The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a hybrid fish created in Taiwan in the early 1990s. The two most common types of flowerhorns are the F1 and F2 generations. Many believe that, like with Dalmatian dogs after World War II, the Prussian blue cat (created by crossing a Siamese and Persian) and the pug (cross between a bulldog and a pug), breeding with the F1 generation is to be avoided as it does not produce “purebred” fish if those were the parents.
However, it has been found that many of those hybrids kept in low-end tanks (i.e.not well cared for) develop various deformities, including missing eyes, deformed bodies, and protrusions.
The other types of flowerhorns are the F3 generation or higher. The first cross was not with two F1s together but with an F1 and F2 or another F1. Unlike their grandparents (F0), these hybrids are generally relatively robust and healthy. If raised in a high-end tank with proper care, these fish can fetch a price of around US$500 each.
The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a member of the family Cichlidae from Subfamily Cichlasomatinae, which contains two genera, “Cichlasoma” and “Herotilapia.” The species name of the flowerhorn is “intermedium.”
The flowerhorn fish is a hybrid cichlid cross between a female of the “Cichlasoma citrinellum,” or Midas cichlid, and a male of the hap Cichlid; also known as the “Paradise fish.” Breeding of these two species can be fatal without proper knowledge, notably because Midas cichlids are highly aggressive and protective over their nests.
Flowerhorn cichlids are different from other popular hybrid fish because they do not need to be kept in a community aquarium. Flowerhorns are highly aggressive fish and can be very territorial towards other fish in the tank, including their species.
The aquarium should have a minimum size of 20 gallons (about 80 liters) for a single flowerhorn cichlid and at least 10 gallons per additional flowerhorn. Like all cichlids, flowerhorns prefer a warm environment and must be kept at a temperature of between 24 °C – 27 °C.
Flowerhorn cichlids require an aquarium with plenty of space as they are incredibly active fish that will spend almost all their time swimming around looking for food, looking for mates, or fighting with other males. Flowerhorns must be kept in a tank with other fish that can hold their own against them.
A typical flowerhorn fish tank should have at least two tanks containing a single male and a few females for the male to choose from. If there is more than one female in each tank, then the males will fight over the dominance of the harem.
A flowerhorn fish tank should also contain plenty of rocks and hiding spots (such as flowerpots or tunnels) for the males to claim territories. Flowerhorns are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and vegetables, just like most cichlids, but they have particular requirements when it comes to their diet. Flowerhorns must be fed a high-quality diet of “meaty” foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, earthworms, or tubifex worms. They will also consume blanched vegetables such as lettuce and cucumber but should not solely feed them. Flowerhorn cichlids can grow up to 30 cm or 12 inches in length.
However, most flowerhorn fish exhibited in competitions only grow to about 20-24 cm (8–10 inches). If a flowerhorn is given a well-balanced diet, including meaty foods and vegetables, it will continue to grow throughout its life span. The growth rate is slower for flowerhorns than for other cichlids because this fish has a very long life span. Flowerhorn cichlids often live up to 15 years or more, which gives them time to reach their full potential if they are given the proper diet and enough space.
Some people have reported that flowerhorns are hermaphrodites, meaning that flowerhorns have both male and female reproductive organs. The person who gave this information did not say what generation of flowerhorn produced these specimens, so it is unclear whether F1s, F2s, or even the later generations would exhibit this trait.
A few people also reported that the flowerhorn’s hemipenes (the reproductive organs) could be retracted back into the body.This is not true as their hemipenes are fully extruded and visible when the fish is sexually mature.
The female flowerhorn fish can lay up to 90 eggs at a time, depending on her size and health condition. They usually release their eggs into a flower pot or another type of container. They will then take care of the eggs by fanning them and keeping the water level constant. Some people use an air stone to increase oxygen in the tank when incubating their eggs. After about two weeks, the baby fish are smaller than a grain of rice.
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