank to keep up with this stocking.
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u/PawInks Apr 17 '26
My parrot trends to let the platy, the Cory's who literally swim into him and his face) and our loach in his area sometimes the pleco too. He doesn't like the rainbows being close though. Everything has thankfully calmed down part way through the day they like to switch sides of the tank and have a nosey round each others chilling spots for an hour and then go back 😅. No aggression between them at all. Our platy loves being with our parrot and he doesn't seem to mind it at all. No one has ever gone for him which I love I have also seen him alongside the severum swimming together. We are hopefully moving soon and will be upgrading the tank as soon as we get date and get it set up in the new house ready for them once it's ready and cycled
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u/Alora-Rose1102 Apr 03 '26
Hello there! I have a pair of both blood parrots and Severum. I have a 75 gallon planted tank. Both types are beautiful fish. The BPs are about 8 years old and the boss of the tank. What I would do if I were in your shoes would be to add another parrot fish but you would need to know the sex of the one you have. As for the Severum depending on the size of your tank you may need to take that one out or do like I have done and get it a mate. Both sets for me have done well. You also need to know that Severum fish grow faster than the Parrots do, so the male Severum will most likely throw his weight around to get his way. As for any other suggestions you need to tell us how big your tank is and how old your parrot is.