Blood parrot cichlids do best on a colour-enhancing daily pellet made for them, such as Hikari Blood Red Parrot, rotated with other quality cichlid foods and the occasional protein treat. Blood parrots are omnivores with an unusual, beak-like mouth that can't fully close, so both the type of food and the size of the pellet matter more than for a normal cichlid. This guide covers what blood parrots eat, the best foods, how to feed them for the brightest red, feeding by age, and the common problems (bloat, fading colour and fussy eating) and how to avoid them.
Key takeaways
- Best food: a blood-parrot colour pellet like Hikari Blood Red Parrot (chili pepper, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, lutein).
- Mouth matters: their small, deformed mouth struggles with big or hard food; use Mini or Medium pellets, and soften floating pellets if needed.
- For colour: feed carotenoid-rich food consistently; expect visible change over about 2 to 4 weeks.
- Feeding: two to three times a day for juveniles, once or twice for adults, only what they finish in a couple of minutes.
- Prevent bloat: don't overfeed, and offer a deshelled blanched pea occasionally.
What are blood parrots, and why does it affect feeding?
Blood parrot cichlids are a man-made hybrid, not a wild species. That hybrid origin gives them their round body and, importantly, a small, beak-shaped mouth that often can't close fully. This makes feeding harder than for a normal cichlid: they can struggle to grab large or hard pellets, and they are slower, clumsier eaters than tankmates. Choosing the right pellet size and texture, and making sure they actually get their share, is half the job of feeding a blood parrot well.
What do blood parrot cichlids eat?
Blood parrots are omnivores. In the aquarium, they thrive on a high-quality cichlid pellet as the staple, with strong colour enhancement, plus some protein and a little plant matter for variety. The staple should always be a colour-focused pellet, because protein treats build size and energy but do not build the red colour these fish are prized for.
Best foods for blood parrots
1. Hikari Blood Red Parrot, the top pick
Hikari Blood Red Parrot is formulated specifically for this fish, blending chili pepper, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin and marigold lutein for intense red, in Mini and Medium pellets sized for their awkward mouth. As a species-specific colour staple, it is the single best everyday food for them.
2. Cichlid Gold or Bio-Gold, for rotation
Hikari Cichlid Gold and Cichlid Bio-Gold are excellent colour-and-growth pellets to rotate in for variety. Bio-Gold adds the Hikari-Germ probiotic for digestion, which is useful for a fish prone to bloating.
3. Protein treats, in moderation
The occasional frozen or freeze-dried bloodworm or brine shrimp is a welcome treat and good for conditioning, but it should stay a treat. Too much protein clouds the water, encourages bloating and, crucially, won't deepen colour the way carotenoids do.
4. A little plant matter
A small amount of vegetable content (many colour pellets already include spirulina) supports digestion. A deshelled, blanched pea now and then also helps prevent constipation, which blood parrots are prone to.
How to feed blood parrots for the best colour
Colour is the main reason people keep blood parrots, and diet is the biggest lever you control:
- Feed a carotenoid-rich colour food consistently - pigments like astaxanthin and canthaxanthin build up over weeks, so consistency beats occasional feeding.
- Use the right pellet size - Mini for smaller or juvenile fish, Medium for adults; the wrong size means wasted, uneaten food.
- Good lighting and clean water - let existing colour show at its best.
- Don't overfeed - more food does not mean more colour, and blood parrots are greedy enough to make themselves ill.
A note on dyed "jellybean" parrots
Some blood parrots are artificially dyed or injected with colour and sold as "jellybean" or "love-heart" parrots. No diet can maintain artificial dye, it fades over time, and the dyeing process is hard on the fish. A naturally coloured blood parrot fed a good carotenoid diet will develop and keep genuine, healthy red.
Why is my blood parrot losing colour?
Fading to pale orange, grey or blotchy white is usually down to diet, stress or water quality. The most common cause is a diet low in carotenoids, since a generic flake or plain pellet simply doesn't supply the pigments. Switch to a dedicated colour food, keep the water clean and stable, reduce stress from aggressive tankmates, and colour typically recovers over a few weeks.
Feeding by age: fry, juvenile and adult
- Fry & small juveniles: feed small amounts three times a day to fuel fast growth; crushed colour pellets work well.
- Growing juveniles: two to three times a day on Mini pellets.
- Adults: once or twice a day on Medium pellets, watching for bloat.
Feeding problems and how to solve them
- Can't grab floating pellets: their mouth shape makes surface feeding awkward; pre-soak pellets for a minute to soften and sink them, or choose a sinking option.
- Bloating or constipation: feed a little less, add a deshelled blanched pea, and avoid over-feeding protein.
- Outcompeted by tankmates: blood parrots are slow eaters; target-feed them or spread food so they get their share.
- Off their food: check temperature (they prefer around 26 to 28 °C) and water quality; appetite drops when either is off.
How much and how often
As a rule, feed only what your blood parrot finishes in a couple of minutes, two to three times a day for juveniles and once or twice for adults, removing any leftovers. For general portioning, see how much and how often to feed. For the wider cichlid picture, see our cichlid & monster fish guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best food for blood parrot cichlids?
A blood-parrot colour pellet like Hikari Blood Red Parrot, with Cichlid Gold or Bio-Gold in rotation and the occasional protein treat.
How do I make my blood parrot redder?
Feed a carotenoid-rich colour food (astaxanthin, canthaxanthin) consistently; colour deepens over about 2 to 4 weeks with good light and clean water.
Why is my blood parrot losing its colour?
Usually a diet low in carotenoids, plus stress or poor water quality. Switch to a dedicated colour food and stabilise the tank, and colour normally returns.
Why won't my blood parrot eat pellets?
Their small, beak-like mouth struggles with large or hard food. Use Mini or Medium pellets and pre-soak them to soften if your fish has trouble at the surface.
How often should I feed a blood parrot?
Two to three times a day for juveniles and once or twice for adults, only what they finish in a couple of minutes.
Where can I buy blood parrot food online in India?
At Fish Bazaar - Hikari Blood Red Parrot and the Hikari range, delivered across India.
Written by Fish Bazaar, genuine Hikari fish food, delivered across India.
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