Typically speaking there are two kinds of cichlids that belong to the parrot cichlid family, the Hoplarchus psittacus (Green Parrot) and the Blood Parrot. The Green Parrot Cichlid is known to be the "original" parrot. It is a beautiful green cichlid that originates from the Amazon in South America. Not surprisingly its name came from its big parrot-like mouth. It is known to be less common within the aquarium industry but over the past few years it is slowly becoming more popular.
The Blood Parrot is noticeably more common in aquarium shops. Interestingly, the Blood Parrot is a fish that has been developed over a few years of selective breeding and when it first came on the scene it was a bright Orange. Nowadays this fish is known to be found in many different colours such as Red, Purple, Blue, Yellow and Green just to name a few. Given the mass range of selective breeding and colours that have now been produced, there has been a blanket name placed over these multi coloured fish, this is known as the Jellybean Cichlid.
Because the Blood Parrot Cichlid is a man-made hybrid so to speak, knowing the exact origins of this fish become difficult however there is speculation that it might be a cross between the Severum and a Midas Cichlid or Red Devil.
An interesting fact is that it does not have a scientific name due to its hybrid origins, it should also be noted that it will never be given one because of this reason.
Water parameters for this fish are somewhat the same as the original Green Parrot, neutral pH and a temperature of around 26°C or 78°F. Parrot Cichlids have been known to grow to 12 inches in length or more in some rare occasions and can be expected to live for up to 10 years.
Some good Tank Mates for the Parrot Cichlid are as follows;
· Geophagus cichlids,
· Rainbow cichlids,
· Firemouths,
· Severums
· Some Tetra species (make sure they are not fin nippers)
Blood Parrots generally attempt to breed when the water parameters are suitable, and in some cases have been known to attempt to breed every few weeks or so. Unfortunately the lack of egg fertilisation is a common problem associated with these fish and breeding, although consistent might be very unsuccessful.
However more and more people have reported that they have had successful breeding pairs, perhaps this is all a part of their hybrid origins being bred out of them.
If you would like to learn more about Parrot Cichlids and their environment, visit my site African Cichlid Success
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