hi guys anyone on here know about infertility in parrots please i got a nice pair thats been together for about 5 years they breed and have a clutch of eggs on a regular basis (about every 8 weeks )but the clutch never hatches and just turns milky i understand this is because the male cant fertilise the eggs????will introducing another male produce fry or is it the female that needs changing?and i got it the wrong way round....how will i know if the new male/female is fertile ?.........and would the old dominant mate attack the new introduction...............or is there HRT treatment for parrots lol lol lol

I don't really know much about these fish as I've never kept them before.

This is a quote from the practical Fish keeping website.

Are they sterile?
Some have said they are, but I don't believe they are in every case. Parrots often spawn in the aquarium but they don't always produce viable offspring (unlike many other hybrid cichlids, which can breed as readily as the parents). However, quite a few people have reported successful spawnings with some varieties of Parrot cichlid.

THANKS A LOT ofl thats very interesting wonder if this thread gets any other info to add to that ....by the way you dont have the adress for the parrot hrt clinic do you ...lol sounds like you could get rich if you started one ...lol no more jokes now thanks again

I just googled parrot cichlid and the first page contain quite a few sites about them. Next time they lay eggs, have a look at their sexual organs. See if they are different, or if the females is only showing. This is probably the best way to determine whether you've got a male and female. Like I said, if they had not produced fertile eggs as of yet, I think it's probably never going to happen

I have had 3 parrots over the yrs. 3 all together at one point but the 2 that started to breed were such a pain i removed 2 of them. I now have 1. from what I learnt from the short time I had them (2yrs together) I wouldn't bother adding another male, they are so bloody aggressive. I am not sure if the same would happen to you but i couldn't have a single fish with them. the pair just ganged up and fought to death with anything.

are you sure its a fertility problem?? you could try removing a batch of eggs to a bucket,adding met blue in large amount a small heater and filter or air stone to fan the eggs. keep the water moving over the eggs by pointing small filter or air stone at them. its worth a try if they are breeding so regular. lastly have you noticed if the male swims over the eggs as the female is laying them, are you sure its a male and female?

from what ive read parrots are infertile 99.9% of the time. i have a friend who has a pair and they to lay on a regular basis but never have done it successuly. i have read that some parrots have bred however these are rare instances and if i were you i wouldnt hold my breath.

thanks guys i will definately try your theory marcus and yes im sure that they are male and female ,he does swim over them whilst laying and has been doing so for over 5 years, they are realy bloody agressive working as a team especialy when they are on eggs but i have got that under control with a severum thats as hard as a stone ??and thanks necromancer for your input i have done some research as you all would ,and your claims about fertility percentage are spot on ,i also read that the fertility gene in males diminishes in offspring and only 2%of all parrots offspring from a breeding pair of adults can them theirselves reproduce succesfully when reaching sexual maturity ...i also heared that the imported fish are farmed and line bred so the infertile males are the only parrots to leave their country of origin in order to sustain export of this apparently man made sub species ....but i cannot substanciate the later claim ....you have all been of great help to me on this one and i hope it has not run its course yet but im hoping one of you reading this has the link in a 5 year puzzle however small or insignificant you may think it is ..please..please ..please ..post it