Are you obsessed with Flowerhorns? But is it your first time getting one? If the answer to that is yes, then you’ve come to the perfect place for some quality advice. I was as confused as you when I got my first Flowerhorn. I had to do hours of research to find out that it is not that difficult to raise a baby Flowerhorn. But you don’t have to do all that work because I got you!
Raising a baby flowerhorn can be a daunting task but with proper water parameters, tank size, diet, and equipped tanks, you are good to go. To raise a flowerhorn right, you should understand the phases of their growth and what is essential for them to be happy and healthy.
This article has everything you need, from advice on taking care of the baby Flowerhorn to its basic needs to its diet, water and tank requirements, tips on maintaining the water quality, and so much more. Taking care of any pet is hard, but we are here to show you the right ways to do it. We will equip you with everything you need to raise a baby flowerhorn smoothly.
Read more to educate yourself more about how to raise a baby Flowerhorn.
What Does A Baby Flowerhorn Look Like?
Flowerhorns or Flowerhorn cichlids are medium-sized fish. These fish are about 16 inches long and weigh around 1 kg or above. Flowerhorns are round and symmetrical in shape, accompanied by long fins, and are beautiful fish that are very vibrant in color. Similarly, your flowerhorn also has clear white or yellow eyes. Caring for these fish is not that difficult as long as you keep our simple but effective tips in mind.
How To Take Care Of A Baby Flowerhorn
Fishes are hard to take care of, and that’s a known fact. Flowerhorns especially can be quite difficult to take care of for beginners because of their uniqueness. So here are some points that are going to help you understand the process easily and quickly.
Tank Size
The minimum size recommended for an adult Flowerhorn is 70 gallons. If you’re looking for a fish that will fit in a medium-sized tank, Flowerhorns are not for you. A small tank will be uncomfortable for most fishes, but Flowerhorns require more attention in this matter.
Temperature
The water temperature for Flowerhorns is mostly the same as any other tropical fish. However, these fish thrive between 20c to 30 C which is precisely recommended to be kept between 28 to 31 C.
Filtration
To get a healthy Flowerhorn, you need a good filtration system. Overhead filters are the first recommendation as they are easier to clean and clogging is minimal. Choosing a good filtration system will take a lot of stress off your shoulders.
Water Quality
Make sure you take care of the water quality properly. The wellness and development depend on the water quality. Make sure water is filtering properly and change the water twice or thrice every month. Clean and healthy water is a must for any fish to grow and live properly.
Salt
Salt provides sodium and chloride ions which helps fish stabilize. It also helps kill any parasites in the tank. Salt also helps in giving your fish a homely environment. Your tank contents showing song dissolved salt helps give a safe feel to your fish.
Water Changes
Keep in mind that the filter doesn’t clean a hundred percent of everything. You have to change 100% of the water twice or thrice every month and 20% to 30% of the water every week. This will ensure your fish’s health and happiness.
PH Level
Flowerhorns need a medium PH level of 7.5 to 8.0. There is an extreme need to be careful as even a slight change in the PH level is very dangerous for Flowerhorns. So check the PH level of the tank regularly. Mix some crushed corals to help maintain the PH level.
Hardness Level
The alkalinity of water is the hardness of the water. Flowerhorns need alkalinity ranging from 6 to 20 DGH.
Checking Up On Their Health
Checking up on your fish time-to-time and giving it the attention it deserves is very important. Furthermore, checking the water quality, temperature, PH level, etc. along with checking your fish’s behavior is very important. Look out for any potential symptoms of any diseases. Pay close attention to your cute Flowerhorn, and observe if it’s doing well.
Treatment
Take action as soon as you notice something wrong with your fish. Do not panic. Diseases are unavoidable sometimes. In most cases, the faster you start the treatment, the faster your fish will get better.
The faster your fish gets better, the healthier it will remain. If you have more than one fish and one of your fish gets a contagious disease or infection. Shift the other uninfected fish to another tank immediately.
Feeding
Feeding Flowerhorns are easy like any other hybrid tropical fish, as they all have a great appetite. They will bite your finger off if you give them a chance! Jokes aside, there are a lot of great food options available in the market.
Always check the ingredients list before you buy fish food. Don’t just buy random fish food; check for harmful ingredients or fillers that are not compatible with your fish. Also, look out for brands that are known for using harmful ingredients in their products.
Here are some good food options for Flowerhorns.
- 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
Automatic Feeder: Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit
Other Requirements
Make sure you keep the Ammonia and Nitrate in the water 0. Use Ammonia Tester, Nitrate Tester, and Nitrite Tester to maintain the ammonia and nitrate levels. OR, you can buy a “Master Kit” that comes with a variety of other testing kits inside the package. If possible, always use API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
How Long Do Baby Flowerhorn Take To Grow
Baby Flowerhorns take about 12- 18 months to grow to their full size. This, however, varies; some may even take up to two years to grow to their full size, especially the bigger species. Some of the things that can affect or slow down growth in Flowerhorns are poor diet, poor water conditions, and genetic issues.
Phases Of Growth In Flowerhorn Fish
There are four phases of growth in Flowerhorns. Knowing how big they are supposed to get in what amount of time helps you keep track of their growth better and notice if something is wrong with their growth.
Fry
The Flowerhorn remains a fry for about 1-3 months. It grows around 1.5 to 2 inches this time. You should expect it to grow about 0.6 to 0.8 inches around the first 4 weeks. By the end of these one and a half or two months of time, they will start developing more defined characteristics like fins. Then at 3 months, the cichlids will start exhibiting colors.
Juvenile
The Flowerhorn is pretty much a juvenile at 4 months, displaying characteristics according to their species. They are at around 3.8 to 4 inches at this point.
Teen/Young
At 5 months, many species of these fish are already reaching their maximum size. Many species are around 4.8 to 5 inches around this time. At 6 months, they grow to about 5.5 to 6 inches. The cichlid is already mature now approaching its reproductive phase which lies at around 8-9 months.
Adult
In 12 months, your cichlid must have reached their maximum size, which is commonly 6 to 7 inches. But if your cichlid keeps growing even after this, then don’t worry. You just have a bigger species. Flowerhorns can live up to 10 to 12 years, so don’t worry. You have plenty of time to watch your pet fish grow in more than one way.
Some diseases to look out for in Flowerhorns
Flowerhorns are big but sensitive fish; there are a variety of diseases that Flowerhorns can easily. Here are some of the more relatively common diseases whose symptoms you should keep an eye out for.
Flowerhorn Whitespot Disease
As the name suggests, when your Flowerhorn starts exhibiting small pure white spots all over its body, know that its suffering from the Whitespot disease. You will notice that they look like they are been sprinkled with salt all over their body. Additionally, you will notice a loss in appetite and less socialization. You will see your fish huddled in the corner of the tank. They might scratch their body on hard things like gravel and decorations.
Cause:
- The presence of a protozoan called Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH ) is the cause of this disease.
- ICH needs a temperature below 25 degrees to breed.
- You may have fed your Flowerhorn food contaminated with ICH.
- Bad water quality can also be a factor contributing to increasing the chances of ICH.
Symptoms:
- Evidently small spots in pure white color.
- Flowerhorns seem like they have been sprinkled with salt
- Fins might be bundled and loss of appetite.
- They might scratch their body on hard things like gravel and decorations.
Treatment:
- 75% of the water needs to be changed to treat this disease.
- Treatments are 1 tablespoon of Aquarisol plus, and a tablespoon of salt per 10 gallons is to be added immediately.
- Increase the water temperature a little extra than 85 degrees Fahrenheit for some days.
- Change 50% of the water daily and once the fish has been cured, treat the whole tank.
Prevention:
- Quarantine the recently purchased fish for two to three days, without fail.
- Do your weekly and monthly water changes without fail.
- You may need to keep away from cross-tank contamination.
Medication
API Aquarium Salt
API SUPER ICK CURE Fish remedy
Hole in the Head
This disease has proven itself to be one of the deadliest diseases to occur in Flowerhorns. Furthermore, this disease can do a lot of damage and can sometimes also result in the death of Flowerhorns. This disease is also known as Hexamita. You have better chances of curing the fish if you identify it sooner.
This disease HITH is caused because of the Hexamita Protozoa, which has proven to be highly contagious. This disease causes your fish to grow small pits and pimples on its head. The pimples will keep on growing until treated. Small worms also tend to crawl out of the fish’s head. The fish loses its appetite completely hence resulting in weight loss, and the fish shows dark coloring and clamped fins.
Cause:
The actual cause for HITH remains to be unknown, but these are some of the things that can potentially cause HITH.
- Bad Water Quality.
- Malnutrition.
- Stress.
Symptoms:
- Holes on the head and around lateral lines.
- Loss of appetite. See if your fish has stopped eating completely.
- Abnormal Swimming.
Treatment:
- 75% of the water from your tank needs to be changed.
- 250 mg of Metronidazole per 10 gallons of water needs to be added.
- You will need to force-feed your fish using a syringe.
- Continue the treatment for 2 to 3 days more until cured.
Prevention:
- Change 10-20% of your water once a week.
- Quarantine questionable-looking fish immediately.
- Keep away from cross-tank contamination.
- Water temperature needs to be maintained.
Medications:
Flowerhorn Flukes
This disease is also widely known as “gill flukes” because it causes the fish to develop worms in its gills. After this happens, the fish will scratch itself on hard objects or surfaces like décor and gravel. This disease will result in the fish’s gill plates being closed tight or, worst case scenario, not even functioning while breathing. The fish will be suffocating.
Cause:
- Introduction of new fish.
- Poor water condition.
Symptoms:
- Flowerhorns will keep scratching themselves on rough surfaces.
- The fish’s gill plates are to be closed tight or, in the worst-case scenario, not even functioning while breathing.
Treatment:
- 75% of the water needs to be changed to treat this disease.
- The tank needs to be treated with formalin.
- All the filtration equipment needs to be washed.
Prevention:
- A lot of water changes are needed.
- Cross-tank contamination is to be avoided at all costs.
- Immediately quarantine questionable-looking fish.
FAQ
How To Ensure Better Coloring In Flowerhorns?
A lot of factors like diet, stress, and water quality are responsible for color changes in Flowerhorns, but you must always keep in mind that, like any animal, It is not possible to force color changes on a fish.
You need to be properly educated about the natural colors of your fish before doing anything to enhance its colors. Flowerhorns come in a lot of colors, from red to yellow to silver to blue to even green. I have an orange one with me. So decide which color you want to enhance the most. If you try to enhance a color that doesn’t exist In your fish, the fish might suffer from a lot of health and respiratory problems.
Providing your Flowerhorn with a healthy diet, good water quality, good tank-mates, live food, and good lighting is what will enhance its color.
Do Flowerhorns Bite?
Yes, yes they do bite when approached by an unfamiliar body or if they feel threatened. Flowerhorn bites hurt and have been compared to the bites of piranhas.
How do I know if my Flowerhorn is stressed?
These are some of the symptoms your fish will exhibit when it’s stressed-
- Hiding for a long amount of time.
- Dancing around the tank.
- Frantic swimming.
- Gasping for more air at the surface of the water.
- Scratching itself against gravel or rocks.
Can I pet my Flowerhorn?
It is a known fact that you should not touch fish, especially fish like Flowerhorns, because they have sharp teeth. Flowerhorns do bite, but they also love being pet as long as it is someone familiar that they feel safe around. So make sure you hang out with your Flowerhorn plenty before touching it.
Can I get my Flowerhorn a tank-mate?
Picking tank mates for Flowerhorn is a picky task as they can be pretty feisty and competitive. However, if you really want to give your Flowerhorn a tank mate, make sure you get one that’s bigger or the same in size to avoid attacks from your Flowerhorn.
Conclusion
So Flowerhorns are great fish to have if you like colorful, active, unique, and chunky fish. They are the ultimate pet material since they’re bred to be around humans. It is also seen that some Flowerhorns pop their humps out of the water for pets!
It is so important to raise these fish with extra care, and we have equipped you with everything you need to take care of this adorable chubby fish.
Now that you have read it so far, I’m confident to tell you that you are not officially ready to raise a Flowerhorn! Hope you follow the instructions we have given you properly.