Parrot fish. Wonderful aquarium bird Cichlids parrots keeping in the aquarium

Parrot fish, or red parrot (Red Parrot) is a representative of the Cichlid family. It is a hybrid of an aquarium fish, which appeared as a result of selection of two representatives of Cichlids. In 1991, the fish became available to the first aquariums. Its production increased, and over time it received the name “red parrot”.

The history of the creation of the hybrid was carefully kept secret, however, this applies to many artificially bred fish. There is a version that Red Parrot is a descendant of several South American cichlids, as a result of triple crossing. Asian breeders strictly protect the right to keep this fish. The red parrot can interbreed and produce offspring, but few people have been able to see their eggs.

The aquarium parrot fish has an unusual body color. Thanks to him, she is popular among breeders and hobbyists. All pet stores and aquariums in the world do not deny themselves the pleasure of housing this beautiful creature. In Russia, the red parrot appeared in the 90s of the twentieth century.

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Main characteristics

The red parrot is one of the most popular cichlids. Why it received this name is not known exactly. Most likely, this name appeared because of the unusual shape of the head, reminiscent of the beak of a parrot, and because of the bright color of the body. As a hybrid offspring, it has some anatomical deviation - it opens its mouth vertically only at a small angle, so capturing food sometimes causes difficulty.

The coloring of the fish is artificial, although sellers are not always ready to admit this. No one tells how color saturation occurs. Rumor has it that Western breeders recommend banning its production. Despite all the prohibitions and prejudices, this creature is loved by many aquarium owners.

Look how a parrot swims in an aquarium.

The red parrot is a peaceful and unpretentious creature. In an aquarium it can grow up to 15 cm in length. A novice aquarist can keep it either separately from everyone else or with other fish. Although it is an “artificial” child, even such a fish has good health, strong endurance and energy. In captivity, it lives for 10 years.

When purchasing a parrot fish, you can choose any body color: red, purple, yellow, blue, green or orange. Sometimes there are “exotic” colors reminiscent of cichlid and cancer. With age, the color of parrots fades, so food with keratin should be added to the diet, which helps to saturate the color of the body.

How to keep red parrots in an aquarium

The aquarium parrot fish can live in a water tank either alone or with other fish. Compatibility with other representatives underwater world has been studied in detail, so you should remember only the general water parameters for everyone, feeding conditions and a list of fish with which it will peacefully coexist.

Red parrots are funny, playful, active fish; the home should have enough space for movement. Choose an aquarium of at least 200 liters for one individual. If you are going to share neighbors with them, you can choose a container with a volume of 800 liters. Create an underwater current, it is familiar to all cichlids.

Water parameters for all inhabitants of a common aquarium should be as follows: temperature 22-26 degrees, acidity 6.5-7.6 pH, dH 6-15. It is recommended to saturate the water with oxygen; aeration is important. Replace ½ of the water with fresh water weekly. The red parrot should live in a spacious aquarium; due to its jumping ability, it can inadvertently jump out of the water; cover the tank with a lid.

Aquarium plants are not required in large quantities, but if they are, then keep in mind that many nests will appear in the water.

Having launched an adult into a prepared tank of water, it will hide in a shelter from fear for several weeks, and over time it will get used to its new home and neighbors. It is curious that the young fish does not adapt well to parrots with which it did not grow up. Immediately purchase 4-6 fry that are already “familiar”.

Thanks to its calm disposition, the fish can live in water with medium-sized fish. Compatibility is likely with predators and peace-loving species.

Wanting to have their own aquarium, many users pay attention to bright and beautiful inhabitants waters are parrot fish. Incredibly, the individuals were bred just over 20 years ago in Taiwan, and today they are already considered one of the most popular and unpretentious pets.

Parrot fish: what are they?

Before getting new inhabitants of the aquarium, you need to understand their types, types, maintenance features and other nuances. Of course, the parrot is one of the best representatives of the aquatic home world. This is a unique pet with a bright color, lively character and very funny manners. It is noteworthy that to develop the species, it took breeders several years and cross-breeding of fish from the order of South American type cichlids. It was from them that the “sea elf” received its bright color and funny characteristic “beak”.

There are 10 genera and more than 100 species in the parrotfish family. But in our country only a few of them are known and more common:

• Red parrot. The individual grows up to 25 cm, the color is predominantly red in combination with yellow, distinctive feature- a beak, sometimes supplemented with sharp incisors and fangs protruding outward. It is important that this fish changes color several times as it grows. Natural loneliness in coral reefs does not in any way affect good neighborly relations in the aquarium. By the way, the red parrot is the most favorite inhabitant of novice aquarists, and photos of the fish can often be seen on websites. The pet's night rest is especially interesting - at night the fish creates a cocoon for itself in the form of a cover of mucus and prefers to sleep protected from all external influences.
• Scar. Small representatives of the species, growing up to 19 cm and having more than 50 varieties. The most famous are: dark, striped-bellied, Red Sea and guacamaya. The natural habitat is a coral reef, where fish feed on shellfish and some types of coral. But don’t worry, aquarium parrots - scaras - respond well to a variety of traditional foods.
• The green coneface is an amazing representative of the fish family. To begin with, this “Petrovsky grenadier” grows up to 100 cm or more, and the weight is also considerable - from 40 kg, such photos are often found on websites. But this all relates to natural existence; aquarium representatives are much smaller, although even here he will look like a “Gulliver” among all the other inhabitants. And don’t forget that any quarrel between a green parrot and another pet can end badly: using its forehead as a battering ram, the big-faced parrot literally knocks the enemy “off his feet”, attacking very skillfully.

Of course, there are parrot fish of other colors and colors: red, pearl, with a purple tint. There are also representatives from different backgrounds different types beaks. And if you come up with the idea of ​​having a couple of individuals in your aquarium, you should think about the character of the other inhabitants so as not to create unnecessary problems.

Character traits: who will parrot fish get along with?

Let us immediately note that these scaly friends are calm and peaceful. But there are some points in keeping individuals that are necessary to create a normal environment for other pets.

1. Nimble or calm fish that like to rake up the bottom soil and disdain vegetation - best friends aquarium parrots.
2. Angelfish - they can be a problem. The red parrot or other species mercilessly plucks the algae where the angelfish likes to hide. And after eating the branches, the individual may pay attention to the neighbor herself, who is unlikely to like the quarrelsome disposition of the “sea elf.” Although in life there are examples of normal coexistence of all types of fish, it is true that the aquarium must have a volume of at least 200 liters.
3. Small fish are the subject of special “adoration”. The parrot fish will definitely try the baby for a tooth without even noticing this fact. Therefore, if you value scaly friends less than 5 cm in length, there is no need to tempt fate, start two aquariums.

Content Features

A playful disposition, great mobility, a tendency to attack, intelligence and cunning - all these are parrot aquarium fish. If you want to place a couple at home, take care of a spacious aquarium, at least 180-200 liters. Natural conditions pets - the current in coral reefs, so the pump is a mandatory element of the artificial “lake”, without this your “sea elves” will not be able to eat and feel normal.

Optimal temperature+22-26 C, hardness no more than 7.5 pH. Required condition– saturation of water with oxygen. Constant aeration is necessary; parrotfish can only live in running water. Replacing at least half the volume of the aquarium once a week is the law. And cover the aquarium with a net, since your fish can easily jump out of a small vessel.

Keeping fish does not require a special aquarium design; parrots are very unpretentious to the presence of special plants and other nuances. But there should be soil and small pebbles at the bottom; pets love to poke around with their beaks, tearing up the bottom sediments. It is also important to remember that parrot fish, and in particular the red parrot, have an insatiable love for building nests. Looking at the photo, you will see what night cocoons look like, which will definitely appear in your aquarium later.

So, the rules to consider:

1. There is no need to combine fish that use shelters in one vessel;
2. Slow representatives of the species will be subject to constant attacks from the “sea elf”;
3. A layer of pebbles up to 5 cm thick, densely growing algae, stone or coconut caves are a mandatory filling element;
4. Regular water changes, filling with air, cleaning the aquarium, this is what a red parrot or any other representative of this species requires.

What to feed

If keeping pets requires some effort, then the red parrot is completely unpretentious in food, like the pearl parrot, scara and other species. Feeding occurs several times a day in small portions. Believe me, within a few days your companions will begin to swim to the edge of the aquarium on their own as soon as you appear with food in your hands. What to give? Anything: bloodworms, granules, bread, herbal supplements, vegetables. These water inhabitants respond well to a menu of dry and live food.

With a properly formulated diet, good care and following all the necessary procedures, the inhabitants of the southern waters will live with you for up to 10 years. And they will give you incomparable pleasure from communicating and observing these lively and smart representatives of sea fish.

Get to know the fish better:

Aquarium parrots from cichlids

Parrot fish, or red parrot (Red Parrot Cichlid) - very popular aquarium fish, a representative of the Cichlid family. Parrot fish is a hybrid species that was bred by selective breeding. In the early 90s of the twentieth century, scientists from Taiwan obtained fry from crossing different cichdids (Cichlasoma synspillum and Cichlasoma citrinellum). Perhaps even three species of cichlids from South America took part in the crossing.

The exact origin of the hybrid is still unknown - the secret is being protected in order to stir up some commercial interest in the direction of aquarists. Every year the number of artificially bred fish increases, because they turned out beautiful, bright fish, but the maintenance of which requires patience, and the care of special knowledge and some training.

Description of the fish

Parrot fish is a peaceful cichlid. It has no natural habitat, it has not been officially discovered and described by natural scientists, so there is no Latin name for the species, only the production name in English is Red Parrot (red parrot). This cichlid received its name due to its rich body color. The texture of the head visually resembles the beak of a parrot. However, some characteristics anatomical structure fish are associated with physical abnormalities that are common to many hybrids. Such deviations sometimes lead to death. Firstly, the fish is sterile, and secondly, it has a mouth of a very unusual shape, opening vertically at a small angle.

Watch the video about the parrot fish.

Parrots are different in that feeding them is not so easy: an incorrect mouth can cause your pet to starve to death. Suppliers admit that the variegated, bright colors that aquarium parrots have are not real, but artificial, but how they achieve saturation is left a secret. Parrots are mysterious ornamental fish, so humane aquarists are not happy with this approach to breeding - they demand that the sale of this hybrid be banned.

The red parrot is a cute aquarium fish, the length of which in an aquarium reaches 15 cm. In the absence of serious deviations, it can live peacefully in home aquarium, pleasing the eyes of all family members. The content is easy, but requires familiarization with the characteristics of the species. Despite the congenital defects, the red cichlid is energetic, hardy, and has good health.

Parrots will become real pearls of any aquarium thanks to their special coloring. Body color can be red, blue, cream, purple, yellow, orange, green and so on. There are mixed, “wild” colors, like natural cichlids. With age, the body color fades, so the fish are fed with special food enriched with carotene (for the red color of the scales).

In order for fish care to be beneficial for it, you should not plant a lot of decorations in the aquarium. Many cichlids are indifferent to them, since they themselves are not averse to building something new in the form of a nest.

The red parrot can coexist with peaceful big fish, and some predators. Cichlid fish are not averse to eating small fish(neons, gracilis), so such sharing should be avoided. The red parakeet has a small mouth and can accidentally swallow small aquatic animals. Recommended to be kept with arowanas, labeos, black knives, medium-sized South American cichlids, medium and large catfish, characins and large barbs. The parrot is a peaceful fish, so it will not attack the listed neighbors.

You can feed your bright pet with live, dry food, or floating granules. Loves bloodworms. The red parrot gets used to people: after meeting, it waits for its owner, joyfully circling in front of the front window. If kept well, the red cichlid fish will live 10 years. It becomes attached to humans and is easy to tame.

Watch red parrots feeding.

Is breeding possible?

The males of this fish are not able to give birth to offspring due to sterility, but when the water temperature rises above 25 degrees, their reproductive instinct awakens. They begin to actively build nests, dig the soil, digging holes in it, as a result, the bottom will change significantly and will look like relief buildings. Of course, male and female parrots form pairs and families and become attached to each other, but the males are not able to fertilize the laid eggs. All eggs float non-viable, as a result of simulated spawning. Breeders claim that the fry of these fish have a gray-black body color; by the age of 5 months they “repaint” bright Orange color. Perhaps in the future, lovers of these unusual and mysterious fish They will learn more about her origin, but for now you need to enjoy her stay in her home underwater world.

Red three-hybrid parrot - a child of human hands

The red parrot (English: blood parrot cichlid) is an unusual aquarium fish that was bred artificially and does not occur in nature. It is characterized by a barrel-shaped body, large lips folding into a triangular mouth and a bright, uniform color. IN English speaking countries it is called Red Parrot Cichlid, we also have a three-hybrid parrot.
Do not confuse it with another cichlid, a small and colorful fish, Pelvicachromis pulcher, which is also called the parrot.

Cichlids are not picky about their partners, and they create pairs with their own kind and with other species of cichlids. This feature made it possible to obtain many hybrids from different types of fish. Not all of them turn out successful, some do not shine in color, others, after such crossing, themselves become infertile. But there are exceptions...

One of the well-known and popular fish in the aquarium is the trihybrid parrot, precisely the fruit of artificial crossing. Also the Flower Horn, he is a child of genetics and the persistence of Malaysian aquarists. It is unclear exactly which cichlids this fish came from, but apparently a mixture of cichlids from Central and South America.
The red parrot aquarium fish will be a wonderful purchase for lovers of large, noticeable fish. They are shy and should not be kept with large, aggressive cichlids. They love aquariums with many shelters, rocks, and pots, into which they retreat when frightened.

Habitat in nature

The red parrot fish (Red Parrot Cichlid) is not found in nature; it is the fruit of genetics and experiments by aquarists. Their homeland is in Taiwan, where they were bred in 1964, not without Cichlazoma severum and Cichlazoma labiatum.

Although there is still debate about whether it is worth breeding such hybrids (and there is also the Flower Horn), animal lovers are concerned that they have disadvantages compared to other fish. The fish has a small, oddly shaped mouth. This affects the feeding, in addition, it is difficult for it to resist fish with a large mouth. Deformations of the spine and swim bladder affect the ability to swim. Of course, such hybrids are not able to survive in nature, only in an aquarium.

Description

The red parrot has a round, barrel-shaped body. Moreover, the fish is about 20 cm in size. Life expectancy, according to various sources, is more than 10 years. We can confidently say that they live a long time, more than 7 years, as I myself witnessed it. They would have lived longer, but died from the disease.
It has a small mouth and small fins. Unusual shape body is caused by deformations in the spine, which led to changes in the swim bladder and as a swimmer, the red parrot is not strong and even clumsy. And sometimes the tail fin is removed, which is why the fish resembles a heart in shape, which is why they are called the heart parrot. As you understand, this does not add grace to them.

The color is often uniform - red, orange, yellow. But since the fish artificial breeding, then they do whatever they want with her. They draw hearts, stripes, and symbols on it. Yes, they literally paint on them, that is, they apply paint using chemicals. This offends classic aquarists, but since people buy it, it means they will do it. They are actively fed with dyes and the fry turns out to be bright, noticeable, and marketable. Only after a while does it turn pale, change color and disappoint the owner. Well, various hybrids, color variations, albinos and so on.

Difficulty in content

The red parrot fish is unpretentious and suitable for beginners. Because of their mouth shape, they have difficulty accepting some foods, but special foods are available that float first and then slowly sink to the bottom. After feeding, there is a lot of waste left behind, so be prepared to clean up the aquarium.

Feeding

What to feed red parrots? They eat any food: live, frozen, artificial, but due to the shape of their mouth, not all food is convenient for them to pick up. They prefer sinking pellets to floating pellets. Most owners name bloodworms and brine shrimp as their favorite foods, but aquarists I know fed only artificial ones, and quite successfully. It is preferable to provide artificial food that enhances the color of the fish. All large foods are suitable for them, from shrimp and mussels to chopped worms.

The aquarium for red parrots should be spacious (200 liters or more) and with plenty of hiding places, since the fish are shy. At first you won’t see her; as soon as someone enters the room, they immediately hide in available shelters. In my practice, it took about a year to get used to it, after which the parrots stopped hiding. Not installing shelters is also not an option, as this will lead to constant stress and illness of the fish.

So you need pots, castles, caves, coconuts and other shelters. Like all cichlids, red parrots love to burrow in the soil, so choose a size that is not too large. Accordingly, an external filter is needed, as well as weekly water changes, about 20% of the aquarium volume.

In terms of keeping parameters, red parrots are very unpretentious, water temperature is 24-27C, acidity is about pH7, hardness is 2 - 25 dGH.

Compatibility with other fish

Who does he get along with? We must remember that although this is a timid cichlid, it is still a cichlid, and not a small one. So she perceives all small fish as food. You need to keep it with fish of the same size, and if they are cichlids, then not aggressive ones - Cichlasma meeca, Cichlasoma Nicaraguan, Acara bluish-spotted, angelfish. However, in my practice they got along with flower horns, but here, depending on your luck, they may well kill parrots. Tetras are also suitable: Mettinis, Congo, Tetragonopterus and cyprinids: denison barb, Sumatran barb, bream barb.

Sex differences

The female from the male of the red parrot can only be distinguished during spawning.

Breeding

Although red parrot fish regularly lay eggs in the aquarium, they are mostly sterile. Sometimes, successful cases of reproduction occur, but most often with others, excellent fish, and even then, the children turn out to be colorless and ugly... Like other cichlids, they care for the eggs very jealously, but gradually the eggs turn white, become covered with fungus, and the parents eat them. All the fish we sell is imported from Asia.

Parrot fish contents breeding description video

The Red Parrot is an enthusiastic fish that has the strength to stay active and mobile throughout the day. Keeping fish requires a large aquarium with free space for swimming: at least 200 cubic liters. It is recommended to build a pump with a current; all cichlids love underwater currents.

Proper care of an aquarium parrot involves maintaining acceptable parameters aquatic environment: temperature 23-26 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.5-7.5 pH. Aquarium parrots prefer water saturated with oxygen, which requires high-quality aeration. Once a week you need to refresh half of the water tank, replacing some of the old water with fresh water. The red parrot is quite jumpy, so the tank must be covered with a lid so that the fish does not end up behind the “house”.

In order for fish care to be beneficial for it, you should not plant a lot of decorations in the aquarium. Many cichlids are indifferent to them, since they themselves are not averse to building something new in the form of a nest. The red parrot can coexist with peaceful large fish and some predators. Cichlid fish are not averse to eating small fish (neons, gracilis), so such stocking should be avoided. The red parakeet has a small mouth and can accidentally swallow small aquatic animals.

Recommended to be kept with arowanas, labeos, black knives, medium-sized South American cichlids, medium and large catfish, characins and large barbs. The parrot is a peaceful fish, so it will not attack the listed neighbors.

Habitat

IN wildlife not found, artificially bred in 1986 by step-by-step crossing of several species of South American cichlids.

Description

The parrot fish has a round, massive body shape with a pronounced head and a small mouth. The shape is similar to the structure of the beak of parrots. In some cases, some fish do not have their mouths closed or have difficulty doing so; this feature is a cost of selection. They can also include clumsiness; a heavy body makes it difficult to move smoothly, but on the other hand, this can be considered as another highlight of this type.
The color is predominantly yellow, orange or red, other colors (purple, gray, pink, etc.) are less common. Wide fins are usually colored in body color.

Nutrition

They consume all types of dry industrial feeds and meat products. Protein supplements stimulate coloration and are more desirable than glamorous in the diet. It is recommended to purchase specialized food that takes into account the characteristics of the parrot fish, saving the aquarist from additional hassle in preparing food. Not all of the food will be eaten, be sure to remove any leftovers to prevent water contamination.

Reproduction

Under good keeping conditions, parrots can reproduce without much effort; they often spawn in a community aquarium. The main thing is to feed them heavily with live food, you will see how they gain color and begin to prepare for spawning. As a rule, the initiator of reproduction is the female, who, bending and trembling with her whole body, demonstrates her best colors. True, if this happens in a common aquarium, then the couple becomes aggressive and can be hard on the neighbors.

You can often see a pair of parrots cleaning out a shelter, throwing out debris and soil from it. As soon as everything is brought to the cleanliness they need, the pair lays eggs in the shelter, as a rule, this is 200-300 eggs. From this moment, until the fry can swim freely, the female remains in the shelter, and the male guards her (remember, they can beat their neighbors mercilessly).

The rate of development of the fry depends on the temperature. At a temperature of 29C, the fry will fully develop and swim within a week. You need to look closely, as it is dark and completely invisible against the background of the ground, and at the command of the female, the fry instantly hide. However, it is not difficult to understand that they swam, as soon as the female swam out of the shelter, that means.
4 month old juveniles:

The fry can be fed brine shrimp naupilii, very crushed flakes, or liquid fry food. In addition, the parents crush bloodworms in their mouths and spit them out into the middle of the flock with the fry, which looks funny. You need to feed several times a day, and a bottom siphon and water changes at such times are very important. This way, you do not allow waste to accumulate, which rots and poisons the fry. Both parents look after the fry, but sometimes they start to fight, in such cases one of the parrot cichlids needs to be removed.
Within two to four weeks, the fry will reach a size of 5 mm and can be separated from their parents. From this moment, the kribensis are ready for a new spawning, and they can again be placed in a separate aquarium.

VIDEO CUTTING

Parrots

Description

Aquarium parrot fish “swimmed” to us from the reservoirs of West Africa. The bright colors (which can change) and the unusual (curved downwards) shape of the head really somehow remind everyone of well-known birds.

The full name of the parrots is Pelvicachromis Pulcher or “Pelvicachromis”.

The body of aquarium parrotfish is elongated, while the curvature of the back is greater than the abdomen. Males have a reddish spot on their abdomen. In females it is bright crimson, although in general the female is less variegated than the male. It is also distinguished by a more rounded body shape and smaller size.

Parrots in an aquarium, of course, do not reach the same size as in nature. In captivity, males grow up to 7 cm long, and females - up to 5 cm. They live up to about ten years.

This magnificent fish first appeared in Europe in 1951 and, thanks to its unpretentiousness, quickly became widespread. The peak of their popularity in our country occurred in the 80-90s. The most common are yellow-brown and red individuals. The albino form of aquarium parrotfish is also known.

Behavior

If you introduce an adult into a new aquarium, most likely it will hide in a shelter for two to three weeks and will be practically invisible. However, after an adaptation period, she will feel quite comfortable, as she relates well to other types of fish. Also, parrots are absolutely indifferent to plants, which allows them to create beautiful compositions in aquariums.

The behavior of these fish is very interesting to observe precisely because they actively move and at the same time shimmer beautifully. This magnificence is especially visible against the backdrop of green plants.

Very interesting feature The behavior of parrots in an aquarium is that, despite all their peacefulness, they really do not like their fellows with whom they did not grow up together. Here things can come to bloody fights. That is why it is better to immediately purchase 4-6 fry, which will later be divided into pairs.

Care

Much to the relief of many, parrots are absolutely low maintenance and will eat almost anything, even black bread. The main requirement for keeping them is a sufficiently large aquarium. It must be at least 70 cm long and have a volume of 20 - 40 liters for each pair.

Video about parrot fish

Approximately 15% of the water in the aquarium should be renewed weekly, otherwise aquarium parrotfish become lethargic and dull. It is enough to maintain the temperature at approximately 25 degrees. Very good results brings filtration through peat.

The “landscape” of the aquarium should be sufficiently saturated with various plants and shards that will serve as shelters for the parrots in the aquarium. This could be coconut shells, old pots built independently from stones, or purchased special caves and grottoes for aquariums.

Reproduction

Approximately at one year old the fish are ready to breed.

In order to stimulate reproduction in parrot aquarium fish, it is necessary to increase the water temperature by about three degrees and replace it by at least 20%.

Parrots really like upside-down flower pots. They are happy to choose them for spawning. The shelter is thoroughly cleaned of sand and vigilantly guarded from foreign fish.

Soon the female attaches about 300 eggs, which are then fertilized by the male. Fertilized eggs are carefully protected by both parents. The female, in this case, is mainly located inside the shelter, and the male is outside.

After about three days, the hatching larvae caring parents carefully transferred to pre-prepared pits. And in less than a week, babies can already swim independently and swallow plankton. For three to four days, the young flock walks around the aquarium, accompanied by its parents.

In order for parrots to continue breeding, adults must be separated from the young. The recovery period lasts approximately two weeks. Then, the couple is again ready to reproduce.

Aquarium fish parrots

This species belongs to the cichlid family. It can be found quite often in our aquariums. The homeland of aquarium fish parrots is West Africa. At home, the male reaches a length of no more than 7 cm, and the female grows up to 5 cm.

Parrot fish: content

This species can be safely called the most suitable for beginner aquarists. They are unpretentious and friendly. For the fish to be comfortable, the aquarium must always have thickets of plants, driftwood, various houses and shelters.

If the dwarf parrot fish does not find a cozy and reliable shelter, it will begin to dig a shelter under stones or algae roots. It is better to fill the bottom of the aquarium with small or medium pebbles. This species requires constant proximity. If some individuals are kept alone for a long time, then later it will be difficult for them to get along with other fish.

For quality care of parrot fish, the following conditions should be provided:

• Water hardness should be between 6-15°
• comfortable temperature for keeping parrot fish is 24-26°C;
• be sure to ensure continuous filtration and aeration;
• do a tenth of the water change once a week;
• You can feed your pets black bread, but plant food is preferable.

In order for aquarium parrot fish to maintain their bright color, they need to be given specialized food with carotene. Although this species is very peaceful, during the spawning period the fish can become aggressive.

When breeding parrot fish, novice aquarists may encounter some diseases. As soon as there is the slightest deviation in the health of your pets, they will immediately begin to change color: dark spots will appear. Often this symptom indicates an increased amount of nitrates in the water. The solution to the problem is to replace half the water in the aquarium and run it through a siphon. As soon as you notice that one of the fish has sank to the bottom or has begun to swim noticeably sluggishly, immediately put it in quarantine. Treatment is carried out by adding methylene blue to the sediment tank until the water appears pale blue. Be sure to increase aeration during quarantine. Also add 0.5 g of kanamycin and half a metronidazole tablet to the water. Your pet should recover within a week.

"Semolina" also affects this type of fish. As soon as a fish with characteristic white grains on its body appears in the aquarium, you immediately need to siphon the soil and add a specialized drug in the specified dosage. Then change half the water daily until the disease disappears.

Beginning aquarists sometimes wonder how long parrot fish live. It all depends on the quality of care. On average, this type of fish can live up to 8-9 years.

Parrot fish: reproduction

The male of this species of fish breeds only one pair, so it is better to initially raise future producers in a separate aquarium. Its volume should be at least 40 liters, we select 8-10 fry there. If you do not place them separately, then during the spawning period it is better to keep parrots with species that live in the upper layers of water to avoid clashes.

The fish are ready to breed at about one year of age. At the moment of readiness, males find a mate and choose a shelter. They don't allow anyone there anymore. To stimulate spawning, the water temperature should not exceed 28°C.

During the breeding season, a female parrotfish lays about 300 reddish-brown eggs. The fish prepare in advance special shelters in the form of holes for the larvae after hatching. After five days, the young slowly begin to swim and feed on plankton.

How to determine the sex of a parrot fish:: spawning of parrot fish:: Aquarium fish

The parrot fish is a popular inhabitant of home aquariums. received its name due to the fact that its front part of the head with a sloping forehead and small mouth resembles the beak of a parrot. These fish active and unpretentious, they can play games, which has earned them the love of aquarists. If you want to breed parrotfish, you need to be able to sex them so you can get both a male and a female.

Instructions

1. The most common guest in aquariums is the red parrot. This beautiful fish It comes in red, orange, lemon and crimson colors. After an adaptation period, she begins to recognize the owner and even tries to communicate with him through the front wall of the aquarium.

2. It is not easy to distinguish males from females in this species of fish; sexual dimorphism is not clearly expressed. It is best to determine the sex of fish that have reached puberty, which occurs at the age of about one and a half years.

3. Unlike most fish, male parrotfish are larger than females. In addition, the color of males is brighter and more saturated than that of more faded females.

4. Pay attention to the tail fin of the parrotfish. Females have more rounded fin tips, while males have pointed fin tips.

5. Parrot fish choose a permanent mate, so you should not place or sell fish that have reached puberty and have decided on their choice of partner.

6. Before spawning, parrotfish make a shelter for themselves by digging out algae that interferes with them. If you value the landscape in your aquarium, it will be better if you yourself offer the fish spawning areas. Place a narrow stone at a 45 degree angle near the compressor nozzle. If you notice that the parrots have begun to actively clean the stone, it means that they liked the place you prepared.

7. In order for the fry to hatch from the eggs, you need to replace ten to fifteen percent of the water with distillate, and also reduce the acidity to 6.8.

The question is how to determine female parrot, can baffle even true lovers of these amazing birds. It is not always possible to do this at home, however, for a number of varieties of parrots, when determining the sex, it makes sense to take into account several simple recommendations. Using them as a guide, you can easily find out gender pet.

Instructions

1. Follow this step if you have spirits of different sexes at your disposal. In this case, to determine female parrot, pay attention to such external signs as the size of the beak and its base and the shape of the head. Female parrot differs in greater diminutiveness and neatness of the body. IN reverse side The position of the paws is different: males are less stable and their paw span is smaller. Listen to the couple's chirping: the talkative parrot is a male.

2. Use as a marker to identify the female parrot bird color if you purchased parrot Eclectus breed. Bright red individual with eyes light color- This is a representative of the fair sex. Males are distinguished by their rich plumage Green colour and brown iris.

3. Look at the color of the part of the skin that is located directly above the beak - this is a distinctive feature of female wavy parrot. Check if the purchased bird has a bluish color, then this is a young female, if it is brown, then it is an older pet. Boys are characterized by a pinkish color of the cere, and older representatives budgies- bright blue. Pay special attention to the presence of a white edging: only females have it.

4. Observe the cockatiel as it flies, trying to determine female parrot. The light oval spots on the skin will tell you that this is a girl. inside wings Another one characteristic feature– a faint reddish tint to the cheeks (in males it is much more saturated).

5. Look at the cheeks of the acquired Rosella individual: males have sideburns White color, while in females it is gray. If you notice a small area on the back of the head, colored in the same color as the neck, you will receive further confirmation that this is a female. The light edging of the wings will also indicate this.

6. Look at the neck of Ozherelov, or Alexandrian parrot to understand what you have not purchased female: Colored decoration is characteristic only of males. However, this will only help you if the bird has already reached the age of 2-3 years.

7. Determine the gender of representatives of some species of cockatoos: greater white-crested cockatoos, Inca cockatoos, as well as greater and lesser yellow-crested cockatoos. Pay attention to the iris of these birds: dark color is characteristic of boys, and light brown is characteristic of females.

8. Take another opportunity to determine female parrot– examine her genitals. However, this method involves the operation of euthanasia and can only be carried out in the presence of a doctor.

Video on the topic

Video on the topic

note

The red parrot is an artificially bred hybrid, so many males are sterile. Unfortunately, this cannot be determined in any way when purchasing pets.

Helpful advice

Parrotfish are famous for their bright colors. However, the fry are born with a dull gray color. They acquire bright colors by the age of five months.

Parrotfish are a recently developed hybrid species of aquarium fish that quickly became popular. Funny habits and unusual look fish contribute to the fact that the interest of aquarists in these fish does not decrease.

Parrotfish: history of the species

Fish- parrot, also called the Red Parrot Cichlid, is an artificially bred species that belongs to the cichlid family. Taiwanese breeders long years conducted experiments, and in 1991 they were able to breed offspring from two species: Cichlasoma synspillum and Cichlasoma citrinellum. Currently, there is a whole group of hybrid fish, united under common name. The creators themselves carefully guard the secret of breeding these fish, explaining this as a trade secret.

Aquarium fish- a parrot, if good conditions are created for it, is ready to spawn: females lay eggs, but males are unable to fertilize them. The monopoly of South Asian breeders on this species remains.

Yours unusual name The fish got it because of the specific shape of its head, which is a bit like a parrot. The colors, bright and unusual, also greatly contribute to the resemblance to a bird. The appearance of the fish is quite funny: small anatomical deviations in its structure appeal to aquarium enthusiasts. But sometimes these features can lead to the death of the fish. For example, a parrot's mouth opens vertically and at a very small angle, which sometimes leads to the fish dying of hunger. The coloring of parrot fish is also done artificially, this information is confirmed by suppliers. It is for these reasons that a number of pet lovers believe that the breeding and sale of parrot fish should be banned, as it is simply cruel.

Features of parrot fish

Contents of the Red Parrot is not associated with difficulties; even an inexperienced aquarist can start it. This is a very hardy species; the fish are distinguished by good health and a large supply of vital energy. Experts note that all hybrids have similar properties.

In an aquarium, a parrot grows up to 10-15 cm. The colors of the fish are very different:

Red;- blue;- yellow;- purple;- orange;- green;- cream.

According to breeders, red parrot fry have a gray-black color, which is replaced bright colors by 5 months

The fish looks very bright and unusual, but over the years its color fades a little. For this reason, breeders recommend feeding the red parrot with special food with a high carotene content. If you do not feed the fish with food containing carotene, the color of red fish becomes orange.

If you are in doubt about whether to get this pet, you can confidently make a positive decision: in an aquarium, a parrot often lives up to 10 years, and sometimes crosses this line.

Red parrots have a cheerful and playful disposition. After a while, they begin to recognize the person who feeds them, and when this person appears, they spin amusingly around the wall of the aquarium. The fish is very active, so it needs a large aquarium to have room to swim. Its capacity must be at least 200 liters. It is also good if there is a current in the aquarium, since cichlids live in running water. You can create it using a special aquarium pump.

The water temperature should be kept between 22-26 degrees Celsius and its hardness should be around 6.5-7.5 pH.

Parrotfish need oxygen, so having a compressor or other device to aerate the water is essential. Also, about 50% of the water in the aquarium should be changed every week.

The smaller the aquarium, the more likely it is that the fish will jump out of it. In any case, it is best to cover it with a glass lid.

What you don’t have to worry about is the presence of a lot of variety of plants. The parrot fish is indifferent to this factor. But what this species really likes to do is build nests. Fish are capable of digging quite large holes in the ground, greatly changing the bottom topography in the aquarium.

Red parrots are peaceful, they get along well with a wide variety of species. But they should not be placed with very small fish, as the parrot may simply swallow them. Good neighbors for parrot fish.

The yellow parrotfish is considered one of the brightest and most beautiful inhabitants of the aquarium. She got this unusual name because of her original appearance, or rather, her head in the form of a beak, which looks like the mouth of a parrot. But like all representatives of cichlids, this fish requires special attention, therefore, before breeding, you need to find out how to properly care for her, what to feed her and some other nuances.

Like all representatives of cichlids, the parrot fish requires special attention.

Description and varieties

It should be noted right away that the yellow parrotfish does not occur in the natural environment, since it was artificially bred by Taiwanese breeders. This hybrid cichlid has a strange barrel-shaped body, which took on this shape due to a deformation of the spine. This is why parrots swim quite poorly.

The fish has a rather small mouth triangular shape and just huge lips. The color is always bright and uniform - the fish can be painted red, yellow or orange. There are hybrids that may have completely unusual acidic shades, but you should not purchase them, since they are almost always weak, sick and will not live long.

Parrotfish may have different shapes body and fins. The most common types of this hybrid can be distinguished:

• unicorn- there is a small seal in the form of a horn on the head;
• red ingot- the body has the shape of a disk;
• red fortune- the fish has very long fins and also has a large growth on the frontal part of the head.

The adult usually grows to about 20 cm, although the male can be larger. Average duration The lifespan of these aquarium pets is about 10 years. These are the features of the aquarium parrot fish.

Hybrids are easy to care for, so even novice breeders can handle them. The main thing is to create the right living conditions. At first, difficulties may arise with feeding, since due to their small mouth, aquarium inhabitants may refuse some food, but special food is sold that is intended specifically for this breed of fish.

Feeding rules

First of all, you need to know what this fish has irregular shape mouth, so she needs special food that would suit her size. In addition to granulated food, you need to periodically feed aquatic inhabitants with animal food, as well as regularly add vitamins that contain carotene. It keeps their color bright.

• zucchini;
• peas;
• bell pepper;
• corn;
• lettuce leaves;
• dandelion.

The fish are worth watching. If she refuses vegetables, then you need to try feeding them other vegetation. Each individual reacts to vegetables in its own way.

Feeding should be strictly on schedule. This should be done twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening. In this case, all food that the fish have not eaten must be removed from the water. It is especially important to do this after the evening feeding, otherwise the fish will eat spoiled food in the morning, which can have a bad effect on them and cause illness.

You need to feed the fish twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening.

A properly formulated diet affects the lifespan of aquarium inhabitants. It is extremely important not to overfeed them. Obesity will not allow them to move normally, and this can cause all sorts of diseases.

Requirements for an aquarium

The reservoir that contains yellow parrots, should be voluminous so that the fish can feel spacious. Small driftwood, pebbles and large ceramic elements are also placed on the bottom. These items will create a kind of shelter where timid cichlids can hide in case of danger.

It is especially important to do this when the fish have just been acquired and have not had time to get used to environment. If you ignore the advice, your aquarium parrots will be under constant stress and may get sick.

It is necessary to equip the container with a powerful filter and do not forget to update the aquarium water weekly by at least 20% of the total volume. Water parameters should be the following:

• temperature - from +24 °C to 27 °C;
• acid-base balance - 7 units;
• approximate hardness - up to 25 dGh.

A good layer of soil must be poured onto the bottom, in which the cichlids will happily swarm around. Sand or small pebbles are suitable for this, or you can mix both components.

As for lighting, parrots prefer moderate light. If the room in which the aquarium is located is too dark, additional lighting will be required. Experienced breeders advise purchasing lamps with a red glow. In this lighting, the color of the scales looks most advantageous.

Sexual differences and breeding

This species of cichlid does not reproduce because all males are sterile. You can only get fry by crossing, and this cannot be done at home. But the female parrot did not lose her instincts. If you increase the temperature aquarium water, then she will begin to prepare for the breeding process. Sometimes the female even manages to lay eggs, but they remain unfertilized. Mostly male from female are distinguished by the following characteristics:

1. In males, the anal tubercle has a cone-shaped shape, but in females it resembles a pear.
2. Only the male has a pink border. It usually becomes clearer when it's time to reproduce.
3. Males tend to be larger than females.
4. The male parakeet has slightly pointed fins, and female appearance, on the contrary, has beautiful rounded shapes.

If parrots are kept in the right conditions and a well-equipped tank, they will delight with their beauty and playfulness for many years.

In addition, caring for them is not as labor-intensive as it might seem, but as a reward for their care, they can bring happiness, joy and peace of mind to their breeders.