DID YOU KNOW? Flowerhorn fishes are the most voracious and messy eaters. These flowerhorn fishes can eat anything you feed them. Generally, people like to feed pellets as their regular food. Unfortunately, you find out your flowerhorn is not eating pellets anymore. Your flowerhorn is spitting or refusing to eat pellets. What might be the main reason behind it?
There are quite a lot of possible reasons for this problem. Your flowerhorn might be tired of eating the same type of pellets every day. Other causes might be changes in water parameters, stress, fluctuation in temperature, changes in the environment, and perhaps might be scared of the new owner.
You can try changing your pellets often if your flowerhorn is not eating your regular pellets. Let’s discuss more in detail about this in the article.
7+ Reasons Why Your Flowerhorn Is Not Eating Pellets
There are many possible reasons for your flowerhorn to not eat at all. You must check your aquarium regularly to find every possible defect of your aquarium.
Good maintenance of your aquarium will almost solve all of your problems related to the flowerhorn not eating pellets.
Another reason might be that your flowerhorn is not interested in eating pellets. Try feeding other flowerhorn favorite foods that your flowerhorn likes. However, the following points might be the reason for your flowerhorn not eating pellets.
It’s All In The Poop
If you find that your flowerhorn is not eating pellets, the first thing you should do is check its poop. If the poop is white, other conditions in the tank may be the issue. However, if the poop is white, you have to use metronidazole solution in the tank water to make it better health.
If you cannot see any poop at all, then you should check its belly. Is it swollen? Then, your flowerhorn might be suffering from dropsy or swim bladder disorder. Thus, you might need to use some medicine/ antibiotics and aquarium salt to solve this issue.
And, be ready to wait for some time as it will take a few days, even up to a week, for the flowerhorn to get better. Up till then, quarantine your fish.
Bored From Same Type Of Pellets
We, human beings, like to taste and experience different flavors and types of foods. We do not like to eat the same food every day.
Would you like your favorite meal, or would you rather stick to the same meal you have every day? Obviously, You will prefer your favorite meal.
Therefore, you should try changing your pellets if your flowerhorn is not eating your regular pellets.
Scared Of New Environment
If you recently placed your flowerhorn in your new tank, your flowerhorn might be scared. Your flowerhorn fish takes time to adjust and eat in your new tank. Worry not; your flowerhorn will start eating pellets in one or two weeks.
Irregular Water Parameters
Proper water parameters are the most vital component for the survival of your flowerhorn fish. Your flowerhorn fish will eat properly only on certain water parameters.
Water parameters include water type, the temperature of the water, acidity, ammonia and nitrate level, water rigidity, etc.
These water parameters are briefly described below:-
Water Type
You can use any water type, such as tap/well water. But, you have to test your water with a proper water testing kit. Your tap water contains harmful chlorine, which stresses your fish.
Water Hardness
Flowerhorn fish requires slightly hard, slow-flowing freshwater. The ideal water hardness level should be 8-20 dGH.
Acidity
The pH value determines the acidity of your aquarium. A pH value of 6-7.5 is considered ideal for your flowerhorn fish.
Temperature Of Water
Your flowerhorn prefers warm water temperature of 78-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain the suitable water temperature of your tank that your flowerhorn likes.
Ammonia And Nitrate
Generally, Ammonia and NItrate chemicals are formed by food waste and fish waste of your flowerhorn fish. These chemicals stress your flowerhorn and kill your fish.
Make sure you perform frequent water changes in your tank. Most importantly, Do not overstock your flowerhorn.
Picky Eater
If your flowerhorn fish eat other foods like blood worms, shrimps, etc., instead of pellets, your flowerhorn might be a picky eater. This happens when you feed your flowerhorn fish with protein-rich foods like frozen bloodworms and shrimps from the start.
Infected Flowerhorn Fish
Generally, flowerhorn fish do not eat anything when these fishes are prone to diseases. Your flowerhorn fish might be suffering from diseases.
There are different kinds of flowerhorn diseases. Some of them are as follows:
- Dropsy- When your flowerhorn has its bloated stomach. It might be swimming upside down or not swimming at all.
- Parasitic infection- These can lead to white poop disease in the flowerhorn.
- Hole in the head(HITH)- When the KOK of the flowerhorn flattens more than it should.
- White spot disease(ICH)- When your flowerhorn has little white spots in its body.
- Septicemia
Stress
Stress in flowerhorn fish is caused by many factors. Especially, flowerhorn experiences stress due to changing environment, irregular water parameters, overcrowded tankmates, disturbances, etc.
Your flowerhorn fish will be passive and does not eat pellets or any foods due to stress.
Symptoms of Stress
- Loss of appetite
- Prone to diseases
- Odd swimming patterns
- Grasping at the surface
Excessive Lighting
Your flowerhorn fish requires adequate lighting for the proper development of their hump and body. Generally, your flowerhorn requires 8 hours of lighting in a day.
Excessive lighting also affects the appetite of your flowerhorn fish. There will be the formation of algae in your tank due to excessive lighting. Furthermore, it creates stress on your fish. Hence, flowerhorn cannot eat pellets in a stressful environment.
Some types of lights cause heating of your water temperature in your tank, which decreases the dissolved oxygen required for your flowerhorn fish.
How To Know My Flowerhorn Fish Has Excessive Lighting?
You will notice your flowerhorn fish will try to hide behind the rocks or space where this less light.
Scared From Noises
While feeding pellets, there must not be unwanted noises like loud music, banging on the desk, or any noises. Unwanted noises will scare your flowerhorn fish. Therefore, you should feed pellets in a quiet environment.
Solutions To Make Your Flowerhorn Eat Pellets
Flowerhorn fishes can live up to 3 days to more than two weeks without eating. You can trick your flowerhorn fish into eating regular pellets. But this is not the real solution for your flowerhorn fish to eat. This might help if your flowerhorn fish is a picky eater. Following are the solutions for your flowerhorn fish to eat.
Avoid Feeding Live Foods
Live Bloodworms, Brine shrimps, and small fishes are their favorite foods. It gives more protein, nutrients, and minerals required for your flowerhorn fish. These live fleshy food also helps in the growth and development of their humps. These live foods are the options for your flowerhorn fish.
Some flowerhorn fishes will not eat boring regular pellets if you give live foods regularly. You should feed these fleshy live foods in small amounts only. You can give it twice a week.
Starve Your Flowerhorn Fish
Although it might not be a great solution, it works in many instances. A human being cannot live without eating and drinking for a long time. Likewise, flowerhorn fishes also cannot endure without eating for a long time.
If you starve your flowerhorn fish for a long time, it can eat anything. Therefore, if your fish is too picky, this might be the solution for your flowerhorn fish.
NOTE: Do not make your flowerhorn fish hungry for many days; your flowerhorn fish might die from hunger. Generally, you can stop feeding for 3-4 days.
Try Different Flowerhorn Pellets
Pellets are the nutritional regular flowerhorn foods. There are different kinds of pellets found in the market. Your flowerhorn is bored from your regular pellets every time, which is also the cause of your flowerhorn not eating at all.
Try different pellets when your flowerhorn fish is bored eating the same. You should always try to feed your flowerhorn the best pellets.
I recommend Omega One pellets as it contains high protein. It contains the best ingredients, such as whole salmon, shrimps, and unprocessed cold-water proteins. Other high-quality pellets include OKIKO Fish Food Set L pellets and Hikari Floating Pellets.
Okiko and Hikari have cichlid-specific foods. Thus, it might be a better choice for you. You can just switch from one to the other to keep your flowerhorn cichlid happy with the variation.
Avoid Unnecessary Noises
Flowerhorn fishes are very sensitive to unwanted noises. Too many noises can scare your fish and cause stress in your flowerhorn.
Your flowerhorn will hide instead of eating pellets if there is the presence of unwanted noises while feeding. Therefore, there should be no presence of unwanted noises.
Create Stress-Free Environment
Your flowerhorn can eat pellets properly only if it can swim freely without any distress. Following are some points to create a stress-free environment for your fish:
- Clean your tank regularly and perform water changes
- Use of appropriate filters
- Separate your flowerhorn into a single tank
- Larger tank size with the use of decorations like rocks, driftwoods, and mixed gravels.
- Adequate lighting
I would recommend the following decorative items:
- Natural Large Coral Driftwood for Aquarium Decor Reptile Decor, Assorted Driftwood Branch 9-14″ 2 Pcs, Fish Tank Decoration
- SACKORANGE 2 LB Aquarium Gravel River Rock – Natural Polished Decorative Gravel, Small Decorative Pebbles, Mixed Color Stones, for Aquariums, Landscaping, Vase Fillers (32-Oz)
- WAYBER 1 Lb/460g Natural Pink Quartz Crystal Stones Irregular Aquarium Pebbles Rock Sands for Turtle Tank/Succulent Plants/Vase Decoration (Fill 1 Cup)
Add Thermometer To Your Tank
Maybe your flowerhorn is not eating pellets due to sudden water temperature changes. No worries, you can add a thermometer in this situation.
The thermometer measures the water temperature in your tank. If your water temperature does not meet the ideal water temperature, your flowerhorn will experience stress.
Furthermore, your flowerhorn won’t eat pellets or any foods. Hence, the thermometer helps measure your water temperature.
Use Of LED Or Fluorescent Light
Your flowerhorn might not able to locate your pellets due to deem lighting. LEDs or Fluorescent lamps are the best types of lamps for your flowerhorn fish. These lights do not emit more heat into your water tank.
These lights help your flowerhorn to locate the pellets in your tank. Furthermore, your flowerhorn can eat and sleep at the proper time with the help of lighting.
MingDak LED Aquarium Plant Light can be helpful for your flowerhorn tank.
Sinking Pellets
Both sinking and floating pellets provide great results in your flowerhorn fish.
You can choose any sinking or floating pellets.
In my view, you should prefer floating pellets because your flowerhorn must swim to the surface of the water to eat pellets. Furthermore, you can observe and monitor your flowerhorn health each day. Also, this helps you to adjust your feeding rate to flowerhorn properly.
Some FAQs
How Often Should I Feed My Flowerhorn Fish?
You should feed your flowerhorn two or three times a day. Your flowerhorn fish will spit out if you are overfeeding.
Where To Buy Flowerhorn Cichlid Pellets?
You can buy flowerhorn pellets from an online aquarium store, or you can purchase one from a nearby aquarium shop. Always try to feed your flowerhorn with the best protein-rich nutritional flowerhorn pellets.
What Can You Feed Flowerhorn Fish If You Have No Fish Food?
You can try feeding boiled peas, some slices of cucumber or zucchini, and shredded lettuce if you have no fish food.
Conclusion
Flowerhorn have a huge appetite and can devour any food. There are plenty of options to feed your flowerhorn besides pellets. You can try feeding bloodworms, frozen shrimps, etc.
Your flowerhorn might not be interested in eating pellets. However, you can feed pellets with proper training.
You can try applying the solutions I have given above to make your flowerhorn eat pellets.