Blood Parrot.

[fishboy]

I Just was wondering if anyone has kept these guys or has them now. Just wanted to know a little bit more about them. I want to get just one, but my tanks is fully planted will this be a big problem? And i also have a sandloach , 2 cories and 2 tiwg cats is he going to kill them? i can proably catch the twig cats but the others i dont know..
Any other extra information on these guys would be great. thanks.

[Vizerdrix]

They are a hybrid of several South American cichlids, and I for one do not condone them.  They are malformed (some say cute, but I personaly don't see it that way) and can't even close their mouths properly.

Because they are hybrids, all their instincts are messed up.  You can get a gentle one, or a real nasty one, they don't know how they should behave.

I know some people like them, but I try to promote the keeping of "pure" breeds whenever I can.

[audioslave_36]

I have two, mine are well mannered, but your plants would not survive very long with one in there. I did not know how they came to be before I bought them, but I still love them, it is not thier fault the we can not leave breeds well enough alone.

[Heidi]

I have 2 as well. They are more suited to a more aggressive tank. They can hold their own but they will eat smaller fish given the opportunity. They have personalities and will check you out when you are by their tank.  I think they are cute as well, didn't like them at first but then grew on me. The ones I do not like however are the heart shaped ones with no tails.

[Vizerdrix]

The ones I do not like however are the heart shaped ones with no tails.

That's actually a case of mutilation.  Called a "Heart Parrot" I believe, they have their tails cut off to give them that shape.  There are also tattooed ones out there.  A truly horrific practice! 

When I read the article on this, I almost threw up I was so disgusted.

[tim_s]

My 2 cents. Just because we are getting into rights and wrongs.

I do NOT believe in mutilation or mixing of breeds (where the cross breeding was intended).

but I DO believe now its done if your not buying it from a store whats done is done and since we made it we should try and give it the best life we can give it.

[Fishnut]

I've seen both semi-agressive parrots and downright nasty ones.  I wouldn't add one to that particular tank for sure.  The plants will get damaged and the fish you listed will likely get beaten to death or chased constantly.

On the note of what's done is done, I agree that if you buy one of these, yes give it the best life possible.  As an alternative viewpoint, if we buy it, pet shops will keep ordering it.  This means wholesalers will keep ordering them to fill the pet shop orders and the organizations who breed and mutilate them will continue to breed and mutilate them to fill the demand from the wholesalers.  Sure, what's done is done, but if there is no demand for the product it won't be done anymore.

There aren't very many species out there like that though.  There are many species that are BRED to enhance a particular trait though.  For example, fancy goldfish and koi.  All goldfish and koi are naturally greyish brown...quite ugly.  A long time ago someone found a couple of coloured ones and bred them to make more coloured fish and so on and so on.  Even today with hundreds of generations of coloured koi and funny looking goldfish some fry come out in the same ugly brown colour but the beautiful coloured ones are still genetically goldfish minus the branding and hacking up of tails, etc. 

[Toss]

I used to have a pair that spawn all the time. Of course they are infertile. They eat by sucking up the food. Their mouth won't close. Mine was very friendly to me, other fish (not the small one like neon) and my plants. When I clean the tank, they take turn coming to my hand to be pet like a dog

[tim_s]

if we buy it, pet shops will keep ordering it.

Exactly where there is demand there is money.

Hence why I was saying if buying it from a person rather then a shop then your only caring for a creature.

[fishboy]

hmmmm. ok thanks alot. very interesting. i think about it, i have a 25 gallon with no fish just alot of plants! soo i dont know what im going to get

[audioslave_36]

I used to have a pair that spawn all the time. Of course they are infertile. They eat by sucking up the food. Their mouth won't close. Mine was very friendly to me, other fish (not the small one like neon) and my plants. When I clean the tank, they take turn coming to my hand to be pet like a dog

this describes my pair to a tee.