Flower Horn

[Black Sails]

My local lfs has been getting this beautiful species of Flower Horn from Malaysia. Right now there are three medium sized(4-5") fish that I have to choose from(the best I've seen yet). They all have wonderful coloring. I only want one as a show fish in a 55 gal. by himself.

My question is: Should I buy him now? I'd have to put him in a 55 gal. with 4 South Americans(3 Geo's and a Firemouth). Or should I just wait until I get my other 55 gal. up and running so he can have his own tank. By waiting, I risk missing out on these beautiful fish. They don't come in very often, let alone of this quality. It's hard to have patience.

I would love to hear any other input anybody can give me about Flower Horns. I know there's not many owners out there, as this is a new species. I'm really excited about raising one. Thank you.

 

[SixFootDaisy]

I've never heard of that kind of fish.

Your lfs can't just put one on 'hold' for you?

Okay, so I can't offer any advice worth anything...
but if you DO get one, please take a picture because I am interested in seeing it.

 

[Atlantis]

There are two pictures of the Flowerhorn chichlid at this site. I think it is a great looking fish, and if I had a big enough tank would get one in an instant.

http://www.fishforums.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=8064&highlight=flowerhorn

 

[azn dreamer]

WOW! 8O they look pretty good...apart from the red eyes...kinda freaky.

They grow pretty big...are you sure 55 gallons big enough?

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Flowerhorns are a hybrid fish-- not sure which species are in the mix, as I've heard too many contradicting theories.

A 55 gallon tank would probably be big enough for one flowerhorn-- and only one flowerhorn. They aren't too bad as juveniles but adults usually get hyper-aggressive and will kill anything housed with them.

Have you seen an adult flowerhorn? They do become a bit more drab as they get older and males develop gigantic nuchal humps on their foreheads. Some people find them attractive, but frankly, they give me the serious willies.....

 

[Black Sails]

Have you seen an adult flowerhorn? They do become a bit more drab as they get older and males develop gigantic nuchal humps on their foreheads. Some people find them attractive, but frankly, they give me the serious willies.....

If by drab, you mean this. Then I'll take my chances.

I have seen some Flower Horns with monstrosities of foreheads. It depends how they're bred. Yeah, some of them are a little too pronounced, like this one. That fish scares me and, ironically, it sold for $15,000.00

The cool thing about Flower Horns is that they develope their adult colors and other adult characteristics at a fairly young age. You can look at a 6 month old, 5" fish and you'll be able to see what shape he'll have when he's full grown.

The thing that attracts me the most is the cultural impact of this fish. People in South East Asia place much importance on this particular species. The history, lore, and spirituality of Chinese culture is mirrored by the Flower Horn in the way that they breed and name each variant of the species. Every characteristic is of some significance, from the color and markings to the body shape and fin structure. This fish has taken that region by storm. Much more exciting than owning a tetra, I suppose.(no offense to tetra owners)

I'm going to think a little longer on this purchase. I'll let you guys know how it turns out and post pics if I end up getting one. If I do, he'll definitely have his own tank. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

That's a lot different than the adults I've been seeing in this area.
The normal adult that's been popping up around here has been a mottled reddish-brownish color. Not unattractive-- but nothing like when they're juvies. And that nuchal hump is tiny, compared to what I've seen! I'll have to see if I can find the pic of a flowerhorn that had a hump so large, it reminding me of a unicorn....

I guess it really depends on the breeding though. I've seen them sell on the Internet for $25,000; I've also seen them in local shops for nine bucks. It's like everything else: you get what you pay for.

 

[anthonynguyen]

Baby Golden Flower Horn For sale

I have alot baby golden flower horn for sale if anyone want buy some ,only 2 dola for each, give me a call 408-586-9636or send email to aab900@yahoo.com.Thanks

 

[Black Sails]

I've done a lot of research over the past couple of weeks. I've read tons of articles and spoken to many people about flower horns. I've been talking to an owner in Singapore. She's taught me a whole lot about flower horns and the impact this species has had on her culture and on her little niche of society. It's quite intriguing from a social science point of view. However, I am no longer as enthusiastic about keeping a flower horn, or any other hybrid fish for that matter.

I've spoken to many people who have not had such great things to say about flower horns and about the the impact of hybrids in general. There's something very pure in preserving what nature has given us. Many of us go to great lengths to recreate the perfect setting in our tanks. We buy rocks, plants, and substrate that are native to the area that our fish come from. Some of us put forth much effort in keeping species tanks and we pay special attention to the fish's natural habitat. There's a certain satisfaction in accomplishing this. I feel that much of that is lost in keeping a hybrid species. How does a person recreate something that doesn't exist? Hybrid fish have no real habitat or history. Imagine what state this hobby will be in after 20 years of being flooded with genetically engineered, cross-bred, hybrid fish. It's a bad scifi movie in the making. Imagine walking into your lfs and having a hard time finding a danio, a cory, or even a common pleco. All you see is a bunch of hybrid fish with all these asthetically pleasing, but ultimately fake characteristics. I know this is extreme, but you get my point. It isn't natural. And I believe that it takes some of the satisfaction out of the hobby, for me at least.

I'm 99.9% sure I will not be keeping a flower horn in the future, as pretty as they may be. I apologize if I've offended anyone by what I've said. This is just my rant for today.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Black Sails-

Your "rant" is simply echoing the sentiments of many cichlid lovers (including my own). There are literally thousands of beautiful, naturally-occuring species (and a good deal of them cichlids) available to us, without the need for "new and improved" fish.

Another issue important to cichlid keepers is keeping the integrity of species intact. This is due to the loss of many of the Rift Lake varieties to the Nile Perch. All those fish being captive-bred today may one day be re-introduced into their natural habitats when the native fish are completely wiped out. Lake Victoria has already lost hundreds of species that we'll never see again.

I don't have anything against hybrids-- although I do believe many are just an excuse for certain breeders to make a quick buck. I applaud your research and principles, though!

 

[Black Sails]

Thanks for the kind words Voodoo. The deeper I get into this hobby, the more respect I have for each species and for preserving what nature has provided. I also have much respect for people like you. Enthusiasts with integrity and dedication are what make this hobby so great and who keep it going.