Above: This Flowerhorn is big and solid and gorgeous! In excellent health and very energetic, also ornery.

Undoubtedly needs an aquarium of his own, which he has now, and he shows no signs of being lonely.

But he'd love to come and live in your aquarium and get plenty of TLC from you.

Scientific Name: Flowerhorn Fish are hybrids between various species from the group of fish that was previously known as Cichlasoma.

More recently Cichlasoma has been split into many groups.

Comments: These beautiful hybrid fish are result of cross breeding various Cichlasoma species such as C. trimaculatus, C. festae, the Jingang Blood Parrot, and perhaps other species too.

The best quality Flower Horn Fish have been produced by fish breeders that are eager to produce the best show quality fish.

The Flower Horn Fish has gone through several generations of selective cross breeding to capture the best characteristics of various different species.

Most breeders are striving to produce Flower Horn Fish 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.

But neither chemicals or genetic engineering have been used so far to improve on the traits or characteristics of the Flowerhorn.

Appropriate Home: This fish is very hardy, and can endure water conditions that are not suitable for some types of aquarium fish.

Their hardiness is one of the big reasons that the Flowerhorn is enjoyed by many Tropical Fish hobbyists.

The ideal water probably has a pH in the range of 7 to 7.8 with water temperature ranging between 75 and 80-degrees F.

If your aquarium water is cooler, you will need to warm it with a conventional aquarium heater.

An aquarium for a Flower Horn Fish should contain at least 120-gallons of water.

Compatibility: As Flower Horn Fish are very territorial and very aggressive.

They usually will not tolerate other fish, and will often eat smaller fish that fit into their mouths.

Some aquarists have said that they can play with their Flower Horn Fish, but instead of playing the Flower Horn is probably trying to get rid of what it sees as an intruder, your hand.

Recommended Diet: Flower Horns are not picky eaters, and need lots of food.

We recommend pellet food made for Cichlids and sold in many stores where pet fish are sold.

We advise feeding them at least twice a day and three times is probably better.

Size and Lifespan: Flower Horns will quickly grow to be over 12-inches long, and some have grown to be over 16" long. They may live to be 8 to 10-years old.

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