Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Stuart on March 25, 2013, 06:18:23 PM
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I just went in to my nearest World of Water and was horrified to find them selling Parrot Cichlids. I have always got on well with the staff there, spending lots of time chatting while getting my R.O container filled.
Why on earth do people still breed these fish? And why do stockist still sell them?
I am now looking for another lfs!
Stuart.
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They breed and sell them because they are colourful and people buy them.
Not to be confused with 'real' parrot cichlids, Hoplarchus psittacus, which are rare as no-one wants them.
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Hi,
Just to show my ignorance....what is the problem with these fish, please?
Resa
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The fish sold as parrot cichlids have two problems.
They are hybrid fish of unknown parentage and have a problem with their mouths - they can't close them. It doesn't stop them eating though. Hybrid fish are not well regarded in the hobby as the parents do not breed in nature. Some like endler guppy hybrids are well accepted as it's hard to stop them hybridising since they are so closely related.
Second, most are bright colours because they are dyed, something that should be banned in most peoples' opinion. It is illegal to dye them in the UK (and possibly the whole EU) but it is not illegal to import fish that have been dyed overseas. This is done by strippng the slime coat off the fish, then dipping them in dye or by injecting dye into the fish, often to make patterns. These are both cruel and the majority of fish do not survive the process.
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Oh Sue! That is EVIL! Why do people think they can treat animals like this??? We used to be quite involved with dog showing, but we stopped doing it as what started out as a fun hobby for us and the mutts became quite unpleasant. Some breeds were becoming almost grotesque and more to the point, quite unhealthy! There were breathing, eye and skin problems worsening with the ever increasing exaggerating of certain breed features. Natural birthing was becoming a thing of the past with some dogs too. I won't name the breeds involved as there is bound to be someone out there who has one and I don't wish to cause offence...it's a personal opinion and a matter of conscience.
The only way these things are stopped is by people refusing to buy them, but sadly, there seems to be plenty of folk who have no empathy for the animal kingdom.
Anyway, rant over....thanks for the info....
Resa
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Copy and paste this link for an eye opening article from the "Practical Fishkeeping" website.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=5504
I defy anybody to read this and still think it is o.k.
Stuart.
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The article makes for hard reading, but do a Google Image search for parrot cichlid, and it will turn your stomach. It's the first time I have seen this fish... I hope the last. Truly horrible what us humans can do to defenseless creatures that inhabit our planet.
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There are a few hybrids in the fish trade. Some of them are perfectly OK as the parents can and do breed together if they find each other in the wild (endlers & guppies; platies & swordtails; the various species of molly). Parrot cichlids are the man-made ones most often found because they are so colourful people want them. These poor fish have the additional problem of being dyed, but there are others that are just hybids.
Just to turn your stomachs even more, there is a 'love heart' parrot. The first ones were a genetic sport where the tail was deformed, but when they proved popular breeders started cutting the tails of parrot fish to make them look like the sports. be warned (http://www.cichlids.com/pictures/pic/Shy_Heart_Parrot.html)
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Truly, truly horrible. It makes me sad and angry.... along with all the other injustices in the world, of course! We are, as David Attenborough said, a plague on the Earth.