Green Parrot Cichlid

Common Names: Blood Parrot Cichlid, Red Blood Parrot, Red Parrot Cichlid, Red Parrot Fish

The Parrot Cichlid is a hybrid fish that was first created in Taiwan in the mid to late 1980's. Its parentage has been highly disputed, but the most commonly speculated pairings are Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus Citrinellus) or Red Devil (Amphilophus Labiatus) with the Redhead Cichlid (Vieja Synspilum). This pairing has been back by the out come of a few different pairing and the resulting fry coming out as early Parrot Cichlids. The Taiwanese Department of Zoology also acknowledges that his is the true parentage of the Blood Parrot. One common misconception is that the are the result of Severum (Heros Severus) crossed with the Red Devil Cichlid (Amphilophus Labiatus).

Parrots have a round body, a beak shaped head with an upside down triangle mouth. They are often seen in bright orange in coloration, but seen in other colors such as red, yellow, brown, and tan. Other colors have been produced such as green, blue, and purple by dyeing the fish, which shortens life expectancy.


Tank Size
30 Gallons Minimum

A good rule of thumb is 30 gallon for one and 10 more gallons for each additional Blood Parrot. As with any fish, the bigger the tank the better.

Size and Growth

6 - 9" (15 - 24cm)

Temperature: 76 - 86F (24 - 30C)

pH: 6.0 - 8.5

Blood Parrots grow slow when compared to other Central American Cichlids or Flowerhorn. Once they hit 4-5" their growth slows further. They typically can live anywhere from 5 - 15 years depending on the care given to them and other genetic factors.