Do you think genetics have a full role in the growth and size of the Flowerhorn? If you think so, you are wrong. Yes, Flowerhorn’s growth depends on genetics. But it is only partially true. How Do You Groom A Flowerhorn?
You can improve its growth and, most importantly, hump growth. Grooming of the Flowerhorn requires proper care. Flowerhorns can be groomed using different methods. However, grooming may involve the use of chemicals too.
Here are some safe ways you can groom your Flowerhorn. This requires your patience and dedication. Setting a realistic goal and working on your Flowerhorn in the right timeframe is a very crucial thing.
Did you ever think about why you are not getting good results even after spending a lot of effort and amount on your Flowehorn? If you guys follow all these tricks, I am sure that your Flowerhorn, if having good genes, can give you very good results.
Flowerhorn Grooming Tips
- Deworming
- Water Change
- Diet And Food Quality
- Attractive Background
- Lighting And Heater
- Tank Size
- Water Condition
- Water Quality
Water Change
The first step is to change the water. You must change the water every week or once in 3 days. Performing water changes is a crucial factor that affects the health and growth speed of your Flowerhorn.
The fish poop gets trapped inside the substrate and results in gas building up. And when the gas gets released into the aquarium, the level of ammonia gradually spikes up. This results in fluctuation of the water parameters that may result in the death of your fish.
Use a siphon pipe to drain the water. You can use a normal pipe, but a siphon pipe is better compared to a normal pipe. It can also be used to clean the gravel and fish poop too. So whenever you clean the water, make sure to clean the gravel too.
Lights in the aquarium cause algae formation and reduce visibility. Use the glass cleaner to remove the dirt from the aquarium glasses.
Before refilling the water, check the water temperature and make sure the temperature of both the tank and the water ready to get refilled is the same. A temperature difference of 1° is fine.
Deworming
Deworming keeps your Flowerhorn parasite-free and healthy. Moreover, deworming is also a way to improve Flowerhorn’s coloration. Deworming consists of oral medication and manual removal. Commonly, worms are found in the intestine of Flowerhorns. The medications are:
Manual Removal
This method involves the use of forceps or tweezers to remove worms from Flowerhorn’s body. Hold your Flowerhorn gently and remove the worms, keeping in mind not to damage the skin of the Flowerhorn. Disinfect your hands and tools used after removing the worms because it is important to prevent other Flowerhorns from parasites.
Dewormer Medication
Oral Medication/ Dewormer Medication is done with the course of antibiotics which will kill parasites in Flowerhorn’s intestine. Firstly, you will need a dewormer that is safe for Flowerhorns. You can use Levamisole HCl, as it is safe for fish and cures a range of parasites. Using a dewormer usually involves mixing dewormer with water in a certain ratio.
For a liquid version, you can take API MELAFIX Freshwater Fish Bacterial Infection Remedy 16-Ounce Bottle. Similarly, if you want tablets, Seachem Metronidazole works well too.
Diet And Quality Food
Flowerhorns are omnivorous and need a protein diet. Give your Flowerhorn a protein-rich diet that helps to bulk your Flowerhorn. Giving a proper diet with balanced proteins leads to the potential growth of Flowerhorn in 3-4 months. Note that excessive protein will lead the damage to your Flowerhorn’s internal organs.
Bloating is a common problem in Flowerhorns. So, to stimulate the digestive system, I recommend you feed them wet foods.
Here are some of the food that you can feed to your flowerhorn.
- Hikari Flowerhorn Fish Food
- OKIKO flowerhorn Cichlid Fish
- Fluval A6581 Bug Bites Cichlid Pellets
- Amzey Dries Shrimp Fish Foods
- Appetizing Shrimp Mealworms
- Tetra Jumbokrill Jumbo Shrimp
- Ocean Pellets Humpy Xo Flowerhorn Food
Water Cycling
Your flowerhorn cannot live in dirty water. For the good health of your flowerhorn, you need to cycle the water often and focus on the health of your fish.
If you want your flowerhorn to be healthy, then never put your flowerhorn in dirty water. You should cycle the water and wait until the water cycling process completes.
After completing the water cycling process, you need to maintain the water temperature and quality of the tank. This will keep your flowerhorn healthy and increase its lifespan. If you want to enhance the lifespan of your fish, keep the temperature of your tank between the range of 80 – 85°F.
You must maintain this temperature if you want your flowerhorn to live longer. If you keep focusing on the ideal temperature, pH, and water quality, your flowerhorn will have a longer lifespan.
Tank Size
Flowerhorn usually requires a tank size of a minimum of 55 gallons. An ideal flowerhorn requires 125 gallons. If you plan to keep a pair, they will need a tank size of 150 gallons.
The reason why your flowerhorn cichlids need a larger space is for comfort as flowerhorns like to roam around. Giving them enough space will let them turn around in comfort.
The size of the tank depends on the size of your flowerhorn. If you are getting a smaller-sized tank, it will harm and affect the lifespan of your flowerhorn.
Filtration
Any experienced fish keeper will tell you that filtration is key to a healthy aquarium. This is especially true for flowerhorns, which are very sensitive to ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. In order to maintain good water quality throughout the tank, it is necessary to do a partial water change every week.
However, simply changing the water is not enough. The large tanks that flowerhorns need also require a good filter. A quality filter will help to remove harmful toxins from the water and keep the tank clean. Moreover, it is important to choose the right filter for your particular aquarium.
There are many different types of filters on the market, so it is important to do your research and find one that will suit your needs. With proper filtration, you can help ensure that your flowerhorn stays healthy and grows to its full potential.
You can choose from the following:
- Hydro Professional External Canister Filter
- Eheim Classic External Canister Filter
- Aqua Clear Power Filter IIO
Lighting And Heater
Lighting affects the growth speed of Flowerhorns. Proper lighting is essential if you wish your Flowerhorn to grow to its full potential. Lighting affects the head growth of the Flowerhorn.
Natural daylight is one of the sources of lighting in your tank. It helps to enhance the coloration of the Flowerhorn. Place the Flowerhorn tank in a location where there is plenty of sunlight.
However, avoid direct sunlight as it speeds up algae growth and brings fluctuations in temperature.
If there is no proper location for indirect sunlight, artificial lighting is needed. Cool daylight fluorescent lamps can be used. Cool daylight lighting that gives light pink lights is preferred over white and blue lights. White and blue lights may cause discomfort for Flowerhorns.
Lights should be positioned 6 inches above the water level. This prevents the strong light from stressing your Flowerhorn. Thus, the proper choice of lighting will help your Flowerhorn grow to its potential.
How To Increase Hump-Size Of Flowerhorn?
Flowerhorn fish is mostly in demand due to its color and hump. It is believed that the bigger the head, the more luck will be. I have seen many owners selling their Flowerhorn due to the small hump.
The foremost point is tank size. If you keep them in a small tank, they will not get enough space to grow. Due to this, their growth will stop, which will affect the head growth too. To grow the hump size, you will need a minimum of a 70-gallon tank.
Head size also depends on the aggressiveness of the Flowerhorn. Aggressiveness not only helps in growing the head of your Flowerhorn but will also increase the color.
Grooming Flowerhorn Fish Using Mirror
Have you ever wanted to get your Flowerhorn to grow a bigger nuchal hump? Or maybe you just want to increase its aggression? Either way, there’s one trick that can help you achieve either (or both) of those goals: get a mirror and station it in your aquarium. Upon seeing its reflection, your Flowerhorn should start going ballistic.
You see, by seeing itself in the mirror, the Flowerhorn thinks its reflection is a different fish and starts attacking the mirror, thinking that it is attacking some other fish. This creates excessive aggression in the Flowerhorn, which can lead to a bigger nuc. Just be sure to get a mirror with no sharp edges and place it inside the Flowerhorn tank. Most hobbyists use Toblerone Mirror for Flowerhorn to make the hump of the Flowerhorn bigger.
Do this exercise a few times a week and remove the mirror at other times. This will make your Flowerhorn feel that it defeated the other fish in the tank. And voila! You’ve got yourself one big, aggressive Flowerhorn. Just remember that, before implementing these suggestions, always check that your specimen doesn’t have the genetic disposition that prevents the growth of a large nuchal hump. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a regular-sized flowerhorn.
Use Of Mirror And Flowerhorn Aggression
You cannot put a mirror on every time. This will create aggression at the wrong times and let your fish affect its health.
Many people who keep Flowerhorns as pets are interested in increasing the size of the hump on the fish’s head. While there are a number of factors that can influence the size of the hump, including genetics and diet, one simple way to encourage growth is by promoting aggression.
This can be accomplished by placing a mirror in front of the tank. The Flowerhorn will see its reflection and start to attack. After 15 minutes, remove the mirror, and you should notice that your Fish’s hump has increased slightly in size.
In addition to aggression, water quality and diet are also important factors in determining the size of the hump. By paying attention to these three elements, you can encourage healthy growth in your Flowerhorn’s hump.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Long Do I Put The Grooming Mirror In The Flowerhorn Tank?
You can use the mirror once a day for 15-20 minutes every session. If you want faster results, try keeping the mirror twice a day for 15-20 minutes each session.
How Do I Make The Hump Size Of My Flowerhorn Bigger?
One of the techniques for making the hump size of Flowerhorn bigger is by using a grooming mirror. Have you ever seen a flowerhorn go crazy when it sees its reflection in a mirror? If you have, you’re not alone. Many flowerhorn owners report seeing their fish become aggressive when they catch a glimpse of themselves in the mirror.
While this may seem like harmless fun at first, it can actually lead to some serious problems. Excessive aggression can damage the delicate fins and scales of the flowerhorn, and it can also cause stress and anxiety.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to help your flowerhorn calm down. Simply place a mirror inside the tank, and allow your fish to “attack” it a few times each week. This will help the flowerhorn release its excess energy, and it will also give it a sense of accomplishment. After a while, you can remove the mirror and enjoy a calm and happy fish.
Conclusion
There are generally many factors that affect the grooming and growth of the Flowerhorn. The water quality, water changes, water condition, diet, and environment in which you keep your flowerhorn affect the growth of your Flowerhorn. For growing, its hump-size mirror technique is used. You can try to use this technique as described above to see better results.