Polar Blue Parrot – is a hybrid Parrot cichlid and they are one of the most unusual-looking yet attractive fish.  Adult size up to 20 cm, min tank size 110 litres. They are NOT demanding and require very little attention and care, thus highly recommend for beginners

These fish are manmade and are considered to be the hybrid of Convict and Parrot cichlids. They have the main characteristic features of a Parrot Cichlid and the Convict cichlid. They were first made by cross-breeding Male Convict Cichlid with a Female Blood Parrot cichlid, which explains a lot about the appearance of the Polar Parrot. These hybrids are truly amazing fish to watch in your aquarium with lots of personality.

You should treat the Polar Blue Cichlid as a Central American Cichlid species, since both parent species come from this area.

Behavior 

You can keep them on their own, in groups, or in a community of suitable tank mates. They are generally a peaceful species, but they are easily stressed by aggressive fish, which may cause them to act out.  They can be quite shy and will often hide amongst the plants and decorations.  If they know that they have these hiding spots available, they will be much more active in your aquarium.  Most of their time is spent in the middle levels of the tank, however sometimes they will head lower down and start digging in search of food.

They will likely leave a mess behind them when eating, that will require extra cleaning.  The hybridization of the parent species has caused a genetic defect where their mouth cannot fully close. As a result, their teeth are in their throat, which they constrict to crush up food.

Tank Setup 

For lighting, use a bright white and blue color lamp which will really bring out the colors of Polar Parrot Cichlids.

Your tank needs to strike a balance between open swimming spaces and isolated hiding spots.  They need both because although they usually swim around the tank, they are often shy and try to escape stressful circumstances.  You could spread rocks, wood, or clay pots around the lower levels of the tank to leave open water above.  Use plenty of plants too. These are another great form of shelter and also help to maintain high oxygen levels. There are lots of species to choose from, perhaps Java Fern, Anubias Nana, or Hornwort.

Your filter should move the water around the tank to create a current.

A Polar Parrot Cichlid needs at least a 110 litre tank – this will be enough for one fish.  Every additional fish needs at least 40 litres to ensure that they all have plenty of space. The more space you can provide the better.

Since the polar parrots are known to be substrate diggers you should not use any type of substrate having sharp edges. You can use a fine grain aquarium of any color.

Compatibility

The Polar Parrot Cichlids are very calm and gentle fish. They are not aggressive towards other fish unless the other fish are aggressive toward them. Although these fish are small in size they can hold up for themselves relatively well. They won’t get territorial very often and are very friendly with other fish. But they will get very aggressive when they breed. So it is best for you to remove the other fish when the Polar Parrots start breeding.

Some of the best tank mates for the Polar Parrots are similar-sized Central American Cichlids like Parrot Cichlids, Severum, Angelfish, etc. Bottom-dwelling fish like Cory Catfish and bristle nose plecos are also compatible with Polar Parrots. And these fish helps to give a fuller look to your aquarium by occupying and swimming in the bottom portion of your aquarium.

Some good options for the mid-levels include: Dwarf Gourami, Angelfish, Kribensis, Tiger Barbs, Emperor Tetras and Firemouth Cichlids. Don’t pick fish that are small enough to be eaten like Neon Tetras or Guppies.

To fill the lower levels, you could keep Yoyo Loaches, Corydoras Catfish, Clown Loaches, or Clown Plecos.

Invertebrates should be avoided as they can be eaten. However if you want to try you could keep Apple Snails because they have a particularly hard shell.

Feeding

The Polar Parrot Cichlids have a very compact body which means that their digestive tract is cramped up together. You should feed them with foods that can be digested very easily. You shouldn’t overfeed them and especially with live foods which can be pretty hard to digest. Since the mouths of the Polar Parrot are very small you should feed them with small-sized pellets so they won’t have trouble feeding on it.

Your Polar Parrot Cichlid will eat many different types of food. They are omnivorous, so can eat both meaty foods and vegetation. You can feed them dried, freeze-dried, frozen and live foods.  They can have difficulty feeding from the surface so ideally the food should sink – so use pellets over flakes.  You can purchase dried foods that have been specifically formulated for Cichlids.

Frozen and live foods are the most nutritious. You should supplement a dried food diet with these to supply a range of nutrients. This helps your fish fight off disease and keeps their colors bright. Bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp are a few favorite treats.

Remember these fish will eat even when they are not hungry, so limit their feeding to twice a day. Give them an amount they can finish in a couple of minutes. They can get through a lot of food and may make a mess in the process, so remove any excess food before it decays and perform regular water changes.

Care

Polar Parrot Cichlids are a very hardy fish. They can withstand a wide variety of water parameters and can even survive in the worst of water conditions. If you are able to provide a spacious aquarium with good filtration and good fish food, your fish will do fine in your aquarium. These fish are NOT demanding and require very little attention and care, and highly recommend for beginners.

Effective filtration is the key. Watch out for high nutrient levels as these can contribute to blue-green algae blooms which can kill your fish. To help your filter, you should perform regular water changes, no less than once every two weeks.

There are a few diseases that a Parrot Cichlid can catch.  The most common is probably Bloat, which is a common disease in hybrid fish. Fish with shortened body length tend to have a shorter gut. It will cause many complications in the fish. And the most evident being its inability to digest food quickly. Fish like Flowerhorns, Parrot, and Polar Parrots are very susceptible to this disease. When you feed your fish with a lot of live foods your fish cannot digest them in time causing your fish to get bloat.

Another potential issue for Parrot fish is swim bladder disorder.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.