Pacific Princess Parrot

[urodude]

Anyone know much about this particular parrotfish- max size, diet. I know parrots tend to get large but I have a 360 fish only tank. I read that they eat coral. I have a fiberglass reef sculpture-pretty tough to chew I would think.
The LFS has one, quite beautiful and interesting to watch, around 4-5 inches now. Thinking about it.

 

[lion_crazz]

Princess Parrotfish eat algae that grow on rocks and corals. The Princess Parrotfish gets to be 12 inches long.
I would definitely not recommend them being kept in aquariums. They need way too much space. I understand that you have a 360 gallon tank, but that is definitely not enough. They need 3 to 4 times that, at least.

 

[urodude]

Thanks for the info. It is an interesting fish with unusual colors but probably best left in the ocean

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by Urodude
Thanks for the info. It is an interesting fish with unusual colors but probably best left in the ocean
Yep, I agree. Stunning fish.

 

[coachklm]

so here's one for you??????????
is it best left in a 20g store display :thinking:
an inexperienced keepers 75g imature tank? :thinking:
or a 360g keepers (who's willing to do research on the fish) tank? :thinking:
these are good question with each haveing an argument for and against them
IMO......unless there's an aquarium nearby you can garentee the fish will most likely be sold to the second option or worse... If you like the fish and offer it the best of intentions..
RESCUE IT...

 

[lion_crazz]

You can't rescue every fish. However, we can try to educate every hobbyist. If enough hobbyists are educated, they will not buy this fish and the LFS will lose money on it. The LFS will not re-order the fish because they know they will just continue to lose money on them.
Trust me. I have worked at a few high-end LFS'. This is the way to attack them.
Princess parrotfish need to be given thousands of gallons of water to live in. Even if the original poster would take the fish to a nearby aquarium when it gets too big, the other difficult part is matching this fish's diet.

 

[coachklm]

I can understand that....But your not speaking in the best interest of the immediate fish.. (and we know this debate can go on ...and on...and on .. so i'm going to bed! lol
I wish we could believe that LFS policies could change with the death of a fish...

 

[lion_crazz]

I may not be speaking in the best interest in the immediate fish, but I am in the future 9, 10, 100, etc.
I disagree with your last statement as well. When I worked at this one LFS, I convinced all of the employees that flower pot corals (gonipora's) were not something that should be sold to customers because they don't live. After a while, no one was buying flower pot corals because the staff was educating the customers on them. Why would they possibly want to waste their $40 on something that would live 6-8 months and then just die? That is stupid. Well, the LFS was not selling the flower pot corals they had, some died, some got reordered and those did not sell either. Soon thereafter, the amount of flower pot corals that were ordered was reduced drastically because the employees were not selling them without educating the customers about them first. After the customers learned about them, they decided not to buy them. The LFS lost money on them, and this prevented many more from being ordered.

 

[coachklm]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
I may not be speaking in the best interest in the immediate fish, but I am in the future 9, 10, 100, etc.
I disagree with your last statement as well. When I worked at this one LFS, I convinced all of the employees that flower pot corals (gonipora's) were not something that should be sold to customers because they don't live. After a while, no one was buying flower pot corals because the staff was educating the customers on them. Why would they possibly want to waste their $40 on something that would live 6-8 months and then just die? That is stupid. Well, the LFS was not selling the flower pot corals they had, some died, some got reordered and those did not sell either. Soon thereafter, the amount of flower pot corals that were ordered was reduced drastically because the employees were not selling them without educating the customers about them first. After the customers learned about them, they decided not to buy them. The LFS lost money on them, and this prevented many more from being ordered.
If you can convince store owers to tell there employee's to educate people "properly" about fish..ect. then i can fully understand the impact that may have on the area business but unfortunately due to the wanting of profit and money hungry owners this is not going to happen often.. We as a "board" can educate and inform and begin a chain per say...but in no way are we as a whole educating and affecting the market in certain areas as much as the DIRECT influence as a employee to every custmer
although I wish we could ie..moorish idols.