Colored Parrotfish

[ReeferBill]

Ok, so just received my new colored parrotfish.

He is almost 7", going into my 250 gallon twv tank with a couple angels. Any know what to feed these guys other than algae sheets? I heard they like lots of algae and have to eat several times per day. I know my tank can handle the biolad, and the website I bought it from, said they only get 7" max, so hopefully it wont get bigger. Any experience would be great.
Thanks

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

No experience but he's a beaut!

 

[ReeferBill]

Thanks rev, that means a lot coming from you(and I mean that) He is in camo right now after the drip acclimation and going into the tank. But yeah, he sure is a rainbow. Looks like a colorful wrasse.

 

[Reefing8EZ]

Cool fish.

 

[ReeferBill]

More pics....

 

[ReeferBill]

Ok, little game. Can you see and name the fish hiding in the first 2 pictures above??? Hes the same fish....

 

[k2parkstar]

Naso tang

 

[ReeferBill]

Haha, you are right. Didnt do it on purpose, but thought it was funny.

 

[swannyson7]

Beautiful fish, but they get huge! I always thought that parrot fish fed primarily on stony corals?

 

[drtyjrzy]

Really cool fish, but I know in the wild they eat stony corals, and rock with algae on it, I've also seen them get wayyyyyyy bigger than 7 inches!!! I do know parrot fish poop is actually sand from eating the rock!!

 

[ReeferBill]

Nope on both counts. This is a quoyi parrotfish. They only get about 8 inches, grow very slowly and do not eat corals. They are actually reefsafe. Since there are 80 types of parrotfish, this is the smallest and most people said they are reef safe.

 

[drtyjrzy]

Found this:
Parrotfish, Coral Reefs, Fishes, Scarus spp

From the article:
"Parrotfishes produce tons of coral reef sand each year. The sand-making process begins as the fishes graze on the algal film that grows on coral rock. To feed on the algae, the fishes munch on pieces of coral. Molarlike teeth in their throats grind the coral, which then travels through their digestive systems and is deposited in the reef as white coral sand.Parrotfishes produce tons of coral reef sand each year."

Hopefully there's an exception to this.

I also found this from: http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Live-Saltwater-Parrotfish/I/Colored-Parrotfish.aspx?CAWELAID=1630131014&catargetid=1662970555&%22cagpspn=pla%22&gclid=CPyCvojC9bQCFUid4AodWmMAwg
Scientific Name:

Scarus sp.​

Ease of Care:

Easy​

Approximate Arrival Size:

Large: 4+ inches​

Approximate Full Size:

6 inches​

Native Region:

Caribbean​

Recommended Aquarium Size:

50+ Gallons​

Temperament:

Semi-Aggressive​

Diet:

Omnivore​

Reef Safe:

No​

This Parrotfish will require multiple feedings a day as it has a voracious diet. It will leave soft corals alone, but will chomp on Live Rock and Stony Corals. It makes a good addition to a fish only tank and rarely would bother other fish.
Good luck!!

 

[ReeferBill]

just look up the species quoyi parrotfish and it will tell you what I mentioned above. Many, many hobbyists have kept them in their reef tanks(although mine is a fish only), without problems. They grow very slow and are model citizens of the tank. They do not bother any other fish. They do eat a lot, but putting the algae sheets on rocks helps them eat all day. Easy to maintain and beautiful fish. Thanks for the response.

 

[caudill187]

I've found this a reputable source, but the max size of 40cm is probably the largest ever found in the wild, probably bigger than captivity. Nice fish......

Scarus quoyi, Quoy's parrotfish : fisheries

 

[swannyson7]

Very cool, I thought it was the same species that you see on the reefs in the Caribbean.

 

[ReeferBill]

Yeah, I wasnt sure either, so I did some research, and other hobbyists let me know what it was, and how big it gets. Everyone said its a great fish, so I am hoping it eats well for me. Thanks for the responses.

 

[jt_milstead]

Princess Parrot or Quoyi Parrot?

 

[ReeferBill]

Quoyi parrotfish....I hope. Sure looks like a quoyi, doesnt have markings for a princess.

 

[ebushrow]

Beautiful fish, but they get huge! I always thought that parrot fish fed primarily on stony corals?

+1 they eat Stoney corals and poop out sand, they also sleep in a slime bag which really adds to the bio load ... Watch the peram. Closely.

 

[Zack]

I havent seen any other reef tanks with parrot fish, pretty nice looking fish. Pretty crazy they actually eat sps and rock- and poop sand!! I cant believe they account for so much of the sand out in the reefs.