Aquarium is an exciting activity. It allows you to create a whole ecosystem at home and freely observe its inhabitants. Aquarists try to populate their living area with the brightest and most interesting pets. This is, for example, a parrotfish.
Positive aspects of keeping parrot fish
The parrot fish is a very beautiful animal, it is not for nothing that it has become so popular among aquarists. Individuals of different colors are found: red, yellow, purple, white, orange, green. Some parrots combine multiple colors. The appearance of the fish is also unusual. Its mouth resembles a parrot's beak. Thanks to this similarity, the fish got its name. Pets with such an unusual appearance will surely attract the attention of guests, and the owner will not get tired of admiring them.
Parrotfish are peaceful. They easily get along with individuals of other species, and you do not have to buy another aquarium or open an existing one. Parrots will perfectly coexist with catfish, barbs, cichlids, labeos, neons, thorns.
Parrotfish have good health, they rarely get sick, and if such a misfortune does happen, it becomes immediately noticeable on them - dark spots appear on the bright scales, and the owner can provide timely treatment. The life span of these fish is also rather long. With good care, they can live up to ten years.
Over time, parrotfish learn to recognize their owner. When the owner approaches the aquarium, they begin to actively swim against the front wall, drawing attention to themselves.
Cons of keeping a parrot fish
The parrot fish will have to create special conditions. In nature, they are quite mobile, therefore, they will need a spacious aquarium so that they can frolic for their own pleasure. It is recommended to install a pump in the aquarium that will simulate the light flow of water, because the ancestors of today's aquarium fish lived in reservoirs with running water. Parrotfish need a high-quality aeration system, pH close to neutral, and water heating up to 22-26 degrees.
Parrotfish have a mouth-beak that not only attracts attention, but can also become a source of problems. It is not able to open wide, and the fish is not able to grab large pieces of food. It happened that parrots died of hunger even among caring owners who did not take this feature into account.
Certain parrotfish species cannot produce offspring. Sterile, for example, is the red parrot, obtained by crossing several types of cichlids. Although when the temperature of the water in the aquarium rises, mating games begin in these parrots, they do not bring offspring.
