What’s up, aquarium friends! Today I’m going to be talking about Red Dragons, a kind of Flowerhorn from the Zhen Zhu strain. The Red Dragon is an amazing fish, and if you’re thinking about adding one to your tank, you won’t regret it! Keep reading for all the info on these beautiful creatures. 🙂
One of the first Lou Hans I preserved was the Red Dragon Flowerhorn. The Red Dragon, like other Flowerhorns in the Zen Zhou group, is incredibly simple to maintain and improve. I advise maintaining this strain or any other strain from the Zen Zhou category if you are new to this pastime.
I’ll go over everything you need to know about the details and caring for Red Dragon Flowerhorns in this article. Even if you have very little prior experience keeping fish, I’m confident that if you use the advice provided below, you’ll be able to maintain these resilient cichlids successfully.
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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Identification/ Origin
Red Dragons are a kind of Flowerhorns from the Zhen Zhu strain. The Red Dragon, one of the most well-known breeds ever, gets its name from the stunning Red color on its body. Since this is the most widely distributed and simple to raise Flowerhorn strain, Red Dragon includes a wide variety of fish with various appearances.
They differ because different breeders have different ideas about what the fish should look like. One thing is definite when it comes to Red Dragons: the more Red color on the fish, the better! Breeders may place more emphasis on pearling or huge heads.
Malaysians are the originators of the Flowerhorn. It was produced as a hybrid from 1996–1997. The parent species, believed to be the Cichlasoma Festae and the Cichlasoma Trimaculatus, originated in Central and South America. Even now, after all these years, the species is still being improved upon and made more attractive.
Because the Chinese are the descendants of Singaporeans, who think that the Red hue of this type of Flowerhorn brings luck to their families and companies, it was quite popular in the early years of the Lou Han. This Lou Han also gained a lot of popularity in other Asian nations, notably with Feng Shui practitioners who regard the Dragon as one of its mythical creatures.
Life Span
Red Dragon Flowerhorns are aquatic creatures with a lengthy lifespan. They can live for 10 to 13 years if you can keep them in a safe and suitable environment.
Characteristics
The origins of this species of Flowerhorn are intriguing, but it’s also crucial to remember that Red Dragon Flowerhorns have already undergone extensive crossbreeding, which has improved desirable qualities, including head development, pearling, body, tail, and markings.
Since most Flowerhorns are now hybrids, many seasoned hobbyists agree that lineage classification is no longer as important as it once was. Many people think that a fish’s classification should be based on how it looks rather than the strain that its breeder claims.
In order for a Flowerhorn to classify as a Red Dragon, it must primarily display Zen Zhou characteristics and have a substantial portion of its body covered in deep Red coloring. Although all of us would want Red Dragon Flowerhorn cichlids to have enormous koks, small bodies, and superb pearling, these characteristics may not always be present.
Water Conditions For Red Dragon Flowerhorn
Flowerhorns are descended from a diverse group of cichlids, the majority of which have varied water requirements, which explains why the fish never reproduced naturally. Although stability is more significant than “ideal” water characteristics, Flowerhorns enjoy soft to moderately hard water.
The fundamental standards for Flowerhorn water characteristics are as follows:
pH: 6.0-8.0
Temperature: 80-85 °F
Alkalinity: 6°-20° dGH
Following are the basic requirements for water parameters and tank requirements, which you must adhere to:
Tank Requirement
This fish may grow to a maximum size of 10 to 12 inches. Hence a minimum 50 to 75-gallon tank is needed. Since they can get fairly aggressive, it is better to keep them in a single tank per fish.
Crowding a tank with multiple Flowerhorn can lead to unusual fish behavior and an increase in stress between the two Flowerhorns.
Aquarium Light For Red Dragon Flowerhorn
If your Red Dragon wants to reach its full potential and show off those vivid Red colors, proper aquarium lighting is crucial. Better health is encouraged by bright lighting, and better health will increase head development. Veteran hobbyists would also undoubtedly concur that the lighting somehow intensifies the color of the object.
Natural Sunlight
The ideal type of illumination for Flowerhorns is direct sunlight. It has been reported that it contributes to the color of your Red Dragon Flowerhorn. Therefore, it is recommended that you set your tank where it will receive plenty of sunlight.
On the other hand, direct sunlight should be avoided. It encourages the growth of algae, causes abrupt changes in water temperature, and might be uncomfortable for fish.
Artificial Lighting
It is crucial to add artificial lighting to your lou han when it does not receive enough INDIRECT sunlight.
The usual and best type of illumination is cool daylight fluorescent lighting. Instead of pure white or light blue, many enthusiasts prefer cool daylight, which gives a pale pink hue. Most of the time, bright colors like pure white or light blue are uncomfortable. When taking images, a cool daylight bulb also brings out the Red tones of lou hans.
As long as its light is not too intense, LED aquarium lighting is also acceptable. Overly strong lights can make Flowerhorns fearful or timid.
Water Parameters
The Red Dragon Flowerhorn can survive a larger range of chemical variations in the water column than more delicate species can. These fish can handle pH values as low as 6 and as high as 8, but they thrive in water that is between 6.5 to 7.8.
The ideal water hardness values are between 9 and 20 dGH (degrees of General Hardness). The USGS can provide you with a better grasp of water hardness. When caring for any sort of fish, it is important to take into account the environment in which you live as well as the quality of your local tap water.
You must perform partial water changes to keep the house where your possible pet will live safe and healthy. It is advised to replace 25 to 33% of the water column every week, especially with smaller tank sizes. Flowerhorns can produce a lot of garbage due to their size.
Water Flow
Red Dragon Flowerhorns are robust fish that can withstand flows of up to moderately high levels, while too much flow can be harmful. The flow is too powerful if your Flowerhorn is being blown all over the tank. A lot of Flowerhorn keepers add more powerheads at the tank’s bottom to force waste into the filter.
Proper Filtration
In an artificial aquatic habitat, a good filtering system is crucial. The reason is that Red Dragon Flowerhorns consume enormous amounts of food and secrete enormous amounts of excrement that is converted to ammonia. Solid fish waste, leftover food, ammonia, and even airborne dust are all removed by a competent filtering system.
Mechanical Filters
These filters do not actually break down garbage; they only screen it out. It clears the water, but it doesn’t imply the water is “clean” because the ammonia the fish create is still there in the tank. Filter wool and filter sponges are frequently used as sieve materials in mechanical filters. It is ideal to use mechanical filters in conjunction with biological filters.
Biological Filters
The fact that biological filters offer surfaces for good bacteria to thrive on makes them more effective. These surfaces become home to bacteria, which ‘work’ on the ammonia waste produced by fish to transform it into components of the water that are favorable to fish (refer to the Ammonia and Nitrogen Cycle). We’ve discovered that a good canister filter with the right combination of filter materials, including activated carbon, ammonia-removing resins, bio-balls, and filter wool, is the best option.
If you want to prevent ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite poisoning, be sure to always include activated carbon resins in your filter material. If chlorine is present, it can also aid chlorine absorption.
Substrate
The majority of average fish housed in tanks with gravel incur the danger of ingesting it along with their diet. When the gravel becomes stuck in the fish’s intestines, it prevents it from passing waste, which poses a major health danger. Red Dragon Flowerhorn prefers large tiles, bare bottoms, or substrates made of sand.
Possible Tankmates
Here is a list of a few fish you can keep with your Red Dragon Flowerhorn if you want to, all of which have similar temperaments and water requirements:
- Oscar fish
- Midas cichlid
- Pacu fish
- Acara cichlids
- Blood Red parrot cichlid
- Clown loaches
Red Flowerhorn Care
Red Dragon Flowerhorn fish are sturdy and may be simple to care for. There are some needs and necessities you must satisfy as well as things you must watch out for in order to properly care for your fish despite being a fantastic option for beginners.
Selecting The Correct Fish
When selecting a Red Dragon, health should be your first priority over all other factors. Fish should swim perfectly, be free of flaws, and show no outward symptoms of illness. When purchasing Flowerhorns, it is preferable to spend a little more money on higher-quality fish.
In my experience, buying one high-quality fish at a premium price is nearly always preferable to buying several low-quality fish at a discount in the hopes that they will become beautiful after being improved.
Getting The Tank Ready
For the majority of Red Dragons that are two years old or less, a 50-gallon tank will do. In fact, these might be adequate for them to last their entire lives. New strains typically don’t grow as big, unlike many traditional Lou Hans. Even so, you should continue to keep an eye on your fish’s growth because it’s usual for young Red Dragons to mature into larger creatures.
Get your fish a much larger tank if you believe it is already difficult for it to move around in the current one. I advise utilizing a 50-gallon tank until the fish reaches a size of 6 to 8 inches if you prefer to purchase a young fish that you can raise till they reach their full potential.
The smallest tank in this situation is a 70-gallon one. Or you may start out by using a 70-gallon tank. Bigger tanks are always better for these cichlids because they grow so quickly.
Detailed Feeding Guide
Any cichlid-specific fish diet would be gladly consumed by the Red Dragon Flowerhorn, and they would thrive. However, you should feed your pet fish food that is high in astaxanthin, ideally those made from organic components like krill, if you want to help it reach its maximum potential. I personally steer clear of artificial astaxanthin. They, in my experience, hasten the process by which fish turn Red, but their effects are not as strong and colorful as those produced by fish food containing natural boosters.
They, in my experience, cause fish to turn Red much more quickly, but the results are not as strong and colorful as with fish food containing natural boosters. When they are growing, feed them high-protein fish, but as they get older, gradually switch to foods that contain more vegetable stuff. Personally, I think it will make your fish live longer.
Always make sure they are not overfed and extremely obese as this is the main cause of poor health. The Red Dragon Flowerhorn’s growth rate normally starts to slow down after it reaches six inches. I believe that is the ideal moment to SLOWLY switch to fish food that has more fiber and spirulina and less protein.
Maintaining Fish Health
Since Red Dragon Flowerhorns are voracious eaters, a lot of waste is to be expected from them. Maintain the health of your fish by adhering to a precise feeding schedule. NEVER overfeed, I repeat. Maintain a strict schedule for changing the water. Red Dragons, unlike many Kamfa, are less likely to experience the negative consequences of frequent water changes and may even gain more from them.
Fish in the tank don’t need to be taken out. Simply siphon the waste and 30% tank water, then replace it with old water. Do this once or twice every week. Additionally, make sure your fish have the right illumination.
How To Improve Flowerhorn’s General Health
The following are crucial aspects that you should consider in order to maintain the health of your Red Dragon Flowerhorn cichlids:
Overfeeding
The primary factor for the Flowerhorn fish’s poor health is overfeeding. Always maintain a sensible feeding routine.
Feed your Red Dragon flower horn no more than three times every day, while keeping up the regular feeding schedule. Feed them nutritious foods to help them grow and improve their overall health.
Parameters For Water
Another element that you should constantly pay attention to is the quality of the water. Making frequent partial changes is essential for improving water quality.
Keep supplies like water filters, nitrate and ammonia testers, thermometers, and water cleaners on hand so that your Red Dragon Flowerhorn can thrive in basic aquatic conditions.
Health Promotion
Checking the tank water temperature is crucial during the winter months. You must heat your Flowerhorn tank with an aquarium heater if necessary.
Excellent Flowerhorn Food
While providing your louhan with live food may have its benefits, Flowerhorn food that is provided commercially in the form of pellets, powder, or flakes may also deliver the same nutrients with significantly fewer dangers.
Price
Being a Zen Zhou, they are quite simple to breed and should be less expensive than the more uncommon strains. Additionally, the characteristics of the fish play a significant role in the Red Dragon Flowerhorn’s price.
Since these fish are rare, a completely matuRed fish with Redness extending all the way to its tail, a fully formed head, intricate and distinct pearl markings, dark and distinct line marks on both sides, and good body form should fetch an extremely premium price.
FAQ
What Do Young Flowerhorn Consume?
In addition to supplements like sun-dried crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, anchovies, and frozen shrimp, Flowerhorns require a staple pellet that contains minerals and vitamins. You can also feed Flowerhorns worms like white worms, black worms, earthworms, and nightcrawlers.
What Makes Flowerhorn Fish Unique?
Aquarium beautiful fish known for their vibrant colors and recognizable head shapes include Flowerhorn cichlids. Nuchal hump is the formal name for the protuberance on their head. They are hybrids that, like blood parrot cichlids, only exist in the wild as a result of their release.
What Fish Is The Luckiest?
AROWANA FISH: This fish is seen as lucky and as having strength in feng shui. This fish represents power, money, happiness, prosperity, and excellent health. Keeping Arowana fish is also thought to drive away evil spirits and bad omens.
Is A Heater Necessary For Flowerhorn?
Keep Flowerhorns in water with temperatures between 24° and 28°C (75° to 82°F) at all times. That is substantially warmer than the typical room temperature. Thus, a heater is unquestionably necessary. I would advise purchasing two heaters for more uniform heating because Flowerhorns require such large tanks.
Conclusion
The Red Dragon Flowerhorn is a great pick if you’re searching for a pet that delivers personality, color, interaction, lifespan, and size with little maintenance. Due to their extreme aggression and space requirements, it is important to choose suitable tank mates and bigger fish tanks with care. Please feel free to share your own Flowerhorn experiences if you have any!