Unsure about my "Blood Parrot"

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Kyle_91

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 19, 2010
1,089
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Centreville,MD
After having bought my blood parrot from petsmart about a few months ago, it seems to me that he isn't really a blood parrot. Maybe some form of other parrot fish mix?
1. He doesn't have the pronounced parrot look to his head.
2. He changes colors like crazy, he's normally been really dark with faded stripes and rainbow spots on his side and anal fin like a jack dempsey almost...

- It's strange because I clearly got him out of a tank that said "Blood Parrot cichlid" for $2.50 but like I said, now that I've had him, he's been maturing and I'm very unsure about him. Here's a few pics.

IMG_1051.jpg

^ (On the left of my geo obviously)
IMG_1054.jpg

^ (again on the left of my geo)
IMG_1061.jpg

^ (probably the best one I could take of him)

Anyone have any suggestions on the mix that he might have in him? Or is he just a different colored BP?
 
Definately a blood parrot.....Has the deformed shape mouth and same body shape. Mine from there looked exactly like this and now is all orange except for a little black on his pectoral fin (took about 3 months for the color change to complete). He/She is going to go through a lot of color change. During this time, I saw that water parameters and stress can affect their coloration. Just make sure your water is good, there are lots of hiding places for him/her, and that it is eating well.
 
JteSchertz said:
Definately a blood parrot.....Has the deformed shape mouth and same body shape. Mine from there looked exactly like this and now is all orange except for a little black on his pectoral fin (took about 3 months for the color change to complete). He/She is going to go through a lot of color change. During this time, I saw that water parameters and stress can affect their coloration. Just make sure your water is good, there are lots of hiding places for him/her, and that it is eating well.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input. Water parameters are fine. All fish get fed plenty of a well-rounded diet of pellets, veggie rounds, freeze fried krill, sinking shrimp pellets, etc...
I've re-done my scaping in my tank several times, right now I have a 2 large pieces of driftwood and natural plants. I sorta went for the SA/CA biotope
 
def. a parrot. It has to fade still. That is what they look like as juveniles.
 
The funny thing is, he/she was more tan and lighter when I bought him, and about a few weeks ago he/shes been dark like the pictures and haven't seen he/she lighter color in a long time..
 
Trust me when I say this, yours is indeed a Blood Parrot. Petsmart sells 2 kinds of Blood Parrot, Blood Parrots have not peeled to orange that are cheap and Blood Parrots that have already peeled to orange that cost more. The cheaper ones have not peeled and usually take longer to peel and may never peel. Yours may never peel to orange/yellow or it might do it later on.

I have 2 of these cheaper Parrots from Petsmart. One peeled half way to orange 4-6 months after I bought her and never finished turning orange. I have another one that I have had for about 3-4 months who is now peeling to orange. Both of them looked exactly like yours before they started peeling, they both had a dark brown/black color with black spots near the tail and a few pearls. The pearls "rainbow spots" come from the Synspilum blood in them.

This one peeled half way and never finished turning orange, her name is Butters:
IMG_7229.jpg


This one is currently peeling to orange:
IMG_7458.jpg


This video you can see Butters before she turned orange:

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Wow, thanks for all the info Chris. I'll start keepin eye on him/her and keep everyone updated. It'd be pretty cool if he/she actually kept the darker colors when he/she gets older!
- I really like the markings on yours!

And i can honestly say, I've never heard that fact about the pearls on their side, very helpful info!
 
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