Can blood parrots live with pencilfish?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Blood parrot76–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Pencilfish75–82°F · pH 5–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 76–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.

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	Pencilfish
Temperature	76–80 °F	75–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	5–7.5
Adult size	8.0 in	2.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for blood parrots

All blood parrot tank mates

Better tank mates for pencilfish

All pencilfish tank mates

Questions

Can blood parrots live with pencilfish?

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

What temperature suits both blood parrots and pencilfish?

76–80 °F. Blood parrots need 76–80 °F, pencilfish need 75–82 °F.

What size tank do blood parrots and pencilfish need together?

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