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Blood Parrot Fish

Bloody Parrot ~ Blood Parrotfish ~ Jellybean Parrot

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Hybrid
Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Giannis

   The Blood Parrot is just about the most curious result of cichlids interbreeding, and has created quite a stir in the aquarium hobby!

   It is not uncommon for cichlids to interbreed in a hobbyists aquarium. When they are in spawning mode, they will often respond to a fish of the opposite sex whether it is the same species or another fish of a closely related species. The Blood Parrot, also called the Bloody Parrot or Blood Parrotfish, are a unique hybrid fish. They do not occur in nature.

Hybrid Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Blood Parrots have a very small mouth and a roundish "balloon" shaped body. Perhaps they are called Parrotfish because their nose looks like a 'parrots' beak. They can be solid or have a "calico" patterning or blotching., are available in a variety of colors. They range from basic pale or bright yellows, to oranges and reds. Dyed fish sport purples, pinks, blues, and more colors. These are generally sold as the 'Jellybean Parrot' and 'Bumble Gum Parrot' though there are also names that describe them by their color such as 'Purple Parrot'. Then there are Blood Parrots described by their physical appearance such as the 'Love Heart Parrot' which has no tail fin.

   The Blood Parrots are a peaceful, shy fish that should not be kept with real aggressive tank mates. However, if you keep them in a community aquarium with similar sized fish, be aware that they can be territorial. They like an aquarium with lots of rock formations and caves for retreating and hiding. Plants are not essential though they do not harm them.

   These fish should not be confused with the Parrot Cichlid Hoplarchus psittacus which is another freshwater cichlid from South American that is quite aggressive. There is also no relation to the saltwater Parrot Fish Callyodon fasciatus.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Blood Parrot, also called the Bloody Parrot and Blood Parrotfish, and another variety known as the Jellybean Parrot are fish developed by breeders and hobbyists. Since they are a hybrid, they are domestic and only found in aquariums. The Blood Parrot is said to have been bred in Taiwan and the suggested parents are Central and South American cichlids.

Status:
   There are no wild populations of this species.

Description:
   The Blood Parrot has a roundish 'balloon' shaped body. They have a very small mouth and are perhaps they are called Parrotfish because their nose looks like a 'parrots' beak. They also have some other distinctions, their spines are deformed which gives them their unique shape, the iris of their eyes is overly large, and they are awkward swimmers.
   They can be solid or have a 'calico' patterning or blotching and they are available in a variety of colors from basic pale or bright yellows, to oranges and reds. There are also color varieties, which are dyed albinos or dyed light colored Blood Parrots. These are generally referred to as the 'Jellybean Parrot' and 'Bumble Gum Parrot', though their names can describe them by color such as the 'Purple Parrot'. Then there are Blood Parrots described by their physical appearance such as the 'Love Heart Parrot', which has no tail fin.
   A further developed variety is the Convict Parrot Cichlid, which is also called the 'Jellybean' Parrot or 'Bubble Gum' Parrot'. This is actually a 'double hybrid' fish. It is a cross between a female hybrid Blood Parrot and a pink male Convict Cichlid Archocentrus (Cichlasoma) nigrofasciatus. Blood Parrots have reportedly been crossed with other cichlid species such as the Severum and the Texas Cichlid. So there may be other new varieties showing up down the road.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
   These fish generally get up to 6 - 7" (15-17.5 cm), though some will reach 8" (20 cm).

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous the Blood Parrot, Bloody Parrot, or Blood Parrotfish will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat. Live guppies and goldfish will suffice when they get bigger. Proteins high in B-carotene will promote good coloring.
  A 30 gallon tank will be fine for juveniles for the first couple of years, but for adults 55 gallons is suggested. They prefer slow to moderate moving water along with good efficient filtration. The aquarium should have low to moderate lighting. Provide a substrate of fine dark sand along with rocks and roots for places to hide along with open areas for swimming. Plants can also be included as they will not bother them.
   They can be easy to care for if water changes are performed frequently. Do water changes of 20 - 25% weekly, more or less depending on stocking numbers. If water quality is ignored, as with all cichlids, disease and death can occur. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
  These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 2-25° dGH
   Ph: 6.5 to 8.0
   Temp: 70-82° F 21-28° C. Their colors will pale in the lower temperatures.

Social Behaviors:
   As a cichlid with aggressive parents, they would not be considered a community fish, but their shy peaceful nature has allowed them to be kept in aquariums with other fair sized fish. If kept with other cichlids, make sure their tank mates are not overly aggressive. They can be kept with Angelfish, peaceful catfish such as Corydoras and Glass Catfish, Kuhli Loaches, Swordtails, Tetras, Plecostomus, and Silver Dollars.

Sexual Differences:
   Sexing them is difficult. Males will show a pink around their gills and on the throat when they are in spawning colors.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Blood Parrot has been known to breed, but most often their eggs are infertile unless they are paired with a non-hybrid fish.

Availability:
   The Blood Parrot or Jellybean Parrot, has become commonly available. They can often be found in fish stores and sometimes online. The Convict Parrot Cichlid (which is also called the 'Jellybean' Parrot or 'Bubble Gum' Parrot') is also sometimes available. They can often be found in fish stores and sometimes online ranging from about $8.00 USD and up for the Blood Parrot, and about $12.00 USD and up for the Convict Parrot Cichlid. Price is dependent on size, color, and type.

Author: Clarice Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
I have 2 BP - Big Punk is a little over 8 years old and Meanie is 5 or 6. I used to have a school of 4 Angel Fish and the BP and Angel Fish co-existed very nicely (the last of the Angel died a few months ago, after about 7 years). Actually, the 6 of them banded together and attacked all new fish (I wasn't able to add any new fish except for catfish, whom they seem to leave alone). Big Punk is getting old and it's harder for him to eat now - my heart aches when I watch him trying to catch the food but miss - and Meanie would come and pushed him away as well. I wish there's something I can do to help him. Like many of you have pointed out, BP have great personalities and I never get bored of watching them - kissing, pushing, digging, moving gravels by the mouthful from one end of the tank to the other, etc. Amazing fish - I love them. Abril 2009-07-23
These fish are ace. They are just plain and simple funny shapes and have ace personalities, and are so cute. At the moment I have 2. Bubbles and peaches are in my 180 litre fluval vicenza aquarium with 2 festivum cichlids, 3 firemouth cichlids, 1 striped raphael catfish, and 2 plecos (1 gold spot and 1 large common). My tank has a mixture of live and fake plants and is well struted with driftwood, and I have a fluval 205 canister filter that is very good at keeping up with all the waste my big plec makes. My heater is kept constant at about 88 Fahrenheit and I have an airstone running all the time. Soon, probably this friday (10/7/09), I'm gonna add 1 or 2 more blood parrots, 3 kribensis cichlids, 2 keyhole cichlids, 2 angelfish, 1 gourami, and maybe maybe 2 discus and a few shoals of largish tetras or barbs (not tiger or tinfoils). sam 2009-07-07
My parrot fish is guarding his cave, he is protecting eggs and won't come out to eat. The parrot fish will attack my hand. jeannette martin 2009-06-24
I have had my blood parrot for over a year. We did a major change in the the tank over a month ago. All of our fish have adjusted well except my blood parrot. My blood parrot last week began laying on his side at the bottom of the tank. He still eats at every feeding but other than that he is lying at the bottom of the tank. Is there anything I can do to save him. Anonymous 2009-06-09
my office has two hybrid orange blood parrots. I feed them every day. They know exactly when I'm ready they even talk to me (joke). One of them appears to be sick not eating, not moving other than staying in a corner... whats up? If anyone know... it's kinda sad.... jw 2009-06-03
Some of the coolest comments:
I have two large blood parrots in a 75 gallon tank with 1 small gold nugget pleco. I have a bare bottom tank with lots of drift wood which they both love. I have 2 eheim 2217 filters with spong pre filters. I do 2 weekly 35 gallon water changes with the tap water filter. My ph- 6.5 gh- 35ppm dh- 35ppm. ammonia-0 nitrites-0 and nitrates-o. Temp-80 degrees. I ALSO USE CHEMI-PURE which I change once a month. I have dedicated this tank only to these two blood parrots. Its like having two dogs, they greet me when I come home from work, they are really cool. I feed them frozen blood worms, parrot pellets, discuss pellets, and some high protein flake. It would be cool if I had a male and female but I have never seen any eggs. The biggest secret is the water changes, filters only play a small part. joe h joseph harper 2009-09-28
Blood parrots do fine with larger community fish. Due to them not being able to bite to defend themselves, I would not put them in a tank with aggressive fish as they can not defend themselves. All they can do is a lot of pushing. Another mild cichlid should be OK such as the Severum, tho. "Bubblegum" parrots are those that have been dyed. "Jellybean" parrots are the off- spring of your female blood parrot with a convict. Jellybeans are often mistakenly referred to as dyed which is incorrect information. Male blood parrots are infertile so if you have a pair of BP and they spawn, don't get exicted. The eggs will not live. The female can have fry with a few other male cichlids, tho. Parrots can get Blood Spot Disease from poor water conditions. I do 50% water changes in all my fish tanks including that of my blood parrots. Some parrots also get black skin pigmentation so do not confuse this with the black spot disease. AquaTramp 2009-06-27
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
This web-site was most helpful in answering many questions I have had about my two blood red parrot fish. They, I can't tell which one, have been spawning, three times over the last several months, fiercely guarding the eggs and then eaten them. Our local pet store said I was nuts, that they didn't lay eggs or breed. I will research even further to learn what a non-hybrid is. Thank you. Julie 2008-02-23
We have five Jelly Bean Parrots and One Sweet Heart Parrot fish. They range from about 3" to 6". We have had them for about two years and love them very much! The fish are part of the family and each have a specific mood that fits right in with us! They enjoy a 55 Gallon tank with plenty of logs and rocks to peek out of when our nephew stops by! This site has been very helpful in maintaining a clean and healthy environment for our little babys. Thanks for the great advice through the years!!!! cmf///nmf 2007-11-09
I have six, rapidly growing Parrots in my 55 gal. tank. Two orange, one pink 'Candy' Parrot, one red 'Heart' Parrot (really is shaped like a Valentine) and two fellows that started out green with black that have "morphed" into peach-colored with touches of black.! Very interested in seeing what they will eventually look like! So far, no pairing noted..which is fine with me as I have 7 fancy veil-type juvenile Angels in another tank that I'm hoping will pair up and spawn. THANKS for this site..There is so much to learn about these fish..and so little information out there! BJ Lukken 2006-10-09

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