Is My Flowerhorn Male or Female: How To Know The Difference?

You might be thinking differentiating if a flowerhorn is male or female must be a super difficult thing to do.

But, no. Not at all.

You might be thinking, how?? Don’t worry, we are here to guide you.

Flowerhorn is an artificial species that we cannot find in the wild. This means they are purely human creations. Flowerhorn is well-known for the nuchal hump on its head.

Flowerhorns change their coloring patterns throughout their life and get their full color upon maturity. They need a larger tank and plenty of space to swim, at least 70 gallons.

This hybrid fish is known to have a psychotic temperament and is able to kill other fishes that it is grouped with. So, they are known to be aggressive fish. Comparatively, males are more aggressive than females.

How do we separate between males and females then?

The gender of this fish is very easy to differentiate once it matures. The first thing to notice is its “nuchal hump”. Another thing to notice is the level of aggression. You can even separate your flowerhorn gender easily from your body size and color patterns.

Nuchal Hump/Kok

The significance of the hump is not yet understood fully but may have something to do with gender. It’s easy to tell the gender difference by looking at the hump. Usually, only the male Flowerhorns have a nuchal hump on their head.

However, It is not an unusual thing for a female Flowerhorn to have a hump as well.

Female flowerhorns have a smaller nuchal hump (Kok) on their head, while males have a larger one. Some female flowerhorns might not have it at all. Males tend to have bigger and more vivid colored bumps on their heads.

The hump is the first thing in the flowerhorn that a fish lover can differentiate for its gender.

Females with Kok are rare. That is why there is a big difference in the looks of male and female flowerhorn.

Behavioral Differences

Flowerhorns are developed for their unique appearance and features.

With most of the cichlids, it is easy to make gender differences once they mature. But with this one, it can be a little tricky.

Aggressive

Flowerhorn cichlids are very aggressive. Males are known to have a more aggressive temper as compared to females. Some extremely aggressive flowerhorns are to be kept in a single tank all by themselves or separate from their mates using the divider, as it can harm or even kill the tank mates of the same species.

Opposite to this, females kept together can be very peaceful in the tank. They can be kept with other species with the same temper and similar body size.

Male flowerhorns can be so aggressive that they can also harm their pair. Talking about the breeders, the male flowerhorns can bite you when rearranging the decorations. So you should be very careful.

You should keep a soft substrate and decorate the tank with fewer stones. A little driftwood is enough to imitate the natural environment for the flowerhorn. They tend to dig the substrate and pull off the plants.

Aggressive During Courtship Process

During the process, males can be aggressive and may also attack females. To avoid this, a divider can be kept between the pairs with enough water flow where the hormones can pass through.

Tank Mates

Flowerhorn is a kind of fish that is happy on its own. It rarely pairs up with the mates of other species. If they are kept together, this fish might end up attacking the mates.

However, they might not be aggressive with medium-sized fish like Silver Arowana, Oscar Fish, or Pleco, as they tolerate similar environments.

You should not pair the flowerhorn fish with the smaller fish as they aren’t able to ground against the flowerhorn.

The Vent

Looking for other subtle clues will also help you successfully identify the gender of your flowerhorn.

There are male flowerhorns that don’t have a larger hump. Similarly, there are female flowerhorns that do have large humps.

The final way is by looking at the vent.

When the flowerhorn reaches the length of 4 inches, there is a sure method known as venting, besides the rest of the methods.

This involves looking at the flowerhorn’s vent.

Females have a vent that is “U” shaped, either the same size or larger than its “poop hole”.

Males can be identified through the “V” shaped vent. It comes more with a triangular shape. Their vent is not wide or larger than their “poop hole”.

For this, you can simply net your flowerhorn and lift it a little above the water level by holding it firmly with your hand. Then, supporting the back, turn the fish to get a view of its vent.

Flowerhorn Fish: Other Ways of Differentiating Gender

There are different other ways of differentiating the gender of flowerhorn fish. They are:

Another passive solution involves watching the behavior of the fish. If the fish begins laying eggs once a month, then it is obviously a female. This is only feasible when your female flowerhorn is sexually mature.

Female flowerhorn have black markings on their dorsal fins.
Take the flowerhorn and gently press the belly towards the vent. If the flowerhorn squirts any liquid, then it is a maile. If not, it is a female.

Determining the gender of the flowerhorn is easy when they are big in size.

But What If They Are Still Juvenile Size or Smaller?

It can be difficult to determine the gender of the flowerhorn when they are still fries. But still, there are some aspects to consider.

Dorsal Black Spot

Some fry show a black marking on the dorsal fin. This shows a female flowerhorn. About 70-80% of the fry have black spots, which addresses the fry as a female.

Coloration

There is a slight difference in coloration as well. Males are lighter while females are slightly darker.

Aggression And Activeness

If you are selected from the community of the fry, try to put your hand in the aquarium. If the flowerhorn follows your hand movement, it could be a male.

Body Size

Males are more dominant and stronger than females. Their body size is bigger than the female fry.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can a male and a female Flowerhorn be kept together?

Yes, a male and a female flowerhorn can be kept together as a pair.

But during the courtship process, males can be aggressive and may also attack the female. To avoid this, a divider can be kept between the pairs with enough water flow where the hormones can pass through.

Does a female flowerhorn have a hump?

Normally, when you are looking at the flowerhorn with a hump/Kok on its head, it is a male. The hump is one of the main things on which males can be separated from females.

But, it is not an unusual thing for a female flowerhorn to have a hump as well. Even if they have, the humps are smaller in size compared to the male flowerhorn.

Additionally, yes it is also possible for a male flowerhorn to not have a nuchal hump.

How do I identify my Flowerhorn through the vent?

Females have a “U” shaped vent, either the same size or larger than their poop hole.

Males can be identified through the “V” shaped vent. It comes more with a triangular shape. Their vent is not wide or larger than their “poop hole”.

How often should I feed my flowerhorn?

Flowerhorns are known to be greedy feeders. They eat anything you throw in the aquarium.

Get to know more about this topic from here.

If you want your flowerhorn to grow rapidly with vibrant colors, you should feed your flowerhorns two or three times a day. But whatever food you feed to your flowerhorn, make sure you feed them food that your fish can eat in 30 seconds or even less.

Generally, you should leave a day as a “fast day” to help in proper digestion.

How do I pick a male Flowerhorn fry?

Since it is difficult to make a difference between a male and female fry or juvenile, there are some aspects that can be closely watched.

The first is the dorsal black spot. Some fry show a black marking on the dorsal fin. This shows a female flowerhorn.

The second is coloration. There is a slight difference in coloration as well. Males are lighter while females are slightly darker.

Aggression is the next aspect. If you are selected from the community of the fry, try to put your hand in the aquarium. If the flowerhorn follows your hand movement, it could be a male.

Similarly, you can also differentiate through body size and patterns. Males are more dominant and stronger than females. Their body size is bigger than the female fry.

Is it necessary to keep a flowerhorn alone in a tank?

It is due to its aggressive nature that it is recommended to keep it alone. You can see that the flowerhorn fights off any other tank mates you keep in the tank. Furthermore, this creates issues in keeping other fish in the same tank as the flowerhorn.

However, it can be kept with similar-sized and natural tank mates, but it should be watched for many weeks to see the compatibility.

Does a flowerhorn change color?

As the flowerhorns age, it is completely fine for them to change their tails and body-color as they pass through the juvenile period of their life cycle.

But if the fish isn’t related to the Golden Bases and not passing the blackout phase, your fish is stressed.

your flowerhorn isn’t related to the Golden Bases and isn’t simply passing through their juvenile blackout period, the fading of colors usually means one thing – sadly, your fish is stressed.

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Conclusion

The first thing you notice when you look at the flowerhorn is its hump obviously. If you are looking at the one without any nuchal hump or Kok, you are looking at the female.

Flowerhorn is known as a hybrid fish that is very aggressive. Likewise, males are known to have a more aggressive temper as compared to females.

Another way a flowerhorn’s gender can be differentiated is its vent. In other words, the one with the “U” shaped vent is known to be a female while the one with the “V” shaped vent is a male.

You can differentiate it through its dorsal black spot, coloration, body size, body pattern, and aggressiveness as well.