Getting to Know the Blood Parrot Fish

In hobbyists aquarium world, many interbreed one kind of ornamental fish to another, specially the cichlids family. Cichlids are the favorite of the breeders because there are so many varieties of cichlids and they respond to opposite sex regardless of their kind as long as they are in same cichlids family. The Parrot fish or The Blood Parrot or Blood Parrotfish, is one of the favorites for interbreeding among cichlids.

The Blood Parrot fish did not originally exist. They are a unique hybrid fish of two different kinds of cichlids. The Blood Parrot fish is very famous to aquarium hobbyists because they have these unique characteristics that many people love.  They have a very small, open mouth, that shaped like they are going to kiss. Their body is usually round, and their colors are from yellow, orange, pink, red, and bright red. Their nose looks like parrot beak that’s why they got the name parrot fish.


Do not confuse the Blood Parrot fish to the marine Parrot fish because they are totally different.

Recently, the aquarium world has been rocked with the issue of dyeing these Blood Parrot fish with blue, purple, pink and other colors different to their natural ones. Moral aquarists feel that injecting colors to the parrot fish will shorten the life expectancy of the fish, and also will damage its organ.  These dyed parrot fish are sold as Jellybean Parrot fish.

The Blood Parrots are very peaceful and shy fish. They would hide as soon as they realize that there is a person nearby, however they are very showy to their owners. They should not be kept with aggressive fish. They like aquariums with lots of rocks where they can hide. They also love to redecorate your tanks. They would dig sands and arrange plants or stones.

I have two Blood Parrot fish, and they are really sweet, specially during feeding time. They are with another two red devil fish, and three gourami.