Why You Should Get A Flowerhorn

Hi! So you have probably seen those videos of fish being pet by there owners and thought:
Wouldn´t that be cool to do?

Well, I introduce you to the flowerhorn cichlid, it is:
- Pretty
- Interactive
- easy to train
- gets fairly large
- easy to care for

Flowerhorn cichlids are very east to train and will commonly be seen interacting with their owners. They are beautiful fish that grown to about 8-10 inches long. You will see lots of different sites say how big a tank they need but personally mine has been happy in a 40 gallon breeder tank. They will eat most anything you offer (But prefer meaty foods like krill/shrimp, and cichlid based pellets), and are pretty hardy. They can be very pretty (in some peoples eyes) and mine personally has been trained to:
1. Follow me around
2. eat from my hand under and above the water surface
3. Let me pet him

They are hardy fish that in terms of ¨special¨ requirements, don´t require much. Give them a nice diet, a 40 gallon aquarium (with no other tank mates), and weekely water changes and they will be happy. So here is there care in a nutshell:

Tank size: 40 gallon breeder minimum
Diet: Meaty foods like krill and cichlid pellets
Tank mates: NONE, other than maybe a pleco or other very tough fish
Water changes: 50% weekely
Training Difficulty: Easy

Flowerhorns are a great fish if you want something with lots of personality, easy care, and something that will get somewhat big. Just keep in mind flowerhorns are HYPER agressive, even though you may be able to keep them with other fish when they are small, don't keep them in there long.

Here is why not to keep flowerhorns with other fish:
So my flowerhorn bubbles was 2 inches when I got him. I was warned but tried to put him with my other big fish. I put him in with a 10 inch oscar, a 7 inch oscar, and a 8 inch blood parrot. Long story shot when he got to the size of 4 inches, he killed my 10 inch oscar by spooking him and making him jump out of the tank to be found by me later on. Dont make the same mistake I made, flowerhorns are mean fish that should be kept alone. However I still have my flowerhorn still, he is now 6-7 inches long living in a 40 gallon breeder by himself, happily.

Let me know what you think, Thanks

 

Honestly, I would disagree. They can be very very difficult to understand and care for.It's also never an easy thing to bond with a fish. You need to treat ever single fish differently and with respect. Making it very different than a mammal. Other than that Love it!

 

Nice! I would love a fish I could pet!! Lol! Do you have one CaptainAquatics ?? 40 gal. No tanks mates, except a pleco? That is definitely something to look forward to in my fish keeping career!! Thank you for your beautiful information!!

 

Nice! I would love a fish I could pet!! Lol! Do you have one CaptainAquatics ?? 40 gal. No tanks mates, except a pleco? That is definitely something to look forward to in my fish keeping career!! Thank you for your beautiful information!!

Your welcome

Yes that story about the flowerhorn killing the 10 inch oscar was my story. I still have that flowerhorn. He lives in a 40 gallon breeder with two plecos, and mine is trained to let me pet him and he eats from my hand

 

While there are dwarf forms of Frankenhorns that will fit in a 40 gallon tank, most varieties are easily capable of reaching, and even exceeding, a foot in length. A 40 gallon tank for a standard Flowerhorn is not sufficient for it to reach full growth.

 

I would say 75 to be the bare minimum. Also care for these guys is not easy. They are basically a genetic mess in that they’re one huge hybrid. I find them to be more prone to bad water quality and much more susceptible to parasites and other diseases.