When we talk about ornamental fishes, there is no doubt that the Flowerhorn is the first choice. How many breeds of Flowerhorn do you think are there? Let’s have a look at the best breeds among all the Flowerhorn breeds.
Flowerhorns are hybrids of different cichlids. There is more than 1000 variety of Flowerhorn cichlids. So, it’s impossible to count the exact types of Flowerhorn breeds. Among them, the top best Flowerhorns are Kamfa, Zhen Zhu, Golden Monkey, Golden Base, Thai Silk, Red Dragon Flowerhorn, and many more.
Different varieties of cichlids are being bred to produce new and unique Flowerhorn cichlids. Flowerhorns were not produced accidentally. Hence Flowerhorn cichlids are developed deliberately and selectively in Malaysia in 1993. Flowerhorn’s popularity is growing for its vibrant color and appearance. Some breeders even take additional steps to enhance the color to produce a more intense color.
As Flowerhorns are the outcome of human intervention, humans deliberately intervene to get a unique hump. Several breeds are found usually in Southeast Asia, especially in Taiwan and Malaysia.
Let’s move on to the top breeds for Flowerhorn Fishes.
- Kamfa
- King Kamfa
- Zhen Zhu
- Golden Base
- Golden Monkey
- Thai Silk
- King Kong Parrots
- Kamfa Malau
- Super Red Dragon
Equipment List That Might Help You Choose For Flowerhorn Tank
| Types of equipment | Features | Link to amazon |
| SeaClear Acrylic Combo Aquarium |
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| Flipper Ollie & Hutch Wildwood 55 Gallon, Rustic Gray Aquarium Stand |
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| EHEIM NORTH AMERICA – JAGER HEATER 150W |
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EHEIM NORTH AMERICA – JAGER HEATER 150W |
| Marineland Penguin 350 BIO-Wheel Power Filter |
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| Penn Plax Aquarium Cascade Canister Filter |
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| Imagitarium 50-Gallon Terrarium Screen |
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| MingDak LED Aquarium Plant Light |
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| TEEMO Aquarium Groot Air Bubbler Decorations |
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| Penn-Plax Reptology Shale Step Ledge for Aquariums & Terrariums |
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Kamfa Flowerhorn
The Kamfa Flowerhorn is a breed that originated from the “Luohans” (first generation of Flowerhorn). They consist of the characteristics of Hua Lo Han. Compared to other Flowerhorn types, Kamfa Flowerhorns are a bit more difficult to raise. Their body shape is what makes them unique.
Features
The body structure of Kamfa is square-shaped compared to other breeds. New strains of Kamfas have rounded body shapes. The fish have round-shaped lips, instead of pointy lips. The pearl patterns in Kamfas add beauty to their appearance. Their body color is featured with pastel palette combinations like orange, yellow or pink. The Kamfa is known for its bright colors.
Kamfas either have white, yellow, or orange eyes. New generations are also found to have ruby red eyes. Note that, the eyes of Kamfas determine their fertility rate. Instead of bulged eyes, their eyes are placed deeper inside the head. White-eyed Kamfas denote the sterile fish and deem-eyed denote the most fertile ones.
The size of this breed varies from 6 inches to 16 inches at the most and can survive at most for 12 years.
The Kamfas have such strong dorsal and anal fins that can even wrap around their caudal fin. Compared to Zhen Zhu, it has a larger nuchal hump. But they are not as prominent and round as compared to other Flowerhorn cichlids.
King Kamfa Flowerhorn
King Kamfa is a bit different from those belonging to the Kamfa family and is the elite of the Kamfa bloodline. They were originally produced in Thailand, but they are now produced in Vietnam as well. King Kamfas are very large in size and expensive. One could say that King Kamfa is a king among all in the aquarium that truly looks like a king. It is the descending of the original Kamfas.
Features
King Kamfas have sunken eyes that are either yellow or white. Rarely, they can also have red eyes. They are popular for their massive nuchal hump and patterns. King Kamfas have enlarged humps and magnificently vivid colors. The most distinctive feature of King Kamfa is a black-colored double flower row line with lateral marking.
To add up to their luxurious look, they have thick-layered white pearling on their body. The pearling makes them look different from the Kamfa.
This breed grows even up to 16 inches in length. No doubt that they are the most expensive Flowerhorn strain.
Differentiating King Kamfa From Kamfa
King Kamfa has a fantail that is distinctive from the Kamfa. Another distinct feature includes an intense black-colored double flower row with a lateral line. King Kamfa also has a white pearling that is absent in the Kamfa. King Kamfas is known to be one of the expensive Flowerhorn breeds.
Zhen Zhu or Pearl Scale Flowerhorn
Zhen Zhu is also the bloodline of Luohans after the Kamfas. This breed of Flowerhorn is most popular among fish-keepers nowadays. Because of this, Zhen Zhu Flowerhorns are probably the hardest type available. This fish is popular mostly due to the pearling line.
Features
Zhen Zhu has a larger mouth and a rounded tail. It has a longer and tapering body structure. Likewise, its mouth is pointy, with an overbite or underbite, and long fins. They have enlarged humps with red and protruding eyes.
The main characteristic that makes Zhen Zhu Flowerhorns special is the pearling factor. You can easily recognize them from other Flowerhorn breeds through their shimmering details. However, they have a weak tail which often has a high risk of getting carried.
This breed usually grows up to 14 inches in length and its expected life is above 10 years if proper care is given.
Likewise, the Red Dragon and The Blue Dragon are the most known strains of Zhen Zhu. Each of its strains has unique characteristics, i.e. they look different and can be categorized as Zhen Zhu. They can be differentiated through palette colors.
Comparing Zhen Zhu With Kamfa
Comparing this breed with the Kamfa, it has a rounded tail. The hump is also distinctively enlarged than the Kamfas. The eyes of Zhen Zhu are protruding outside while the Kamfas have sunken eyes.
Golden Base Flowerhorn
Golden Base Flowerhorn does not represent a specific breed. Rather, they consist of the groups of strangest varieties of the Flowerhorns like Faders and Golden Trimac. These kinds of breeds are mostly characterized by their color. Mostly the unusual groups are all Faders.
Features
During the juvenile state, their coloration starts fading and they lose their color which makes them completely black at a certain time. But slowly their black color also fades and then they get either yellow or red color (known as vibrant color). Because of this coloration, they are recognized as the Golden Trimac. Isn’t that amazing?
Golden Base has a body size of 4 inches and a lifespan of 10 years.
Red Texas is the breed produced from the breeding of the Mammon and Green Texas. They are also related to the Golden Base Family. The color of Red Texas is an important distinguishing feature.
Their grades are determined by the fading. The unfaded ones are determined by the lowest grades. Second grade Texas is determined by the ones with yellow color. Orange and most of the other Texas come after the yellow ones.
There is pinkish-colored Texas which is less sought than Red Texas. However, they are in demand. Among these, Red Texas is the most desirous.
Golden Monkey Flowerhorn
Unlike Kamfa and Zhen Zhu, Golden Monkey is not from a mixed bloodline. This is an original Luohan. It looks nothing like a monkey as the name says. Rather it is super vibrant and colorful. This fish is not called “golden” for no reason.
This breed is one of the most expensive of the Flowerhorn breeds. Rather, Golden Monkey Flowerhorn is rare to be found.
Features
This breed has a muscular body with thick chins. You can see the vibrant yellow and red color across the body. While at the juvenile stage, Golden Monkey Flowerhorn looks drab with silver and brown linings. Gradually, reaching the adult stage, silver and red patterns are developed in the upper half of their body.
This fish can reach up to the size of 15 inches and require plenty of space with hiding spots.
However, they have a hefty price tag and cost between the price of $1000-$1500 and more. It is surely the dream fish of every hobbyist.
Thai Silk or Titanium Flowerhorn
Thai Silk Flowerhorn is a comparatively new strain of Flowerhorn. Moreover, Thai Silk is also known as Titanium Flowerhorn as its body is covered with metallic scales. This fish is a smaller strain of Flowerhorn and an ideal type for those who love keeping smaller strains. However, the origin of Thai Silk is still ambiguous.
Features
The coloration of this magnificent fish is mostly metallic blue or white and even gold undertones. They have cherry-red eyes. Red eyes indicate increased fertility. They have friendly nature. They are hardy and undemanding in the aquarium.
Thai Silk Flowerhorns are not comparatively as aggressive as other Flowerhorns. They can be kept in a community tank with similar-sized fish. These fish show the best colors when fed proper nutrition and given proper water parameters.
They are medium-sized fish that grows around 8-12 inches.
Thai Silk is highly sensitive to ammonia and nitrates. Watching them exude their colors is enjoyable, that is only possible with great care from the owner. You should surely add this breed to your aquarium list.
King Kong Parrots
King Kong Parrots were first produced in Taiwan. They are the forest captive-breed Flowerhorns. They were developed into the Blood Parrots which are the first hybrid cichlids. New species of cichlids are obtained by the cross-breed Redhead cichlids, Red Devil cichlids, and Midas cichlids.
Features
They have vibrant red colors that are uniformly spread all over the body. They have a large body and are hence named King Kong Parrots. The Blood Parrot is characterized by a big head with a smaller body. Its mouth is V-shaped and has protruding eyes. However, they reach up to the size of 15 inches.
King Kong Parrot develops a reddish-orange color as it grows. Along with that their dorsal fin is shorter than their anal fin. The color of this fish can range from dark red to pink. Pigment injections are used to change their color to purple.
However, this isn’t considered a good practice. Additionally, its color also fades away as they grow.
This breed grows up to 15 inches in length and after maturity, most of them weigh below a half kilogram. King Kong Parrots have a lifespan of 12 years.
Remember that King Kong Parrot can easily get confused with Red Mammon. Due to this, sellers can take advantage to earn money. Juvenile King Kong Parrot costs between 15$ – 25$ and an adult King Kong Parrot pair costs around 50$ – 100$.
Kamfa Malau Flowerhorn
Kamfa Malau is produced by breeding the Kamfa male and Malau female. This breed truly inherits the best features of both parents.
Features
The body of Kamfa Malau is characterized by pearling. It is the most distinguishing feature of Kanfa Malau.
They have sunken eyes that resemble Kamfa Flowerhorn. The feature that makes them a unique breed is the colors they have.
Their body can be extremely colorful along with fins, tails, and hump. The pearling may often cross the hump.
Moreover, the fins of Kamfa Malau have a frosted pearl look that is rare to be found in other breeds. Males show more variety of colors than females. The hump size also differs as well.
Super Red Dragon
Super Red Dragon is a naturally bred Flowerhorn that is native to Thailand. As the name “Super Red Dragon”, this breed of Flowerhorn has a bright red coloration.
Features
The Super Red Dragon has a very sharp red color. It has a protruding nuchal hump on which black flowers sometimes appear. This gives them an exemplary look.
Its body has a stripe of black markings down its sides. They have red and yellow colored eyes. Along with this, their teeth are tiny and sharp. Beneath the chin, you can find a Churchillian fold. It has almost a round tail.
They also swim slower as compared to smaller fishes due to their stocky body structure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does sexual difference affect the look of Flowerhorn?
Yes, the sexual difference affects the look of Flowerhorn. Males have a larger and more vibrant nuchal hump than females. Another feature you can see is the vent. Males have V-shaped vents while females have U-shaped vents.
Moreover, males are more aggressive than females.
You might also be interested in the following topics:
Which strain of Flowerhorn is the most expensive?
King Kamfa is known to be the most expensive one. They are popular for their massive nuchal hump and patterns. King Kamfas have enlarged humps and magnificently vivid colors.
To add up to their luxurious look, they have thick-layered white pearling on their body. The pearling makes them look different from the Kamfa.
Hence, there is no doubt that King Kamfa is the most expensive Flowerhorn.
Conclusion
Who would not fall in love with the spectacular beauty of the Flowerhorn breeds? The above mentioned are some of the types that you can choose to have. Planning to have a Flowerhorn based on its beauty and looks is not enough. Rather, it needs a long-term commitment.
Learning about the proper environment for the breed you want to have is most important. Each breed needs different water parameters. You need to know about the water parameters, food, and temperature as well.
The bigger the tank size, the bigger will be the growth of the Flowerhorn. As Flowerhorns are a unique fish, it adds beauty to your aquarium.