# Is this normal for a blood parrot to look like?



## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

So i was at pet smart today, And I Saw this cool looking Blood parrot It was different looking from the others so I had to pick him out.. And I was wondering Is this normal for this blood parrot to have a horn?





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## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

I've never seen that, but then again Blood Parrot's aren't normal fish. They're hybrids, and are prone to all sorts of deformities, and things like that. His back looks odd as well. But as long as he's able to swim and eat normally, and there aren't any other agressive fish to bully him, he should be okay.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Do you think I should be worried?


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## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

I would just keep an eye on him. Make sure he's eating when you drop food in there and make sure the other fish aren't picking on him.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

No it's not normal for a blood parrot. Blood parrots are also not normal and naturally deformed. Chances are high he is just extra deformed. He should have been culled.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Why culled :{


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## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

Because if he is deformed more than other Blood Parrots, which are already hybrids, he has a chance of passing on his odd genes to his offspring, thus creating an even weaker, or more distant, strand of fish. It sounds cruel, but so is breeding a fish that is naturally deformed.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Not like I'm going to breed him or anything :L


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

It's a deformity of the spine which affects the dorsal fin. I have seen it before. It definitely should have been culled. Shoddy breeding, at least, and a hint at the quality of the fish from that source.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Any suggestions on what I should do?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would never keep these things because it falls under the category of "don't encourage them". Don't buy deformed, hybrid, dyed, invasive or other fish that you wish people wouldn't offer for sale. Tell others that they shouldn't buy them either. Tell your LFS not to sell them. Tell the chainstore's head office.

But many people fall in love with these fish once they bring them home. They have great personality and intelligence (like any cichlid) and I can't tell you to flush the fish you like best. But they are prone to "bloat" and other digestive issues,and they make your tank a mess because they can't keep their mouth closed to chew. If you can, I would suggest you exchange them for a "real" cichlid with a species name and a collection location.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Well, Do you know any cichlids that look similar to a blood parrot?


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

While I don't really see a necessity for a collection location for a simple fish added to your standard aquarium, I do agree that these things don't necessarily need to be encouraged. I very much prefer the beauty of natural fish to these fat, dopey-faced, awkward things.

As for fish suggestions, I don't know what size tank it's in or what it's in with, so I can't really suggest anything.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

He's in a 29 gallon right now, But I'm upgrading up. 75 gallon soon.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

first of all the blood parrots are the result of intentional cross breeding...kind of like crossing a human with a warthog.....kind of disgusting to me....
your fish has a condition called "saddleback"...it is a result of inbreeding...sibling to sibling to sibling to sibling for a number of generations....it most definitely should have been culled.....but.........humans have extremely twisted minds and the more freakish it looks , the more desirable it is....


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I like rainbow cichlds Heterotilapia multispinosa or cryptoheros cutteri. It really annoys me to see a store that only caries blood parrots, oscars and "assorted africans". There are so many cichlids that make great fish for small aquariums, it annoys me to tell people not to buy the only ones in the store.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

I also like flower horns but their expensive 


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

Not really. The store I'm at gets assorted juvenile flowerhorns for $13.49.

As for tankmates in a 75 gallon, I would probably stick with moderately sized schooling fish. Skirt tetras (many high-bodied tetras, actually), less aggressive barbs, medium-sized rasboras (scissortail, brilliant..), etc.


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## PowerPocko (Jan 23, 2013)

Flower horns near me are around the 30-40 dollars and I like big fish 


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