# Black color developing on blood parrot/ BP problems



## •RuBeN• (Oct 1, 2011)

My blood parrot, Ricky, has started developing a black coloration. It doesn't look like black spot disease, well from the pictures I saw, but I am not sure what it is. Any thoughts? I have had the tank set up for about a month and he didn't have the black color before today. You can see a picture attached. My other BP, Lucy, doesn't really eat and isn't really active. She is bullied by my firemouth, Gus, but all the fish are. She is the only one that doesn't eat/swim very much. Is there anything I can do to change this? Both BP's stay to themselves, Ricky hides in a tree and Lucy in a fake plant all the time and when they are out they hide as soon as I approach the tank. Any info is welcome.

Thanks,

-Ruben


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i believe that one of the original crosses for these genetically defective fish is a red devil...
it is common for them to change coloration..develop black blotches..red blotches..turn orange or pink or red...most likely what you are seeing is this type of color change...


----------



## •RuBeN• (Oct 1, 2011)

Thanks.

If anyone else knows any additional information about this topic...well, you know what to do.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I can't see the pic. There are some "black spot" diseases and flukes that look like spots, but color change is more likely. Are there any other symptoms.


----------



## platies pwn (Nov 29, 2010)

Loha,there is no proof that there is Midas cichlid in its blood.


----------



## •RuBeN• (Oct 1, 2011)

I just made an album with the pic. Hope it works. Thanks though.

Oh and not that I've noticed.


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

platies..i beg to differ with you...there may not be absolute irrefutable evidence...but the choices are extremely limited.....
have you positive evidence otherwise ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_parrot_cichlid


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

there are 2 possible related fish..midas chchlid and red devil are different fish...
Midas Cichlid = Amphilophus Citrinellus
Red Devil = Amphilophus Labiatus

i may not be mr wizard...but i ain't stooopid.....lol


----------



## platies pwn (Nov 29, 2010)

They THINK.There might be some cichlid only known to the breeders.You never know.And what is the diff between the midas and red devil?I thought they were the same fish.


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

since we are not privy to the original breeders logs ; all we have to go by is what the majority of the experts have assessed....
if you really look at the midas and the red devil...there is somewhat of a difference in body shape...also the frontal gibbossity is different...there is also a difference in the lips and lip development.....
scientifically.....the red devil is Amphilophus "Labiatus"...
the midas is Amphilophus "Citrinellus"
close...but no cigar...
as you may have noticed ; there are a couple of other fish named as the cross species...

we may never know the true cross species used to develop the blood parrot..but whatever they are and whoever did it created a creature that man could make suffer for all of it's life....kind of a Dr. Moreau thing.....


----------



## •RuBeN• (Oct 1, 2011)

The black scales are getting darker...check out the pics


----------



## platies pwn (Nov 29, 2010)

pics=broken


----------



## •RuBeN• (Oct 1, 2011)

Check out my album. Don't know why these won't work???? Please let me know if the album ones don't work. Thanks


----------



## betelgeuses pal (Nov 18, 2011)

platies pwn said:


> They THINK.There might be some cichlid only known to the breeders.You never know.And what is the diff between the midas and red devil?I thought they were the same fish.


They are designated two species of the same Genus. Most sources I've read seem to think A. _Labiatus_ (Red Devil) was one parent species while H. _severus_ (or some species of the Genus Heros) is the other. If this is the case then Severums and Red Devils need to be moved into the same genus. In taxonomy there is always an ongoing debate of genus and species classifications due to new genetic evidence and hybridization issues. In a true hybrid between what are actually two different species the offspring have sterile males due to the different accumulation of mutations in the parent species, since they split from a common ancestor, which affects the mitosis formation of the male gamates. I don't know if Red Devils and Midas Cichlids are only different species traditionally or should actually just be 'races' of a single species but interbreeding would answer that. 



lohachata said:


> ...we may never know the true cross species used to develop the blood parrot..but whatever they are and whoever did it created a creature that man could make suffer for all of it's life....kind of a Dr. Moreau thing.....



How are they suffering again?


----------



## betelgeuses pal (Nov 18, 2011)

•RuBeN• said:


> My blood parrot, Ricky, has started developing a black coloration. It doesn't look like black spot disease, well from the pictures I saw, but I am not sure what it is. Any thoughts? I have had the tank set up for about a month and he didn't have the black color before today. You can see a picture attached. My other BP, Lucy, doesn't really eat and isn't really active. She is bullied by my firemouth, Gus, but all the fish are. She is the only one that doesn't eat/swim very much. Is there anything I can do to change this? Both BP's stay to themselves, Ricky hides in a tree and Lucy in a fake plant all the time and when they are out they hide as soon as I approach the tank. Any info is welcome.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -Ruben




Hi Ruben. I used to have blood parrots and mine too at one time developed black markings. I read this can be a reaction to stress so I put them in their own tank away from a severum who may have been pestering them and the black did go away.


----------

