The Kirin parrot cichlid

What a Kirin parrot is

The Kirin parrot is a hybrid cichlid that sits between the blood parrot and the flowerhorn. It is compact and rounded like a parrot, with a short face and small mouth, but it wears flowerhorn-style color: red and orange tones, dark markings, bright red eyes and iridescent blue or pearl spangles across the body.

You will see it sold under a handful of names. Kirin, Qilin, Kilin and Killin are all versions of the same word, and some sellers call it a flowerhorn parrot or a Killin bonsai. They generally refer to the same kind of fish, although, as with every hybrid name, sellers don’t always use them consistently.

Where the name comes from

The name points to the qilin (麒麟, qílín), the hoofed, scaled creature of Chinese myth that is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. “Kirin” is the Japanese reading of the same characters, and “Killin” and “Kilin” are English spellings that grew up in the trade.

Like the flowerhorn itself, whose Chinese name compares it to a Buddhist saint, the Kirin was named for a market that values lucky symbolism. A scaled, jeweled-looking fish named after a lucky beast fits that tradition neatly. More on why these associations matter to buyers is in flowerhorns and feng shui.

How it relates to flowerhorn and parrot crosses

The Kirin is almost always described as a cross between a flowerhorn and a blood parrot. That is the explanation given by hobby care sheets, by sellers and by breeders offering fish on forums, and it fits the fish: parrot shape, flowerhorn color. The likely mechanics make sense too. Male blood parrots are generally infertile, but female parrots are often fertile, and a male flowerhorn is a willing partner.

Beyond that, the details are undocumented. We don’t know which flowerhorn strains are used, whether commercial Kirins are first-generation crosses or later generations bred on, or whether all farms produce them the same way. A few points are worth keeping in mind:

• The lines were already tangled. The blood parrot was one of the fish used to create the flowerhorn in the 1990s (see origins). A Kirin is in a sense a flowerhorn crossed back toward one of its own ancestors.
• Descriptions differ. Some describe the fish as a blood parrot body with flowerhorn color. Pet Zone’s own listing puts it the other way round: the look of a blood parrot on a flowerhorn body. Both describe a blend, and individual fish lean one way or the other.
• Short-body flowerhorns overlap. Round, compressed flowerhorns are sold as bonsai or balloon types, and the word “bonsai” sometimes gets attached to Kirins too. A true short-body flowerhorn has a full flowerhorn head and mouth; a Kirin shows the parrot face. See short body flowerhorns.

What a Kirin looks like

Juvenile Kirins, usually sold at around 2 inches (5 cm), can look dull, grayish or dark with faint markings. Like many flowerhorns they color up as they grow and settle, sometimes within weeks. Reviews on Pet Zone’s own listing mention fish coloring up quickly and looking better in person than in photos.

As they mature, look for:

• A rounded, deep body, shorter than a flowerhorn’s but usually not as ball-shaped as a blood parrot’s.
• A parrot-type face, with a small mouth. How well it closes varies from fish to fish; many are more functional than a blood parrot’s.
• Flowerhorn color, in reds, oranges and pinks, often with a darker upper body and blotches or a broken stripe along the side.
• Pearling, the iridescent spangles flowerhorn keepers prize, often in electric blue. Blue-heavy fish are sometimes sold as blue Kirins.
• Red eyes and, in some fish, a small raised forehead. Don’t expect a flowerhorn-sized kok.

Because each fish is a genetic mix, no two Kirins look quite alike. That is part of the appeal, and part of the gamble when buying a small one.

Size and temperament

Size estimates vary. A widely shared hobby care sheet puts adults at 5 to 7 inches (13 to 18 cm), while other keepers report fish reaching 7 inches or more. Genetics, tank size and diet all play a part, so plan for the larger end.

Temperament is where Kirins most often surprise people. Many keepers find them no more aggressive than blood parrots, and some live happily in community tanks with parrots, rainbowfish or loaches. Others describe the opposite: one keeper found six of eight juveniles in a group aggressive, and others describe individuals that turned mean as they matured. One experienced keeper summed it up as extremely aggressive or extremely peaceful, hit or miss.

The sensible approach is to buy a Kirin expecting a parrot and prepared for a small flowerhorn. That means a divider or backup tank you can use without drama, tank mates that can cope with some chasing, and enough space to keep aggression down. Crowding a group of young Kirins in a small tank is the surest way to see fights.

Care and feeding

Care follows parrot rules, with some flowerhorn caution added:

• Tank. Care sheets cite 30 gallons (114 L) for one fish. We prefer 40 to 55 gallons (150 to 208 L) for a single adult, since you won’t know its adult size or attitude in advance, and 75 gallons (284 L) or more for company.
• Filtration. Strong filtration and weekly 25 to 30 percent water changes. Kirins are messy, like all big-appetite cichlids.
• Water. 78 to 82°F (26 to 28°C) and pH around 6.5 to 7.5, with zero ammonia and nitrite. See water and temperature.
• Decor and lid. Caves and smooth rock for security, a sand or smooth gravel bottom, and a lid. Flowerhorn blood means jumping is possible.

For food, use small, good-quality cichlid pellets sized to the mouth: micro pellets for juveniles and small pellets for adults. If your fish struggles with hard pellets, soak them first or pick a floating type. Add frozen brine shrimp, mysis and bloodworms as treats. Feeding for color works the same as for flowerhorns, with natural carotenoids doing the work; feeding covers the details.

Compact, round-bodied fish can be prone to swim bladder and buoyancy problems, especially when overfed. Small meals, soaked pellets and clean water help. If a Kirin starts floating, tilting or struggling to stay down, check diseases.

Should you get one?

A Kirin suits a keeper who loves flowerhorn color but doesn’t have room for a 12-inch fish, or a parrot keeper who wants something more striking. It is a poor choice for anyone who needs a guaranteed community fish. Pet Zone carries Kirin parrots when available through flowerhorn.co. For the bigger picture, read hybrid cichlids explained or compare the King Kong parrot.