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| FAQs on the Flowerhorn Cichlid Reproduction
Related Articles:
Flowerhorn Cichlids, Cichlid Fishes,
Related FAQs:
Flowerhorns,
Flowerhorn Identification,
Flowerhorn Behavior,
Flowerhorn Compatibility,
Flowerhorn Selection,
Flowerhorn Systems,
Flowerhorn Feeding,
Flowerhorn Disease, Cichlids,
Dwarf
South American Cichlids, African Cichlids,
Angelfishes, Discus,
Chromides, Neotropical
Cichlids,
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Breeding? FHs 5/2/08
Great site! Straight 2 the point! I've had a 200 gallon tank for 8 months
now, I have 2 Pacu,
<Will get huge over time...>
2 jack Dempseys, a Texas cichlid, a butter coffe,
<Butikofferi, Tilapia...>
a Oscar, a royal Pleco and now I've just got 2 flower horns, a male and a
female. The male is real aggressive towards the other fish
especially towards the Pacus. Is it possible to breed them with the other fish
in the tank and if not who goes and who stays? Tye.
<In this size tank, you may have luck with the FHs breeding and not killing all
but the most oblivious tankmates (who don't stay out of their way)... But better
to move them to their own setting really. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flowerhorns.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
|
MY Flower horn has bred .
Breeding Flowerhorns 4/1/08
I have pair Royal Degree Flower Horn that have bred. The female so far has
laid her eggs, the male, I'm not so sure if he has fertilized the eggs. There is
about 1000 eggs, its day 2 now, I have just done a 20 percent water change
adding meth blue, neutralizer and aqua clear like normal, Most of the eggs are
very small in size and clear looking, some have turned white and few of them
(10) are quite larger and brownish/orange in colour. I haven't moved the pair
nor the eggs due to that they seem to be getting along very well and are not
harming the eggs. Is that normal?
< So far so good. After 24 hours unfertilized eggs would soon turn white.>
Those eggs are bigger in size and that a lot of them have stayed the same size
ever since?
< Since a flower horn is a cross between three different species there should be
some size difference in the eggs.>
When doing my normal water change is it ok to add all that stuff to it?
example.. methyl blue, aqua clear, neutralizer.
< If it doesn't harm the fish then it shouldn't harm the eggs.>
Will it harm the eggs and prevent growth in any way?
< No, not as long as you use these solutions as designed.>
What will happen if the female doesn't remove the white eggs? Will it harm the
other eggs at all?
< This is usually referred to as a fungus but recent studies have determined
that it is a water mold. Given enough time it will spread out over some healthy
eggs and destroy them.>
Cos' there is smaller eggs does that mean it wont hatch in time for day 3?
< The difference in the egg size may be due to the genetic variability of this
fish. All the eggs should hatch on day three.>
What if day 3 they don't hatch?
< Then they will die.>
What do infertile eggs look like?
< They turn white.>
My water temp. is at 28 degrees is that ok?
< That is fine.>
What should I do after the eggs have hatch?
< After three days the fry will absorb their egg sac and become free swimming.
At this time they need to be fed or they will starve.>
Do I need to separate the fry's even if the parents are not attacking?
< When they become free swimming the adults may be attempted to eat the fry. I
would look to remove them as soon as they become free swimming if you want to
save the fry. In some cases the fry have been left with the parents for awhile
so the parenting skills can be watched.>
Is there anything I should add to the tank for the fry's to better growth and
health?
< Keep the waste products down and keep the fry well fed.>
Please answer my questions, and give me some advice so that I know what to do to
keep my eggs safe so they survive. Being my first time experiencing with
breeding fish am worried am doing something wrong.
Please get back to me thanks... Eric
< They are actually very easy to raise on baby brine shrimp, microworms and
finely crushed flake food.-Chuck>>
Re: MY Flower horn has bred.. 4/4/08
Flowerhorn Eggs Are Really Baby Fish
Hey Chuck, its me Eric again.
thanks for your very useful reply to my letter.
Im still having a major problem though, its day 5 now and ever since, everything
I've stated to you previously in my letter has remain to be the same;
The eggs, size and colour besides throughout this whole time the parents have
moved away the white eggs and has dispose of them and have left a bunch of to
me, seems like the fertile healthily eggs. With this bunch of very small,
clear-looking, light in brownish-clear in colour eggs I have noticed they have
relocated the bunch to several different places; at first when they where laid
it was on a plate I left in there for them, next they moved it off they plate
leaving only the white ones behind, then to another hole next to a plant they
dug up, and now its in a barrel (looks similar to a beer keg) ive placed in
there for decoration.
Im concerned because you stated that if day 3 its not hatched the eggs are dead
correct? Its day 5 now and doesn't seem like they have hatch but eggs are still
present, still look they same and not at all white in colour which mean they
have been fertile. But if they are dead because they haven't hatched why are the
parents still relocating them? it seems to me their still protecting it?
If the eggs are dead, won't they just leave it alone and carry on like normal?
Makes me think they are still alive and need to be hatched is that still
possible after 5 days possible?
Will the parents know that the eggs are dead and leave them alone if they are?
Seeing that they are still protecting it could it be possible that it is still
alive and just delayed in hatching?
What should I do now?
Should I wait to see any longer or should I just give the tank a clean and
dispose of all the eggs and everything I haven't been able to clean due to the
breeding?
Normally when day 3 comes and eggs are hatched, is it easy to recognize them?
Will it be obvious to see the fry's?
Cos' I got told, it looks like floating gel but cos' the tank hasn't been fully
clean I cant seem to see any hatched and floating babies with all their food and
waste and live food leftovers.
thanks Eric. any information will be much appreciated. thanks chuck.
<After 3 days all the viable eggs will hatch at about 80 F. When the eggs hatch
they fry are not yet free swimming and are referred to as wigglers. If you look
very closely at the eggs you will notice that they are alive and moving live a
quivering bowl of jelly. In another day or so the fry will have absorbed their
eggs sacs and now will begin to swim and look for food, At this time they need
to be fed baby brine, microworms or finely crushed flake food.-Chuck>
Re: MY Flower horn has bred . 4/4/08
I have pair Royal Degree Flower Horn that have bred. The female so far has
laid her eggs, the male, I'm not so sure if he has fertilized the eggs. There is
about 1000 eggs, its day 2 now, I have just done a 20 percent water change
adding meth blue, neutralizer and aqua clear like normal, Most of the eggs are
very small in size and clear looking, some have turned white and few of them
(10) are quite larger and brownish/orange in colour. I haven't moved the pair
nor the eggs due to that they seem to be getting along very well and are not
harming the eggs. Is that normal?>
< So far so good. After 24 hours unfertilized eggs would soon turn white.>
Those eggs are bigger in size and that a lot of them have stayed the same size
ever since?
< Since a flower horn is a cross between three different species there should be
some size difference in the eggs.>> When doing my normal water change is it ok
to add all that stuff to it? example.. methyl blue, aqua clear, neutralizer.>
< If it doesn't harm the fish then it shouldn't harm the eggs.>
Will it harm the eggs and prevent growth in any way?
< No, not as long as you use these solutions as designed.>
What will happen if the female doesn't remove the white eggs? Will it harm the
other eggs at all?
< This is usually referred to as a fungus but recent studies have determined
that it is a water mold. Given enough time it will spread out over some healthy
eggs and destroy them.>> Cos' there is smaller eggs does that mean it wont hatch
in time for day 3?>
< The difference in the egg size may be due to the genetic variability of this
fish. All the eggs should hatch on day three.>> What if day 3 they don't hatch?>
< Then they will die.>> What do infertile eggs look like?>
< They turn white.>
My water temp. is at 28 degrees is that ok?
< That is fine.>
What should I do after the eggs have hatch?>
< After three days the fry will absorb their egg sac and become free swimming.
At this time they need to be fed or they will starve.>
Do I need to separate the fry's even if the parents are not attacking?
< When they become free swimming the adults may be attempted to eat the fry. I
would look to remove them as soon as they become free swimming if you want to
save the fry. In some cases the fry have been left with the parents for awhile
so the parenting skills can be watched.>> Is there anything I should add to the
tank for the fry's to better growth and health?>
< Keep the waste products down and keep the fry well fed.>> Please answer my
questions, and give me some advice so that I know what to do to keep my eggs
safe so they survive. Being my first time experiencing with breeding fish am
worried am doing something wrong. > Please get back to me thanks... Eric>
< They are actually very easy to raise on baby brine shrimp, microworms and
finely crushed flake food.-Chuck>>>
Re: MY Flower horn has bred..
Feeding Flowerhorns 4/6/08
Hey Chuck. yeah you were correct. My fry are now wrigglers and now swimming
everywhere. Thanks so much for your advice.
At the moment I'm feeding them blood worms. Is that ok? Thanks for your advice
again chuck . Eric. thanks
< The fry should be fed baby brine shrimp. microworms or finely crushed flake
food. Adults should have a varied diet including pellets, wafers flakes as well
as bloodworms.-Chuck>
Re: MY
Flower horn has bred..
Aggressive Male Flowerhorn Defending His Fry 4/17/08
HEY Chuck, Thanks heaps for the last reply.. Just wanted to ask, I mentioned in
the first letter I wrote to you about my Flowerhorn Fry's;
I've left them in the tank with their parents cos' their don't seen to be
harming the fry's and are really excellent parents.
The fry's are 2 weeks old since hatch from the egg and a day I feed 4 times,
blood worms and daphnia for both parents and fry's, each serve is 4 blocks of
daphnia and 4 blocks of bloodworms, is that too much?
< If all the food is consumed in a few minutes then it's all right.>
The last week or so the father ALWAYS seems to dive (doesn't bite) for my hand
every time I go to feed why is that? (seems like he doesn't want me feeding
them)?
< He is protecting his fry form an unknown intruder.>
Is that he's way of being friendly or aggressive?
<It is always aggressive.>
Is their any chance that im feeding the fry's a bit too much and causing the
father to act that way? (cos the fry's have pretty bloated bellies)
<His reactions have nothing to do with your feeding procedure.-Chuck
Should I turn off filter
while my Flowerhorn fish breeding/laying eggs? 4/19/08
Hi Eric,
I tried searching for this question/answer but I can't seem to find it. So there
I need your help here as soon as you can...
I'm just afraid the filter can suck in the fries... My filter is pretty strong
one the Aqua Clear 110
Thanks,
- James
<No, don't turn the filter off. That will kill the bacteria. Most fry are
perfectly able to avoid being sucked into the filter. If they're not, then move
the breeding pair into a breeding tank equipped with an air-powered filter. The
next batch of fry will be perfectly safe. That's Cheers, Neale.>
Re: MY Flower horn has bred.. 4/27/08
Hey chuck. its Eric.
forget about the last message. i have new problems now. i took the female out of
the tank after she laid her eggs.. because i wanted the male to survive and
fertilize the eggs. the very next day, there where sum white eggs so i decided
to put the female back in the tank and take the male out. so he wont die. hours
went by and i look at the tank .. i realize the eggs are missing.. the female
ate most of the eggs...! i suddenly took the female out .! there are about 100
eggs left and 20 white eggs.
<The white ones are not fertilised.>
what should i do without the parents in the tank??
<Raise the eggs yourself. Any book in fish breeding will tell you how. It is
very easy. But before you do so, check you have a market for the offspring.
Getting rid of Flowerhorn cichlids (or indeed any other hybrid) can be very
difficult because so few aquarists want them. At least in the UK, you hardly
ever see them in the shops. Whenever you breed fish, you need to be sensible
about balancing the expense of rearing the fry against how easy they are to sell
or give away.>
what should i do with the white eggs, that are with the rest of the eggs?
<You can't do anything really; trying to remove them will likely damage the
healthy eggs. Add anti-fungus medication and increase water circulation to
minimise the spread of decay from the infertile eggs to the fertilised ones.>
i put methyl blue so the eggs wont get fungus. is there anything else should i
do?
<Increase water circulation to keep oxygen moving past the eggs. This is what
the parents do by fanning the eggs. In your case, add airstones or additional
filtration, as you prefer. Keep the tank spotlessly clean, removing 10-25% of
the water daily and do regular cleaning of the bottom of the tank so there is
*no* mess at all.>
do i need to remove the white eggs?? its really hard though.
<Indeed.>
will the eggs survive?
<Should do.>
does the methyl blue kill the white eggs.? and it wont grow fungus, and kill the
rest of the brown eggs?
<Methylene blue prevents fungal decay.>
get back to me chuck asap.. thanks heaps.
<Please write e-mails with capital letters next time. Also, do buy or borrow a
book on fish breeding. I think you will find that a useful read. Fish breeding
is something where you often need to make snap decisions, and having to wait a
day or two for us to get back to you isn't always ideal. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: MY Flower horn has bred
4/29/08
Flowerhorn Courtship
Hey Chuck, Thanks for that lst reply. I've got another 2 of my Royal Degree
Flowerhorns to pair up and breed and it worked. I got the female from the
petstore recently, though the male I've had since he was small. She's about 20
cms big and he is about 7 cms big. He is a friendly fish and easy going, he has
been in a tank with all males until she came along. She's quite fierce and mean
and attacks all my fish because she's a lot larger. He seem to follow her around
a lot and she didn't attack him as much as the others which made me think that
they could breed. I separated the two into a tank of their own. Its been a week
now and they seem to be compatible, though the female is ALOT larger than the
male. Her tube came down last night, and today I placed 2 terra-cotta plates in
there for them. By late afternoon/evening she started laying eggs. It has been a
couple of hours now (midnight) and I just went down and they were fighting. The
female had a hold of the males mouth and when they saw me they let go, his mouth
is all cut and damaged, he seems pretty worn down. I waited a while longer to
see if she was done with laying her eggs, I'm pretty sure she was because she
was no longer rubbing her belly over the plate and was more focused on keeping
the male away from the plate. Altogether about 1000 eggs were laid. One major
problem and what I found different from the last pair of my Flowerhorns that
bred is that she isn't letting him go close to the eggs and once he does she
attacks. Because she is much larger I was worried he will eventually be dead. I
took her out hoping that she was finish with laying her eggs and left him alone
to fertilize the eggs without being torn to bits by her. Once that was done he
didn't seem to be that scared but was looking around for her and vice versa with
her (in the bucket). I'm also worried because he is still quite small and young
he may not know what he is doing. He doesn't seem to be fertilizing the eggs.
With my last pair that breed the male was constantly going back and forth on the
plate after the female was done. Though the two of them got along really well
and still remain in the tank with their fry's till this day. With this recent
pair, they had to be separated and now with just him and the eggs he keeps
wandering around the tank. Then every now and then he returns back to the plate
and swims back and forth on top of the eggs (not for long though until he leaves
again).
My questions to you are:
Is he to young to know what to do and not know how to fertilize?
< Young inexperienced males may take a few tries to get he procedure down. He
needs to fertilized the eggs soon after the female has laid them or they will
die.>
Was it okay for me to separate the female after she laid her eggs leaving the
male behind?
<If you are concerned about hatching the eggs and raising the fry then it would
be best to remove both parents at this time. Usually the male is the worst
parent.>
Would she had killed him if I left them together?
<These forced matings have mixed success. The jaw locking was a test of strength
to see if the male is a good choice as a mating partner. If he's was not strong
enough then she may have killed him.>
Does she need to be there to fertilize the eggs?
< Once the eggs are laid her part is over and the male needs to fertilize the
eggs.>
Within a couple of hours, if she is no longer swimming back and forth on the
plate does that means she is done laying eggs?
<When she stops she is done.>
How long does it take to fertilise the eggs?
< If the eggs are not fertilized in 24 hrs then they usually die.>
How would I know if he is fertilizing the eggs?
< He should be doing that back and forth motion over the eggs the same as the
female.>
Would I be able to tell?
<After 24 hrs unfertilized eggs turn white and die.>
What should I be seeing while he is fertilizing?
< He should follow up in the same manner as the female.>
Once the eggs are FERTILIZED? (some white and some still coloured), should I
remove the male?
<After 24 hours he can do no more.>
Do I need him there to remove the unfertile eggs?
< Usually both parents eat and remove dead eggs. The water mold that feeds on
these eggs can spread to health living eggs.>
Hope you can replay asap..any info, advice and answers to my questions would be
much appreciated chuck. Thanks for your time..
If there's anything more than I need to know with this process please let me
know.
< These are pretty standard observations with many Central American
cichlids.-Chuck>
|
FH Pairing
Flowerhorns Reacting To Red Light 03/08/08
Hi to all the crew, I'm Lance from the Philippines, sorry if I just sent you
a trial mail just now. I was trying to send you my query since this afternoon
but failed so I tried to look for another way. Anyway here are my questions.
I have this FH that I bought from different owners. I am not sure if the pair
are male and female. I have read some of the reply that you have made to most of
the people asking you and I have compared some facts regarding this issue. The
other one is that I'm sure that it is a male for it's hump that is quite visible
than the other one and the round shape of the body which is full. The other is
with a long face and flat belly. Is this a female?
< The best way to determine if you have a pair is to examine the genitals. It is
also called venting. Take the fish out of the tank and look at the belly of the
fish. Just at the base of the anal fin you should see two openings. If the two
openings are the same size then that should be a male. If one of the openings is
much larger than that should be a female. Secondary sexual characteristics would
be longer more pointed fins on the male. The female would be smaller and not
have a hump on her head.>
This FH has been in the tank for 3 weeks now without partition. They have been
able to coup with each other very well until last night that I have decided to
change the light from a regular fluorescent lamp to a colored one which is RED.
As soon as I have turned on the light they both became so uneasy and start
biting each other. They have been biting and locked lips or jaw whatever you
call them and can not separate for maybe around 10 minutes. I decided to
separate them with a partition and still they are banging their heads on the
glass portion as it they were attacking each other. As a result they have both
scratches on their heads and lips some on the side. Anyway, I was afraid that
this can lead to serious injury as one of your articles said. So what I did is
that I turned OFF the RED light that I have installed and for a surprise they
stopped for that behavior. I read also from your articles that this are some of
the signs of mating so what I did is that I just
turned off the light. I was not really convinced regarding the light so this
morning I turned ON again the RED light and they went back to the attacking
behavior. So my question is that does LIGHT affects FH? Specially the RED color?
secondly is that the one that I have described a FEMALE? Thanks and more power
on your sight, really helps people like me who are fascinated with this variety.
Actually I have already 4 of them. Those pair that I put in the tank are 6
inches by the way. I'll wait for your reply, Godspeed Lance
< What is very interesting about your question is the effect of red on your
Flowerhorns. One of the cichlid species that makes up the Flowerhorn is the red
devil. This red coloration seems to indicate dominance to other non red red
devils. It appears that the red coloration projected with the red light has
stimulated this behavior between your two Flowerhorns. If they are a pair and
are thinking about spawning then the color of the light really shouldn't
matter.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn Cichlids Mating,
Chuck's go 12/29/07
Hello, First a little info on my tank. It is 75 gallons, with 4 fish in it
(varying sizes).
One convict cichlid of about 3 inches, one wolf or jaguar cichlid of about 4-5
inches (not sure which one it is and two Flowerhorns, of which I'm not sure of
any specific classification. One I would assume is of common origin (3-4 inches)
(S/he is greenish in the background and reddish on the belly, with a yellowish
tinge on the face, and flowers all down the side as well as on the dorsal fin.)
and the other I was told at the fish store is a Trimac Flowerhorn (6-7 inches)
(S/he is completely orange with white spots throughout his/her body. I've
attached photos. I don't know what is going on in the tank.
Less than two days ago, the "Trimac" was chasing the other Flowerhorn all over
the tank, like he had a mission to kill the fish. Now, they are actually free
swimming around without a care in the world together. They've been moving a lot
of gravel around as well. Is it possible for different species of Flowerhorn to
be attracted to one another?
< Flowerhorns are a mix of three different true cichlid species. This leads to
lots of variation between the possible color forms available. All are capable of
reproducing with one another.>
I'm also not sure what sex they are. I believe that the smaller one is female
and the larger one male, but I'm unsure. I originally thought that the larger
one was female, due to the lack of Nuchal hump, but now I'm not so sure.
< Males are typically larger with longer fins. The hump on the forehead stores
fat and its appearance is a combination of genetics, nutrition and environment.>
I haven't seen any lip locking but they have been doing something that I have
never really seen any of my fish
do. The only way I can describe it is as if they are shaking or shivering.
Its like they are shaking they're head or something, but it's not just their
head, it's their whole body. I originally thought that they were sick, but now I
believe it may be some sort of mating behavior, but I haven't read anything from
any web site stating that it is a characteristic mating ritual or behavior.
< This display o shaking is part of the courting ritual.>
I have read though on your web site that you suggest removing the parents from
the tank, but I was curious as to why. I have previously bred convicts and I
never removed the parents, yet the parents never ate the babies.
They actually guarded and protected them, until they were probably about 1/2
inch in length and then they continued trying to spawn, without eating any of
the fry from the first generation. I was under the assumption, and please
correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the assumption the Flowerhorns were
cichlids and that cichlids were magnificent parents.
<Flowerhorns are a cichlid hybrid but still spawn in a typical cichlid substrate
manner. Not all pairs are able or willing to provide the same level of care of
their eggs and fry as your convicts. To guarantee that you get some fry I always
recommend moving the fry away from the parents.-Chuck>
If you need any further information I will gladly provide what I can about my
tank situation. Thank you in advance for all of your knowledge and expertise. I
would greatly appreciate a quick response. Orlando, Fl Jeff
Flowerhorn breeding behavior, RMF's go 12/29/07
Hello
<Jeff>
First a little info on my tank.75 gallons, with 4 fish in it (varying sizes)
1 convict cichlid of about 3 inches, 1 wolf or jaguar cichlid of about 4-5
inches (not sure which one it is. and two Flowerhorns, of which I'm not sure of
any specific classification.
<See WWM re this cross>
One I would assume is of common origin (3-4 inches) (S/he is greenish in the
background and reddish on the belly, with a yellowish tinge on the face, and
flowers all down the side as well as on the dorsal fin.) and the other I was
told at the fish store is a Trimac Flowerhorn (6-7 inches) (S/he is completely
orange with white spots throughout
his/her body. I've attached photos.
<None came through>
I don't know what is going on in the tank, less than two days ago, the "Trimac"
was chasing the other Flowerhorn all over the tank, like he had a mission to
kill the fish. but now, they are actually free swimming around without a care in
the world together. they've been moving a lot of gravel around as well. Is it
possible for different species of Flowerhorn to be attracted to one another?
<Not a different species>
I'm also not sure what sex they are. I believe that the smaller one is female
and the larger one male, but I'm unsure. I originally thought that the larger
one was female, due to the lack of Nuchal hump, but now I'm not so sure. I
haven't seen any lip locking but they have been doing something that I have
never really seen any of my fish do. (the only way I can describe it is as if
they are shaking or shivering.
like they are shaking they're head or something, but it's not just their head
it's their whole body. I originally thought that they were sick, but now I
believe it may be some sort of mating behavior,
<Me too>
but I haven't read anything from any web site stating that it is a
characteristic mating ritual or behavior. I have read though on your web site
that you suggest removing the parents from the tank, but I was curious as to
why.
<So they don't kill the other fish present?>
I have previously bred convicts and I never removed the parents, yet the parents
never ate the babies.
they actually guarded and protected them, until they were probably about 1/2
inch in length and then they continued trying to spawn, without eating any of
the fry from the first generation. I was under the assumption, and please
correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the assumption the Flowerhorns were
cichlids.
<Oh, they are...>
and that cichlids were magnificent parents. If you need any further information
I will gladly provide what I can about my tank situation. Thank you in advance
for all of your knowledge and expertise. I would greatly appreciate a quick
response.
Orlando, FL
Jeff
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flowerhornidfaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Flowerhorn breeding
behavior... 12/31/07
View full size
<No pix... need to be attached...>
These are the parent Flowerhorns.? I thought they were both female.? but now I'm
not sure...please help me.? thanks.? My Flowerhorn eggs have started to turn
white...is that fungus??
<Likely so... could be infertile...>
if a few of the egg get fungus will all of the eggs get fungus?? what should I
do?
<Read... on WWM, elsewhere re... Maybe start here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind2.htm
the third tray down... Bob Fenner>
Want to breed Flowerhorn
12/25/07
I have tried to breed many fishes many times but I could not do so I don't
know any thing about how to take care of them and till know which ever fishes I
have brought such as goldfish, fighter, mollies, guppies, etc. die in a month or
less.
<Well, before buying any more fish, do buy A BOOK! None of the fishes listed
here are terribly difficult to keep. Goldfish can live 30 years when properly
cared for; if yours died within one month, then you've kept them for 0.27% of
their possible lifespan. Not good.>
once even I brought a pair of male and female Flowerhorn for breeding, even they
led the eggs, but both of them died. now I am having five small Flowerhorns they
may be up to one inch.
<Hmm... typically when breeding fish, the idea is to have healthy fry and
healthy parents. In any case, do review the requirements of fish before keeping
them.>
tell me how to take care, how much and how I should feed them, how much water
should I change every weak? how to clean the tank? I am having an underwater
filter and a power filter in my tank.
<See here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flowerhorns.htm
And linked articles.>
my tank size is 36 inches in length, and 12 inches in breadth, and it's height
is 15 inches.
<Too small...>
please tell me everything I need to know. please reply soon. thank you in
advance.
<No time to tell you everything! Read, review the articles here and the many,
MANY books on cichlid aquaria. Once you've mastered the basics and have specific
questions, feel free to write again! Cheers, Neale.>
Breeding Flowerhorns 11/15/07
I am confused. I have a pair of Flowerhorns that I am trying to breed. I
keep them in a large tank with a separator. Every 3-4 weeks the female turns
almost black with large stripes and becomes very aggressive to the male on the
other side. I have tried everything, when I open the gate they lock lips and
they look like they are very passionate to each other. The male never fertilizes
the eggs that the female laid. I have keep them together until it's obvious they
were hurting each other but the eggs were never fertile. After I put the
separator back in the tanks and they are on each side of the tank the female
takes very good care of her eggs but within a few days they turn white and need
to be removed. What am I doing wrong? I am afraid the leave them together any
longer as I am afraid someone will die. Any help would be deeply appreciated.
Thank You Deni
<Flowerhorns are a mixture of three different cichlid species. They are a man
made cichlids that are not found in nature. Many times a female will lay eggs
alone or with another female. Just by matching up a pair does not guarantee that
they will be compatible. I think that you are doing everything right and you
unfortunately don't have a compatible pair. Try to lower the water temp to 75 F
for a couple of weeks to take them out of the mood and see if they get along
then. If they do you can slowly ease the water temp back up to 82 F and get them
to breed. Normally I would recommend six small juveniles and then let them grow
up together and they would normally pair off.-Chuck>
Flowerhorns Courting Tough On All
10/01/07
I have a very large male Flowerhorn who I just recently pared up with a
female. They did exactly as expected. I kept them separated in the same tank
with a separator when her tube came down I opened the separator and they looked
like they found true love they were locking lips and encircling each other this
lasted about 1 hour and finally they went there separate ways and did not fight
at all, she did not lay any eggs although she was cleaning her area off to
prepare for laying eggs. They both looked kind of beat up although neither one
was really aggressive to the other. Today I woke up to my male with his eyes
protruding like they are ready to explode I never saw anything like this is he
sick? Or did she do something to him I tried to stay in the room during there
mating and neither one really was in any danger or I would have ended it. When
will she lay eggs? Her tube is still down and will my male be ok?
Thanks so much Dennis
< Do a 50% water change and clean the filters. The courting ritual is usually
tough on both sides. If the female was not tough enough the male may have killed
her. Keep the water temp at around 82 F and you should see eggs soon. The
pop-eye on the male may have been caused by stress during the courtship ritual.
He has bacteria growing behind his eye and they have created an pocket of gas
that is pushing his eye out. In a hospital tank treat with a combination of
Nitrofurazone and Metronidazole. Some salt added to the water can't hurt
either.-Chuck>
Sick Baby Flowerhorns 7/21/07
Please help, I was given about 30 baby flowerhorns. I put them in a separate
tank at 80 degrees. All water conditions are perfect I do water changes everyday
and they are dying. They look like they have a skin disease of some sort but it
does not resemble ick. What am I doing wrong? I have many other tanks of fish
and none are ever sick. How should I care for these little guys?
Thanks for the help
< Hard to tell. Cichlids are really pretty tough. First check the water for
ammonia and nitrites. Readings should be zero for both. If the water is Ok then
they may have a bacterial infection from the previous tank they were raised in.
Baby cichlids grow very quickly and generate a huge bioload . Under crowded
conditions they become ill very quickly. they may have been ill before you got
them. If the water is good and they are eating then I would recommend an
antibiotic like Nitrofurazone. Follow the directions on the package.-Chuck>
Need help... FH repro. 5/13/07
Hi guys! I need some help. My FH is around 1 1/2 y/o. She laid eggs
every month but stopped (for 5months now). Her tubes shows every month
and her stomach enlarges, but she never laid her eggs. Is it possible
that there is a block somewhere?
<Yes... but much more likely "something else" at play here... Lack of a
male, water quality stimuli (temp., level, dilution of
metabolites...)... "Cues"... perhaps a lack of conditioning is playing a
role here as well...>
Her stomach continues to enlarge. My fish also does not eat, and read in
your site to put Metronidazole in the tank... it worked, then after a
week, she will not eat again...its like a cycle....i treat her... gets
better and then she'll get sick again. I also noticed that even though
she does not eat, her stomach still gets bigger. What do i do next?
Hoping you could help me out guys. Thanks in advance!!!!!
<... Water changes... Please re/read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flowerhornreprofaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Breeding Flowerhorns 3/30/07
I recently brought a pair of flower horns from Thailand (a male and female),
male slightly bigger than the female (the male is about 6 inches long, the
female 4 inches long).
Now I see the male and female attacking together. Few hours, I saw the male has
some scars on his body and the female get scratch at her mouth (upper lip).
Should I now remove the female or is this a temporary action by mating???. Thank
you in advance!!! How do I know male and female are matting??? I am using
divider. Can you show me clearly and step by step for breeding???
< Although Flowerhorns are not a real species, they still spawn like the cichlid
species that they were derived from. Usually these cichlids have a test of
strength in which there is some flashing of fins and some jaw locking to
determine suitability to mating. This courtship can get pretty rough. If the
female does not pass the test or is not ready to mate then she can be killed by
the male. If she passes the test the pair will pick an area to spawn. They will
clean the area and chase all the other fish away. If they are properly
conditioned and the water is around 80 F then they will lay a few hundred eggs
on some substrate. They both will guard the eggs for three days. Then the eggs
will hatch. In three more days the fry will have absorbed their egg sacks and
become free swimming. At this point they need to be fed baby brine shrimp,
microworms and finely crushed flake food. The fry should be removed before the
adults decided to spawn again or they will eat the fry.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn Cichlid Eggs 1/10/07
Hi! What do Flowerhorn eggs look like and how will I know if my fish is
laying eggs?
em-em a. Villanueva, md
< Flowerhorns were derived from substrate spawning Central American cichlids.
The small eggs would be laid on a hard substance like a rock, log or even the
side of the glass. They would be about a 1/16th of an inch and clear. The
parents will be guarding them and keeping them clean. Depending on the size of
the parents there could be thousands of them laid at one time.-Chuck>
Undergravel Fish? 11/7/06
Hello,
<Hi Mark, Pufferpunk here>
I have this problem with my Flowerhorn fry. They seem to always try to get
under the gravel. A lot of them are not getting back out. I want to try to
vacuum the gravel but afraid that I might crush the fry while doing it. So, is
this a big problem or the fry should be able to get themselves out? Please, need
help fast--don't know if they can survive that long under the gravel.
<Are you speaking of below the undergravel filter plate? I can't imagine
anything else you might be referring to, unless your gravel size is huge & they
are being caught between the pieces. If you are referring to the undergravel
filter plate, the same thing happened to my Cory catfish fry. I took the down
tube out & lifted the plate by the hole slowly, letting the gravel drop to the
side. All the fry were fine after that. Please correct me if my assumption is
wrong & describe the problem better. Also, it would be good for the fry to have
some fine-leaved plants (live or fake) to hide out in. ~PP>
Thank you very much, Mark
Fry Caught in Gravel 11/8/06
Sorry if I wasn't clear before but I meant that they were getting caught in
between the gravel (no under gravel-filter). I will leave the tank empty next
time though, I think it is too late for all my fries.
<I corrected in your earlier email, it's spelled, "fry">
I took the mother out for a day and when I put her back with her fries, she
started to eat the rest of them.
<Yup, other than mouthbrooders, cichlids will eat any fish they can fit into
their mouth--even they're own.>
I'm pretty sure I'll do better next time.
<I suggest finer gravel. ~PP>
Thanks a lot, Mark
Flowerhorn Genetics - 10/22/06
Hi guys awesome website and info. I will make this brief. I have a few
breeding pairs of Flowerhorns, trying new things and pairs. I have a few red
dragons with brilliant color. I see these Thailand and Philippine Flowerhorns in
all different strains. What are they crossing to make the red so bright and
covering the whole body?
< The Flowerhorn itself is a cross with at least three species of cichlids. One
of them is the Red Devil. The amount of red is a genetic trait but the color can
be intensified with breeding and diet.>
I realize a lot of this is genetics. Is it red devil?
< Bingo!>
My newest breeding project is a red dragon FH crossed with blood parrot. I have
seen offspring of these and they are gorgeous producing a rich color. Guess my
question is...What are they crossing with the Flowerhorn to produce these
colors? Especially the whole body covered.
< I would suspect that they are being line bred and selecting for the intense
color. The adults can have as many as a thousand fry so selecting a red fish
would be easy after a couple of generations.>
Also strains like pearl of the orient, with the body full of pearls. You know
what is crossed to make that? Could it be a Texas cichlid? Anyway, any help or
input would be greatly appreciate thanks...Alan
< I haven't personally seen this fish, but crossing a Flowerhorn with a Texas
cichlid would not be very difficult.-Chuck>
Bloated Flowerhorn 9/12/06
Hi, I have a Flowerhorn. I noticed that my fish didn't eat for a
few days then the stomach got bigger (bloated stomach). How do I
treat this? What's the best medicine? Regards,
Sam
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter.
Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace or Clout. Follow the
directions on the package. Lots of info already on WWM website.
Google bloat or dropsy.-Chuck>
Male Flowerhorn Breeding cycle? 8/18/06
Dear WWM,
I recently succeeded in breeding a pair of Flowerhorns that I have (blue dragon
ZZ and a ZZ). It has been a week since the male fertilized the eggs,
<Mmm...
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&ie=UTF-8&q=breeding+flowerhorn+cichlids>
I want to know how long before HE can spawn with another female?
<... not likely... neotropical cichlids for the most part "mate" with only one
partner...>
For example
I know that Female Flowerhorns can lay eggs again in about 4-6weeks. Can a male
Flowerhorn breed with a new female every week, or 2 weeks? or 4-6weeks
or ????
<More likely to kill it>
I ask this question because my other female Flowerhorn seems like she is ready
to lay eggs in a week or so, because she is cleaning the rock in her tank.
<May "lay eggs" by itself. Please read the first few citations on the
search/link above. BobF>
Thank You,
Rodney.
Breeding Flowerhorns 7/24/06
Hello Bob !
<Actually, it's Pufferpunk here today.>
I am getting sick of wasting money on flowerhorns pair. I have bought many
flowerhorns pair after watching them doing well from several days but when I
purchase them at put them into my aquarium they start fighting. At first I was
having a 4'l X 2'h X 2'w tank, so I thought that to enlarge the tank would be a
good idea to stop them from fighting, so I made a tank of the following size:
10'l X 3'h X 3'w but this idea also failed. Many Flowerhorn killed their own
mate. Till now I have purchased more than 75 pairs of flowerhorns.
<Over 150 dead huh??? Kinda defeating the purpose of breeding them? Some fish
are just too aggressive to be kept together. I suggest keeping them in 2
separate tanks that are directly next to each other, so the fish can see each
other. When they display breeding interest (female will drop down a ovipositor
tube), try putting them together for spawning but watch them while they are
together. Any sign of aggression, they should be separated again. Eventually,
with patience, you will have luck this way. ~PP>
Reproduction, Flowerhorn 6/17/06
How long does the egg of a Flowerhorn hatch,
<About four days at tropical temperatures... if fertile>
how does it hatch
<The apical end of the attached eggs rupture, the young wriggle out>
and how do we prevent the female fish from eating its eggs?
<"Keep them satisfied", little outside activity, separate from the eggs/young.
Bob Fenner>
Raising Flowerhorn Fry 6/3/06
Hello! My female Flowerhorn laid eggs and my male Flowerhorn got to
fertilize it in time.
Now the eggs are hatched it's been a week since the eggs have been laid.
What are the factors that will aid the growth of my Flowerhorn fry? thanks
< Clean water, good food and reasonable temperatures. Ammonia will definitely
impede growth. So will nitrites and nitrates but not to the same extent. With
lots of fry it is easy to overcrowd a tank. You will need very good filtration
and lots of water changes. You will need a food that is high in protein. The
water temp should be at least 80 F for good fast growth. Too much higher than
that really starts to impede the waters ability to hold oxygen.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn pair behavior
Respected sir/ madam,
I recently brought a pair of flower horns from a local
dealer (a male and female), male slightly bigger than
the female (the male is about 8-10 cm long, the female
5-6cm long). Now I see the male attacking the female
and the female has some scars on her body. should I
now remove the female or is this a temporary action by
the male.
Hope to get a reply soon.
< Remove her to another tank or he will kill her. Many times pair bonds are
broken when fish are moved and need to be reestablished. Try dividing the tank
and keep each one on its own side. When the female is ready to spawn she will
begin to start to flare back at the male. You can try and put them together for
a short time and see how it goes. Be aware that he can decide to kill her in
just a few hours so only put them together when you are home watching them.
Eventually when they start to breed again you can start leaving the female with
the male, but there is no guarantee when large cichlids begin to breed.-Chuck>
Thanking you ,
Rohan
Re: Separated Cichlids
Respected sir/madam,
I wish to thank you for giving me the solution for my
problem so soon. I have as suggested by you. I have
divided the tank into two by placing a glass piece in
between the two, hopefully this solves the problem.
One other thing I wish to ask is I was thinking of
introducing a albino parrot fish with the male flowerhorn (of the same size), do you think its safe to do
so
& what are the signs to look for to separate them.
Can I maintain the flower horn on dry worms alone.
Well I once again thank you for your suggestion.
Thanking you,
< Big cichlids get very territorial, so much to the point that they don't even
like some people in the same room with them. This makes them very personable but
also a pain to match up with other fish. You can try and put them together.
Rearrange all the decorations and put them together at night. It is best to do
this if you are going to around for awhile to see how it goes. If they don't
like each other you may need to get another tank. -Chuck>
Rohan
Flowerhorn questions from India
Hi,
my name is Rohan, I am an aquarist from India. I have
mailed a few times and have been fortunate enough to
receive quick and very good responses from you to
which I am very grateful and thank you.
I have a pair of Flowerhorns.
I have a few enquires to ask you, concerning the about
two.
1) When do I know that the Flowerhorns are ready to
breed?
< The male and female will be flaring at one another, their tubes from the anal
region will become more prominent and they will have cleaned an area to lay
their eggs.>
2) Whats the average size of the male & female when
they are ready to breed?
< They can breed as small as 4 inches.>
3) I have noticed that my female FH changes her body
colour often (from pale to dark green), is this a cause
for concern?
< Flowerhorns are an artificial man-made fish. Their colors are a reflection of
their mood, food and genetics.>
4) when going out for the week end how much should the
fish be fed.
< None. I never feed my fish while I am out of town for a week or less. Fish are
cold blooded so I lower the water temp. to 75 degrees to cool them down and
lower their metabolism so they won't be as hungry and will not breed or tear
each other up while I am gone.>
and lastly,
5) I read in a website (not yours) that you can
underfeed the FH not over feed is it true?
< You can always overfeed or underfeed your fish. I feed only enough food so
that all of it is consumed in a few minutes once a day. Over feeding creates
internal bacterial problems like bloat and dropsy. If you check out our website
often then you have seen these emails with people who have fish like Oscars that
are bloated and lethargic. These people thought that they could not over feed
their Oscar.-Chuck>
Hoping to get a reply soon.
Thanking you,
Rohan
Differential Flowerhorn growth
Hi,
This is a hobbyist from India. I have a pair of flower
horns which I bought a month ago. I would like to ask
the following questions :
1> I have noticed that the growth in the male is
faster than that of the female is it natural or is
some thing wrong with my female FH.
< It is not unusual for cichlids to be sexually dimorphic according to size. The
cichlids from which Flowerhorns were developed have larger males.>
2>I would like to know whether flower horns( in
general any fishes) sleep, if they do when do they.
3>should I switch off the light in the aquarium during
the night?
< Fish sleep or at least rest. The lights should not be on all the time and they
will benefit with a rest6 period.-Chuck>
Hope to get reply.
Thanking you,
Rohan
BREEDING FLOWERHORNS
I have a three 3-month old flower horns. They have separate water tanks. One of the fish laid hundred of eggs yesterday. Do I have to put one male fish to make sure the eggs will hatch or these eggs will hatched by themselves?
< Only in very rare instances will the eggs become viable.>
How will I know their sexes?
< Males are usually bigger and have longer fins.>
How long will it take the eggs to hatch?
< If the eggs are fertile they will hatch in three days at 80 degrees F.>
How will I know that the eggs were not fertilized. Hope you can help me.
MAR PANGAN OF THE PHILIPPINES
< In a day they will turn white and probably develop a white fungus over them.-Chuck>
How to breed Flowerhorns
Hello!
I have a pair of flower horns. When I put them in the same tank, it seems that they are mating coz each of them are flaring to each other. After a day or two, I saw the eggs on the hatchery. However, after laying eggs, I noticed that my pets are now fighting? Which should I leave in the hatchery, the male or the female? For how long should I place one of them on the tank where the eggs were laid? Please help on this matter. I’ve been experimenting 4x already and up to now, I can’t them to hatch their eggs. Hoping for your immediate response. Thanks!
Dale Dwayne
< Flower horns are a man made fish that have been developed to show certain traits that are favorable to the Asian culture. If you want to save the eggs then they can be taken away from the parents and hatched artificially. Fill a 5 gallon tank with the same tank water that the parents are
in. Remove the rock or stone with the eggs and place them in the 5 gallon tank with an airstone to provide
aeration and current. Put a few drops of Methylene blue in the water to inhibit any fungus growth. Keep the water at 80 degrees. In three days the eggs will hatch and they will turn into a little wiggly mass of fry. At the end of three days the fry will have absorbed their egg sack and they will become free swimming. At this time they can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food. If after a few attempts all the eggs die (Turn white) you either have two females or an infertility problem.-Chuck>
Baby Flowerhorn/red rose fish
Hello,
My Flowerhorn and red rose bred for the 2nd time and the eggs hatched 1 Dec.
I removed the parents cause the 1st time they ate the babies the same day a few hours later.
What should I feed them?
< They will become free swimming in a few days depending on the water temp. At
that time they can be fed baby brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food.>
And the best way in a 55 gal tank.
< When the fry become free swimming they will gather into a little school. The
fry food can be dropped over them. they will feed as the food slowly drops down
around them.-Chuck> Today I gave
them a little red Tubifex worms.
Thanks,
Leo
Flowerhorn
Hello,
I have a male Flowerhorn and female Rose flower that mated and laid eggs.
The Rose is swimming across the eggs in a rubbing motion while the Flowerhorn approaches periodically. Which eggs are fertile the white or clear and how long
will it take for the eggs to hatch?
< The clear eggs are fertile and the white ons are dead and need to be removed
by the female before they fungus up and destroy the rest of the eggs. They
should hatch in three days at 80 degrees. Three days later the fry will become
free swimming after absorbing their egg sac. At this time they need to be fed
baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food.-Chuck.>
Thanks,
Leo
Re: Flowerhorn
Hi Chuck,
Thank you for your timely reply. What if the female does not remove the white
eggs....should I try to do something? Today is the 3rd day!
<Flowerhorns are actually a cross between a few different fish so it may not be
that unusual to have a few non fertile eggs. If the eggs are fuzzy then they
should have some Methylene blue or some other antifungicide added to the water.
Add an airstone to the area to increase the water circulation. You could always
use a 5 gallon aquarium and remove the eggs an continue to hatch them
artificially. You should be seeing some wiggles by tomorrow.-Chuck>
Leo
Flowerhorns
hi Chuck,
You are right the wiggles appeared this morning however very hard to see
unless you focus. It is like vibrating gel! The female [Red rose] is scooping
the
fry in her mouth and spitting them back out. what does this mean?
< She is probably cleaning them and moving them around.>
The
Flowerhorn sometimes picks in the area of the hatchery but eats what it puts in
its
mouth. The hatchery is now mixed with sand which is the tanks bottom glass.
Could the fry survive without the parents if I take them out.
<Sure. Fill another container with the same tank water and then get some clear
air line tubing and siphon the babies to the new container. When they become
free swimming, (in about three days), they can be fed baby brine shrimp and
crushed flake food.-Chuck>> Is it safe to
remove them of course using the same tank water. What do I have to feed the
fry? Sorry for so many questions and emails first time grand-pa!
Leo
Flowerhorns
Hi Chuck,
What will the young fry eat for the first 2 weeks?
< The parents are not required and they can be fed crushed flake food and baby
brine shrimp until they get up to 1/4 inch. Then they could be fed flake food
and fine pellets.-Chuck> Do they need their
parents to feed them?
Leo
Flowerhorns Mating
Greetings, Well, I've got a cichlid which I called Canon. After that, I've got a flower horn who is Dranzer. I put them in the same tank, a ten gallon tank with a divider in it. A couple of days later, I found some eggs on Canon's part. I didn't mind it because it might not hatch. But three days later, it
was filled with white fungus and was swept away. Another days later she laid eggs but the eggs were also filled with fungus. How can I keep fungus away?
< The fungus is usually the result of infertile eggs.>
Can a Flowerhorn and a cichlid mate?
< A Flowerhorn is a man made cichlid that is a hybrid between three different species. It is possible it could breed with another
Central American cichlid.>
How can my Flowerhorn get good colors and a protruding head?
< With good nutrition an good water quality you can get some pretty good results as long as the fish has the genes for those traits you desire.>
How can I breed fishes?
< Breeding cichlids is actually pretty easy. Make sure you have a pair and set them up with warm clean water. They will usually do the rest and even raise the fry.-Chuck>
Hope for your reply, Nikki
Crossing Flowerhorns? 7/7/05
We have an A-quality female Flowerhorn that started laying eggs without any
encouragement. We also have a mature, good quality male Midas. Wešve read
that crossing these two will still produce Flowerhorns. We know the breeding
process is a rough one but wešre getting conflicting info from folks ŗin the
know.˛ Since they seem to be very happy with each other (by their terms,
anyway) should we separate them at all until eggs are laid and fertilized?
<Female Flowerhorns will lay their eggs on a substrate and they need to be
fertilized pretty quickly by the male to be any good. You need to keep both in
the same tank.>
And how long does it take for that to happen?
< If a pair is ready to go then a female could be ready to lay in as little as a
week, depending on her size and the water temp.>
Does she need to rest?
< She can lay eggs as often as every two weeks depending on how well she is
conditioned.>
He keeps her swimming a lot. But they have both been cleaning the slate. How
soon do we need to remove the Midas once the eggs are laid to keep the risk
to her minor?
< After the eggs are laid and fertilized by the male then he can be removed
right after spawning.>
A local Flowerhorn shop lets the male/female raise the fry
together. Is this unusual?
< No not really. The parents will lay the eggs and guard them for three days
until they hatch. Then they will hatch and become free swimming three days
later. After that then they should be removed because the parents will be
getting ready to spawn again and eat the fry.>
We also have a young Flowerhorn that we believe
is a male but hešs too small for her right now. Would it be better to wait
until he is larger instead of pairing her and the Midas?
< Depends on what you want to do. Cichlids don't like to switch partners once
their set up.>
Wešve heard that breeding pairs can get grumpy if split up and put with a
different fish. Do
they really know the difference?
< Absolutely!>
Is there a book on Flowerhorns that we
could purchase? Thank you. Erin & Russ
< There is a book that has been published a few years ago. You can check on eBay
or Amazon.-Chuck>
Identifying Flowerhorn fry 8/20/05
Today I went into the pet shop in Chinatown, Manhattan, NY. I was looking to
purchase some Flowerhorn fry's about 1 inch or less ... the pet shop guy
showed me some "Flowerhorn fry" that were with parrot fish fry but to me
when looked at the "Flowerhorn fry" they didn't have red eyes, very dark
coloration, some spots, and really looked like some sort of other cichlid
...... my question is how do you tell apart Flowerhorn fry from other
cichlid fry? What are the major or key distinctions to look for if any?
thanks a lot.
< At one inch Flowerhorns look like the fry of red devils from which they are
partially derived. They may range in color from solid red to grey with stripes.
This makes it very difficult to determine if you truly have a Flowerhorn. I
personally buy fish from breeders if I am concerned about genetics. In this case
I would ask the store to guarantee that they are truly Flowerhorns. If they are
not, make sure you bring them back for a full refund. If the store owner
declines then you already have your answer and you don't need to waste your time
and money on a fish you have no interest in.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn Questions 9/3/05
Hey, WWM, Chuck, I was just told by my friend that I should put crushed
coral into my
Flowerhorn tank, because it promotes the hump growth and fish health by
balancing the ph... or increasing it?
< Crushed coral is simply calcium carbonate. In acidic water the shells dissolve
and help buffer the water and keep it from crashing (Becoming too acidic). It
may stabilize the pH and thus keep your Flowerhorn healthy. Especially if you
live in an area with soft water.>
Well I searched your forum and I couldn't find an answer...
I want to know is Crushed Coral good for Flowerhorns?
< In soft acidic waters it is probably beneficial to have crushed coral in the
tank.>
Are Flowerhorns hard water or soft water fish?
< More hard water than soft water.>
Can Flowerhorns survive in high ph water?
< To a point. I would not go much higher than 8.>
What are some signs that a female Flowerhorn is ready to spawn?
< Heavy belly with a thin tube protruding from the anal region. The pair will
usually be seen cleaning an area and chasing away other fish.>
Can I put a Pleco or cat fish with my male Flowerhorn 8 inches big?
< Big Central American cichlids are very territorial of their spaces. I probably
would not risk it. Chuck>
thank you very much
Pairing Up Flowerhorns 9/5/05
Dear, WWM, Chuck, I recent bought a male (huge hump, long fins, about
8inches) and what I
think is a female (very little or no hump, short fins, fat belly, about
6inch), from separate owners. I have them in there own tanks, and they
cannot see each other. I wanted to try an breed them, so, today I tried
putting the female in the male's tank (hoping that they would pair up), but
instead they immediately started fighting, by locking there mouths together,
I watched them do this for about 5 min.s and saw the female was getting her
mouth bitten up. So I took her back out and put her into her own tank
again. I have seen that kind of fighting between male Bettas and sometimes
when I am breeding Bettas also. My questions are...
Can put these 2 fishes that are use to living in separate tanks, together
to breed?
< Playing match maker with adult Central American cichlids is very very risky. I
would get some plastic egg crate used in home improvement store for lighting
panels and make a divider out of it. Put the male in one side and the female in
the other. This way they can see each other but not get to each other. If the
female lays eggs the male can still fertilizer them fro quite a distance away.>
What are the mating rituals of Flowerhorns? (like what kinds of things do
they do before pairing up or mating? What are signs of mating?)
< Courtship can be pretty rough. Lots of flaring and mouth locking. If they are
compatible and the female is ready to breed then after the tug a war they will
begin to clear an area for the female to lay eggs. The eggs are laid on a flat
surface with the male following closely behind the female to fertilize the
eggs.>
How do you know when they are doing this ritual or fighting?
< Sometimes it is difficult to tell. When one fish plainly gives up and runs for
cover then it is time to get the loser out or they will be killed.>
What is the average time for this mating ritual to take place?
< Could be hours or days depending on the water temp and how closely matched the
two fish are.>
One of my friends has a pair, and they don't fight or anything, they defend
there hole they dug in the gravel. I really want my 2 Fh's to live like
that, am sure I have more questions, but I can think of them right now... I
will have to send another email, but I'll wait for your reply on this one...
Thank You So Much, you guy's are the best.
< Compatibility among cichlid pairs is a touch and go thing. They may be fine
one minute and then at each others throat the next. Good Luck.-Chuck>
Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids 10/3/05
Hi you've been helpful since I started making
Flowerhorns a hobby. I bought a 2 month old FH and it looks like a
potential female Red Dragon. My question is it possible for it to mate with a FH
that is 2 months older?
< Once both fish are sexually mature then age does not matter.>
By the way it has Ich/white spots it's very few, how will I be able to cure it?
< Raise the water temp to 80+ F and treat with Kordon's Rid-Ich.-Chuck> Thanks a
lot. Ja
Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids 10/3/05
Hi you've been helpful since I started making
Flowerhorns a hobby. I bought a 2 month old FH and it looks like a
potential female Red Dragon. My question is it possible for it to mate with a FH
that is 2 months older?
< Once both fish are sexually mature then age does not matter.>
By the way it has Ich/white spots it's very few, how will I be able to cure it?
< Raise the water temp to 80+ F and treat with Kordon's Rid-Ich.-Chuck> Thanks a
lot. Ja
Breeding Flowerhorns 9/21/05
Dear WWM, Chuck, Thank you for all you help so far, I was able to
get my fighting male and
female FH's to breed, I THINK? I have a few more questions, that I hope
you
can help me with. My female laid eggs and the male is on the other side
of a divider in the
tank...How do I know if the eggs were fertilized?
< If the eggs were infertile then they would soon die and turn white.>
How long does the eggs take to hatch?
< About three days at 82 F>
Should I remove the female immediately when the eggs hatch?
< The female usually does a pretty good job taking care of the eggs.
When they hatch she will no longer be needed to fan the eggs.>
Should I remove the Male from the tank if the eggs were
fertilized/hatched or leave him on the other side of the divider?
< There are different ways of removing the fry from the parents. You
could remove the substrate that the eggs were laid on after three days
and place it in a separate tank under similar conditions. After the
eggs hatch you could remove the parents or siphon out the fry into a
separate vessel with airline tubing. The male may eat any fry that
wander over to his side of the tank.>
Are newly hatched eggs mobile? If not, how long should I leave the
female in
the same tank?
< After three days the fry will absorbed their eggs sac and begin to swim
around in search of food. The female should be removed after the fry
become free swimming.>
How long after the fry's hatched, would I be able to move them to a new
tank?
< Anytime. Just match the existing water conditions.>
I took some pictures with a friends digital camera yesterday, but the
eggs appeared
today.... so here are some pictures of the set up. I attached... also
you
can check out more pictures on my website:
http://www.kevynews.com/~rod/home/home.htm
Thank you for all your help.
< Thanks-Chuck> |
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Male Flowerhorn Sterile? 11/22/05
Dear WWM crew,
I had written to you about breeding Flowerhorns, before, but after a couple of tries at breeding, with no success I have a couple more questions to
ask... Is my male Flowerhorn seems to be sterile...?
<Maybe>
The reason I ask is because my female has laid eggs twice and they all just died after 4-5days!
<Could be you have two females even>
I would like to know, how do I know if a male Flowerhorn is Sterile?
<Mmm, your present observations>
My male has a tube thing near the anus, but its black at the end of it, and its shriveled
up... am not sure if that's a physical sign of an infertile male...
<Mmm, no... though shape, size is often sexually indicative>
What would be a good Visual way to know if a male is infertile?
<Not possible... can/could be tested (most likely through sacrificing the fish), or somehow testing the fish through "stripping" and a microscope... But/and often cichlids don't "do it" correctly the first few tries...>
Can Female Flowerhorn eggs be infertile?
<Yes>
I guess it would be hard to know if its since it lays the eggs....but if there is any way to find out,
I would like to know about it. (you can check my site, and look at the album to see pictures of the fish,
am not sure if that would help)
Thank You
Rod
http://www.rodsfish.com
<I am cc'ing Chuck Rambo here (he's been out of town a while) as he knows much more than I re such matters. Bob Fenner>
Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids 1/20/06
Greetings! I am Leo Ilagan of the Philippines. I'm a new flower horn
hobbyist and I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with
some of my questions. First, Is it true that I can breed two flower horns even
with a divider between them and a small space beneath it?
< Yes, it is possible to breed substrate spawning cichlids using the divider
method. This is often done with plastic egg crate type material purchased from a
hardware store in 4'x2' sheets.>
Second, is it still necessary to put gravel, plants, rocks or any other form of
decoration in my tank?
< Some aquarists have had better luck using a flower pot or a rock as a focal
point for the spawn. It not used they will lay the eggs on the glass and then
they cannot be removed and hatched artificially.>
Third, I have a flower horn who remains small even after a month and I would
like to ask if after separating him from the larger ones, could he still grow to
his potential size and form?
< Females stay usually smaller than the males. You could also have a "runt" that
genetically will not grow to the size of the others.>
And last, does chipped skin or scales grow back after being bitten by fellow
flower
horns?
< Usually the scales will grow back but maybe not as nicely patterned as the
original scales .-Chuck> Hope you can help me and I'm glad I found your website.
Many thanks
in advance.
Breeding Flowerhorns - 1/30/2006
Hi, I've been reading your forum and it has informed me a lot, but still
there are some questions that I have to ask. I am trying to breed my flower horn
fish. I have a 35 gallon tank that has colored pebbles on the bottom with a 4x2
inch pot in the female side. I know that I have a pair with me right now and I
did put them together in the same tank for almost a year now (with no divider),
yes they would fight sometimes, some times I see my female getting worked but
lately I noticed that the female has a big tummy with the straw sticking out her
tummy, she was very red, and I saw the male got worked pretty bad, he lost his
tail fins and scales. As a matter of fact he really got weak, so I divided them
with a glass divider, now they mind each others business. The female had a big
tummy for almost a month now and she lost the straw under her belly I don't see
no eggs, but I see a pebble like cocoon that I know it came from her.
My question is, how long before she would lay eggs and what is that cocoon like
thing that I see on the bottom of the tank? By the way it is color white and is
about half an inch looks like a pebble but am sure its not. When can I take out
the divider and would the eggs mature even they are separated by a divider?
Please I've me more info on hoe to successfully breed my flower horn.. I really
need a lot of help, this is my first time to own a fish, any kind of fish. Eriq
< To get the fish ready do a 50% water change, and clean the filter. Get the
water temp up to 82 F. When you are going to be home for awhile to watch them,
pull the tank divider and watch them. If they start to act like a couple then
you can leave them alone for awhile. If they are going at it then you will need
to separate them and try again later. Don't know what the pebble thing is. Get
it out of the tank.-Chuck>
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