Blood parrot care

Water temperature

76–80°F

Keep blood parrots at 76–80°F with a pH of 6.5–7.5, in a tank of at least 55 gallons. Good tank mates include bettas, angelfish, kuhli loaches.

Odd mouth limits what it can bite, but it still eats tiny fish.

Hybrid cichlid

pH

6.5–7.5

Minimum tank

55 gal

Adult size

8.0 in

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Group

Alone or in pairs

Lifespan

10–15 years

Swims at

Middle

Diet

Omnivore

Best tank mates

• BettaYes
• AngelfishYes
• Kuhli loachYes
• Rainbow sharkYes
• OscarYes
• Bristlenose plecoYes
• BichirYes
• CorydorasYes
• Clown loachYes
• Elephant nose fishYes
• Firemouth cichlidYes
• Red tail sharkYes

Full blood parrot tank mate chart: 35 yes, 44 with care, 19 no

Blood parrot water compared

Fish to keep away from blood parrots

• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); blood parrots need 76–80°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pea puffer Pea puffers are aggressive, and slow, long-finned blood parrots cannot escape them.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); blood parrots need 76–80°F. No temperature suits both.
• Cherry shrimp A blood parrot is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned blood parrots cannot escape them.
• Amano shrimp A blood parrot is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife is twice the size of a blood parrot and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Bamboo shrimp A blood parrot is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.

More cichlids

• Angelfish76–84°F
• Oscar74–81°F
• Discus82–88°F
• Convict cichlid74–82°F
• German blue ram80–86°F
• African cichlid75–82°F
• Jack Dempsey72–86°F
• Bolivian ram72–79°F