Appearance

Parrotfish are an ornamental hybrid, named for their interesting mouth shape, which resembles the beak of a parrot. Most commercially available parrotfish are a hybrid of many different cichlids, with each line introducing different species depending on the desired look of the breeder. Many are bright orange, rounded fish, but more morphs are available, such as the stunning Platinum Parrotfish. It is important that they are not confused with marine parrotfish, which are completely unrelated.

Sizes are incredibly variable, and tend to depend on the breeding line.

Water Conditions

• Minimum Tank Size: 200 litres

• Water Parameters

  • Temperature: 24° c - 28° c

  • PH: Mildly basic to mildly acidic - Between 6.0 and 8.0

  • Hardness: 70 - 215 ppm

• Tank Specifics:

  • They are relatively peaceful fish that appreciate having caves to hide in.

Feeding

Parrotfish are omnivorous and not especially fussy about the food they take. They will eat flakes, pellets, blanched vegetables, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and more. The major concern is keeping their diet varied in order to ensure they get a wide range of nutrients, and to avoid feeding a single big meal (multiple smaller meals are better).

Compatibility

They may see especially small cichlids as prey (and small cichlids would be stressed around larger fish anyway) but they are generally tolerant fish. Pairs may become territorial.

Breeding and Sexing

It is extremely difficult to sex Parrotfish because they are not a generally bred from sexually dimorphic species.

Males are generally infertile, with females able to breed with other compatible cichlids. However, it is not recommended to breed parrotfish due to the incredible complexity that can come with their genetic profile, unless you are especially knowledgable about the fish in your care and their genetic history.