Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid: Tank Setup, Caring, Feeding & Breeding Guide

We explore the Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid, a unique fish known for its striking blue body and black stripes. It’s a hybrid, blending Convict and Parrot Cichlids, and is recognized for its compact structure. These fish are not only visually appealing but also bring positivity to any aquarium setting. They require specific care, including a 30-gallon tank, a temperature of 76°F to 82°F, and easily digestible food. They’re peaceful but can become aggressive during breeding. With proper care, including maintaining water quality and a suitable tank environment, they can live up to 8 years.

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Have you ever heard about polar parrot cichlids? Well, if not, then you must have heard about them with some other names as these fishes have so many names such as polar blue parrot cichlid, polar blue cichlid, hybrid parrot cichlid, and the usual name polar parrot cichlid. These fishes have a very quirky and unusual look completely different from the usual fishes.

Do you know that polar parrot cichlids are manufactured? Yes, you heard that right. Polar blue parrot cichlids have features, characteristics, and similarities, just like convict cichlids and parrot cichlids. But, do you know the reason behind this? It is because polar blue parrot cichlids blend convict cichlids and parrot cichlids.

If you are a fish lover and have an aquarium at your home, office, or anywhere, then you must consider keeping polar blue parrot cichlids into them. They do not just make your aquarium look beautiful and eye-catchy but also refresh your heart, soul, and mind. It’s just like a treat to watch polar blue parrot cichlids in your aquarium, and having them around you fills your heart with positive energy. 

One main characteristic of these cichlids is that their structure is compact and not wide, making them easily adjustable inside the aquarium. Polar blue parrot cichlids are the cutest fishes with an appealing appearance with a blend of black stripes and a blue body.

Keep reading to have complete knowledge about polar blue parrot cichlids.

Polar Blue Parrot Cichlids

Polar blue parrot cichlids require a 30-gallon aquarium and a temperature range of 76°F to 82°F to survive. They need to be fed foods that are easily digestible. They must be kept in a tank without any predators, because these fish can become aggressive if threatened.

Origin

As we have already discussed above, the origin of the polar blue parrot cichlid is artificial. Their origin is obtained with the help of the cross-breeding of two different types of fish. In cross-breeding, female blood parrot cichlids and male convict cichlids are there. 

Well, there are no such recorded dates about the exact origin of these cichlids, but technically they were found in the early 2000s. As per the nature freaks, polar blue parrot cichlids are first found in Taiwan, China.

Appearance

As you know, polar blue parrot cichlids are a blend of blood parrot cichlid and convict cichlid; they have an appearance that compliments the characteristics of both of them. The head of these cichlids is similar to that of blood parrots. On the contrary, the body is similar to a convict cichlid. 

Along with that, the structure of the body of these parrots is molded like that of a protruding mouth, like that of a blood parrot cichlid, and hence, white is the base color of these cichlids. However, the black stripes on the body of polar blue parrot cichlids are inherited by their other parent, convict cichlids.

Also, to know that the length of the polar blue parrot cichlids can go up to 8 inches, and at the same time, you can retain their appearance until their entire lifestyle. Their eye-catchy and attractive appearance make them the most wonderful looking cichlid. 

However, the shape of their body is just compact and not broad. Furthermore, a glitter-like appearance in the form of shiny blue dots is visible on the body of these polar blue parrot cichlids, which look so beautiful and soothing to the eyes.

Lifespan

Polar blue parrot cichlids have a relatively long life span than other cichlids like blood parrot cichlids. However, the life span of fish depends upon how you treat them. 

If you treat your fish with good quality food and water, your fish can survive for a good lifespan, say 7-8 years. Furthermore, as you all know of the fishes’ hybrid life culture, they can live for up to 6 years in the aquarium.

Availability

Since the polar blue parrot cichlid come with a good lifespan and are beautiful, the demand for them has been increased aggressively in the past few years. Due to this demand, the breeders have begun producing more cichlids than before. 

Seeing the ever-increasing demand for these fishes, local fish stores have started importing these fishes in bulk, and the hobbyists have started breeding in large numbers, making these fishes available largely. So now, you can easily find polar blue parrot cichlid in the local fish store near you. 

These fish stores have experts who guide you about how you must care for them and at the same time help you know about their likes and dislikes. Hence, polar blue parrot cichlid is easily available all across the world.

Price

As the demand for polar blue parrots has been increasing rapidly, breeders and hobbyists have also increased the availability of these fishes. Hence, this mass production of fishes is because these fishes are easy to breed. However, coming upon the pricing of these fishes, they were way too expensive at first when they were just found. 

But soon after their production had increased, breeders realized that their breeding was not difficult, and hence they had decided to keep them at a minimal cost. As a result, the price of polar blue parrotfishes has been kept at 15$ to 25$ by the breeders for a pair.

On the contrary, if you cannot get these fish at a fish store, you can even browse the internet. You can even get them at a relatively lower price on the internet—no compromise on their quality. 

In contrast, if you are looking for a high-quality blue parrot cichlid, you must reach out to a famous local fish breeder. They would serve you with high-quality blue parrot cichlid fishes at a reasonable rate.

Diet

As the body of polar blue parrot cichlid is compact, they can’t digest heavy foods as they cannot gulf them up easily. So, it’s better if you feed them with easily digestible foods. It will help them to digest the food easily. Also, it would keep them healthy. 

Also, it is very important to keep in mind not to overfeed them. It can hamper their digestive system. Also, foods that are hard to digest trouble them, making them feel uneasy.

On the other hand, these cichlids’ mouths are small and cannot open their mouth widely. That is why feeding them with relatively heavy food can trouble them badly.

Behavior and Tank Mates

The behavior of polar blue parrot cichlids is calm. They do not indulge in aggressive fights and maintain a friendly bond with their tank mates. However, if their tank mates start to hit them, they also hit back at them by coming out in self-defense.

On the contrary, these fishes get aggressive and lash out at their tank mates when breeding. Hence, the best solution to this is to separate the polar blue parrotfishes from their tank mates when breeding. It will help them stay calm and happy throughout their breeding period.

Some polar blue parrot cichlids tank mates are Central American cichlids such as parrot cichlids, angelfish, and several. In addition, bottom-dwelling fishes such as catfish and bristle nose plecos are also compatible.

Fishkeeping Difficulty

The strength of polar blue parrot cichlids is commendable. They are hard fishes and have the potential to withstand difficult water parameters. They can also survive in the unforeseen worst water conditions. However, if you have a good aquarium with clean water and good space, your fish will survive easily. 

These fishes do not demand at all; they do not compel you to attend them continuously. However, they stay happily in their own space and treat themselves with what you feed them. Therefore, their upbringing is not difficult, and hence they can be easily adopted by the ones who are a beginner in the field of fishkeeping. 

You will love their upbringing, and hence this will give you a lot of pleasure and happiness throughout.

Tank Size

When you are a fish parent, the most important thing for you is to focus upon the size of their aquarium space. If you have enough budget, you must think about buying an aquarium with enough space where the fishes can carry themselves easily and eat freely without feeling crowded.

Choosing a spacious aquarium would also help them maintain good well-being and health. The crowded aquarium can make fish feel stressed, which will hamper their movement. Hence, this can decrease the lifespan of the fishes. Fishes love to roam around in the aquarium. So, your basic motive should be to provide them enough comfort.

The ideal aquarium size should be a 30-gallon aquarium. It can easily accommodate a pair of polar blue parrot cichlids. Furthermore, whenever you move forward to add one more fish, you must increase the gallon space by up to 10 gallons in the aquarium.

Tank Setup and Decoration

The substrate is an important factor in the base area of the fish aquarium. It covers the entire fish aquarium and gives it a good and beautiful look throughout. The substrate is essential as it gives a fuller look to the aquarium and attracts the fish. However, the quality of the substrate matters a lot. The overall look of the aquarium depends upon which quality substrates you are buying. It can make or break the overall beauty of the aquarium.

Substrate placement is also essential. If the substrates are not placed carefully, it would hamper the aquarium’s look and possess a very ordinary and boring look. 

On the same hand, you must avoid using any kind of sharp edge substrates in the aquarium as it can purely harm the parrot cichlids. How? As they move down in the aquarium to collect their food, its sharp edges can harm them. That is why it’s better to use finer substrates in the aquarium which are not harmful to the fish. 

One advice is to use darker color substrates and not light ones. Why? Because the light-colored substrates would look dirty after cleaning them regularly is just next to impossible.

Coming to the decoration part of the aquarium, you can probably make use of some green, colorful coral reefs as it attracts the fishes. They love to stay around attractive environments such as caves which draw their attention more frequently and keep them happy.

Maintaining Water Quality

Maintaining water quality is crucial for Polar Blue Parrot Cichlids. It’s important to keep their environment stable with regular water changes, preferably weekly, to remove toxins. A good filtration system is essential to manage waste and keep the water clean. Testing water regularly for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels ensures the tank remains a healthy habitat for these fish. Proper maintenance of water quality significantly impacts their well-being and longevity.

Fishes survive easily in clean water. For this, you will have to make some efforts. It is essential to clean water regularly to meet the aquarium’s proper hygiene and sanitation levels. Furthermore, fishes might feel cold inside the water aquarium as the water temperature might not suit them. 

For this reason, it would be good if you could install a water heater inside the aquarium. This would give comfortable living to the fishes and, at the same time, add extra lifespan to them. To make the water safe and fit for the fishes, you must add a water de-chlorinator to the aquarium.

Let’s look at some other water parameters to keep in mind for the fish aquarium.

Water Temperature

You should not neglect water heated inside the fish aquarium as a fish parent. Well, these polar blue parrot cichlids require heated water throughout the year. It keeps them warm and resistant to the weather. 

Along with that, it’s not the right thing to bring frequent changes to the water temperature of fishes as it can harm their health. It might cause them a dip in their immunity level and, at the same time, will make them stressed too. Maintaining the right water temperature for your fish is the best thing you can do. 

The ideal temperature range for blue parrot cichlids is between 76°F to 82°F. However, you can even keep the water temperature around 80°F. Why? Because this would be suitable for the other fishes too, which are present in the aquarium.

Water pH

As you all know, blue parrot cichlids are formed by cross-breeding of two central American cichlids. Hence, their body features and habits would depend upon their features. So, in this case, they can withstand a pH level of around 6.4 to 7.5. However, you can keep the water pH level at 7.0, which is neutral and easily achievable.

Water Hardness

The polar blue parrot cichlids have a tender body structure, so they prefer to live in soft water. Why? Because it gives them comfort and at the same time gives them a comfortable living. Hence, if you maintain water hardness of 2 to 25 dGH, that would be an ideal go for your fish’s health and mental peace level.

Water Filtration

The polar blue parrot cichlids have a very tender and compact body structure, so their fins are also not very strong. It means that they are unable to withstand harsh water as it can lead to damage to their fins and, at the same time, would make their swim power slow. 

In such a case, it’s better to install an aquarium filter inside the fish aquarium. It would ensure a freshwater flow to the fish, lowering their stress level and increasing their mental peace and comfort level. However, avoid installing any high-power filter inside the aquarium as it will discomfort the fish while swimming. 

Also, high-power filters produce water with a lot of pressure which is not good for fishes, especially these compact fishes.

If you are buying an aquarium filter for your fish, consider buying a hang-on back filter for them. These filters manage the flow rate as suitable to the fishes and at the same time produce a very gentle flow of water. It is the perfect choice for your fish aquarium.

Water Maintenance

If you have met all the water parameters mentioned above, you will probably not have difficulty maintaining the water temperature. However, to maintain hygiene levels inside the aquarium, you must do a 30% water change once a week. 

Along with that, do not change the temperature of water while changing it. Instead, make sure that you add the same temperature water as before. This way, the water will match the body temperature of the fish. Also, try to clean filter media twice a month for better results.

Polar Parrots Cichlids Disease

Polar Blue Parrot Cichlids are prone to common fish diseases, particularly when stressed by poor water conditions or an improper diet. Maintaining regular tank cleanliness and monitoring water quality are crucial in preventing these issues. A well-balanced diet and a stable, suitable environment are essential for their health.

Diseases happen when the water conditions inside the fish aquarium are not favorable to the blue parrot cichlids. Diseases do happen too when the temperature inside the fish aquarium fluctuates too much, and hence if you are constantly doing this kind of practice, stop immediately. It can harm the health of your fish. It can probably make your fishes weak, and at the same time, there will be high chances of them getting frequently infected with diseases.

Let’s read about a few diseases that can happen to fish due to bad water conditions.

White spot disease

Fishes with lower immunity are probably the ones with a higher chance of getting infected with protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis disease. Generally, the frequent fluctuations in the aquarium’s temperature cause white spot disease to these fishes. The indication of this disease is small white plaque-like spots on the fish’s body. It can be quite dangerous if this disease remains unnoticed or untreated. It can harm the fish to a greater extent by multiplying these spots to the entire body, and it can eventually lead to the death of the fish.

Bloat

The fishes whose body length is small probably have a shorter gut. It can cause many bowel-related complications to the fish. It can lead to difficulty in food digestion, and hence this can cause constipation. It might worsen when you continuously feed your fish with a lot of heavy food, which causes them indigestion.

However, this problem is not rare and can be treated easily. If you have got the reason for your fish’s bloat, then the first thing you should do is stop feeding them with food that is hard to digest. It will eventually slow down their bloat problems and enable them to live smoothly.

Breeding Polar Parrot Cichlid

Breeding in fish aquariums is easy. Once the fish gets comfortable, they can easily breed inside the aquarium every three months. During the breeding process (which might be two days longer), you need to help the parents by feeding them with the right quality food and giving them the most comfortable and suitable environment during this phase. Scroll on to read about how you can help them:

Formulating a suitable breeding tank

Breeding tanks help the polar blue parrot cichlids with a smooth breeding process. For a smooth breeding process, you should lay a plate to lay their eggs.

Caring for polar parrot cichlids

It is not a difficult task to care for the polar parrot cichlids. Polar parrots are probably known as the best parents among other fishes. It is because they start fanning the egg and fight every intruder irrespective of their size.

Some other fishes hatch out their eggs after laying, but polar blue fishes defend their eggs from threat and do not let the egg run into any trap. So it makes them the best parents.

FAQ’s

Wrapping Up

Finally, we have arrived after this article. So far, you have learned about the entire life cycle of polar blue parrot cichlids. Starting right from their breeding to their way of living, cause of diseases, etc. We have discussed each point briefly, and hence if you think of getting a blue parrot cichlid, it will be an awesome experience for you throughout.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and get your fish now and make use of the entire knowledge set you have gained from this blog so far.