Flowerhorn Cichlid Care Guide Mates and More – 2021

 

Flowerhorn cichlid is an outlandish fish that is highly sought after by professional aquarists. The fish is challenging to take care of due to its limited compatibility with other species.

But the effort is worth it as you get to see this eccentric and unique fish swimming in your aquarium.

The guide provides you with expert tips on Flowerhorn cichlids care. You will find the essential information required to keep the fish healthy for a long time.

 

Category	Rating
Level of Care	Intermediate
Temperament	Aggressive
Appearance	Variable
Life Expectancy	Up to 10 years
Size	16 inches
Diet	Omnivore
Family	Cichlidae
Aquarium (Tank) Size	70 gallons
Water Conditions	78.60F to 860F (260C to 300C)
Aquarium (Tank) Environment	Freshwater with artificial plants
Aquarium (Tank) Mates	Limited

 

About Flowerhorn Cichlids: An Overview

 

 

Flowerhorn cichlid is a hybrid of different South American cichlids. It was first successfully bred in 1998 by a group of breeders in Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. 

 

People in Far-East prize fish with protruding heads that they called warships. Asian fish hobbyists had crossbred Blue Fiery Mouth fish native to Central America with Jin Gang Blood Parrotfish, a hybrid fish created from breeding Midas and redhead cichlid. The result was a spectacularly shaped freshwater fish that many aquarists prize today.

 

Several types of Flowerhorn fish have been obtained due to crossbreeding, which are classified into different groups. The most popular types of Flowerhorn include the Golden Monkey, Zhen Zhu, Golden Base, and Kamfa.

 

Natural Habitat

 

Flowerhorn cichlids are not found in the wild. The fish has been bred in captivity. But the preferred water conditions of other cichlid species will likely suit the fish.

 

Cichlids, such as the convict cichlid, Ram cichlid, and Firemouth, thrive in warm slow-moving tropical waters. They prefer areas with a generous amount of live plants at the bottom. Must replicate the condition in the tank to ensure that the fish thrive and remain happy inside.

 

The fish don’t have any natural habitat. Some of them have been introduced to warm waters. They can be found in warm waters in East Asia.

 

 

Flowerhorn Cichlids Appearance

 

 

 

Flowerhorn has one of the most peculiar appearances compared to most other fish. The fish has a vibrant colored growth on the head in the shape of a hump. The hump is present on the head of both males and females.

 

Another peculiar feature of the fish is the deeply planted eyes that look exotic. Since Flowerhorn cichlids are a hybrid crossbred, each fish has a varied color and shape.

 

The color of the fish also changes during the lifetime and gets more attractive with age. Standard cichlid color includes purple, blue, green, and red.

 

Many Flowerhorns have thin and elongated bodies. But some have a disc-shape appearance. The unpaired fins of the fish are in the shape of a fan.

 

The anal and dorsal fins have a braid-like ending and stretch back to the tail. The tail of the fish is smaller and rounder as compared to the fins. The pectoral fins are almost transparent and shorter as compared to the other fins.

 

Flowerhorn Cichlids Behavior: Are Flowerhorn Cichlids Aggressive?

 

Flowerhorn is a highly aggressive fish. It does not welcome other species and strikes and injures them. It can even bite you if you try to feed it with hand. The fish will swim quickly to the surface when you open the lid to feed. So, you must be careful.

 

Flowerhorn cichlids are not a schooling fish. They prefer to swim in pairs that make them less stressed. The fish like to move around inside the tank instead of staying in one place. But they are a bit slow as compared to most other fish due to the bulky body.

 

Flowerhorn Cichlids Aquarium Mates

 

Flowerhorn cichlids are incredibly territorial. The fish may injure other species in the tank.

 

If you want to keep other fish in the tank, consider a fish of the same size and temperament as the Flowerhorn cichlids.

 

Some that can survive in the tank with Flowerhorn fish include Leopard Pleco, Pirapitinga, and Jaguar cichlids. Other species you can consist of are Oscar cichlids, giant gourami, spotted hoplo, lowloand cichlids, and bushy nose catfish.

 

You can also keep multiple Flowerhorn fish together. But you will have to make sure that there is enough space so that they won’t fight over with each other.

 

Consider keeping just one pair of Flowerhorn cichlids in an aquarium. The couple will pass the time without any incident most of the time. However, it is also essential to monitor the situation as males sometimes attack the females for unknown reasons.

 

 

Aquarium (Tank) Conditions for Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

 

 

Flowerhorn cichlids are highly adaptable and can live in varying water conditions. But the fish does best if the water temperature is kept between 78.60F to 860F (260C to 300C). Should maintain a pH level of water slightly more alkaline between 7.5 and 8.0. Should keep the water hardness level between 9 to 20 dGH.

 

The water flow should be moderate or high. But it should not be too strong to prevent the fish from swimming inside the tank. In case you see the fish blown away inside the tank, you should consider reducing the flow a bit.

 

An important thing to remember is that Flowerhorn cichlids are sensitive to nitrates, ammonia, and nitrite. The presence of these chemicals inside the tank can cause the fish to become ill and die. So, you need to monitor their levels and cycle water inside the tank regularly.

 

Nitrates can accumulate since Flowerhorn tends to produce a lot of waste. You can’t see the toxins. So, even if the water looks clean, you should replace the water. Consider using the API freshwater master test kit to test the toxicity of water inside the aquarium.

 

Flowerhorn Cichlids Aquarium Setup

 

A powerful external filter is recommended to keep the water inside the aquarium clean. Weekly changes of about 20 per cent of water are recommended. Moreover, it would help if you also cleaned the soil substrate regularly to keep the tank disease-free.

 

The substrate inside the tank should be mono-coloured. It should not contain broken or sharp grains that could injure the fish. The ideal substrate includes large pieces of tile or sand substrates. The fish can swallow gravel substrate that can become stuck in the intestine. You can also keep the bottom of the aquarium bare to be on the safe side.

 

Moreover, there should be lots of driftwood and rocks to create a cover. Should secure all the decorations since the fish might bump them that could damage the aquarium.

 

Flowerhorn Cichlid Fish Food: What do Flowerhorn Cichlids Eat?

 

Flowerhorns have a good appetite and consume the both live and dry feed. It would help if you fed them dry dinner, mussels, and frozen prawns. Additionally, you can provide the fish blood worms, sprats, calamari, or small fishes. Consider adding some plant or spirulina based feed to vary the diet.

 

The fish should mostly be fed food that is rich in protein. The fish will be done eating about 5 minutes after five minutes. It would help if you provided the fish three times a day. But avoid overfeeding the fish as it can make them sick,

 

Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

Breeding Flowerhorn is not that difficult provided you keep the right tank conditions. The first thing you will need to encourage the fish to breed successfully is to get a large tank. There should be enough space for the fish to mate inside the tank.

 

Flowerhorn becomes ready to bread after about one and a half years. Some of them might be ready to reproduce when they are a year old.

 

Females lay the egg on a smooth surface such as ceramics or rocks. They will lay up to 900 eggs during a breeding season that will be fertilized by the male. After the eggs are fertilized, you should place a divider between the male and the eggs.

 

During the second day, the eggs will begin to hatch. The fry will begin to swim after two more days. It would help if you fed brine shrimp when they are young.

 

Female Flowerhorn cichlid will look after the juvenile fish for about two months after which you can place the young into a separate tank. The fish will start developing its characteristic appearance about six months after birth.

 

Related Questions about Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

 

What are the Different Types of Flowerhorn Cichlids?

 

You can find many different types of Flowerhorn cichlids. The fishes are morphs instead of the other species since they have similar behaviour and feeding patterns. Here are the common varieties that you will find in pet stores.

 

 

Kamfa Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

 

Kamfa flowerhorns have a sizeable nuchal hump in on the head. The strain of Flowerhorn cichlids is also known as Kok. The fish has a vivid pattern with a deep red body and light blue patterns across the body. The fins of the fish are typically white while the eyes are yellow.

 

Kamfa also has peculiar black color patterns known as ‘flowers’ that run down the body’s middle part. Some will have the flower pattern on the nuchal hump. The fish are the most sought after Flowerhorn cichlids among aquarists.

 

 

Golden Base Fader Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

 

 

Golden Base Faders are one of the most striking and attractive Flowerhorn cichlid strain. The fish have a gene that triggers color change throughout the life of the fish.

 

They are known as faders since the young ones start with red and gold colors that turn black and then again turn to red and gold color as they mature.

 

Faders generally have red eyes, but some may have other colors. They have pronounced nuchal humps and lack the black patterns in the middle of the body, similar to the Kamfa strain.

 

Red Ingot Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

Red Ingot Flowerhorn is bred from the blood or King Kong parrotfish. They are one of the earliest strains of the Flowerhorn cichlids. The red and blood parrotfish have a heavy genetic influence on the red ingot Flowerhorn.

 

Flowerhorn cichlids have shorter bodies as compared to most other strains. They also lack a kok but have vivid red color that appears better than the parent blood parrotfish. Like other Flowerhorn strains, the red ingot Flowerhorn has a sizeable nuchal hump, but the body shape is slightly different.

 

Gold Monkey Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

Gold Monkey comes in a range of different colors. Most of them are similar to the Golden Based Fader with slight differences.

 

The fish commonly have gold and blue pearling over the gold or red body. It tends to have the black line of flower pattern down at the bottom of the body.

 

The eyes of Gold Money strain are commonly red that protrudes similar to that of Kamfa strain. They are an extremely rare strain that command higher prices as compared to other strains of Flowerhorn cichlids.

 

Zhen Zhu Flowerhorn Cichlids

 

The Zhen Zhu Flowerhorn is considered to have the perfect ‘flowerline’ pattern that runs along the body. The fish strain tends to have red eyes and more tan or yellow color. The shape is more rounded as compared to other species.

 

Zhen Zhu strain has iridescent flowering patterns that look attractive. They are usually bred into other strains to create unique Flowerhorn strains. The fish is coupled to other Flowerhorn cichlids and other species, making it impossible to track the parent fish.

 

How to Care for your Flowerhorn Cichlid Fish?

 

Flowerhorn is not easy to care for and is not recommended for beginners. Most Flowerhorn cichlids are aggressive. They also grow to a large size. So, you will need to buy a large aquarium at the start.

 

A 75-gallon tank is recommended if you wish to keep one or two Flowerhorn cichlids. If you intend to keep a large group of these fishes, you should consider buying an aquarium with a tank capacity of 125 gallons.

 

Flowerhorn cichlids are aggressive. If you want to keep multiple fishes in the aquarium, you need to separate them using a barrier. Plants are not the right barrier since the fish will destroy them quickly. Consider zoning the territory by installing several shelters to separate different pairs.

 

Avoid living plants in the aquarium as the fish dig up and eat any green plant it finds in the tank. Consider buying artificial plants and fix them firmly to prevent the fish from destroying it.

 

Flowerhorn cichlids can be susceptible to different diseases. Common diseases that generally afflict the fish include hole-in-head-disease, digestive problems, and ich. To avoid infections, you should keep the tank regularly.

 

Diseased fishes should be quarantined and treated using appropriate measures. It would help if you inspected newly bought cichlids to look for diseases before introducing them with the fishes’ rest.

 

Where Can I Find Flowerhorn Cichlids Fish for Sale?

 

You will not have an easy time finding Flowerhorn cichlids for sale online. Pet stores usually charge a high Flowerhorn cichlids price since they are rare.

 

It would help if you bought the fish from an experienced and reputed pet store. The fish’s colour may vary, but you should ensure that the fish doesn’t behave out of the ordinary. A fish that prefers to swim at one side of the tank or lacks appetite is probably suffering from a disease.

 

If you want a Flowerhorn fish with a peculiar shape and color, you should consider buying an adult. Younger fish can turn out to be any color and shape when they grow up.

 

How do Big Do Flowerhorn Cichlids get?

 

Flowerhorn cichlids size is relatively large as they can grow to heights of 12 inches. Some of them can also extend to 15 inches in length. They grow at a fast rate that many find to be rather impressive. The fish can grow up to about an inch a month after hatching.

 

How Long Do Flowerhorn Cichlids Live?

 

Flowerhorn fish has an impressive lifespan. The fish can live up to 12 years. 

But you need to take good care of the fish. You should monitor the water parameters and other conditioners to ensure that they are suitable for the fish. Also, it would help if you kept the water tank cleans at all times to minimize diseases.

 

Wrapping it All Up: Are Flowerhorn Cichlids Ideal for Your Aquarium?

 

Flowerhorn fish is an exotic fish with an attractively bizarre appearance. The fish is relatively expensive since breeding the fish is difficult. But the cost and the effort in carrying for the fish is worth it if you want an out-of-the-ordinary looking fish in your aquarium.

 

The striking appearance of Flowerhorn fish makes them look like an alien in the fish world. They are no ordinary pet fishes. The hybrids will be a conversion-starter along with their mysterious origin.

 

If you want to impress your guests with your pet fish collection, Flowerhorn cichlids will be the perfect fish for your tank.

 

To know more saltwater fishes visit 27 most popular saltwater fish for Aquariums.