Anyone out there with (or had) a (marine) parrotfish? - Page 2

paddyob · #11 03-22-2011, 02:29 PM

All I can say is that most parrots have specialized diets... coral.

They eat coral and excrete it as sand beds throughout the oceans. Without this... many will die.

I know some people have had luck.... but how many? I would personally admire it from the beach.

paddyob · #12 03-22-2011, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kien

The LFS that I found her at didn't have her labelled but I believe she is a princess parrotfish. In the wild I believe they can get up to a foot or more. I haven't read about too many people owning them so I'm not really sure what they'll reach in captivity. She seems to leave inverts alone but does munch on the occasional coral. In the wild many (if not most) parrot fish seem to enjoy munching on corals. They will then poop out sand

.

Enjoy would be an understatement.

monocus · #13 03-22-2011, 02:47 PM

i had a princess parrot for over a year-but it passed during my move-didn't bother my corals as i make a herbivore mixture for the fish but would occasionaly chew on soft rock(old coral)

kien · #14 03-22-2011, 03:00 PM

I certainly do have a lot of corals for my parrot fish to chow down on and she does, but seems to prefer other foods like flakes, pellets, mysis etc. Now adays I think she just chomps on the odd coral to wear her teeth down. She has certainly not devoured any complete colonies during the past year. She is my personal coral pruner

es355lucille · #15 03-22-2011, 03:16 PM

So Kien....its hard to tell from the pictures.....how big is this fish now? I have seen ones with this coloring in Mexico/Hawaii while snorkeling and I find them very facinating.

The coloring is amazing.

kien · #16 03-22-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by es355lucille

So Kien....its hard to tell from the pictures.....how big is this fish now? I have seen ones with this coloring in Mexico/Hawaii while snorkeling and I find them very facinating.

The coloring is amazing.

She is about 4" tip to tail.

Lance · #17 03-22-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by es355lucille

I have seen ones with this coloring in Mexico/Hawaii while snorkeling and I find them very facinating.

The coloring is amazing.

Yeah, they are everywhere in the Mayan Riviera. Travelling mostly in small schools pooping out their coral sand. When the sunlight hits them just right they almost glow with colour. Very beautiful fish.