How to Keep Flowerhorns | Care Guide & Species Profile

How to Keep Flowerhorn Cichlids - a Care Guide & Species Profile. We have a wide variety of cichlids, from African to American cichlids, and in today's video, we focus on keeping Flowerhorns!
If you're interested in any of the products and equipment used in our aquariums, check out the affiliate links below.
Food
- Xtreme Krill Flakes - geni.us/iTAWsN
- Xtreme Big Fella Pellets - geni.us/9Cra
- Xtreme Nice Pellets - geni.us/6ADcc
Equipment
- Sicce XStream Wavemaker: amzn.to/3z66jZW
- Fluval Heaters: amzn.to/3K78hj6
- Fish Net: geni.us/qlqxI4
- Python Water Changer: amzn.to/3z4vD2n
Chemicals
- Seachem Prime: geni.us/R9IbGuj
- Fritz Glass/Acrylic Cleaner: geni.us/uvmwK8
Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next week!

[@CichlidBros]

As mentioned in the video, here are links to the primary food we give our Flowerhorn: - Xtreme Krill Flakes - geni.us/iTAWsN - Xtreme Big Fella Pellets - geni.us/9Cra

[@samsterling1462]

I bought a baby flowerhorn rescue yesterday, and the only aquarium I have set up (we just moved) is my 75gallon peacock tank. It's still too small to do any damage to the others, but needless to say I am now the proud owner of a brand new 75 gallon cube aquarium. Going to start cycling that tomorrow and then movie the flowerhorn over in a few weeks.

[@CichlidBros]

That is awesome!

[@Jonandshelbysfishroom]

Great watch. You can keep them in communities successfully, but like you mentioned it has to be a large tank. Our FH is doing just fine in a community of larger fish in a 560g. That being said, we're still planning to move her into her own smaller tank because I feel like she'd prefer her own space. She's constantly digging up the center of the tank and shewing off other fish.

[@tiffanyfreshnezz]

Thanks for the video, I always love watching them .

[@ChristinaP12]

Could you tell me if Flowerhorn short body (bonsai) has a lifespan that is half as long as normal Flowerhorns?

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

personally, i prefer the ones with smaller nuchal humps but they are pretty cool fish regardless

[@DontDreamItDriveIt]

Troy I’m ngl when you said “also known as a kok”. I had to rewind that and make sure I heard you right. 😅😂

[@CichlidBros]

Haha yep, maybe they could’ve come up with a better name…

[@thanhnguyen-gy4qc]

I love them so much 😅

[@CichlidBros]

Same!

[@LeilaSoleil]

Hi Troy. I think one like Felix would be perfect for me. Do you have any thoughts on how to find a short body female flowerhorn? I am not a big fan of the big nuchal humps. Please and thank you!

[@maoufreed1684]

Do you have an update for your brother's Flowerhorn?

[@drunkfisherman2136]

Wow that’s a nice kok

[@devin5381]

What if you put a fantail fancy pearled skin gold fish with a flower horn in an above ground pond with plants that koi like to eat. Would the koi fish get along with the fantail fancy pearl skin goldfish? Will you need a heater to keep the flower horn fish warm

[@kppriest]

New Flowerhorn owner. Also, just realized I stray toward all the hybrids as I own Electric Blue Acara, Blood Parrots and Polar Parrots. Flowerhorn has his own tank. He is tiny and I will be stepping him up to bigger tanks as we go along and never keep in him in anything too small (saying this upfront to as to mitigate any of the tank size comments). This gives me an opportuny to try different options in regards to tank environments, which really seem slim with FH's. I was wondering has anyone had any luck with keeping bottom feeders with them? I was thinking about designing tunnels under the substrate and then adding Kuhli loaches to tank. Maximazie their survival rate. I know the FH will be like "ooh wiggling noodles" if he see's them.

[@jyotimankar6049]

Saw in Madurai... India.. lovely colour.

[@redsalt69]

vanakkam thala

[@jerryhigg]

Thanks Troy I learned a lot here, I thought I wanted a Flowerhorn but now have changed my mind. ❤ 👍 🐟 😊

[@andreacasoli3371]

Even though i don't like flowerhorns at all, the videos of Cichlid Bros always must be seen

[@CichlidBros]

Haha appreciate that!

[@rudratumuluri7814]

Thanks Troy for the helpful guide. I hope to keep flowerhorns in the near future with the help of this video.

[@CichlidBros]

Awesome, glad its helpful!

[@proxkross]

Anyome know what kind of lights they use?

[@silverfox74]

As there are typically no plants in a flowerhorn set up lighting is not a major consideration. I have one basic LED on 9 hours a day (9AM to 6PM) for my female flowerhorn - no algae and I have had her for over two years with no issues other than when I need to put my hand in her tank...

[@annie-gracesmith774]

Would a sand substrate work for a flowerhorn tank?

[@CichlidBros]

Yep. They may move it around some but would work fine

[@user-mv9jm2fk3f]

okey my flowerhorn has a nicely scaped tank with plants sand but he's never done the things that you're saying

[@user-mv9jm2fk3f]

btw i have had him for a year

[@opethmike]

Getting my first flowerhorn tonight; an 8" female kamfa

[@CichlidBros]

Very nice!

[@opethmike]

She's been home for a few hours, and I'm already in love

[@CichlidBros]

Love it!

[@nizaniza3420]

Getting my first flower horn yesterday too, an 15cm male kamfa 🥰

[@lisamcnair9420]

I have several flowerhorns and have learned by thinking out side the box these guys can be in community tanks with peaceful tank mates such as tetras, rainbows and such if done at an early age, but of course no other kind of any cichlids or aggressive fish and plants to such as anubias or ferns attached to driftwood.

[@CichlidBros]

I’d say about 1% of flowerhorns are going to have that personality. Definitely not something I would recommend. And there will likely still be issues over time. Glad it’s worked out so far tho

[@silverfox74]

Massive gamble - my flowerhorn will consume any of those fish in an instant. They should be kept alone.

[@radhug4077]

Bro talk about dovi cichlid

[@CichlidBros]

Soon

[@RededicateYrLife]

Like little water alien

[@ashrahman6280]

Can I keep snails with flower horn ?

[@CichlidBros]

Probably not

[@thecosmicdude6881]

I have a lot of Flowerhorn s this is really useful for me

[@CichlidBros]

Awesome, glad its helpful!

[@tuttabob]

Thank you for the immense knowledge in this short video. Couldn't stop noticing the Oscar in one of the tanks. Which plants are those living with the oscars

[@CichlidBros]

Glad it was helpful! Those were fake plants since the Oscar would tear up live

[@SampaosLim510]

Can I at least use fake plants will that work? Or will flowerhorn try to nip on it?

[@CichlidBros]

You probably could

[@aquaticsinasl]

Since flowerhorns are known to destroy live plants, do you think they would do the same if you grew plants from the top and they only had access to the roots?

[@CichlidBros]

It would probably work much better, but id guess the flowerhorn would eventually pick at the roots too

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

What other elements distinguish male to females other than kok? And if you don’t know how to vent. Lol bare bottomed and nothing in there.

[@Wathnak_Sendo]

U might see black dots on the top dorsal fin. Or the last one is to wait one of them to lay eggs

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

@@Wathnak_Sendo I’ve had him 3 years and no eggs

[@silverfox74]

@@Cichlid_4_ever Females are typically much smaller than males too. 8-10inchs for a female and 12-16" for a male.

[@spotemshotemboys8163]

Story time 😂, so when i was 13 before any real knowledge of fish. I had a 20 gallon tank and used to have gold fish in there. Also had a Asian adult friend down the street who owned many tanks and needed to go to asia for 2 WEEKS....he asked me to keep his fish for him for just those 2 weeks. It was a BEAUTIFUL flower horn with a hump. Threw him in my tank like a rookie rite. After 2 weeks all my fish where ate 😂, 6 weeks later my buddy still never came home. 2 months later still nothing. I ended up throwing the fish in the lake thinking dude was never coming back. Plus I didn't know how much money went into the fish. Dude came home 2 days after i tossed the fish 😂😂😂😂😆 yes he was pretty mad

[@eros.1646]

that's terrible 😭but he shouldn't have entrusted his fish to someone who barely knew the hobby

[@_AquaArt_]

That’s illegal to throw pet fish into lakes or rivers lol RIP

[@spotemshotemboys8163]

@@_AquaArt_ Yea 100% illegal 😂😂😂 fish is back in nature tho it'll be fine. I actually enjoy micro fishing sometimes just to see if i catch any cool hybrids

[@tramnguyen0000]

I don't like flowerhorns at all. They literally look like they have tumors on their heads and it's probably what it is. That being said, thank you for making this video for those who love them.

[@thecosmicdude6881]

True when I saw flower horns they do look bad but there personality amd there colcors are really good I love them