Parrot fish without a tail. Red parrot fish

Parrot fish is a popular aquarium inhabitant among experienced and not so experienced aquarists. A member of the cichlid family. Developed through selective breeding in Taiwan more than 20 years ago. It is characterized by a peaceful nature, so it gets along well with other species of the same size. Undemanding to the environment.

Description

The parrot fish has an extraordinary and bright appearance, which is remembered. The unusual body shape, flattened on the sides, funny cheeks, and often a slightly open mouth look intriguing. The outline of the head resembles the beak of a parrot, which is why the very name of aquarium fish is similar. Aquarium parrots grow up to 30 cm. Body size depends on the type of parrot. There are no red parrots in natural conditions. The fish in the pet store come from breeders.

Habitat

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

Varieties of shape and color of red parrots

The main color of these fish is a solid bright orange or red. It may fade a little over time, but in this case, to restore it, it is enough to add food rich in carotene to the fish’s diet (we will talk about this in more detail in the corresponding section of the article). Less common are albino or lemon-yellow fish.

All other various colors - crimson, violet, blue, blue, green - are obtained by artificial chemical coloring of fish, they are unstable, and besides, fish that have undergone this procedure lose immunity and are more susceptible to diseases.

What can we say about tattooed fish, on whose bodies various patterns are inscribed with special injections? You should not buy such fish under any circumstances, since many of them become infected during coloring and then die quite quickly. In addition, the demand for such animals creates supply and provokes their producers to disfigure and cripple more and more batches of fish.

In addition to plain colors, there are natural spotted ones - marbled and panda (white with black spots), as well as variegated diamond or pearl, obtained by crossing red parrots with another type of cichlases. Sometimes black spots suddenly appear in fish of the same color. As a rule, this is a reaction to stress, and after the disturbing factor is eliminated, the color is restored.

In addition to coloration, red parrots differ in the shape of their body and fins. The following varieties are distinguished here:

a heart in love - without a tail fin, the body is shaped like a valentine;
unicorn - with a growth at the base of the head;
King Kong - a heavily weighted fish with a fatty growth on the forehead;
red fortune - with elongated upper and ventral fins and a very large outgrowth on the forehead;
red ingot - with an almost disc-shaped body.

In short, when working with red parrots, breeders did not limit the flight of their imagination. Apart from parrots, only goldfish have such a rich set of deformities that seem cute to humans.

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 big fish, so
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.

Nutrition

They consume all types of dry industrial feed 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

At good conditions keeping, breeding of parrots is possible without much effort; they often spawn in a common 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.

Compatibility

Red parrots are peaceful creatures most of the time. The exception is the spawning period, when while protecting the nest they become very aggressive. They can be kept with the same peaceful fish similar sizes. They are well compatible with catfish, labeo, medium-sized cichlids and characins. Avoid proximity to very small species, they may be mistaken for food.

Sex differences

Hybrid parrots become sexually mature by 1.5 years. Males and females can be distinguished by a conical anal tubercle; in the female it is pear-shaped. These differences are most noticeable during the spawning period. During this period, the fish begin to dig holes in the ground and can even dig up plants. To avoid such changes in the landscape, you can prepare a spawning site for them yourself. To do this, take a flat stone and place it in the corner of the aquarium (preferably under the aerator) so that its surface is approximately 45° with the ground surface.

Diseases

The immunity, like that of other cichlids, is strong. The disease goes away on its own. Treatment begins if symptoms of fish diseases appear:

white stool;
white lumps (like semolina) on the body and fins (ichthyophthyriasis);
blackening of fins (color change is a sign of intoxication);
lying on the bottom, spitting food (overeating, poisoning);
wounds on the body.

The main reasons are poor water quality, overcrowding of the aquarium, and contact with other sick fish. If you rarely change the water, then intoxication occurs with your own feces. Then the water change should occur twice a day every day.

For ichthyophthyriasis, it is effective to increase the water temperature to 30 degrees Celsius, as well as the use of drugs containing copper.

The aquarium must have places where the fish can hide. This will eliminate unnecessary stress.

(Cichlidae). The red parrot fish is a hybrid of aquarium fish artificially bred by humans.

History of the origin of the red parrot

Parrot fish

In 1991, through extensive research, Taiwanese breeders were able to produce the offspring of a triple cross between Cichlasoma citrinellum and Cichlasoma synspillum, which marked the beginning of an ever-growing and evolving group of hybrids known today as parrotfish.

Thanks to its unusual and bright color, the red parrot fish is extremely popular among lovers and breeders of aquarium fish, but, despite all the efforts and carefully created favorable conditions for breeding these fish, not a single experienced aquarist outside of Southeast Asia, failed to obtain offspring.

Secret successful breeding, which generates considerable income, the creators carefully keep secret, supplying these wonderful aquatic animals to pet stores around the world.

Anatomical features

Aquarium parrot fish got its due unusual name not only due to the bright color - there are red, purple, yellow, blue, cream, orange, green, and less often pearl fish, but also due to the non-standard shape of the head, reminiscent of a parrot's beak. This anatomical feature, unfortunately, can often lead to the death of the fish. The fact is that the unusual shape of the mouth allows it to be opened only vertically and at a small angle, which often causes difficulty in absorbing food, and therefore potentially threatens the individual with starvation.

Features of keeping parrots in an aquarium

Red parrots in an aquarium

Since the red parrot fish is quite active and playful, it is necessary to provide it with a fairly spacious aquarium that allows it to swim freely and unhindered. As a rule, parrot fish prefer to be kept in large aquariums with a volume of at least 200 liters. It is also recommended to install a pump that will simulate a light flow; this is important, since the ancestors of the aquarium parrot fish live in natural bodies of water with running water. Temperature should be maintained within 22-26ºС, with water hardness 6.5-7.5 pH. The water in the aquarium must be saturated with oxygen, so make sure you have a high-quality aquarium for keeping a red parrot. Caring for parrot fish includes regular water changes of up to 30%.

Also, you should remember one more feature of the content: if you do not have a very deep aquarium, be sure to purchase a lid for it, since there is a possibility that the fish will be able to jump out of it.

There is no need to worry too much, red parrots do not experience great love to aquatic vegetation, but building large-scale nests is their passion.

Compatibility with other fish

From this angle, the resemblance to its feathered namesake is especially noticeable.

Thanks to their docile and peaceful nature, parrots get along well with many types of fish, both gentle and predatory. But at the same time, I would like to note that, despite their friendliness, it is not recommended to add small fish to them, such as gracilis or young naonami, since they, quite by accident, despite the small size of their mouths, can swallow babies. Ideally, the aquarium parrot fish is compatible with black knives, medium and large catfish, characin fish, and small and medium-sized South American cichlids.

Feeding

Considering the structural features of individuals, many people wonder what to feed parrot fish? Red parrots are unpretentious in food and happily absorb both live and dry food, the main thing is that it is as small as possible. The fish's favorite delicacy is bloodworms and floating pellets.

Throughout their lives, the color of their scales may fade, and to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to feed them only with specialized food. Buy food that contains carotene, it helps to saturate the reddish color of your fish’s body.

Breeding attempt

In order to awaken the instinct to reproduce in fish, it is enough to slightly raise the water temperature, above 25ºC, and the parrots will begin actively building nests. There is no point in counting on replenishment or worrying, since so far none of the amateur aquarists have been able to reproduce; the males of these fish are completely sterile. But this does not prevent them from actively organizing large-scale holes in the ground, while changing the bottom topography in the aquarium. Sometimes females, after mating games, which are interesting to watch, can lay eggs, but, unfortunately, they will remain unfertilized. If you believe the monopolistic companies involved in breeding parrot fish, the fry are gray-black in color, and by the age of five months they acquire rainbow colors.

More information

Like any successful hybrid, parrot fish took the best from their parents; they are extremely hardy, extremely mobile and always active, and have excellent health. It is believed that aquarium fish the parrot is extremely unpretentious in care, and in captivity can grow up to 10-15 cm. With proper care and decent living conditions, the fish can live a maximum period of up to 10 years, all this time, delighting its owners with its attractive appearance and funny behavior . Interestingly, after a while, the fish will get used to you and begin to recognize their owner; when you appear, they will actively spin around the front wall of the aquarium, flirting with you.

Coral reefs have always aroused keen interest among zoologists. These calcareous organogenic structures are filled to the limit with living creatures, of various shapes and colors, phlegmatic and very temperamental, large and small. This euphoria of life is due to ideal conditions, which are created here by nature for living organisms. Warm water, abundance of food, lush vegetation, a lot of natural shelters - all this attracts marine life here like a magnet.

Parrot fish are also regulars on coral reefs. They received this name because of their original color and the shape of their beak, which resembles the beak of a parrot. It is clear that it has nothing to do with the bird’s beak. This is a growth on the jaw formed by the teeth of a fish.

Sea parrot feeding coral polyps, which participate in the formation of a coral reef. He does not disdain mollusks and worms, which are also abundant here. As a matter of fact, the parrot fish is a real orderly of coral reefs. Its sharp beak is ideal for cleaning corals from algae that prevents them from breathing freely.

In addition, the parrot fish cleans the coral of dead coral rocks. She simply bites off a piece of coral, swallows it, and digests it into sand, which she then returns back. There is a hypothesis that most sandy beaches Caribbean Sea appeared as a result of the activity of parrot fish. This is, of course, hard to believe. But if you consider that one fish produces up to 90 kg of sand per year, then all doubts disappear.

What is a parrot fish?

An adult grows up to a meter in length. The body is flat, with well-developed fins. The color can be completely different. It all depends on the type of fish and its habitat.

Fish is a hermaphrodite parrot. The first half of her life she is a female, the second - a male. In this case, the fish can make the decision to change sex independently, taking into account the existing ratio of male and female individuals. Although, this type of fish like the marbled parrot never changes its gender.

The natural enemies of fish are sea predators and man. The latter uncontrollably catches it for sale to aquarists. The meat of some species of parrotfish is edible and is considered a delicacy in the countries of the Pacific region.

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 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 Features

The red parrot is one of the most popular cichlids. Why it received this name is not known exactly. Most likely, this name appeared due to unusual shape head, reminiscent of a parrot's beak and due to 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 residents general 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 start their own aquarium, many users pay attention to the bright and beautiful inhabitants of the waters - these 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. Natural habitat habitat - 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.
Green cone-faced is amazing representative family of fish. 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 with various types of 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.

Fast or calm fish who like to rake up the bottom soil and disdain vegetation - best friends aquarium parrots.
Angelfish - these 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.
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 this aquarium fish parrots 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.

Optimum temperature +22-26 C, hardness no more than 7.5 pH. A prerequisite is the saturation of water with oxygen. Constant aeration is necessary; parrot fish 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:

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

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