A beautiful parrot fish is found in the Niger River, flowing in Cameroon and Nigeria. Since it is unpretentious to the conditions of detention, it easily transfers life to the aquarium. But of course it is necessary to create the atmosphere of a familiar river so that a tropical fish feels at home. Aquarium fish parrots are small cichlids. They are most popular among lovers of exotic. The coloring is very bright, which is why they were named that way, also it is quite easy to determine the gender of this species.
Character
The character is very calm. They do not offend their “neighbors”, who share an aquarium with them, do not eat fry, if there is enough food. Although many cichlids are very aggressive, aquarium fish parrots behave surprisingly peacefully. They do not hide behind plants and are generally indifferent to them. These fish do no harm, even if someone entered their territory.
Description
Fish come in various colors. That is how they are divided into species and subspecies. Previously, one could often meet another name for parrots - “pelmatochromis kribensiz”, but nowadays it sounds a little differently - “pelvikachromis”. The most popular are Pelvicachromis pulcher, formerly known as Cribensis. Aquarium fish parrots about 8 centimeters long, females a little less. This view has a golden back, which cannot but delight.
Content
In order to create comfort in the aquarium, it is necessary to fill it with standing water with a slightly acidic reaction or neutral. When using other water there will be no particular problems. Aquarium fish parrots feed on small invertebrates and algae. They collect their food in the wild in the depths of the reservoir. In captivity, any food is suitable for them, since they are omnivores.
Breeding
When the parrots are eight months old, the fish are ready to give offspring. They find a shelter that looks like a cave to lay eggs there. It can be a big shell of a nut, a pot from a flower, which must be turned over and a hole made in it.
At one time, a parrot fish can lay about 60 eggs. The female and the male do not eat their cubs, which is characteristic of other cyclides, they take care of them together, and this continues for a long time. When the baby grows to one centimeter, custody ceases. And then they are ready to have more offspring. Only toward spawning does the male begin to chase fry from the female. Parrot fish help small parrots in search of food, for this they stir up the ground or look for large prey. Fry prefer to eat settled food, so they do not like edible dust. Sometimes you can find a situation where fry, headed by their parents, are looking for food for themselves. They first find and then collect plaque and sediment in the ground. It is best to feed the fry in captivity with artificial micro-feed.
ObservationFor a large number of parrots a rather big aquarium is required. You can observe such a process between fishes as a fight for a partner, when a female does not allow a rival to her male. At the same time, he is not at all opposed and is always on the sidelines. Females are often very decisive, they occupy a dominant role and, first of all, choose the place where spawning will take place. Parrots are also different in that females have a brighter color than males.