How to Care for a Flowerhorn

The Flowerhorn fish is a type of cichlid, a large family of freshwater fish found across the world. The Flowerhorn is a hybrid of several different types of South American cichlids. These fish have bright colors with bold patterns. They also have large humps on top of their heads, giving them an interesting appearance. These fish can grow to between 12 and 16 inches in length, making them impressive in the aquarium. Flowerhorn fish are also supposed to affect feng shui. Flowerhorns are known as hardy fish, but do need some specific care in order to stay healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium, 55 gallons or larger
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Aquarium rocks
  • Aquarium plants
  • Thermometer
  • Aquarium filter
  • Varied Flowerhorn food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide a large aquarium for the Flowerhorn. Because of the large size these fish can reach, an aquarium at least 55 gallons in size should be used for one fish, with larger aquariums for more fish. Flowerhorns can be aggressive. They should be kept by themselves or with other aggressive cichlids of the same size.

    • 2

      Add an aquarium gravel substrate. Flowerhorns enjoy digging, so make sure the layer is thick enough that the flowerhorn can root around in it.

    • 3

      Add aquarium decorations, such as rocks, to the aquarium. Do not stack the rocks, as the Flowerhorn could knock them over and injure itself. You can also add fake aquarium plants for a natural look. Live aquarium plants are not recommended, as the Flowerhorn fish will most likely end up destroying them.

    • 4

      Install a thermometer in the aquarium and keep the water temperature around 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to dechlorinate the water before adding any fish.

    • 5

      Install a filtration system for the aquarium. Choose a filtration system that is compatible with the size of your aquarium, and will work efficiently. This filter can also create a mild to moderate water current.

    • 6

      Feed the Flowerhorn two or three times every day, giving a small amount of food each time. You can give as much food as you think necessary, as Flowerhorns burn a lot of energy and require a lot of food to stay healthy. Unlike other fish, it is very difficult to overfeed a Flowerhorn, but they are prone to underfeeding. Flowerhorns are carnivorous and require a mixed diet of prepackaged carnivorous cichlid food and live, frozen, or freeze-dried insects, such as crickets and bloodworms.

    • 7

      Clean the tank often. Because they eat so much, Flowerhorns quickly dirty their water. Partial water changes of 20 to 25 percent should be performed once or twice a week, increasing the amount of water changed if you are only changing the water once a week. Remove a portion of the dirty water and replace it with fresh dechlorinated water.