Can blood parrots live with otocinclus?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Blood parrots and otocinclus can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown blood parrot may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

Blood parrot76–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Otocinclus72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown blood parrot may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 76–79°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: blood parrots the mid, otocinclus the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Blood parrot	Otocinclus
Temperature	76–80 °F	72–79 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	8.0 in	2.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for blood parrots

All blood parrot tank mates

Better tank mates for otocinclus

All otocinclus tank mates

Questions

Can blood parrots live with otocinclus?

Yes, with care. Blood parrots and otocinclus can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown blood parrot may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both blood parrots and otocinclus?

76–79 °F. Blood parrots need 76–80 °F, otocinclus need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do blood parrots and otocinclus need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the blood parrot. Add space for each extra fish.