Flowerhorn cichlids are ornamental aquarium fish. Flowerhorn fish are noted for their vivid colors and as well as for the distinctively shaped heads “Kok.” These fish are named Flowerhorn because of their head. These fish are man-made hybrids like blood parrot cichlids. And they are found in the wild only because of their release. Today in this article, I will give you a brief introduction to flowerhorn diseases and treatments that you can perform easily.
The most common diseases that the flowerhorn fish suffers from are Hole In The Head (HITH), ICH(White Spot Disease), Fin and Tail Rot (Columnaris Disease), Popeye Disease, Bloat Or Dropsy, air bladder disease, internal parasite or digestive blockages, and Septicemia.
The Flowerhorn was first developed in Malaysia, then in Thailand and Taiwan during the year 1993. These fish became very popular among Asian fishkeepers. These fish are also kept by American fishkeepers in the United States and as well as in Europe but are banned in Australia. The lifespan of Flowerhorn is about 10 years to 12 years.
Flowerhorn fish require a water temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Flowerhorn is a big fish, so it requires a minimum of 55 gallons tank for a male Flowerhorn, depending on its size.
This article will help you to learn about some of the most common Flowerhorn Diseases and Treatments.
You should always set up an aquarium for Flowerhorn fish correctly, as the right water parameter and tank environment are key to healthy flowerhorn fish.
Flowerhorn Sickness Prevention
Flowerhorn and other fish are also like human beings. They also get sick and get diseases.
The most important thing about keeping a Flowerhorn fish is to pay attention to the distinctive sign of diseases of the Flowerhorn. The fish keeper should carefully observe their pet, Flowerhorn, while feeding them. This will give us, hobbyists, a hint that Flowerhorn is sick or has some disease from its strange behaviors and body language. Once we get to see the strange behavior, we will need to identify the disease in Flowerhorn and treat them with care.
Now that you have understood the diseases and treatments, if you want to prevent the sickness of your Flowerhorn and keep them healthy, then you will need to follow the following instructions.
Flowerhorn Water Parameters
The water parameters help identify the suitable properties of water for specific species that will maintain the water quality. Especially for an aquarium environment, the water parameters play an important role because it consoles the welfare of the fish and other species within the tank. Commonly measured water parameters include pH, temperature, hardness, ammonia, nitrite, etc. You should be able to manage the proper water condition for your Flowerhorn.
Flowerhorn Water Temperature
In order to create a favorable water environment for the flowerhorn fish, you should provide a preferable water temperature. The temperature needed by the flowerhorn tetra is similar to other tropical fish.
Flowerhorn grows well in temperatures between 75 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. However, we would recommend you keep the temperature between 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature to keep your Flowerhorn healthy.
Likewise, keep a heater and an aquarium thermometer to monitor your aquarium’s temperature. Here are my top picks, which I use in my aquariums.
Water pH Level
You should be able to maintain the pH level of the water where the Flowerhorn lives. We recommend you maintain the pH level of water from 6.0 to 7.6.
You can use a digital pH tester to monitor your aquarium water pH. The drastic change in the pH level can be harmful to the Flowerhorn. If you really wish to keep your Flowerhorn healthy, then you will need to check the pH level of the water periodically.
Hardness Level
The hardness measures the alkalinity of the water. In the case of flowerhorn, the alkalinity should be within the range of 6 to 20 dGH.
Other Parameters
Similarly, you will need to maintain the ammonia in the water at 0, and the Nitrate should also be 0, where you will keep your Flowerhorn. For this, use Ammonia Tester, Nitrite Tester, and Nitrate Tester. Alternatively, what you can do is you can buy a master test kit that has several other water test kits inside the package.
Always Use: API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Maintaining Water Quality
The quality of water is very important for any aquatic species. Just as the air we breathe should be pure and free of contamination to avoid many diseases, the water quality aids the fish to feel secure in their habitat. A few of the ways in which you can maintain the water quality are mentioned further:
Filtration
Flowerhorn needs enough Oxygen running in the tank. Therefore, your tank will require the proper filtration process to circulate water. You will need to be sure that your tank is sufficiently bubbling. The filtration system also helps with aquarium pollutants like ammonia and nitrate. The filtration process helps in the nitrogen cycle of an aquarium.
There are various filtration systems and filtration methods you can choose. However, I found the best method to filter a bigger aquarium is to use a sump filter. A sump filter is an aquarium filter that uses baffles and includes a variety of filtration media in it. However, if you do not have enough room in the cabinet of your aquarium, I recommend using external canister filters. A canister filter is a great replacement for the aquarium sump filter.
One of the most important things you can do to maintain good water quality is to filter your tank properly. Many different types of filters are available on the market, so it is important to choose one that is appropriate for the size of your tank and the number of fish you have. In addition, you should make sure that you clean your filter regularly to prevent it from becoming clogged.
Best Filter for Flowerhorn tank:
- Fluval FX4 Filter w/Biomax, Filter, Bio & Carbon Foam & Filter Media
- Hydor Professional External Canister Filter – Aquarium External Filter
- Marineland Magniflow Canister Filter for Aquariums, Fast Maintenance
Water Change
Water change is one of the most important factors in caring for your Flowerhorn. Your Flowerhorn will not like living in a dirty environment, so you must change the water. You will need to change 25% – 30 % of the water on a weekly basis. This will help you to keep your Flowerhorn healthy and disease-free.
Water changes are essential for the good optimization of water. Because no matter how good a filtration system you use, the dirt and waste will pile on since your aquarium is a locked ecosystem. This will encourage various pollutants to develop and affect your fish if you do not care for them.
The Python 25 ft. No Spill Clean & Fill can work with your faucet to siphon water from your tank directly into the sink, making water changes a breeze. However, if you choose not to use the faucet to create a siphon, you can use the included Stressless Siphon Starter to create a siphon. It also can refill the tank with water from the faucet (freshwater only) for ultra-quick water changes. -Amazon.
Feeding
The other most important factor is feeding. A healthy appetite will help you Flowerhorn to be healthy. You will need to feed your Flowerhorn to only what they can consume. You will need to feed Flowerhorn 2 to 3 times a day. And you will also need to pick up all the leftover food after 5 minutes.
Another important part of keeping your Flowerhorn healthy is to provide them with a balanced diet. This means that you should feed them a variety of different types of food, including both live and frozen foods. In addition, you should make sure that you do not overfeed your fish, as this can lead to poor water quality.
Best Food For Your Flowerhorn (For both the color and head size):
Freeze Dried Brine Shrimp Cubes
Omega One Super Color Cichlid Pellets Small Sinking
Ocean Free Set 120 g Humpy Head Ever Red Size M Pellets Xo Flowerhorn Fish Food
Flowerhorn Diseases and Treatments Guide
Even if you try your best to avoid the diseases that might occur in your flowerhorns, sometimes diseases are inevitable. When any diseases affect your flowerhorn, you first do not panic. For most diseases, if you catch them early, you can treat them easily without losing your fish.
However, you should recognize the diseases because if you do not understand and know the diseases, you might not know what is wrong with your fish and how to treat them.
Here are the different types of diseases that may occur in your flowerhorn and their treatments. Keep reading for more information.
Flowerhorn Whitespot Disease
As the name suggests, when your flowerhorn suffers from this disease, you can see white spots all over them. It looks like someone sprinkled salt all over the fish’s body. The fish may not want to eat and mostly stay cluttered in the corner of the tank. They may scratch their body against hard objects, decorations, or gravel.
The cause of this disease is a ciliated protozoan called Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH). Bad water quality can increase the risk of ICH. A temperature below 25 degrees Celsius is also ideal for the ICH to breed. Sometimes, you might unknowingly feed your Flowerhorn live or frozen food that is contaminated with ICH.
Cause
- The cause of this disease is a ciliated protozoan called Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH ).
- Bad water quality can increase the risk of ICH.
- A temperature below 25 degrees Celsius is ideal for the ICH to breed.
- Feeding you Flowerhorn live or frozen food that is contaminated with ICH.
Symptoms
- Clearly defined small, pure white spots.
- It looks like someone sprinkled salt all over the fish’s body.
- A loss in apatite, fins may be clumped.
- They may scratch their body against hard objects, decorations, or gravel.
Treatment
- To treat this, you will need to change 75 % of the water,
- Immediately add water treatments like Aquarisol plus 1 tablespoon salt per 10 gallons.
- Raise the water temperature a little more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of days.
- Do 50% water change daily, and treat the whole tank once the fish is cured.
Prevention
- Always quarantine newly purchased fish for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Need to do lots of water changes.
- You will need to avoid the cross tank contamination
Medicine for Ich
API SUPER ICK CURE Fish remedy
Flowerhorn Hole in the Head Disease
One of the most dangerous diseases occurring in flowerhorns, which can cause their death, is the hole in the head disease. You can know this disease as Hexamita. However, if you can identify the disease sooner, you can get a chance to treat it.
You will find small pits and pimples growing in the fish head. These pimples will keep on growing with time. Also, small grayish worms crawl out of their head region. The fish stops eating, loses weight, has dark coloration, head standing, dark coloration, and clamped fins.
The Hole in the Head, HITH, is caused due to Hexamita Protozoa, which is highly contagious. There is a high chance that your flowerhorn can catch this disease when your tank has poor water quality.
Cause
The exact cause of Hole in the Head Disease is unknown, but it is believed to be caused by a number of factors, including poor water quality, malnutrition, and stress.
Symptoms
The most common Hole in Head Disease symptoms include lesions or holes on the head and along the lateral lines. In addition, you may notice that your fish are swimming abnormally or have stopped eating altogether. If left untreated, this disease can be fatal.
Treatment
- You will need to change 75% of the water from your tank.
- Add 250 mg of Metronidazole per 10 gallons of water.
- To make it more effective, your fish will need to be forced to feed using a syringe.
- Repeat the treatment once every 2 to 3 days until cured.
Prevention
- We will need to change about 10-20% of the water once a week.
- Need to quarantine doubtful-looking fish.
- Maintain the water temperature.
- Avoid cross-tank contamination.
Medicine for Hole In The Head
Flowerhorn Fungus Disease
The fungus disease will occur around the flowerhorn’s mouth, body, and tail. You can notice small white fungus growing on the fish. The Flexibacter Bacterium causes this disease in the flowerhorn. These types of bacteria thrive in poor water quality and through a sudden change in water conditions.
You can check for a few symptoms, such that a loss in apatite, fish’s fins, and tails will start getting shorter, and a white or grayish cotton wool-like thing will grow on their skin, mouth, and fins.
Cause
- Mouth-Body Fungus is caused by the Flexibacter Bacterium.
- The bacteria thrive in poor water quality.
- A sudden change in water conditions.
Symptoms
- A loss in appetite.
- Fins and Tails will start getting shorter.
- The white or grayish cotton wool-like thing will grow on their skin, mouth, and fins.
Treatment
- You will need to do a frequent water changes.
- Need to quarantine infected fish.
- Various water treatments must be used, like Acriflavine and many more.
- Add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water
- Raise the temperature to 80 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Treat with Metronidazole or Fungus care.
- Do 30% of water change every three days and repeat the treatment.
Prevention
- Need to do a frequent water changes.
- You will need to avoid cross-tank contamination.
- Always need to quarantine doubtful-looking fish.
Medicine to Cure Fungus
API Melafix Fish Remedy for Bacterial Infection in Freshwater Aquarium
API PIMAFIX Antifungal Freshwater and Saltwater Fish Remedy
Flowerhorn Flukes
This disease is commonly known as gill flukes, as worms will develop in the fish’s gills. When this happens, the fish will continually scratch themselves on the rocks and rough surfaces. The Gill plates of the fish will be closed tight or not even function during breathing. This will cause the fish to suffocate.
Cause
Most of the gill fluke occurs in your fish when you add a new fish inside the tank. The water condition also plays a great role in affecting the fish with this disease.
Symptoms
- Fish will continually scratch themselves on the rocks and rough surfaces.
- The Gill plates of the fish will be close tight or not even function during breathing.
Treatment
- We will need to do 75 % of the water change.
- And treat the tank with formalin.
- We will need to wash all the filtration equipment.
Prevention
- Need to do lots of water changes.
- You will need to avoid cross-tank contamination.
- Always need to quarantine doubtful-looking fish.
Flowerhorn Dropsy
Dropsy affects the digestive system of a flowerhorn. Unable to take care of it at an early stage, the health of the Flowerhorn may present a certain serious concern.
The main cause of dropsy is due to bacterial infection of your internal fish organs. However, as I have stated many times, the quality of water affects the development of diseases directly. The tank often has decorative products, overcrowding, and stressing the fish can cause this disease.
To identify this disease, you will see excess body fluid, which builds up inside the fish. The eyes and scales are swollen more than normal. There will also be a loss of appetite, and the fish may appear bloated.
Cause
- Caused by bacterial infection of your internal fish organs.
- Poor water quality
- Overcrowding and stress can cause this disease
Symptoms
- You will see excess body fluid that builds up inside the fish.
- Eyes and Scales are swollen more than normal.
- Will stop eating food.
- The fish may appear bloated.
Treatment
- Commercial treatment is available at your local fish store.
- Act as soon as possible since this disease can kill your fish.
- Never use aquarium salt while treating dropsy; this will kill your fish quickly.
- You will need to use Tetracyclin, Maracyn, Kanacyn, or broad-spectrum antibiotic foods, commercially prepared treatment available at your fish store.
Prevention
- Need to do lots of water changes.
- You will need to avoid cross-tank contamination.
- Always need to quarantine doubtful-looking fish for 3 to 4 weeks.
Medicine for Dropsy
API FIN & BODY CURE Freshwater Fish Powder Medication
Flowerhorn White Poop Disease
White poop disease is one of the most common diseases that a Flowerorn Fish suffers from. The disease is also known as White Stringy Feces Disease, where the fish excretes white stringy, sticky poop. When fish suffer from white poop disease, the fish may have swollen belly or stops eating the food. Hexamita, an internal parasite, is one of the main causes of this disease.
Additionally, when you feed flowerhorns, frozen and live foods can also increase the possibility. Another factor can be the poor water quality of the tank. The high protein diet can also cause the growth of worms inside the fish.
You may notice a great loss in appetite. Flowerhorn fish starts affected by this disease might start pooping white sticky material.
Let us look closer at the causes of symptoms and treatment of the disease.
Cause
- Internal parasites inside the fish stomach cause this disease.
- Frozen and live feeding.
- Poor water quality.
- The high protein diet causes the worm inside the fish grows.
Symptoms
- A loss in appetite.
- Fish starts pooping white sticky material.
Treatment
- Use CLEAR medicine by Aqua Product or OCEANFREE WHITE POOP for the treatment.
- Increase the temperature of the water above 30 Degree Celsius.
- Keep your fish without feeding for three days.
- Remove at least 30% water on the third day.
- Repeat the treatment until the fish is healthy.
- Feed the fish with a low protein pallet.
Prevention
- Maintain your water quality.
- You need to do a regular water change.
- Move your sick fish to a hospital tank.
Medicine of White Poop Disease
Clear Medicine For FlowerHorn Fish for Treat white pooh and inflammatory bowel by CZ Aqua Products
Dr. Tim’s Aquatics Natural Aquarium Products, Freshwater
Hikari Usa AHK73254 Prazipro for Aquarium
Flowerhorn Swollen Eyes
The swollen eyes are also called pop-eye or cloudy eyes. This disease is the manifestation of dropsy. Tissue fluid leaking into the area behind the eyeball causes the fish’s eye to swell.
Causes
Swollen eyes are a common symptom of many different diseases, including bacterial infections, viral infections, and parasitic infections. The volume of fluid increases as the pressure builds up, pushing the eyeball of the fish outside. There are usually occasional bacterial infections. The cloudiness of the fish’s eye is caused by corneal damage (the pupil’s translucent skin layer).
Symptoms
The most common symptom of swollen eyes is
- redness and inflammation around the eye sockets.
- In addition, the fish may rub its eyes on objects in the tank in an attempt to relieve the irritation.
Treatment
- There should be a hospital tank. It is the most appropriate 10 or 20-gallon tank. You should not use a smaller tank, as it only stops fish from moving and can worsen the problem. The suggested size is 20 gallons tanks.
- The antibiotic tetracycline class is required. Dissolve in warm water and blend in a tank of 500 mg of tetracycline (or doxycycline).
- Use AGED WATER to make a 100% change of water every two days! Substitute antibiotic. Follow step 2
- Use a heater for the aquarium and position it at 32 ° C.
- 2 weeks minimum therapy time.
- Methylene blue should be put in fungal infection tank water when the fish is at that phase.
Flowerhorn Skin Peeling
Flowerhorn fish have a habit of scratching themselves through hard surfaces, such as gravel, rocks, decorations, and aquarium walls. When they do this, there is a high chance of them getting hurt due to the peeling of the skin.
These wounds can get worse when it is not taken care of properly. You need to check if the wound is healing timely or not. If it is not, then you have to take the necessary actions. From these wounds, the skin of the flowerhorn can start peeling.
When this happens, you have to ensure the water quality is very high to prevent the wound from any further infections.
Causes
The most common type of skin peeling that affects Flowerhorns is “Slime Disease,” caused by a bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of Slime Disease is the presence of white patches on the body or fins of the fish. In addition, you may notice that your fish are swimming slowly or listlessly and that they are not eating. If left untreated, this disease can be fatal.
Treatment
The best way to treat Slime Disease is to remove the fish from the tank and place it in a hospital tank. You can then treat the fish with antibiotics, such as Kanamycin or Amoxicillin. After treating the fish, you should quarantine them for at least two weeks to eradicate the infection.
Prevention
The best way to prevent Slime Disease is to maintain a clean and well-filtered tank. You should also perform regular water changes and avoid overstocking your tank. In addition, you can help to prevent Slime Disease by vaccinating your fish against bacterial infections with an antibiotic like Kanamycin or Amoxicillin.
Flowerhorn Bloating Diseases
Another disease that you can find in your flowerhorn is the bloating disease. The fish seem somewhat bloated and often struggle to balance themselves because of excessive growth.
The key cause is feeding the fish starchy foods, making producing gas and expulsion difficult. Bacterial infections, impaired swimming bladder, complications of congenital growth, sudden traumas, and stress are other factors.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of Dropsy is swelling of the abdomen, which can make the fish look like it is about to explode. In addition, you may notice that your fish are swimming slowly or listlessly and that they are not eating. If left untreated, this disease can be fatal.
Treatment
The best way to treat Dropsy is to remove the fish from the tank and place it in a hospital tank. You can then treat the fish with antibiotics, such as Kanamycin or Amoxicillin. After treating the fish, you should quarantine them for at least two weeks to eradicate the infection.
- Food that is high in fiber. The use of Lactobacilli acidophilus in gel foodstuffs leads to the removal of GI water. A few days’ fasting helps remove the foods not digested from the gut.
- API Melafix and aquarium salt should only be given if the root cause is diagnosed correctly.
Prevention
Maintaining a clean and well-filtered tank is the best way to prevent Dropsy. You should also perform regular water changes and avoid overstocking your tank. In addition, you can help to prevent Dropsy by vaccinating your fish against bacterial infections with an antibiotic like Kanamycin or Amoxicillin.
Flowerhorn Avoiding Food
If you are following all the diseases mentioned in the above section of the article, there are many symptoms where your flowerhorn can lose its appetite. The main cause is the disease and stress caused by diseases.
Whenever the fish feels uncomfortable in their own environment, you can see them avoiding food. There can be parasitic fungal development within the fish’s body as well.
You can use medicine such as Ocean Free Anti chlorine or Ocean Free Gill Fungus Parasite Special.
Treatment
- Adjust the water entirely and add it to the tank.
- Fold 1 cap into a tank of Ocean Free Antichlorine.
- Apply 1 cap to the unique tank of Ocean Free Gill Fungus Parasite.
- Connect the heater to 28 degrees Celsius.
- Fill the tank with water.
- Start feeding flowerhorn after two days.
Prevention
Maintaining a clean and well-filtered tank is the best way to prevent a fish from avoiding food. You should also perform regular water changes and avoid overstocking your tank. In addition, you can help to prevent a fish from avoiding food by feeding it a healthy diet of high-quality pellets or flakes.
Flowerhorn Head is Shrinking
Now, there can be a number of reasons why your flowerhorn’s head is shrinking.
Causes
Some of the reasons might be stress, ICH, degrading water quality, having a large amount of chlorine in the tank water, Hexamita, etc.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of a fish whose head is shrinking is a shrinking head. In addition, you may notice that your fish are swimming slowly or listlessly and that they look unhealthy. If left untreated, this condition can be fatal.
Prevention
You can avoid this simply by regularly maintaining the water changes schedule. Keep in mind to check the chlorine amount in the water.
Moreover, you can give the flowerhorns the necessary medicines and diet. However, do not ever overfeed them because the flowerhorns can eat as much as we let them.
Treatment
Healthy foods that contain a high level of proteins are very important for their head to grow.
Ensure that the fish’s health is of the utmost priority and the water in the tank is clean. About 30% of the water changes every week are necessary. In addition to that, also look after the water parameters as the fluctuations in them can cause stress in flowerhorns.
What are Flowerhorn Stress Marks?
As stated previously, flowerhorns are very much prone to stress. You can identify a few behaviors as signs of stress. Apart from that, Flowerhorns are unique, incredible, and colorful fish that can show you how they feel. They do this by changing their colors.
This phenomenon is commonly called stress color or stress marks. The colorful bodies of the flowerhorn can turn into very pale colorations of white, grey, black, etc. Some of the stress colors are:
- Vertical black stripes
- All white body
- All dark body
- Faded black spots (the flowers)
The cause of the stress mark can be adapting to the new tank and water conditions.
Flowerhorn Stress Treatment
Before you act on the stress treatment of your fish, you first need to understand the cause of the stress. There are many causes of stress in fish. You might feel it strange, but fish also feel stress, just like us humans. A few reasons for stress in the fish can be improper water conditions, problems with other fish, the presence of toxins and impurities, improper diet, etc.
There is no need to alarm yourself because simple solutions can help your fish feel better. A few of the steps include:
- Change the water regularly to maintain low levels of nitrate and ammonia. Consider adding water conditioners such as the API stress coat, which is designed to reduce stress on fish by 40% by eliminating toxic contaminants. Or try API Stress Zyme Water Conditioner, which cleans your aquarium and enhances its natural cycle.
- To prevent unpredictable fluctuations, test water temperature for consistency periodically.
- Provide an effective filtration device such as Penn Plax Cascade 1000 Canister Filters for collecting bacteria and debris while ensuring proper oxygenation.
- Adjust the water temperature and ensure your present fish get used to their new filler mate by correctly introducing new fish, preferably by immersing them in a tank while they are still in their plastic bag.
- If you encounter abuse, remove the attacking fish and put it in a separate tank.
FAQs:
Why Is My Flowerhorn Fish Turning Yellow?
The most common causes of yellowing in Flowerhorn fish are poor diet, water quality, and stress. In many cases, the problem can be corrected by making some simple changes to your tank setup or diet. However, if the yellowing is due to a more serious illness, you may need to use medication to treat the fish.
Why Is My Flowerhorn Losing Color?
Losing color is a common problem among Flowerhorn fish. There can be many reasons why they lose their vibrant hue, including old age, stress, adding new tankmates, incompatible tank mates, overpopulation, poor water parameters, excessive lighting, lack of hiding spots, a stomach infection, and more.
Conclusion
Hence, from this article, I hope you are well aware of the different diseases that can occur in your Flowerhorns. Make sure you catch these diseases timely and treat them carefully. Remember that flowerhorn diseases are common, and the treatment is also easy if you understand it.
Video on Flowerhorn Diseases and Treatments
