I want to buy parrot chilchid

[HUKIT]

There are estimates of 1250-1500 species of cichlids around the globe. Mother Nature has given us so many incredible options and in all my years there hasn’t been a single hybrid come through my fish room or possession. I won’t talk down to anyone who does enjoy these types of fish each their own but I personally don’t see the appeal.

 

[RD.]

Hopefully the OP comes to their senses & drops this crazy idea of getting one of these monstrosities, and gets a flowerhorn!

 

[phreeflow]

The clipped tail, tattoo bps are pretty much a thing of the past. That fad never did catch on though they tried and you’d be hard pressed to find any for sale. Also, most of the higher end LFS now carry bps that can fully open and close their mouths. These ones are a heck of a lot meaner but lost some of their charm as they seem a bit smarter than before. They don’t bump into things as often and can actually find their food lol

 

[Ogertron3000]

All good points from both sides of the debate, my initial reaction is i dont like hybrids but then i think back to my old electric blue acaras and my new tank which is filled with guppies and i realise perhaps i do like them more than i care to admit.
The new tank only has guppies at the moment, none of them are natural so technically are all line bred so could be classed as some type of hybrid. I try not to get any that are too freaky but i do let my 8 year old pick one from the LFS once in a while so i have a few i personally think are "too unnatural" but really they all are. I guess its a matter of your own taste of how far down the hybrid road you are willing to go.

Honestly the best advice on this thread (or most threads) is from FINWIN

So dig it, any serious fishkeeper has a short list
Get what you want
Take care of it to the best of your ability
Enjoy, appreciate, interact

 

[jjohnwm]

...most of the higher end LFS now carry bps that can fully open and close their mouths. These ones are a heck of a lot meaner but lost some of their charm as they seem a bit smarter than before. They don’t bump into things as often and can actually find their food lol...

Wow...they actually can open and close their mouths?? And not only that, but they can eat and swim and move around and stuff???!!!

That's incredible! They almost sound like real live animals!

Maybe those breeders are onto something here...

 

[phreeflow]

For what it’s worth, I don’t own any and have no interest but I’m with FINWIN and also think people should keep what they want without getting talked down to or the side eye followed by a smart remark. The tattoo and tail clipping thing gets out of hand but so what if someone likes flowerhorn or parrotfish.

 

[Midwater]

I do agree the overseas obsession with deformation is weird,

They are a man made, some times more or less deformed mutation created in Asia.

A bit less on the xenophobia, please.

 

[RD.]

The clipped tail, tattoo bps are pretty much a thing of the past. That fad never did catch on though they tried and you’d be hard pressed to find any for sale. Also, most of the higher end LFS now carry bps that can fully open and close their mouths. These ones are a heck of a lot meaner but lost some of their charm as they seem a bit smarter than before. They don’t bump into things as often and can actually find their food lol

Exactly. The funny part about some of the comments here is those folks have no idea what they are talking about. lol The BP of yesteryears are few and far between. Yes there are still some that are highly deformed, but many, my fish for one, is as “normal” as any cichlid found in nature. I suspect had I simply called it a cross between an Amphilophus and a Vieja I would have only been shamed for keeping a hybrid alive.

Folks, we all are keeping live creatures in a glass box. There’s nothing overly noble about that.

 

[FINWIN]

Lol yeah I agree.

The reason I had this issue was probably because I kept my BP with faster cichlids for a time like mbuna, peacocks, salvini, and jewels etc.

However, a year ago I found a way to mitigate this issue which is to keep BPs with tetras that eat flake food while the BP has all the pellets to itself. I'm sure there's many other ways to keep a BP well fed too (bichirs, plecos, other smaller but not eatable-sized fish come to mind).

You would love my parrot Tango. He's big, goofy and peeps at everything. With the feeding you're right. Streamlined fish always have an edge against rounder ones since they'll dart around. In the past my Parrot Boss would patiently wait for the 'eager eaters' to finish first. Then he'd go to the bottom and just graze, taking his time. Since the 225 is mostly empty right now he swims up to the surface for food (something he never did in the past).

Kong is neither goofy nor patient. She wants her food NOW. She'll shoot to the top and follow the pellets as they drop.

It happens with other fish too, the competition. My syno Cash in the 125 is thin as a rail because he was outcompeted for food with all the hrps. On the other hand syno Spot in the 225 often looks like a beach ball...no interference of food supply.

Now that the 125 is thinned out I'm hoping Cash can fatten up again.

 

[FINWIN]

A bit less on the xenophobia, please.

I'm talking about fish. Keeping it on the down low.