Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid (Hybrid: Blood Parrot × Convict Cichlid) – Tank Bred
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
For the safety of our animals, we now ship live fish exclusively via UPS Next Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS Next Day Air as a shipping option during checkout.
The Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid is a tank-bred hybrid cichlid known for its vivid blue coloration, expressive personality, and compact adult size. Created by crossing Blood Parrot Cichlids with Convict Cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata), this hybrid offers the bold presence of a Central American cichlid in a more manageable form.
Highly interactive and aware of their surroundings, these fish quickly become familiar with their keepers and bring a noticeable sense of character to the aquarium. With proper space and structure, they are rewarding fish for aquarists looking for color and personality without committing to very large, aggressive species.
What We Love About This Fish
• Intense blue coloration that holds well under proper care and lighting
• Compact adult size compared to many Central American cichlids
• Highly interactive and responsive behavior
• Tank-bred reliability and adaptability to aquarium life
Quick Care Overview
Average Adult Size: 4–5 inches
Average Purchase Size: 1/2 inch+
Temperament: Semi-aggressive, interactive
Social Behavior: Territorial but manageable with space and structure
Diet: Omnivorous
Schooling / Social Needs: Not a schooling fish
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallons
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Origin: Tank Bred hybrid
Shrimp Compatibility: Not compatible
Recommended Tank Parameters
Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
KH: 6–12 dKH
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallons
Natural Habitat
The Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid is a selectively bred hybrid developed entirely in captivity. Its parent species originate from Central America, where they inhabit slow-moving rivers and lakes with rocky structure, sandy substrates, and submerged wood. This variety has been bred specifically for coloration, size, and aquarium suitability rather than to represent a wild form.
Aquascaping
Plants: Hardy plants such as Anubias or Java Fern attached to hardscape. Delicate plants may be uprooted.
Hardscape: Smooth rocks, caves, and driftwood to create defined territories and visual breaks.
Botanicals: Indian Almond Leaves or Catappa Bark can be added sparingly for enrichment and a natural aesthetic.
Balance open swimming space with structured hiding areas to reduce territorial behavior.
Diet and Feeding
Omnivorous. Offer a high-quality cichlid pellet as a staple, supplemented with frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and bloodworms. Occasional vegetable-based foods support digestive health.
Tank Mates and Compatibility
Best kept with other semi-aggressive or robust fish of similar size. Avoid very small fish that may be viewed as food and overly aggressive cichlids that may cause stress. Can be kept singly or as a bonded pair. Larger tanks allow for additional compatible tank mates.
Shrimp Compatibility
Not shrimp safe. Shrimp will be viewed as prey.
Breeding
Breeding is common and often occurs naturally in home aquariums. Pairs readily form and typically spawn on flat surfaces or within caves. Eggs are laid in clutches and actively guarded by the parents.
While fertility can vary between individual fish due to hybrid origins, successful hatching and fry survival are frequently achieved by hobbyists under stable conditions.
Care Guidelines
Diet: Omnivorous
Social Behavior: Territorial but manageable with space and structure
Origin: Tank Bred hybrid
Average Adult Size: 4–5 inches
Average Purchase Size: 1.5–2 inches
Shipping, Arrival, and Acclimation
Standard Aquatic Arts shipping and acclimation procedures apply. Please acclimate slowly and provide hiding areas upon introduction.
Why Bring One Home
If you want a cichlid that feels present and aware rather than ornamental, this hybrid delivers. Compact in size but bold in personality, the Polar Blue Parrot Cichlid brings color, interaction, and character into the aquarium without overwhelming it.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All Aquatic Arts fish come with a 100 percent live arrival guarantee and free email support.
Are Polar Blue Parrot Cichlids beginner friendly
They are best suited for aquarists with some cichlid experience due to their territorial nature.
Can they be kept in a community tank
They can work in semi-aggressive community setups with appropriately sized tank mates.
Will they damage plants
They may uproot or disturb delicate plants. Hardy, attached plants work best.
Can I keep more than one
A bonded pair works well. Multiple individuals require larger aquariums and careful aquascaping.
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
