You might be confused about whether it is better to buy the Flowerhorn Fish or breed them, aren’t you? Well, you can buy a flowerhorn cichlid or can also breed them in your tank. The question is, which one of these will be most suitable for you?
Either buying or breeding decision corresponds to the availability of time and tools needed. If you are looking for a perfect quality flowerhorn, you should choose to buy one. You should decide to breed a flowerhorn if you are a flowerhorn enthusiast and want to experiment with the possibility of new offspring.
The decision to breed or buy the flowerhorn fish lies throughout the entire breeding process. If you are confused about buying or breeding flowerhorn fish, this article is surely for you.
If you are still confused, let’s look at the possibilities either way.
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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Breeding a Flowerhorn fish
If you are one of the Flowerhorn enthusiasts, then surely this section will help you. Flowerhorns come in different varieties. It’s the outcome of the two mates you choose to breed.
Are you thinking of trying to breed a completely new species of Flowerhorn fish?
If yes, then there are certain things you need to do if you think of breeding the flowerhorn fish.
Firstly, for breeding the fish, you need to have a 40-gallon tank, which is the minimum tank size required. You should maintain the temperature of the breeding tank, i.e., 28° F to 30° F. The condition of male and female flowerhorn should be watched carefully.
You need to use a sponge filter as powerhead filters cause much water flow that is not suitable for eggs and fries.
Generally, the recently hatched ones can swim freely in 2-3 days. They start swimming in the aquarium freely in search of food. You can now remove the parents from the breeding tank as fries can take care of themselves.
You also need to separately keep the flowerhorn fries in a large tank. The fries should be carefully fed as well. When choosing a food, you should not feed any color-enhancing food to the flowerhorn, which brings bad effects on its health in the long term.
If you are thinking of breeding flowerhorn fish in your tank, you need to have the proper equipment. I suggest you try breeding your flowerhorn fish if you can afford to fulfill all the requirements needed in the breeding process.
Things To Consider While Choosing to Breed Flowerhorn Fish
When you breed a flowerhorn, it is not just about the equipment and supplements required. You need to consider the fertility of your flowerhorn.
Are All Flowerhorns Fertile?
You cannot simply tell whether the flowerhorn is going to be fertile or not in the future.
When any flowerhorn is imported from overseas, there is an 80% to 90% chance that the flowerhorn is not fertile.
We all know that all flowerhorns are not fertile. But have you ever thought about why?
It is believed that they do so because they don’t want fish breeders to sell the flowerhorn at their native places and become rich. They give flowerhorn a special kind of medicine before exporting to make them infertile.
Fertility Check
Generally, you have to wait for 6-8 months because, in this period, you will discover the qualities like the shape of the head, color growth, and overall body growth. Additionally, the shape of other body parts like fins, tail, gills, etc. also develops.
Male Flowerhorn: Fertile or Not
When you have kept the flowerhorn fish for 6-8 months, and you find it to be a fully grown male, just introduce a female flowerhorn. All you have to do is wait till the female lays eggs.
Once a female lays eggs, the male starts moving over the eggs within 4 to 5 hours. Then the process of hatching starts. Eventually, you will know your flowerhorn is fertile when the color of the eggs turns dark gray.
In another case, if the eggs do not turn black, then your male flowerhorn could be infertile. Even after waiting for 2-3 days, the eggs are completely white in color, and the chances of the male being infertile are high.
It is noted that it is not necessary for the eggs to hatch after the first attempt. At least you should give them 2-3 times to try as the pairing of flowerhorn is not easy.
If this doesn’t work, you need to replace the male.
All I have to say is, “Patience is the key to success,” which can give you successful breeding.
Buying a Flowerhorn Fish
You do not have patience and do not want to wait for a long period!
Buying a flowerhorn is an option for you. However, you must choose the flowerhorn based on certain features.
If you are choosing an adult flowerhorn, it’s easy to judge since the features are well-developed.
Choosing a Flowerhorn Fry
As the flowerhorns in their fry stage do not develop any differentiating features, they are not easy to select. For choosing a fry you should consider certain features.
Good Markings
Markings ideally begin from the gills of flowerhorn fish till the tail. Markings run on the side of the Flowerhorn body. These markings are best used to grade a flowerhorn fish.
A marking that extends to the gill is considered a double AA grade. If it doesn’t, it’s ranked single A grade. If it starts within the middle, it’s graded as B. Something lesser than B is graded as C. However, there are several strains of this fish, some could have flowers, and some might not.
Hump or Kok
The hump is distinguished and includes a fine condition with no deformations. This is often an honest indicator of quality fish.
The fry should have a small bump on its head, which shows that the flowerhorn fry has a chance of getting a good hump.
If you want a flowerhorn with a hump, choose the one with maximum pearls. If you want a flowerhorn full of pearls, then you need to go with the flowerhorn, which has some sort of marking in the juvenile or fry stage.
Scales
Scales must be pearly or shiny with a blue or green tint. They must be shiny and spread very well.
Coloration
Coloration is distinguished, vibrant, and balanced and doesn’t look washed out.
Eyes
“Ultra tomato red eyes” that seem glowing. The eyes of a flowerhorn should not look recessive.
Activeness
A flowerhorn that looks active, eats well and follows the hand movement should be chosen.
Tail
The tail of a flowerhorn shouldn’t be hanging. Rather it should be wide and open.
Dragon Tears
It is a marking that’s mostly black and resembles tears.
Even though your fish is stunning, if you do not give them quality care, their features might fade out.
Conclusion
If you are a flowerhorn enthusiast and want to explore a new undiscovered breed of flowerhorns, then you should try the breeding process.
But simply, if you are fascinated with the appearance of the flowerhorn fish and want them for decoration purposes, then you should simply buy one.
Moreover, the flowerhorns need a lot of care to grow into healthy adults. If you can do so, you can take your chance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Flowerhorns easy to breed?
Most of the flowerhorn fish are infertile since they are hybrid fish. In most cases, males are more likely to be infertile.
Well, it depends on your knowledge. It is all about how you take care of the pairs during the breeding process.
Is the male flowerhorn fertile?
You will know your flowerhorn is fertile when the color of the eggs turns dark gray when the male starts moving around the eggs. If the eggs do not turn black, then your male flowerhorn could be infertile.
It is not necessary for the eggs to hatch after the first attempt. At least you should give them 2-3 times to try as the pairing of flowerhorn is not easy.
What are features to look for while buying a flowerhorn?
Flowerhorns with good markings, prominent and good-shaped humps, and pearly scales are considered good qualities. Flowerhorns that respond to hand movements and are active are the good ones.
Flower horn will surely not have all the features, but if you could find the one with all the qualities, it is definitely a high-quality flowerhorn fish.
How to check if your flowerhorn fish has health issues?
Always check the flowerhorn’s head. If the head is growing, it’s good. But if the head starts shrinking, then immediately check for the relevant reason and give the treatment before it’s too late.
Flowerhorn may hide from you and light and change color to dark. This is the sign that your flowerhorn is not well.
Moreover, pimples on the flowerhorn head are due to feeding a high protein diet to the flowerhorn continuously. If there is any small hard inflamed spot on the head, do not ignore it since it might even cause the death of the flowerhorn fish.