Surprisingly beautiful aquarium fish - parrot cichlid

In 1991, Taiwanese breeders received offspring from the constant crossing of Cichlasoma synspillum, Citrinellum and South American cichlids, which gave rise to a new group of hybrids known today as parrot fish.

They got their name because of the great similarity of the head shape with the colorful head of a parrot. Due to its bright and unusual coloring, the parrot enjoys great popularity among the breeders and amateurs of aquarium fish, yet no aquarist outside of Asia has managed to breed.

Aquarium fish cichlids parrots: species

Imported mostly yellow and orange parrots. You can often buy bright red, crimson and lilac fish. This coloration is maintained thanks to specialized coloring feeds, which in large quantities contain carotenoids. When feeding with simple feeds, the standard orange color is restored. Black and blue parrots are much less often imported.

For these fish, food of animal origin is preferable, for example: coretra, bloodworm, minced fish and beef heart, shrimp. They have a great appetite and can indulge in the sin of gluttony around the clock. But this circumstance leads to various accidents. Basically it's dangerous when feeding in the evening. All the food they do not have time to eat before dark, and in the morning, waking up, immediately begin to eat it hard. But he lay in the aquarium all night, having managed to deteriorate. Fish are getting quite serious poisoning.

The area of the cichlid fish "red parrot"

In our country, the parrot comes mainly from Singapore and Taiwan. In the conditions of our country does not multiply, but it gets well in domestic aquariums.

Parrot cichlid: dimensions

The red parrot grows to 15 centimeters. Coloring of fish varies quite strongly, yellow and orange forms are most common. In addition, there is a "wild" color, which happens in some cancer and cichlase. Raspberry, lilac and bright red fish change over time into a bright orange form. When feeding with various specialized foods saturated with carotene to enhance the saturated red color, the coloring noticeably improves.

Parrot cichlid: feeding

Parrots in feeding are not fastidious - fish consume the majority of quality dry forages and any live. The best for them are floating granules and bloodworms.

Parrot cichlid: breeding

The parrot has no analogues in nature. This type of fish is obtained by the method of artificial insemination from various species of African and American cichlids.

Parrot cichlid: additional information

Fish live in an aquarium for up to ten years. It is a very quiet fish, able to coexist peacefully with other aquarium inhabitants, but periodically there is an intraspecific aggression. The grown-up individuals, who are not familiar with each other, do not contact each other well, due to which they should be run at the same time small so that they can get used to each other.