Parrot Cichlids

Question
I bought some parrot cichlids for my aquarium and they are turning black. I was wondering, what causes that?

Answer
You might have purchased some Jelly Bean/Bubblegum Parrots. These fish are a cross between a male convict and a female blood parrot. They are usually died bright colors like, blue, green, pink, red, purple, etc. These young fish are actually albinos and with aging loose their coloring, turning white. If you have a Blood Parrot Cichlid, he may have some black coloring in him that is coming out right now as he is growing. It is believed that the Blood Parrot cichlids are not dyed. There are so many different color variations you can find in these fish. Some may be orange with black streaks, red with white steaks, plain orange, black and red, etc. It is only his coloring and is nothing to worry about.