Questions on Jellybean Cichlid... reading, using WWM  12/17/09
I recently saw in my local fish shop, a tiny vibrant fish called a Jelly Bean Cichlid....
<Definitely won't stay tiny for long, most likely won't say vibrant for long, either.>
I was told they remain quite small and only need a 10 gallon tank for a group of 6 - I know quite often fish stores give wrong information
<And you have proven the theory once again... Yes, this information is wrong. They can get quite large, 6-8 inches. These fish are the blood parrot Cichlid, a fish which is a man-made hybrid of other Cichlid varieties. They are then dyed the vibrant colors they display. It's an abhorrent practice with an alarmingly high mortality rate. All of this for color that lasts long enough to get the fish sold, and then fades.>
so I was hoping you could answer some questions for me....
<You could actually answer these for yourself with the Google search tool on WWM.>
Can you tell me about the care they need? Minimum size tank they require? Acceptable tank mates? What size group they should be kept in? Sand or gravel? Hiding places? Types of food? Life expectancy?
<These are not fish for a ten-gallon tank. They are also fish created via ethically questionable practices. Here are some links with information on these fish:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FHParrotCichArtNeale.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/ParrotCichlidF2.htm
These pages, as well as the linked pages above the titles, will give you plenty of information on these fish so that you can make an informed decision. Obviously, one of these fish isn't going to be a good choice for your ten-gallon, much less six. Here is a link on stocking small tanks:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
It's a tricky ordeal which requires research and careful planning, as well as frequent maintenance, in order to be a success.
We appreciate it if those who send queries take the time, care to use correct punctuation/spelling. Otherwise, we're taking the time to not only answer the question as thoroughly as we can, but also to correct these problems prior to posting on the site. There are times when your e-mail would have simply been bounced back to you, requesting that you correct these things and re-send, but I had the time to do it. Please note this in the event you e-mail us in the future.
Please feel free to write back if you have any questions after reading what's been archived on WWM.
--Melinda>

Parrot Cichlid Info 11/24/09
I am interested in Parrot Cichlids...
< I'll assume that you are referring to the common cross in the trade of parrot cichlid. These cichlids are a cross between a number of different true cichlid species.>
1) what is the minimum recommend gallons per fish?
<Each fish will get about 8 inches long. Males will be slightly larger than females. Adults should have about 30 gallons each. A pair in a55 gallon is about right depending on your maintenance schedule.>
2) What size group should they be kept in?
< If you are interested in breeding them then you should get six fish that will mathematically just about guarantee you a pair. Don't get just two.
The bigger one will almost aways dominate the smaller fish.>
3) What are suitable tank mates?
< Big fast open water fish like barbs, silver dollars and rainbows.>
4) Besides cichlid pellets, what should I supplement their diet with?
< A high quality cichlid pellet can be supplemented with a high quality flake food. like Spirulina .-Chuck>

One blood parrot in 53 gallon basement tank. 05/27/09
<Again?>
I was wondering if blood parrots do okay by themselves and whether or not if a blood parrot could outgrow a 53 gallon tank. Would keeping two of them stunt their growth, is it better to keep just 1 in a 53 as a single specimen?. Do they need more then 1 to feel happy? How big can these guys get? I heard anywhere from 8 to 12, inches.  What would be an ideal tank setup for this fish? PH, water temp ect?  I have a sand substrate in place right now, and I want to research all about this/or any other type of fish I get. How often and how much water should be changed per week?
Thanks
<... read the responses to your prev. identical questions here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/parrotcicsysf.htm
and the linked files above Alex. BobF>

One blood parrot in 53 gallon basement tank. 12/02/08 I was wondering if blood parrots do okay by themselves and whether or not if a blood parrot could outgrow a 53 gallon tank. Would keeping two of them stunt their growth, is it better to keep just 1 in a 53 as a single specimen?. Do they need more then 1 to feel happy? How big can these guys get? I heard anywhere from 8 to 12, inches. What would be an ideal tank setup for this fish? PH, water temp etc.? I have a sand substrate in place right now, and I want to research all about this/or any other type of fish i get. How often and how much water should be changed per week? Thanks <Hello Alex. Blood Parrots are hybrid cichlids, and consequently it is impossible to predict their maximum size or behaviour. In general though they work reasonably well in odd-numbered groups (3, 5, etc) given space. In your case, a trio would be viable. They can be extremely aggressive when mature, and make poor community fish. Conversely, being physically handicapped by deformed spines and distorted swim bladders, they can't swim/fight as well as other cichlids, and get bullied in cichlid tanks. Most specimens get to around 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) in length but much larger specimens do exist. They are essentially similar to Central American cichlids (from which they were derived) and do best in hard, basic water. Provided the water has a high carbonate hardness, pH should balance out just fine. Lots of people fixate on pH, but that actually doesn't matter much provided it is stable. Instead concentrate on ensuring the carbonate hardness is reasonably high; I'd recommend 7+ degrees KH. Various ways to do this, the simplest being adding a measure of Malawi salt mix (purchased or home-made) to each bucket of water, around a half dose usually being adequate unless you have very soft water. Temperature isn't critical, and as with most other fish, 25 C (77 F) is fine. There is much else about Central American cichlids and water chemistry issues at WWM; use the search tool and enjoy. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: One blood parrot in 53 gallon basement tank. Parrot Cichlid Info II  12/3/08 Thank you. The tank dimensions are 3 feet long, 20 inches high and 15 inches wide. Is it possible the one fish could outgrow this setup? < Sounds like it is approximately a 40 gallon tank. If you have a male it could get a little cramped, but it would probably be fine for a female.> What foods do Blood Parrots need/like? < I would stick with a high quality pellet food like Spectrum as a basic diet. Occasional light feedings of other things would be OK as long as they are not fed too heavily.> What would be a good filtration system and what temp do I keep the water at? < The best filter is the one that you are able to service regularly. I would recommend an outside power filter that pumps at least200gallons per hour. Go to Cichlid-Forum.com and check out the product reviews from other aquarists. I have found that the reviews are very helpful. I would keep the water between 75 and 77 F.> Long do they live? <When the fish are young and growing they need more protein than an adult that is no longer growing. When your fish reaches an adult size you can start to give it foods with more vegetable matter to prevent bloating. If all goes well your parrot cichlid should live to be at least 10 years old.-Chuck>