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This fish has taken the aquatic world (particularly in the South East Asian region) by storm within the last two years. Its popularity is gaining momentum day by day, and it is set to be an internationally known fish as can be compared with the likes of the discus fish and arowana.

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Listed tank sizes are the minimum Size: Up to 12" (30cm) Tank: 48 inches when small Strata: Bottom-middle PH: 7.0 to 7.8 Hardness: Soft to medium. dH range: 6.0 - 25.0 Temperature: 80ºF to 89ºF (27°-32°C) Classification: Order: Perciformes Suborder: Percoidei Family: Cichlidae Thought to be the end product of cross breeding between the Cichlasoma Trimaculatus, Cichlasoma Festae, Jingang Blood Parrot, and etc.

Part of the breeding farm photo from Flower Horn Fish Resource Center

Common name:

Flower Horn Fish Hua Luo Han

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Additional species photographs

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Distribution

None, not a natural occurring species. Parent stock from South America

As was stated in some reports, the Flower Horn Fish is also known as a "mutated" breed of fish. Rest assured that this is just a claim. We would like to stress that the Flower Horn Fish has gone through a lot of selective cross breeding in order to have the best characteristics of the respective strains of the Cichlid fish family. For instance, most breeders are striving to produce Flower Horn with bigger nuchal hump on the forehead, better coloration, bolder black marking on the body (which at times resembles Chinese characters), more elegant fins, and wider body. No chemicals, or bio-genetic engineering have been incorporated to improve on the traits / characteristics of the Flower Horn. Thus, the claim that this is a mutated fish is unfounded. Chinese call the flower horn cichlid "Hua Luo Han".

Coloration (as you can see from the pictures )can vary from the native locale and the age of the fish. All are stunning, bright and can command a high price

 

This fish is very hardy, and can endure water conditions that are not suitable for most breeds of aquarium fish. This is also part of the reason why the Flower Horn is well received by many tropical fish hobbyists. But the ideal pH level in the water should be around pH 7 to pH 7.8 with water temperature ranging between 27 °C to 32°C. For temperate / colder climate regions, just need a conventional water heater. With regards to aquarium size, try to have at least 4 feet (length) by 2 feet (width) aquarium. The tank should be decorated in typical Cichlid fashion, providing open swimming areas as well as caves and driftwood for hiding. Plastic plants are best as they will dig. They are very aggressive in nature. Coexisting with other fish is not advisable, especially smaller fish. Some parties have claimed that we can "play" with the Flower Horn. In actual fact, Flower Horn is actually trying to get rid of the "intruder" (be it a stick or a person's hand). Therefore, it is advisable that we keep our hands to ourselves as the fish has quite a nasty bite depending on the size of the fish.

None

Breeding:

Sexing the flower horn can be attempted the following way: The most accurate way is look at the anal pore of the fish. The male fish has a V-shaped anal pore. As for the female, it will have a U - shaped anal pore. Generally, it will be easier to identify the sex of the fish when it is around 4 inches in length. Breeding should be typical of any of the large parent stock like Cichlasoma Trimaculatus or Cichlasoma Festae.
As many as 1000 eggs are usually laid on a flat surface like a piece of slate or sometimes on rocks on the tank bottom. The eggs are guarded by the female and the male will keep all others away. The eggs will hatch in about 3 days and then the fry will be moved to large pits in the substrate where the parents will continue their care. After about 5 days the fry are free swimming and can be fed the small food needed for growth.

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From: Gary Date:1/16/2007 I have 2 flower horns each very red in color both over 15 inches and a red devil at about 13 inches. they're all extremely aggressive and will kill any fish besides themselves. I have them in a 600 gallon tank with like 4 biowheel filters and something like 25 other smaller filters. I put in 12 pacus about 10 inches each and the flower horns and red devil force them to the corner of the tank where they constantly bash them. I have a flexy glass tank which is reinforced(I had it custom made) so i'm not worried about it breaking but these pacu are panzies they dont fight for squat waste of money From: Shahram Date:1/16/2007 The flower horn are very aggressive especially when they breed. I give them dry fish,shrimps,blood worms, and other cichlid food. In my 8ft aquarium they have breed 6 times by now. Be very careful when you wanted to take the babies out from their parents. Use a net to remove parents. You save the babies if you have other fishes in the tank From: Charles Massie Date:8/06/2004 The flower horn cichlid is a very responsive and aggressive cichlid. The come in many different colors, which makes this fish unique. The one that I own has a grayish background with red on his gills and upper portion of its body, green face, red eyes, with 3 pearl spots on him. It will eat anything I put into the tank. I like to feed it krill, blood worms, and Hikari pellets on a rotating daily basis. It is a fast growing fish. Mine has grown 12 inches in 12 months. From: El Bandito Date:12/02/2002 Very popular fish in S.E.Asia, prized for its "good luck" and hardiness, it is also reputed to resemble one of the Chinese deities, hence the name. Quite aggressive, but I've seen them in larger tanks with the likes of tiger barbs and tinfoil barbs. Some specimens fetch over US$30,000... go figure out why... but they are definitely meat eating, with frozen bloodworms and other small animals being a staple (small fish, frogs, insects)

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