What Do Polar Parrot Fish Eat? Healthy Feeding Tips

mktpromeal
Oct 3, 2025
3 min read

Polar Parrot Fish (commonly called Blood Parrot Cichlids or Polar Blue Parrot Fish) are hybrid cichlids admired for their vibrant colors, playful personalities, and unique parrot-like mouths. But to keep them healthy and radiant, diet plays the most important role. These fish are omnivorous, meaning they need both protein-rich animal foods and plant-based nutrition for balance.

Among all food groups, protein is the key to their growth, color vibrancy, and overall energy levels. In this blog, we’ll break down exactly what to feed, focusing strongly on protein foods while also covering pellets, veggies, and feeding schedules.

1. Staple Foods: The Daily Base of Their Diet

Every Polar Parrot Fish diet should start with a high-quality cichlid pellet. This provides balanced nutrition and forms about 60–70% of their diet.

Pellets: Choose sinking or floating cichlid pellets enriched with protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Flakes: Useful for smaller fish, but adults thrive better on pellets.
Color-Enhancing Pellets: Contain spirulina, shrimp, and carotenoids that naturally boost red, orange, and blue shades.

Pellets are convenient and ensure your fish get consistent nutrition daily.

2. Protein-Rich Foods: The Secret to Growth & Vibrancy

Protein is the most important part of a Polar Parrot Fish’s diet. In the wild, their ancestors fed on insects, worms, and small crustaceans. Adding similar foods in captivity ensures proper muscle development, energy, and brighter colors.

a) Insects & Worms

Mealworms & Superworms: Rich in protein, these mimic natural feeding. Offer them live or dried. Live worms add excitement and stimulate natural hunting instincts.
Crickets: Small soft crickets are excellent treats, providing variety and essential amino acids.
Silkworm Pupae (optional): Highly nutritious, though not always available.

b) Aquatic Protein Foods

Bloodworms: A favorite among cichlids. Available live, frozen, or freeze-dried. Soft and easy to digest.
Brine Shrimp: Great for smaller Polar Parrots; enhances activity and immune strength.
Krill & Shrimp Pieces: Packed with protein and natural pigments like astaxanthin, which brighten red and orange colors.

Expert Tip: Offer protein foods 3–4 times a week alongside pellets. For young growing fish, increase frequency to ensure fast, healthy development.

3. Vegetables & Fiber: Keeping Digestion Smooth

While protein drives growth, fiber-rich vegetables keep Polar Parrot Fish healthy by preventing constipation and swim bladder issues. Since they have unique mouths, soft vegetables work best.

Blanched Peas (skin removed): A natural remedy for constipation.
Spinach & Lettuce: Provide vitamins, iron, and antioxidants.
Zucchini or Cucumber: Light, watery, and easy to eat.

Offer vegetables once or twice a week to balance digestion and prevent health problems.

4. Color-Enhancing Foods: Bringing Out Their Beauty

One of the main attractions of Polar Parrot Fish is their vibrant colors. Protein foods like shrimp and krill are naturally rich in astaxanthin and carotenoids, which intensify reds and oranges.

Spirulina Pellets: Support immunity and deepen blue/green hues.
Krill & Shrimp: Double up as protein and natural color boosters.
Carotenoid Pellets: Commercially formulated to enhance pigmentation.

Combining protein and natural pigments ensures your Polar Parrot Fish remain the centerpiece of your aquarium.

5. Feeding Schedule & Best Practices

Feeding correctly is just as important as choosing the right foods. Overfeeding leads to bloating and poor water quality, while underfeeding causes weakness.

Frequency: Feed 2–3 small meals daily instead of one heavy meal.
Portion Size: Only feed what they can consume within 2–3 minutes.
Rotation: Rotate between pellets, protein foods, and veggies for variety.
Cleanup: Remove uneaten food immediately to prevent pollution.

A balanced routine keeps them active, colorful, and disease-free.

Polar Parrot Fish thrive on a diet rich in high-quality pellets, protein-packed insects and aquatic foods, and occasional vegetables. Among these, protein foods are the most critical—they fuel growth, enhance coloration, and keep your fish energetic. By adding mealworms, shrimp, bloodworms, and crickets to their weekly menu, you’ll see noticeable improvements in both health and appearance.

A proper feeding schedule combined with variety ensures your Polar Parrot Fish live long, vibrant, and happy lives—becoming the true stars of your aquarium.

At Promeal, we know how important it is to give your pets a healthy and varied diet. That’s why we create high-quality, natural pet food to keep them happy and healthy.

Our specialty is premium live and dried insect-based feeds like mealworms, superworms, crickets, roaches, waxworms, and hornworms. These insects are grown on an organic diet, making them a nutritious and tasty treat for your pets.

Check out our "Shop" section to find the perfect food for your pets!