# Jelly Bean Parrot Fish



## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

"Azeral creeps into the cichlid forum for the first time"









Today I bought a jelly bean parrot fish. I needed a tank mate for my sailfin pleco in my planted 10 gallon. I have never owned a cichlid ecept one oscar I tried to cohab with my piranhas









So fill me in on this guy. Do they really only get 3 inches long like I was told?

I was told to feed him flakes?

Fill me in with all the info on him you can guys.


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## The Predator (Sep 28, 2005)

jelly beans are a BP x con.

I think a larger tank like 20 would be better but thts my opinion.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

It'll need something bigger than a 10 gallon tank for sure. A regular blood parrot can reach sizes of up to 10 inches. If what you have is a true jellybean it is a cross between a male convict and a female blood parrot. You can expect anything from 4-10 inches in that case, imo, as hybrid sizes are far from given in cases like this.

Also be warned that your fish may be dyed. The majority of jellybeans are. What colour is it, out of curiousity?

The one thing with food that you want to make sure is that the fish can eat it. Generally, blood parrots and jellybeans have what I call 'the stupid mouth'. A mouth they're not even able to close. So while small a good cichlid flake will do. You can also supplement with bloodworms and other easily inhaled frozen foods. Once bigger you can switch it over to pellets and keep on with the frozen.

These fish can be aggressive at times. It depends on the personality. But they can be mean.

Here's a site on the parrot cichlids... http://parrotcichlid.com/


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

Mettle said:


> It'll need something bigger than a 10 gallon tank for sure. A regular blood parrot can reach sizes of up to 10 inches. If what you have is a true jellybean it is a cross between a male convict and a female blood parrot. You can expect anything from 4-10 inches in that case, imo, as hybrid sizes are far from given in cases like this.
> 
> Also be warned that your fish may be dyed. The majority of jellybeans are. What colour is it, out of curiousity?
> 
> ...


His color is electric blue or neon blue. I hope he is not dyed


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

If it's anything other than a drab orange or white, it is dyed.


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

lemmywinks said:


> If it's anything other than a drab orange or white, it is dyed.










to being dyed.

He's a friendly little guy. I'm so used to owning just p's that its nice to have a fish come up to the glass to greet you.







He'll be a good tank mate for my sailfin.

I forgot to buy some cichlid flakes while at the pet store. Would he be ok on tropical fish flakes for awhile?


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## The Predator (Sep 28, 2005)

lemmywinks said:


> If it's anything other than a drab orange or white, it is dyed.


yeah take it from lemmywinks. I hate dyed fish.


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## Blue (Mar 23, 2005)

way to support dyed fish


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

azeral made the jump.lol

welcome man!

ive never owned a parrot of any kind, but ive seen some that are really cool, others that cant even close their mouths. sounds like you got a good one tho, at least he comes up to the tank and stuff. i have a couple of fish that still run for cover whenever i approach the tank.

he wil be fine on tropical flakes for a little bit. i think the main difference between tropical and cichlid flakes is that the cichlid flakes have a higher protein content...i could be wrong tho.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

He'll be just fine on the tropical flakes for a while until you can get to the store. An all purpose tropical flake is basically made to cater to 99% of the fish diets out there. I would look into getting something for cichlids though, just 'cause... And remember, variety is the spice of life. So try feeding him some different foods. You can even try small bits of fish fillet when preparing food for your piranha. I toss some bits and scraps into my discus community when I prepare foods and all the fish in there love it.

As for the colour... If it's blue it's dyed, sorry to say. No doubt in my mind about that.


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

Puff said:


> azeral made the jump.lol
> 
> welcome man!
> 
> ...


You will address me as Der Fuhrer AZERAL!!!







LOL!!!! Ummmmm I will have to surrender my post as leader of the Piranha Nazi Party to sadboy.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

It's funny that out of all the cool cichlids out there you had to go for the dumb looking, dyed hybrid.









_(I secretly like parrot cichlids too. If I get an oscar for my 90 gallon I might get a couple. But not dyed ones. They'll just be stupid looking.)_


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

so with parrot fish..

are all of them dyed or something??

ive seen some reddish-orange ones that look cool, but not in a dyed way. ive seen others that are quite obviously dyed.

so what does an undyed parrotfish look like?


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

From what I've read - there's some controversy over the reddish/orange ones being dyed or not. Some people say yes, some no. We have some in at my store that are that colour right now. At first I thought they were for sure dyed. But now that I look at them closer every time I work I'm not so sure. They're certainly goofy looking!

We had some in at my store a while back that were more of a yellowish colour and definitely NOT dyded.


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

Mettle said:


> It's funny that out of all the cool cichlids out there you had to go for the dumb looking, dyed hybrid.
> 
> 
> 
> ...










My gf likes him. His name is "Puff Head"

He is a weird little guy. His mouth never closes lol.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

They're not able to close their mouthes... Part of being a deformed hybrid I guess, heh.


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

The little guy is doing good. He digs in the gravel though. LOL He dug himself a hole where he hangs out.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

what colour is it? if its died that fish has already been thru hell and back so im sure you cant kill him lol

welcome to cichlids


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

piranha_guy_dan said:


> what colour is it? if its died that fish has already been thru hell and back so im sure you cant kill him lol
> 
> welcome to cichlids


He was light blue but I've been feeding him some red pellets and his color is changing to red lol.


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## Landon (Feb 24, 2005)

I had a 8 incher before, they are quite interesting fish.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

poor lil fella went thru hell to be blue and now u turned him red lol

you do know how he got the blue colour right?


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## Azeral (Dec 28, 2004)

piranha_guy_dan said:


> poor lil fella went thru hell to be blue and now u turned him red lol
> 
> you do know how he got the blue colour right?


I did after I bought him.







He was dyed.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

do you know the process they go thru to get that colour???? how exactly they dye the poor lil buggers lol


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