Can I make my male blood parrot cichlid fertile for breeding?

Thanks for reaching out about this. Unfortunately this questions is more indicated towards a fish biologist than a veterinarian. Consulting a local fish breeders club for more information would be recommended. Good luck.

Hello and thank you for your questions. Here is a helpful link about Blood Red Parrot Cichlids: https://www.petsmart.com/fish/live-fish/goldfish-betta-and-more/blood-red-parrot-cichlid-4034863.html Here's another link about cichlids in general: http://www.tetra-fish.com/fish-type-landing/cichlid.aspx These fish can grow to be large so you will want to start with a 30 gallon tank minimum. I recommend to start with 3-4 fish. These can be housed with other fish but they need to be within the same 'community'. Decorations are important because they give fish a place to hide. Provide a few large rocks, arches and covered areas where fish can hide. Then you can place the plants around the structures. Live plants can aide in providing healthy water. Tetra is a good fish food brand. They have been around a long time and have many varieties to chose from to meet your fish's needs. Make sure to supplement with fish as described in the article as well. Lastly, the frequency of water changes depends upon your tank including water hardness, number of fish, size of tank, filtration system and if live plants are present. A good rule of thumb is a 25% water change every 2 weeks. Cichlids may not be the best choice for a first time fish owner without doing some prior research. I recommend to read up on general aquarium care, cichlid care and to stop by your local aquarium store to discuss any issues specific to your location (such as water hardness, mineralizations within the local water or low/high pH levels). Local stores that specialize in fish and aquariums are often dialed into the local water and can provide a lot of helpful information. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for reaching out. Not sure if an accurate answer can be presented in this medical forum, but some breeder have had success with cross breeding these two to get a hybrid fish. Not sure what husbandry parameter, and sexes of which species those successes have revolved around. Maybe contacting a fresh water fish club can better answer these questions. Good luck.

I do not think it is advisable. Blood parrot fish need a different temperature range from Discus fish. It is also likely that the parrot fish will bully the discus fish, which would stress them extensively possibly even causing their eventual death.

Thanks for reaching out. Pale gills are a serious concern. Providing additional oxygen is necessary for anemic animals to continue to deliver oxygen to organ. An airstone and pump will help, but an oxygen bottle would be better. As for a cause, a gill biopsy would be the first stop to rule in/out parasites or bacterial gill disease. Test and correct water quality. Good luck.

It's not recommended to try breeding them before the age of one year. I'm not sure which parrots you have, but the vast majority of them the male and female look exactly the same, which means if you or the breeder have not done a DNA test, there is no way to know if you indeed have a female and a male.

Thanks for reaching out about Coco. Not all birds get along, and therefore will not always mate. How certain are you that you have a male and female? Many species of parrot are monomorphic, meaning you can not visually determine sex, and a blood sample needs to be taken. Birds who are ill will often not breed also, so a veterinary visit is recommended if any indications of sickness (lethargy, decreased appetite, being fluffed, etc.) are present. Good luck.