Blood Parrot Cichlid: Size, Tank, Tank Mates, Dyed Fish

The blood parrot is not a wild species: it is a hybrid cichlid first produced in Taiwan around 1986, most often attributed to a cross of the midas cichlid, Amphilophus citrinellus, and Vieja melanurus (Wikipedia). It is round, bright red, orange or yellow, has a small beak-like mouth, grows to about 8 inches and lives 10-15 years. Males are nearly always sterile (Wikipedia; MonsterFishKeepers).

• Mouth: a small, beak-shaped mouth that cannot fully close; the fish crushes food with muscles in its throat (Wikipedia)
• Body: rounded, with a deformed nuchal hump and compressed spine (Wikipedia)
• Natural colours: red, yellow or grey. Wikipedia says other colours are produced by dyeing
• Heart parrots: fish whose tail has been cut off to leave a heart-shaped body; Wikipedia and the MonsterFishKeepers care sheet both describe this as cosmetic surgery to avoid

MonsterFishKeepers adds that poor-quality parrots with normal mouths tend to do more damage to tank mates than true blood parrots, which is worth knowing when a shop fish looks less round than expected.

Because the natural colours are only red, yellow and grey (Wikipedia), a blue, green, purple or patterned 'parrot' has almost certainly been coloured artificially. Wikipedia says dyeing can shorten life expectancy and that colour-enhanced or dyed fish have worse health outcomes; the MonsterFishKeepers care sheet also tells buyers to avoid dyed fish.

Not as an adult. The smallest figure in the sources we read is 30 gallons for a single fish, plus 10 gallons for each extra fish (MonsterFishKeepers); Wikipedia asks for 55 gallons for one fish plus 20 gallons for each additional one. They are heavy eaters that produce a lot of waste, so both sources stress strong filtration and regular substrate cleaning. A 20-gallon tank is too small for a fish that grows to 6-9 inches.

They are semi-aggressive (Wikipedia). Young fish are often very shy and need places to hide, while adults become territorial and will eat small fish (MonsterFishKeepers). MonsterFishKeepers also notes that low-quality parrots with normal mouths cause more damage than true blood parrots, whose beak-like mouths limit their bite.

The MonsterFishKeepers care sheet recommends Central and South American cichlids that are not highly aggressive, and warns against small fish, which will be eaten. Wikipedia says they can be kept singly, in groups or with compatible species. Choose tank mates of similar size and temperament that are happy in the same warm water, and skip the highly aggressive cichlids the care sheet warns against. For a sense of a larger, true cichlid, see our Oscar page.

• Food size: small cichlid pellets of 1-3 mm suit the small mouth; sinking pellets help fish with badly deformed mouths (MonsterFishKeepers)
• Swim bladder: abnormal swimming is a common problem; MonsterFishKeepers suggests a weekly feed of thawed, shelled peas as prevention
• Black stress spots: black blotches usually fade once the cause of stress is removed (MonsterFishKeepers)
• Temperature: cooler water makes them pale and reclusive; 82-84°F is ideal (MonsterFishKeepers)

Standard blood parrots reach about 8 inches (Wikipedia) or 6-9 inches (MonsterFishKeepers). Some named strains differ: Predatory Fins says its ingot types grow a rounder, fuller body and its mammon types can reach 12-13 inches. Prices at Predatory Fins on 25 September 2026 ran from $45-$325 for blood red ingots, $65-$95 for red and golden tiger parrots, $75-$395 for red-and-white, and up to $750 for King Kong red mammons, with size the main driver.