Blood parrot cichlid / blood parrot (Hybrid (Amphilophus citrinellus x Paraneetroplus synspilus)) care guide

Quick facts

Adult size: 20 cm
Lifespan: can live up to 15 years; long-lived for a cichlid when well-kept
Tank zone: middle
Temperament: semi-aggressive
Difficulty: beginner

Water parameters

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 6.5 to 7.5
Hardness: 5 to 18 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume: 250 L
Minimum length: 120 cm
Flow: moderate
Lighting: moderate
Substrate: sand
Hiding spots: needed
Open swimming room: needed

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the middle.

The deformed mouth limits feeding ability. Small pellets work better than large ones. Frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, and blanched vegetables. Some individuals struggle with hard foods. Feed slowly and watch to confirm they're actually getting food.

Vegetable matter required (algae wafers, blanched zucchini, spinach).

Compatibility

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Habitat

A man-made hybrid that does not exist in the wild. Created in Taiwan in the late 1980s. The characteristic rounded body and permanently open mouth are the result of hybridization. Controversial in the hobby: some keepers enjoy their personality and color, others object to breeding fish with deliberate deformities. Undeniably one of the best-selling freshwater fish worldwide.

Breeding

Males are almost always infertile. Females can produce eggs (and often do), but the eggs go unvigilated unless a fertile male of another cichlid species is present. Some breeders cross female blood parrots with male convicts or other Central American cichlids to produce viable offspring, but the results are unpredictable hybrids. The fish will go through spawning behaviors (cleaning a surface, laying eggs, guarding the site) even when nothing is fertile. Expect unfertilized eggs to fungus within a few days.

Common problems

The permanently open mouth makes them vulnerable to bacterial infections around the oral cavity. Watch for white patches or cotton-like growth around the mouth. Swim bladder issues are more common than in non-hybrid fish due to the compressed body shape. Sinking food is sometimes easier for them than floating food because of the mouth deformity. Some individuals struggle to eat competitively; hand-feeding or separating them during meals helps. Dyed or tattooed blood parrots (sometimes sold as 'jellybean parrots' or 'bubblegum parrots') should be avoided; the coloring is injected and fades over weeks while stressing the fish.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 10.0 (20 cm heavy-bodied cichlid, comparable waste to a severum).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.