Plants In Flowerhorn Aquarium: Facts That Will Shock You

Decorating an aquarium with plants adds beauty to the aquarium, don’t they? Don’t you think it is relaxing to watch? Despite the beauty it adds, it might not be the case for every fish aquarium. Can you put plants in the flowerhorn aquarium?

Flowerhorns are aggressive fish. It will probably destroy anything in its tank. Flowerhorns are strong and active fish. As Flowerhorns do not like anyone coming into its territory, it may hurt or even kill another fish if the fish is kept with the Flowerhorn. This covers plants and decorations as well.

Flowerhorns are big, strong, and very active. They will easily knock over decor and hardscape in the tank unless it is heavy or solidly attached to something. Keeping Flowerhorn means limited decorations of the tank. Flowerhorns are strong and active cichlids. They can easily knock over decor if the decors are not heavy and not attached to something. Due to their aggressive nature, Flowerhorn tends to destroy the decorations in their tank.

It depends on the kind of cichlid you have in the tank. Some cichlids respect the plants. On the other hand, Flowerhorns are aggressive fish and also dig the substrate. Remember that most cichlids love to dig.

As they swim, Flowerhorns can also hurt themselves by the sharp decors and objects. Make sure you do not add decors that have sharp edges.

Keeping Live Plants in Flowerhorn Aquarium

Is it a good idea to keep live plants in the Flowerhorn aquarium? Well, it depends on the kind of plant you put.

Aggression is the nature/characteristic of Flowerhorn. But they are not aggressive every time.

Few plants in the Flowerhorn tank does well. But Flowerhorns tend to big the plants and even sometimes eat the plants. Plants are better for growing on other objects as Flowerhorns will dig the plants that are grown in the substrate.

Normally, plants in the Flowerhorn aquarium are grown in driftwoods or rocks with exposed roots.

Flowerhorn tanks are better if kept with fewer decorations or no decorations and substrate at all. However, if you are willing to add live plants to the Flowerhorn aquarium, here are some plants you can keep for Flowerhorn.

Best Plants For Flowerhorns

Most cichlids tend to destroy plants in the aquarium. You can find only a few plants that are durable and survive even after the wrath of Flowerhorn fish. Some plants that can be kept in the Flowerhorn aquarium are:

Java Fern

Java Ferns are durable plants that can withstand the attacks of cichlids that can be attached or left floating in the water. It grows well inside the house light.

This plant dies very slowly. Even if it starts dying, its process is so slow and can easily be saved. Melting and dying of the Java Fern plant shouldn’t be confused. Buy Java Fern here.

Anubias Barteri

Anubias Barteri is a semi-aquatic plant that can withstand various conditions, including plant-eating fishes. This plant can be anchored with superglue or thread. Use the gel version of super glue.

Anubias Bartera ranges in color, size, and shape. Unlike most other immerse-grown aquarium plants, this plant does not experience meltdowns.

Trimming Anubias plants is unnecessary. If it gets tall, just cut some tallest leaves.

Buy Anubias here.

Java Moss

Java Moss is known as a bulletproof plant that grows comparatively faster than the Java Fern cousins. You can choose this plant mostly for fry or grazers. This plant might be one of the best plants you can buy for your Flowerhorn.

This plant does not need any substrate. It attaches itself to anything or is happy floating.

Greenpro Java Moss Live Freshwater Aquarium Plants are the best and easy to grow!

Ways To Anchor Plants In Flowerhorn Aquarium

You can anchor plants in the flowerhorn aquarium in various ways. It is essential to anchor well because flowerhorn is pretty aggressive with the foreign things in their tank. Check out the following points to make it easy for you not to repeat the mistakes that I did when I first started!

Anchoring With Superglue

Take the object and the plant. Figure out how you want to place the plant on the object; you need to put the superglue in the rhizome of the plant. Then, place it on the object you want. Hold them for a few seconds until the glue is white. You can add the plant to your Flowerhorn tank.

Anchoring With Thread

You can also use thread to anchor the plant. I’ve found that the thread-anchored plants do not always work when attached to the rock. The plant tends to wiggle and come off due to the wrath of the Flowerhorns.

But after some period of keeping the thread-anchored plant in the Flowerhorn tank, the thread will deteriorate. So using superglue is the better way to attach the plant to the Flowerhorn tank.

Anchoring With Fishing Line

Take the fishing line and wrap it tightly around the rhizome. But do not wrap it very tightly as it may cut the plants. Using a fishing line is the same as using the thread. But the fishing line will not deteriorate like the thread.

The fishing line mostly works when used with driftwoods.

Plastic Plants For Flowerhorn Aquarium

Are plastic plants good for keeping in the aquarium? Yes, it is good and safe to keep plastic plants as an alternative to live plants. Make sure there are no wires exposed from the plastic plants as they may hurt or even injure Flowerhorns.

Just make sure the plant is made for keeping in the aquarium. Usually, it is mentioned in the packaging. Plastic plants are considered to be safe and can be used in the Flowerhorn aquarium because they do not to be sterilized.

You can just clean the plastic aquarium plants with water. Using tap water introduces the chlorine that can harm the health of your Flowerhorn. Make sure to dry the plant before adding it to the aquarium. Apart from this, you can also clean the plastic plant with the aquarium water before adding it to the aquarium. Using the water from the same aquarium reduces the chances of chlorine in your aquarium.

Before adding the plastic plants to the aquarium, check for the wires coming out of the plants. The exposed wires in the plastic plants may hurt or injure the Flowerhorn. So, you need to be very careful.

Best Aquarium Plastic Plants That Are Safe For Flowerhorns

Tips To Create Natural Aquaspace Using Plastic Plants

Flowerhorns will wrath the live plants in the tank. It is better not to keep any planets, as plants are not a compulsion for Flowerhorns. However, if you still want some plants in the aquarium, you can keep plastic plants. Using these plastic aquarium plants, you can create a natural-looking space inside your Flowerhorn tank. Here are some tips.

Choose Plants With Different Sizes

Choose the plastic plants that are roughly similar to the height of the tank.

You can also choose the plants whose height is half the height of your aquarium. Avoid keeping tall plants in the foreground since it will hide background and midground plants.

Choose The Plants With Similar Color And Leaf Structure

Do not choose the plants that do not seem real. You should choose plants that look similar in structure.

Avoid choosing plastic plants with a contrasting color like purple. Instead, choose colors that look more natural, like light green, yellow, dark green, and red.

How To Clean Plastic Aquarium Plants?

After keeping the plastic plants for some period in the tank, you can notice the plant turning into darker color and algae formation in the plant as well.

You can use the boiling method for cleaning the plastic plants. Boil water and pour it into the clean container. Throw the plastic plants in the container and let them sit for 10-15 mins in the water. Scrub the plant to remove the algae and dirt from the plants. Let the plants in the aquarium after cooling.

An alternate to the boiling method is using a bleach solution. Take 9 parts of water and 1 part of bleach solution. Let the plastic plants in the solution for 10-15 minutes. Algae and dirt will get removed. Now take a clean container with some fresh water and throw the plastic plants in the water. Let it in for 10-15 minutes and take them off. After taking them out of the water, add them into the Flowerhorn tank again.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do Flowerhorns Eat Plants?

Flowerhorns are omnivorous. They mostly eat brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, and bloodworms. However, they tend to destroy and even eat the decorated plants inside the aquarium.

Additionally, Flowerhorn needs a plant-based diet to provide sufficient nutrients for them as well. Mostly, Flowerhorn eats pellets.

What Food Does Flowerhorns Like In Their Tank?

Flowerhorms are not fussy when it comes to feeding. They eat bloodworms, pellets, earthworms, and live, frozen, or fresh meaty foods. Given these foods will keep Flowerhorns happy.

Can You Add Plants In The Flowerhorn Aquarium?

Yes, you can keep plants in the Flowerhorn aquarium. Being an aggressive fish, Flowerhorns usually dig the substrate and take off the plants. Flowerhorns can also damage or eat the plants kept for decorations.

However, there are some plants that you can keep in the Flowerhorn aquarium. They are Java Fern, Java Moss, and Anubias Barteri. These plants are durable and can be kept in the Flowerhorn aquarium by gluing or by using thread. This will protect plants from being damaged.

Conclusion

Flowerhorns are aggressive cichlids. Few plants in the Flowerhorn tank does well. But Flowerhorns tend to dig the plants and even sometimes eat the plants.

Plants are better for growing on other objects as Flowerhorns will dig the plants that are grown in the substrate. Normally, plants in the Flowerhorn aquarium are grown in driftwoods or rocks with exposed roots. Java Fern, Java Moss, and Anubias Barteri are some of the strong and durable aquarium plants that chai withstands the wrath of the Flowerhorns.