Yes, Flowerhorns can be crossbred with other cichlids. Flowerhorn is a crossbreed that the Flowerhorn enthusiasts made by crossbreeding different fish species. What kind of other cichlids can Flowerhorn be crossbred with? You can find out in this article.
Flowerhorns are freshwater cichlids with a hump in their heads. This fish is being experimented with for their unique body and hump size. As Flowerhorns are temperamental fish, the environment in which they live should be decorated appropriately. It should be kept with only those cichlids with whom Flowerhorns are compatible.
Generally, there are different cichlids that the Flowerhorns can be crossbred with. Crossbreeding with varying species of fish brings unique body structures and features. Hence, Flowerhorns have experimented. We will discuss the origins of different Flowerhorn species below.
Kamfa Flowerhorn
Kamfa Flowerhorns originated from Luohans. These fish was the crossbreed between any type of Parrot cichlid. They can also be created by crossbreeding between any species of the genus Vieja. This strain is said to have brought unique body traits like round mouths, sunken eyes, larger head humps, and so on.
Here are the traits that Flowerhorn must contain to be known as Kamfa Flowerhorn.
- A round and small lip
- Squared body structure
- Yellow or white eyes
- Short fins
- No defects like overbites or underbites
- Strong tail
Flowerhorn must possess a minimum of 75% of the above traits to be a “Kamfa Flowerhorn.” The Kanfas can be kept with a few fish like Silver Arowana, Tiger Oscar, Pleco, and Large Bichirs.
However, it is better if these Flowerhorns are kept alone as they are known to be highly territorial.
Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorn
Similar to Kamfa Flowerhorns, Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorns are also derived from Luohans, but slightly after Kamfa Flowerhorns. Zhen-Zhu Malau Flowerhorns are created using the gene pool of Malau and Zhen-Zhu species.
Like Kamfas, Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorns also have some traits. Here are some traits for Flowerhorn to be Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorn.
- Red eyes
- Pointy mouth
- Trailing fins
- Weak tail
- Long body
Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorns can also be categorized into Blue Dragons, Red Dragons, and Super Red Dragons. Pearling is Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorn’s strongest characteristic. Due to its pearling, Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorns are more popular. Most of the breeders cross other breeds of Flowerhorns with Zhen-Zhu as they breed easily. Through the shimmering details, Zhen-Zhu Flowerhorns can be easily recognized.
Red Texas Cichlids
Red Texas Cichlids are created by crossbreeding green Texas Cichlids with the Mammon. Likewise, Red Texas Cichlids belong to the Golden Base family.
These Flowerhorns are crossbred with the King Kong Parrots to obtain the red color. The red color of Red Texas is the most prominent feature that makes the Red Texas cichlids popular.
The brightness of the red color in their body determines their value. The one with the maximum grade of red color is valued more than the faded ones.
The ones with yellow colors are known to be second-grade. After the yellow ones, orange-colored Texas comes. Most of Texas lies in this category.
Midas Cichlids
Another species that the Flowerhorn can breed with is Midas Cichlids. These cichlids are known to play a great role in breeding different types of Flowerhorns.
You can find Midas Cichlids in different colors. These fish can be orange, white, yellow, or darker brown. They can have a body length of up to 14 inches. Talking about the body structure, these fish are quite big with luscious fins.
Generally, the lumps can be found in their body only at the time of the breeding season.
You can keep these fish with Flowerhorns. Due to their bright color, they are popular among enthusiasts. Hence, Midas Cichlids are known to be the crucial breed in the process of developing Flowerhorns.
Wolf Cichlids
Among many cichlids, Wolf Cichlids are another species that you can breed with Flowerhorns to produce unique Flowerhorns. Wolf Cichlids are famous for the colors and patterns in their body. Moreover, it consists of dots in its body with a body color of golden or light silver color.
The fins and tails of this cichlid are blue-shaded with green and red colors on their head. You can easily distinguish the male and female Midas Cichlids since female Midas Cichlids are yellow.
A pH of 7 is preferable for this cichlid. Since these fish can tolerate different water parameters, you can mostly find them in rivers. You can breed Midas Cichlids with many other cichlids. But Midas cichlid has a huge role in breeding different breeds of Flowerhorns as well.
Jaguar Cichlids
Flowerhorn cichlids are compatible to breed with Jaguar Cichlids as well. As these cichlids are temperamental, they need larger aquariums and larger space. Talking about its body structure, Jaguar Cichlids have oval-shaped elongated bodies. As this fish is carnivorous fish, they mostly eat dried foods, frozen foods, insects, worms, and flakes. They are characterized by sharp teeth, and their lower jaw extends beyond their upper jaw.
You can keep Jaguar Cichlids with another Jaguar Cichlid. It is best if you keep this cichlid in a pair. You can add multiple juvenile males and females Jaguar Cichlids for some time until they form a bond.
Acara Cichlids
Acara Cichlids are agressive and territorial fish. You can find this fish in many colors: blue, green, brown, black, and green. Their body is typically a mixture of dots, stripes, and patches. You can often find dark lateral stripes along the midsection of this fish.
Most of the Acara cichlids can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Due to this, these fish are easy to take care of.
Some varieties of Acara Cichlids are:
- Blue Acara
- Red Port Acara
- Keyhole Acara
- Two-spot Acara
- Flag Acara
Oscar Fish
Being part of the same family, Flowerhorn and Oscar fish can be crossbred. Flowehorn and Oscar fish are both territorial fish. They need a larger space to swim freely. They have many things in common.
Similarly, both of these fish eat a similar diet, like brine shrimps, bloodworms, dried foods, and frozen foods.
However, when you pair Flowerhorn and an Oscar fish, make sure to pair similar-sized fish. If the size of an Oscar fish is smaller than the Flowerhorn cichlid, the smaller-sized Oscar fish will not be able to withstand the aggression of the Flowerhorn.
Oscar fish have a long, egg-shaped body structure. Uncolored patches surround their bodies that extend up to the starting point of the dorsal fins.
Blood Parrot Fish
Blood Parrots are the cichlids that are products of the crossbreeding of the Midas Cichlids and the Red Head Cichlids. Furthermore, Blood Parrot Fish are peaceful cichlids that you can keep together.
These species are normally red, yellow, bright orange, or gray in color. Male Blood Parrot fish are generally larger than females. You can characterize these fish by their balloon-shaped body structure.
You can learn them as Parrot Fish since their nose looks like parrot beak. As these fish are shy, you can keep them with fish that have fair-sized bodies.
You need to ensure not to keep the Blood Parrot Cichlids with higher aggression levels that may harm the cichlids.
Thai Silk Flowerhorn
If you love keeping smaller strains of Flowerhorns, the Thai Silk Flowerhorn is the best option for you.
It has a metallic blue color. The coloration of this fish can also be whiter or golden undertones. Thai Silk Flowerhorns are not as aggressive as other Flowerhorns. You can see their magnificent coloration if you feed them proper nutrition in their diet.
The crossbreed made with this fish is eye-catching and stunning. Thai Silk Flowerhorn is the newest type of Flowerhorns. This Flowerhorn can be crossbred with other cichlids to get different breeds of Flowerhorns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Fish Can You Breed With Flowerhorns?
You can breed many cichlids with Flowerhorns. Some of the cichlids are Blood-Red Parrot Cichlids, Oscar Cichlids, Acara Cichlids, Green Terror Cichlids, Pacu Fish, Wolf Cichlids, Jaguar Cichlids, Midas Cichlids, etc.
Can Flowerhorns Live With Other Cichlids?
Yes, Flowerhorns can live with other cichlids. But, Flowerhorns are aggressive fish. Due to their aggressiveness, Flowerhorns are hard to keep with roommates. Flowerhorns need larger space of their own. When any other fish comes to their territory, it harms or even kills that fish. Due to these reasons, Flowerhorns are better when kept alone in the tank.
Is Flowerhorn Hard To Breed?
Flowerhorns are hybrid fish. The reason that they are hybrid fish, most of the Flowerhorns have the chance of infertility. Male Flowerhorns are more infertile than female Flowerhorns. Additionally, breeding a pair of Flowerhorns can have more difficulties.
Are Oscar Fish Compatible With Flowerhorn?
Yes, Oscar fish are highly compatible with Flowerhorns. They have very common characteristics being part of the same family. If you are searching for the most compatible fish for Flowerhorn, choose an Oscar Fish to add to your Flowerhorn tank.
Conclusion
Flowerhorns are hybrid fish. Similarly, Flowerhorns are going through experimentation to get new and unique features. Some of them are even taken into account to create new breeds of different colors and sizes.
Moreover, one needs to understand that different strains of Flowerhorns need different temperatures to live. Hence, you can find many breeds of Flowerhorns now.