# Blood Parrot and Texas mated!!!



## bradvb

I figured out why my texas has been so agressive lately, this morning I was checking on the tank and saw that the Blood Parrot (female) and the Texas (male) have cleared an area in the substrate and are now guarding a huge amount of eggs! I understand that the BP eggs quite often will not hatch...but it is fun to imagine what their offspring will look like!
Any ideas what they will look like?


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## joeyballz

I have a friend with a dwarf texas. It looks like a 2.5" parrot with texas colors. Not sure how it came about.


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## bradvb

Hah, that sound kinda cool! Do you have any pics of it?


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## lil mama

You might end up with a few Super Red Texas. I hope it goes well for you. :thumb:


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## mlancaster

Hi All,

I have what one of my LFS claimed was a "dwarf Texas", I bought him as an impulse buy at about 1/2 inch for an empty 20 gallon. Well he quickly grew. When he first started growing I though he was a hybrid of a pearl Texas and a blood parrot, then I though sevrum, then I thought he was just a pearl Texas that was selectively bread to be short bodied. After a few brief discussions with some people on this site I think I am pretty sure he is a selectively bread short bodied pearl Texas. I guess selective breeding for short body is common in south East Asia, but so is hybridizations, so who knows, my Texas could be anything; it is not like breeders have to be honest about their fish. Well I like him very much, he is now about 4-5 inches I guess (in a 55 now), but he is very stocky and strong, kind of a slow swimmer though with the short body. Anyways, here are a couple pics, maybe this is what you fry may look like if your eggs do get fertilized and hatch, not sure if this is relevant, but since people were talking about it I thought I would show a few pics. You decide, just something for you to think about.

Besides all that, I personally think your fry will be more like one of the types of flowerhorns. I have heard some flowerhorns are Texas cichlids bred with Trimacs. I also think it may be similar to a SRT, as little mamma said. Since I think SRT are usually a red devil and/or midias and a pearl Texas. I think this is a possibility because I believe parrots commonly have red devil/Midas in them. I donâ€™t know just speculation. Thanks for posting and getting our minds thinking. Keep us updated.

with flash









with out flash









Thanks,
Matt


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## jamesman_1994

sorry but that is one of the weirdest looiing cichlids i have ever seen bu then again i like wierd, and i like that fish


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## bradvb

I would be lucky if they hatched and grew to look like that! What an awsome and unique looking fish!


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## Nathan43

I have short bodied and regular texas/parrots. here is a picture of one of my short bodied ones.


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## lil mama

You will likely end up with some fry that look like the Texas and some that look like the Parrot and then some that look like both.


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## bradvb

I hope they survive!


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## mlancaster

Nathan43 said:


> I have short bodied and regular Texas/parrots. here is a picture of one of my short bodied ones.


Hi Nathan,

I may be confused; this pic is of a SB Texas, not a hybrid. But you also have non SB Texas that hybridized with BPs. If you have BPxTexas (and it is not the pic you posted) can you show us some pics of those guys?

Nice looking SB Texas.

Thanks,
Matt


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## jamesman_1994

i like the SB texas it looks really cool, just like a BP with texas colours.


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## jamesman_1994

so how many days have the eggs been there??


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## Nathan43

mslancaster said:


> Nathan43 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have short bodied and regular Texas/parrots. here is a picture of one of my short bodied ones.
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Nathan,
> 
> I may be confused; this pic is of a SB Texas, not a hybrid. But you also have non SB Texas that hybridized with BPs. If you have BPxTexas (and it is not the pic you posted) can you show us some pics of those guys?
> 
> Nice looking SB Texas.
> 
> Thanks,
> Matt
Click to expand...

To be technical about it, the formula that got me the fish pictured and my others was this
Green Texas Escondido x King Kong Parrot
Then a fish from that spawn was bred once again to a king kong parrot. These are the offspring, I ordered them from a reliable source to try my hand at a SRT. They are not that red which is why they were so cheap, she probably kept all the faders. This is why some are short bodied hybrids and some are not but all are hybrids.


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## mlancaster

So it sounds faily likely that Bradbv's fry could look like yours, or probably what lil mama said with a varity. Nathan, so do you think the SB texas i put a picture up of is a hybrid aswell?

Thanks,
Matt


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## Nathan43

It's my opinion that the short bodied promo is just that, promo and it's really just a hybrid but I am uncertain. I know for a fact though that mine are hybrids and your's looks just like mine but larger.


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## Rigo

not trying to bring negativity to this post but i think blood parrots and all those short bodied hybrids of them are the ugliest fish i ever seen, and it I dont understand why people are so attracted to them, but to contradict myself i do like the SRT, so what can i say :-?


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## mlancaster

Nathan, Yeah I think I am of the same opinion, the short bodied fish are probably cross bread, but as I said before, I guess only the breeders know. In your case it sounds like you or a friend bread yours so you know they are hybrids, mine probably is too.

This could be good news for you Bradvb, because if you are lucky you could have a few nice looking SB Texas, or even some super red Texas. Keep us posted on the eggs/brood.

Rigo, Totally funny you say that, b/c I used to be the same way, and I am still not very fond of BP (as of now I donâ€™t think I would keep one, but from what I hear they are personable fish and people love them just the same). However, once I bought a little SB Texas and saw him grow I think he is one of my most beautiful fish; His colors are more vibrant than even my EBJD, he is spunky and a great addition to my tank. He does well in 55 gallon because he is shorter and he is able to live with other not quite so aggressive fish, like the Bahia red he lives with, b/c, well he just isnâ€™t as fast. No worries about "negativity" I was actually surprised no had said anything yet, but I guess my point is, in this hobby you like what you like, and peopleâ€™s onions and ideas are constantly changing. I always thought I would never keep hybrids, but hey I have one (well maybe one) that I love a lot. I still do not think flowerhorns are attractive fish and do not plan on keeping one, but people change.

Oh, and the SRT are a really cool fish, and maybe one day you will get one, and then who knows your opinion may change too. I do not know much about them and have not kept one before, but some of them look really great and a pearl Texas is one of my favorite fish so even though my opinion in past have been against them, I think I am probably coming around. It would be awesome if Bradvb produced some.

There is obviously a lot to discuss on this topic (most of it covered in that recent CA hybrid post), but seeing as we have already hijacked Bradvbâ€™s post on his eggs, letâ€™s continue this discussion in one of the hybrid threads, and let bradvb keep us posted on his BP & Texas hybrids. I hope all works out well for you Bradvb.

Thanks,
Matt


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## bradvb

How long does it usually take for the eggs to hatch? I read somewhere that if the eggs arent going to hatch they will grow white mold on them, anyone know how long it takes for that to happen either?


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## bradvb

Never mind...I just checked and some of them have already hatched! Some of the other ones have tails hanging out of them and are spinning around and they try to break out! What an awsome thing to see!


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## Nathan43

fyi, white fungus indicates unfertilized eggs while the translucent ones are fertile. You will see a black dot on them when they are nearing their hatching time. Congrats on the spawn! Post some pics. opcorn:


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## jamesman_1994

cool def post some pics


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## bradvb

I can't seem to get my slr to focus on them and get a good pic...my wife's camera is waterproof, so maybe I will try and put it right in the tank and snag some pics if I get a chance. As long as the Texas doesn't bite my hand right off...he's pretty agressive hehe!


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## bradvb

I watched closely and they were taking the eggs from a flat rock and moving them over to a hole they had dug out, as they spit the eggs out, they would begin to hatch. Here are some pics of everything...I put the camera right into the tank...and I didn't lose my hand!


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## mlancaster

Very cool, what size tank are they in? any plecos, loaches, or catfish in there? I have not bread fish before (well besides live bearers) and am just curious.

Thanks for the updates.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Nathan43

I was hoping to see the pair personally


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## bradvb

The tank is a 135 gallon, 6 feet long. I will post some pics of the parents soon. No cats or loaches, one 13" pleco, but the parents freak out and scare him away if he gets anywhere close to that end of the tank!


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## bradvb

Here are the parents...sorry about the massive pics.
Mom, Blood Red Parrot.








Dad, Texas.


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## jamesman_1994

how big do the BP's get??


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## bradvb

I saw one in my LFS that was about 15 years old and about 14". But I think one that size is uncommon.


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## jamesman_1994

wow, how big are urs. also do u think it could go in with a breeding pair of JD's??


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## Chromedome52

bradvb,

That male is not a Texas, it looks more like _Amphilophus rhytisma _or similar species. The dorsal of _Herichthys cyanoguttatus_does not have a red border, and has the first spines not connected at the top by the fin membranes (jagged appearance). Also, the spangles on your fish are only numerous on the bottom half, and a Texas has them equally spread all over the body.

Not that important, as the fry are hybrids regardless, but thought you might want to know in case you do get some interesting young out of it.


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## bradvb

Interesting, thank you for your input...I bought it at a very reputable LFS and they sold it to me as a male Texas Cichlid.
The BP is about 6.5 inches and the "texas"(not really a texas anymore) is about 8 inches.
And yes, I think you could probably put a BP in with a pair of JD's, but they might beat up on it a little...as with every other attempt at a community tank, it all depends on the size of the tank.


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## dwarfpike

Anyone else think that dad is exactly what a cyano/firemouth cross would look like? (not saying that's what it is).


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## jamesman_1994

it looks like a pure texas, i have been reading some books lately and his male looks just like his male. i think it might just be a low quality texas


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## bradvb

jamesman_1994 said:


> i think it might just be a low quality texas


Hahaha...ouch!
I will see if I can fix him than, I've only had him for a week...


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## jamesman_1994

i am no expert on texis man but i think he looks good, how much was he, if not too expensive i would keep him. and the babies might b worth something just say it is a dwarf texi or something. and i think all that matters is if you like the fish. i would keep him


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## dwarfpike

I agree with *Chromedome52*, that fish is not a texas ... or at the least, not a pure texas.


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## jamesman_1994

w8 not a pure one, loz i ment to say true texas it looks just like the one in the book i have


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## sjwrx

jamesman_1994 said:


> i am no expert on texis man but i think he looks good, how much was he, if not too expensive i would keep him. and the babies might b worth something just say it is a dwarf texi or something. and i think all that matters is if you like the fish. i would keep him


Shouldnt sell something they arent. Regardless nice fish :thumb:


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## jamesman_1994

i mean back to the shop, they did the same to him
and isn't that what a dwarf texis is??


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## Chromedome52

Jamesman, I think you are confused. The photos on the first page of this thread are from other people, and are short bodied Texas. The second page is where bradvb first posted pictures of the breeders, and the male there is absolutely not a Texas, and probably not a hybrid, either.

There is a group of species often lumped with _Amphilophus_, though some have tried to move them to a new genus, _Astatheros_. These all have the sloped head similar to a _Thorichthys_, but are not related. _A. robertsoni, rhytisma, rostratus_, and several others that escape me at the moment fall within this group. The color of the spangling and the way they are distributed on the body now has me leaning toward _rostratus_, though _rhytisma _is still possible.

Personally, I would love to find a shop that mislabels _Astatheros_ as Texas Cichlids! :drooling:


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## joeyballz

I've bought fish from reputable LFS that grew up to be something else. The stores sell them as what they were sold to them as.


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## bradvb

joeyballz said:


> I've bought fish from reputable LFS that grew up to be something else. The stores sell them as what they were sold to them as.


Very true! Everyone here has to admit that many full grown fish look nothing at all as they did when they were "babies".


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## bluecanfh

hey...any updates on the fry here? or pics?


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## Lancerlot

That male texas Was crossed with a .Thorichthys ellioti or along that lines. Not a Firemouth. but one of the species thath as the small speckles in the face. Also I think there might be vieja in there. If im not going nuts.

Thorichtys/Tex for sure?

Edit: You know what. I take that all back. That is some sort of Thorichtys/Veija/. I can't see any Texas in that fish. We all know texas bread with everything. Their genes always show up. This Fish is severely lacking Texas in him. I think the head comes from the Firemouth/Vieja or Silica. That's what's throwing people off. I have never seen a Firemouth hybrid where the Firemouth Stuck out more.


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## bluecanfh

Lancerlot said:


> That male texas Was crossed with a .Thorichthys ellioti or along that lines. Not a Firemouth. but one of the species thath as the small speckles in the face. Also I think there might be vieja in there. If im not going nuts.
> 
> Thorichtys/Tex for sure?
> 
> Edit: You know what. I take that all back. That is some sort of Thorichtys/Veija/. I can't see any Texas in that fish. We all know texas bread with everything. Their genes always show up. This Fish is severely lacking Texas in him. I think the head comes from the Firemouth/Vieja or Silica. That's what's throwing people off. I have never seen a Firemouth hybrid where the Firemouth Stuck out more.


Interesting for sure....about there being no texas in him......where do you think all the spots could come from? my thought was texas X firemouth


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## Lancerlot

Thorichthys ellioti Would give him the spots like that. Also theres a Species of Thorichtys Called Geotrophus or something who have the speckeling pattern just like that. And the head. This has no texas in him what so ever. It's interesting huh? 

seee. I know this Isn't the the Thorichthys I really want. but this is close as I can get till I find the species I'm talking about.








++++








=


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## Chromedome52

Geotrophus? :-? I think you are confusing it with the Genus _Geophagus_, which also has a sloped head. An entire different genus, not a species.

If you look at the position of the eye to the snout, you can tell that the fish in question is at an angle away from the camera, so it is not as deep bodied as it appears in a flat image. It bears no resemblance to any _Vieja_ that I can see. If we first go with the possibility that it is a clean species, it bears the strongest resemblance to the _Astatheros _group of _Amphilophus_. These are also long snouted fish like _Thorichthys_, but they lack the gill cover false eye that all _Thorichthys _have. The Aqualog _South American Cichlids III _has a photo identified as a wild caught _longimanus _that is identical to this fish, but I find that ID questionable myself. It also strongly resembles _rostratus_, but seems poorly colored by comparison to most that I've seen.

If we guess that it is a hybrid, it would most likely be a hybrid with _Astatheros_, possibly crossed with a _Thorichthys_. However, the fish here has the color pattern, body shape, and profile of an _Astatheros_; I don't know how one would tell if these two genera were crossed!

It is an interesting mystery, but really not relevant to the original post, as the Original Poster is going to get hybrid fry, anyway! :fish:


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## bluecanfh

lol yes he is, and hopefully if they survive and grow out at least we can see some pics


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## mlancaster

Were the egss fetile? and free swimmers? any survive?

Thanks,
Matt


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## bernie comeau

dwarfpike said:


> Anyone else think that dad is exactly what a cyano/firemouth cross would look like? (not saying that's what it is).


That's my guess as to what this fish probably is. Sure looks a lot like a texas ----- right body shape, right eye color, right fin color and pattern( besides the red trim at the top of the dorsal), and some speckling just like a texas. Stripes showing only on the back half ----- consistent with a Herichthys species especially when breeding. Face shape looks like a Firemouth plus the red trim on dorsal. But I think a Carpinte X firemouth cross could be just as likely.

Anyone out there have a picture of a texas X FM cross or a link to a thread with one?


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## Husnain

Take a look at my Pair of Short bodied Texas. These are so weird as they keep on changing their colors with their moods.



















Now take a look

















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## conoholic

WOW i want one of those!!


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## Leucistic Guy

Any pix of what the babies look like now?

Here's what my Texas looks like in breeding mode.










Most of the pix I've seen on the net look like this in breeding mode too.

Here's my other texas.


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## amymac

I woke up this morning to find my parrot fish and my Texas green guarding a brood o lil fries i didn't even know one was a female let alone laid any eggs but it explains why they haven't let anyone one the right side of the tank all week does anyone know what they will look like i will have to try posting a pic


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