proudmomoftwins

Okay, so I'm sitting here at the computer and I'm also watching the fish. The parrot fish are either fighting or kissing? I don't know what they're doing,
but it looks like they're lip locking with each other and then they try pulling apart just to go back to locking lips. What are they doing? Is it normal? They're not being aggressive so it seems, so are they just playing? At first I thought maybe they were sharing food (the shrimp pellets) but I didn't happen to see one between them.

Tony G.

Hello
Lip Locking can mean different things:
1) Agression
2) Mating Behavior
3) Trying to see who's the leader

i have had this happen and mine ended up with a fight, so keep a close eye on their behavior...

oh, and btw, its totally normal in the wild, you shouldnt worry unless there's picking or biting eachother

proudmomoftwins

Tony, thank you for the fast reply and for the info.

Tony G.

youre welcome

jwokmuba2

my oscars used to do this, but they were definatly fighting, you can definatly tell when they are fighting.....not saying yours are doin the same just thought id add my thoughts

aquarist48

Hello ProudMom. I hope you are enjoying your Parrots. Them getting into lip locks is perfectly normal. Mine do it all the time. It's like they are just having fun. I've never had 1 Bloody Parrot to harm another one. Enjoy!
Ken

I moved your thread to the Cichlid/American cichlid/parrot cichlid section of the forum.http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/parrot-cichlid/
Ken

harpua2002

Sounds to me like they are sorting out a pecking order. Nothing to worry about, but do keep an eye on them; unlike Ken, I have had one harm another in the past.

aquarist48

Oh no Harpua! I hate to hear that Did you give the aggressor a good talkin' too?
Ken

SWilkins

Well I have to say mine do it all the time too and thank goodness neither one is hurt. Mine seem to just be playing. That is the noisiest tank that I have too I can't keep a glass therm in there because they will break it and they are constantly knocking gravel up against the glass just to get me to come and see if anybody is trying to get out or is hurt. They probably giggle everytime they do that to me.

Neji

I've never had any problems with my Blood Parrots fighting. I raised them about 4-5 years ago. They can't really kill any fish pretty much because they can't close their mouths fully, and they generally are peaceful fish. So there shouldn't be any problem with them. The worst that can get for the Blood Parrots is if they are stressing the other fishes out like crazy to the point of death. That's pretty much the only bad thing they could do.

Also, if you don't have many live plants or not as much then you should put some in Especially the Amazon Swords, since they grow very big and if you have many of them, that will pretty much keep the fishes separated. That is what I do. Although Parrots are Cichlids, so they are aggressive sometimes. Just try your best and separate them. You can't change their nature from being bad to good. Although over time they will being to be able to cope with it. I hope you know what I mean

Good luck!

aquarist48

Mom...just in case you haven't seen this one:
Blood Red Parrot Video 2
Notice the lip locks.
Ken