[Hoboscape420]

Would I be able to convert this into a full on planted tank? I’ve never had pretty much any experience with plants

 

[Plinkploop]

As a warning- blood parrots may or may not allow you to keep plants. It's up to them and not you if planting your tank will work. I'd say if you're going to give it a shot stick with things like java fern, anubias and other "tough" plants at first. That will give you a sense of whether the fish will be plant aggressive (sounds funny but I've had plenty of cichlids turn on plants and destroy them, only plants not other fish).

 

[Hoboscape420]

Oh okay well in your experience was it more common for them to war or as you said just now buy tougher plants at first in the hopes that he won’t bother them after checking out the tougher ones? I wonder if there’s plants that taste disgusting to them

 

[Plinkploop]

Oh okay well in your experience was it more common for them to war or as you said just now buy tougher plants at first in the hopes that he won’t bother them after checking out the tougher ones? I wonder if there’s plants that taste disgusting to them

Lol, the plants I listed are ones that typically taste bad and are too tough for most fish to go after. If they're going to destroy plants normally they will go for softer plants like stems and carpets. Java fern and anubias typically get left alone more often than most plants and can survive and attack better.

Another warning is that even if they don't kill the plants typically if they are shredding them it winds up in the filter so you're going to have to be diligent on filter cleaning as well. I'd never tell anyone not to try it out because, I'll be honest, I had a grand time letting my large cichlids destroy plants and every once in a while you'll find some that will let plants grow.... For a little while anyway 😉

 

[bsmith]

I have a super densely planted tank with two blood parrots. The plants consist of crypts, swords, Anubis’, Java’s and some other random plants. I’ve had them since they were babies and they’ve been in the tank for ~8 months with no issue.

 

[Tiger15]

Blood Parrot can be kept with plants as long as you don’t allow them to pair up to make nests. I keep large cichlids including 10” size Frontosa, Severus and other African and American cichlids with no issue by splitting up pairs and keep single sex only. Most of my plants like Anubis’s, Java fern and bolbitus that have tough texture unappetising to herbivores.