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Blood Parrot Cichlid
Amphilophus citrinellus × Vieja melanurus
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii
📍 Captive-bred (hybrid)
A hybrid cichlid created by crossing the Midas and Redhead cichlid, resulting in a round, bright orange body with a beak-like mouth that cannot fully close, limiting its feeding efficiency. Despite its unusual anatomy, it is a personable and hardy fish suited to 40+ gallon tanks, though its deformed mouth makes it somewhat disadvantaged in competition for food.
Care Guide
Diet
Blood Parrots are omnivorous and should be fed high-quality cichlid pellets as a staple, supplemented 2-3 times weekly with frozen foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia. Due to their deformed mouth, offer sinking pellets and smaller food particles to ensure adequate feeding; hand-feeding or target feeding may be necessary to prevent competition-related malnutrition.
Behavior
Blood Parrots are curious, intelligent, and surprisingly personable fish that recognize their owners and interact readily with tank inhabitants. They are semi-aggressive and territorial, particularly during breeding attempts, and may harass smaller or passive tank mates; they spend most time in mid-water zones exploring and rearranging substrate. Despite their aggressive tendencies, they are generally less destructive than pure Midas cichlids and can coexist peacefully with appropriately-sized, robust companions.
Breeding
Breeding Blood Parrots in captivity is extremely difficult and rarely successful due to their hybrid nature and genetic sterility in most cases. Pairs may exhibit strong bonding and spawning behavior, but eggs typically fail to develop or fry do not survive; attempting to breed requires a dedicated 40+ gallon tank with minimal disturbance and optimal water conditions.
Tank Mates
Similar size and temperament; both are robust cichlids that can handle semi-aggressive interactions
Comparable aggression level and size; can coexist if tank is large enough with adequate territories
Nocturnal bottom-dweller that avoids conflict; helps with algae control and occupies different tank zone
Schooling fish that may be nipped at; only suitable in larger tanks (50+ gallons) with adequate space
Peaceful bottom-dweller that occupies different zone; large enough to avoid predation
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, lethargy, rubbing against objects
Raise temperature to 28-30°C, perform daily 25% water changes, use aquarium salt (1 tsp per gallon) or commercial ich treatment for 7-10 days
Mouth Fungus (Columnaris)
White or grayish cottony growth around mouth and gills, difficulty eating, frayed fins
Improve water quality with frequent changes, treat with antibacterial medication (e.g., tetracycline), isolate if possible, maintain optimal temperature
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, discoloration at fin edges, lethargy
Perform 25-50% water changes every 2-3 days, treat with antibacterial medication, ensure excellent water quality and avoid aggressive tank mates
Bloat (Malawi Bloat)
Swollen abdomen, loss of appetite, difficulty swimming, pale coloration
Perform large water change, feed high-quality foods and reduce feeding frequency, treat with antibiotics if bacterial, ensure stable water parameters
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Water it likes
- ph
- 6.5–7.4
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)