Goldfish are hardy aquatic fish that can deal with temperature fluctuation, changes in pH, and many more. These fish are one of the most popular aquarium fish to date. They are found in every country in the world. Furthermore, goldfish are easy to keep and don’t need high maintenance. They are also one of the common fish for beginners. Can Flowerhorn live with goldfish?
Flowerhorn is also one of the famous fish in fish keeping community. They are famous for their vivid color, nuchal hump or Kok, and super dynamic behavior. They are one the aggressive fish. They will follow you wherever you go, near the aquarium.
The simple answer to “Can Flowerhorn Live With Goldfish” is nearly impossible. Because Flowerhorn is a very aggressive fish and can kill the Goldfish by biting them, they won’t show any kindness towards Goldfish. If you want to keep them together, then read the article further.
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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Flowerhorn Cichlids
Before going further, take a look at Flowerhorn’s appearance, size, water parameters, behavior, tank size, and many more.
Introduction
Flowerhorn Cichlids are one the famous and aggressive freshwater fish. They are famous for their aggressiveness, nuchal hump or Kok, and vivid color. They have been one of the favorite aquarium fish in recent times as they follow you anywhere in the tank. You can spend hours playing with your Flowerhorn. Some Flowerhorn takes their Kok out of the water to be petted.
Flowehorn is also known as the best fighter in the fish tank. They are not scared of any fish bigger than them. So you should think and act very wisely while choosing a tank partner for Flowerhorn Cichlids.
Appearance
Nuchal hump and the vivid color of this fish are what make them famous. They are one of the kinds. Flowerhorns have an extended body with long pointed dorsal and anal fins.
The nuchal hump of the Flowerhorn can grow up to 5 inches. Fish sellers mark their prices according to the size of the nuchal hump. That means if their nuchal hump is big, then the price of that particular fish goes up.
By the way, only male Flowerhorns can grow a nuchal hump. It is also said that the bigger the nuchal hump, the more aggressive the fish.
Similarly, they have a great vivid color that can drag everyone’s eye. They have darker color at the front and lighter color at the back. Commonly, males are more vibrant than females.
Flowerhorns have dorsal fins that are almost like braids, and the tail is round and thin. Some fins are so thin we through the fins.
Lifespan
The minimum lifespan of Flowerhorn is 11-12 years. They are quite strong fish. If you take good care of the fish, then it may live longer.
To sustain their lifespan, you should take good care of your fish by maintaining the tank properly. Flowerhorns can live up to 15 years or more by the time they can reach their full potential if you give them a proper diet and a big space to roam around.
Size
Flowerhorn can grow up to 12 to 16 inches. In which female FLowerhorns are smaller than male FLowerhorn. The size may be different accordion to the size of your tank.
They can get bigger very quickly. You can see changes every month as they will grow bigger monthly. Make sure you provide a proper diet so that they are healthy to grow.
Tank Size
The size of the tank is very important while keeping FLowerhorn cichlids. They need a 70-gallon tank individually.
So, if you are willing to keep two Flowerhorn at a time in the same tank, you will be needing a 140-gallon tank.
They need a big tank because they like to roam around. They wander the tank left to right, top to bottom. Furthermore, they will feel comfortable if you keep them in a big tank.
Water Parameters
Proper water parameters always help a fish to grow and make them healthier. So, if you are keeping a fish, make sure you maintain the water parameters according to the fish.
Flowerhorn cichlid are tropical fish, and they like warm water, so you should maintain the temperature of water to 80- 89 degrees Fahrenheit, 7-8 pH range, and the hardness of the water must be 8-20 dGH.
Food And Diet
Every living being needs food to survive and stay healthy. There are varieties of food for Flowerhorn. But you should provide food according to their age as baby Flowerhorn needs protein to grow faster.
Selecting food for Fowerhorn might be tricky. As some brands specifically manufacture food for Flowerhorn and on the other hand there is multi-fish food that also can be beneficial for your Flowerhorn.
The main thing that should be considered while picking food for Flowerhorn fish is protein content, vegetable fiber, pellet size, and flavor. The last thing to check is the price.
You can feed bloodworms, crickets, small grasshoppers, worms, and shrimps to your Flowerhorn. Moreover, you can also feed palettes. You should feed plants based foods for nutrients.
Instead of feeding them a large portion at a time, you should feed them multiple times a day. In my opinion feeding, multiple times in a day is very advantageous as you can get in contact with your tank more often while feeding the fish. You can check if all things are going well in the tank.
Goldfish
Know about Goldfish a little more before keeping them in the tank.
Introduction
Goldfish are a popular fish for beginners. I think everyone has once kept Goldfish in their tank in their fish-keeping journey. They are strong aquatic fish that can deal with temperature fluctuation, changes in pH, etc.
These fish are also one of the oldest aquarium fish. They are called Carassius auratus scientifically. They were domesticated nearly 2000 years ago by humans. There is a big confusion that Koi are oversized Goldfish which is the wrong thing.
Appearance
There are different types of Goldfish. They can be different in size, color, and shape. Commonly, most of the Goldfish is of orange color, some of them are grayish-white with orange spots, and some of them have black spot.
There are fancy Goldfish. Some of them are Jikin, which has a butterfly or peacock-type tail. But they can’t reach their lifespan potential due to insufficient housing conditions.
Lifespan
Goldfish can live up to 10-15 years, but if you provide good care to your Goldfish, then it can live up to 30 years.
For their more lifespan you should provide them with a good aquarium with proper equipment. Goldfish can live 2-3 years in a fishbowl.
Yes, Goldfish is a strong fish that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of it. They will live happily, healthy, and long if you take good care of them.
Size
When it comes to the size of Goldfish, they will get bigger according to the size of your aquarium.
If you keep your Goldfish in small fish tanks, they tend to grow about 1-2 inches long, but they will never grow larger than 6 inches. Similarly, if you keep your Goldfish in a big pond or big aquarium then they can grow up to 12-14 inches long.
Hence, if you are willing to make your Goldfish bigger, then you should provide them with a big space.
Tank Size
Talking about tank size, they will be needing at least a 20-gallon tank individually. They need a large space for swimming around the tank.
So, if you have 2 Goldfish, you should provide them with a 40-gallon tank so that they can live in comfort. Specifically, according to the fish experts, they recommend a 42-gallon tank for 2 Goldfish.
Water Parameters
Goldfish are found in slow-moving water, and they are freshwater fish. So, they thrive at the temperature of 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit with a pH value of 7. And lastly, the hardness of water must be between 200-400 ppm
If you maintain water parameters properly, then they can live happily in your tank. Don’t forget to change the water weekly or monthly.
Food And Diet
There are varieties of food for Goldfish. But you should know what to feed them.
Before you buy food for your fish, you should check the ingredients used in the product. There should be moisture, protein, fat, fiber, and phosphorus.
But you should provide pellets to your Goldfish rather than other foods. As some Goldfish are round in shape, they can ingest air and have floating disorders as the flakes float more than pellets in water.
If you provide them with proper food, then they can live healthier and grow faster, so make sure you choose the right food for your fish.
Why It Is Impossible to Keep Flowerhorn and Goldfish Together?
As said, they are two different types of fish that thrive at different temperatures. They are also of different kinds of behavior, Flowerhorns are aggressive fish, and Goldfish are not aggressive fish. The reasons why they can’t live together are as follows.
Water Parameters
Water parameters are one of the significant things while keeping fish. Moreover, water parameters should be strictly maintained while keeping fish. They can’t live without the right temperature.
Flowerhorns tend to be kept at a temperature of 80-89 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH of 6.5-7.8. If the water conditions are perfectly maintained, it can help them to get their best color.
Talking about Goldfish, they are meant to be kept at a temperature of 76-82 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH of 7. Lastly, if you are keeping fancy Goldfish in your aquarium then you should be very careful with the water parameters.
Flowerhorns come from tropical regions in which they live in warm water. Having said that, if you raise the temperature of water for Flowerhorn, on the other side, Goldfish will suffer from high temperatures that will suffocate them and increase their metabolism.
So, this is one of the reasons why you can’t keep Flowerhorn and Goldfish together. They both thrive in different kinds of temperatures to live.
Tank Size
Talking about tank size your Flowerhorn cichlids and Goldfish will be needing a big tank as Flowerhorn alone should be kept at a 70-gallon tank minimum. They will roam all over the tank.
Mostly Goldfish will grow up to 6 inches long in the aquarium. If you raise your Goldfish in the pond, then it can get up to 14 inches. A single Goldfish will need a 20-gallon tank, and if you are keeping two Goldfish, then you will be needing a 40-gallon tank, and so on.
So, you will need a 100-gallon tank minimum. A tank smaller than this will create chaos in the tank, and surely it will compromise a fish’s potential adult size and cause disturbance while roaming around.
But it can create a big problem for low-budget fish keepers. Because the tank is very big, you should invest in bigger equipment which will clean the tank.
They Are Two Different Fish
Goldfish are non-aggressive fish, and they don’t like violence. They are very gentle as they look. Moreover, these fish love to live in groups as they are community fish. They don’t mark their territory. These fish wander around freely.
On the other hand, we have Flowerhorn, one of the aggressive fish in aquariums fish. They are also known as the best fighter in a fish tank. Flowerhorn is not scared of any fish. They will fight with fish that are bigger than them.
As mentioned above, Goldfish don’t mark their territory, whereas Flowerhorn does mark their territory. They can get aggressive if any fish crosses their territory. If they both are kept in the same tank, Goldfish will surely suffer from bullying, biting, mentally or physically.
While keeping them together, your Goldfish will face bullying, bitting, and biting, poor Goldfish.
But some of the fish keepers have successfully kept Flowerhorns with other cichlids. This thing is very rare, If you are lucky enough, then they may get together and live peacefully.
Flowerhorns are carnivorous fish, as we all know. They can even eat the Goldfish if they are small enough. They won’t hesitate to eat poor little Goldfish thinking of food.
Maintenance Of Tank
Both fish will make a big mess. Goldfish surely is one of the messiest fish in the fishkeeping world. The amount of waste they produce is non-thinkable. Flowehorns also make the tank dirty too soon. So you will need a powerful filter to clean the big tank.
If you are lucky and can keep them together, then they will make a big mess in your tank, which will build toxic ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This will be a big problem if you are keeping both in the same tank. Goldfish will produce slime from their body which will pollute the water quickly.
So, if you are lucky enough to keep Flowerhorn and Goldfish together, then you should probably keep a very good filter in your tank, and you should strictly check your water parameters from time to time. If the water parameters fluctuate too much, then your Flowerhorn can get sick.
Flowerhorns Can Eat Your Goldfish
Flowehorns are aggressive fish, as we know they will surely show dominance to other fish in the same tank.
Your Flowerhorn will bully your Goldfish for sure if they are big, but if your Goldfish is small to fit in your Flowerhorn fish, then surely he won’t hesitate to eat your Goldfish. Flowehorn will think of food seeing the poor little Goldfish.
So, don’t keep Flowerhorn with any small fish or Goldfish.
FAQ
Can Flowerhorn live with African Cichlids?
Yes, they can live with African cichlids if you apply the right conditions in the tank. They both are aggressive fish so make sure you keep a separate aquarium ready so that you can separate them if they try to show dominance to each other.
Can 2 Flowerhorns Live Together?
Yes, two Flowerhorns can live together if the tank size is big enough for both of them, and they should be comfortable with each other.
Our Conclusion
Both fish are very colorful fish that drags everyone’s eyes. Goldfish are the beginner’s fish, so if you are new to fish keeping world, then you should start the journey with Goldfish.
Flowerhorns are very playful fish. You can spend hours playing with them. They will follow you everywhere in the tank. If you maintain proper water parameters for them and feed them a proper diet, then they will grow faster.
Lastly, keeping Goldfish and Flowerhorn together is nearly impossible. I think now you know why they can’t be together by reading the article we have written.