Keeping a FLOWERHORN CICHLID

Photo:  Wikimedia Commons.

Have you ever walked in a shop and wondered why an awkwardly looking fish is staring at you? You might question the aesthetic appreciation of the owner for keeping what seems to be an ugly fish. If you would ask the owner or the keeper of the store, they would tell you that the fish is the bearer of good luck. The strange looking fish is the flowerhorn cichlid. The FLOWERHORN CICHLID has been famous among business owners. Due to their association with bringing great fortune, the Flowerhorn sale has been proliferating mostly in the Asian countries.

The rampant crossbreeding of South American cichlids resulted to the flowerhorn cichlid. The new species of cichlid was developed in the mid 90's in Malaysia. The combination of the species used is still unknown except for those who made them. Both the male and female flowerhorn has the same appearance. One must be very keen to differentiate between the sexes. When the fish is approximately 10-12 centimeters, one can differentiate the male from the female flowerhorn by checking the anal pore. A U shaped anal pore signifies a female flowerhorn, while a V-shaped anal pore is for the male flowerhorn.

The flowerhorn sale is not greatly affected by the sex of the fish. The markings and the huge hump on the head appear both in the male and female flowerhorn. The black markings resemble the Chines characters at times. A fish with a pronounced marking will be considered very special. The hump on the head of the fish is believed to resemble the high- forehead of SHou Xing the Chinese God of Longevity.

The flowerhorn fish is easy to maintain. One must have an aquarium that would have an ample space for the fish to swim in. One to three flowerhorn fish can be kept in a spacious aquarium. If more than one fish is to be kept, however, there should be enough accessories or items that would make the territories of the fish separate and distinct. Small variations in the condition of the water would not bother the resilient fish much. A neutral or alkaline water is best in keeping the fish. Water with a lower pH would fade the color of the fish.

The flowerhorn cichlid is kept because people believe it is lucky or just merely because of its interesting appearance. No matter what the reasons are, flowerhorn cichlids are one of the favorites of an aquarist.

Quintus Macon is a freelance writer and a budding aquarist who owns a female flowerhorn. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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FLOWERHORN FISH: The Herald of Good Fortune

Flowerhorn Elvis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the mid 90's, a new hybrid of the cichlid was created in Malaysia. Various species of South American cichlids were interbred which lead to a hybrid cichlid, the flowerhorn. The flowerhorn fish have a distinctive hump on their head and characteristic black markings on their sides. The black markings on the side of the flowerhorn fish sometimes resemble Chinese characters or numbers are thought to bring luck. 

The hump on the head of the flowerhorn fish is also thought to bring fortune since it somehow resembles the Chinese god of longevity These features appear on both male and female flowerhorns. Unlike other fish hybrids, the male and female flowerhorns are fertile and can be bred easily. This enabled breeders and enthusiasts alike to venture in the flowerhorn sale since there was a demand for it.

Flowerhorn fish is easily maintained. A 200-Liter capacity will be enough to house one flowerhorn fish. They are not sensitive to small degrees of variation in the water condition. However, it is best to have a neutral to an alkaline water so as not to mute the colors of the flowerhorns. When keeping multiple flowerhorn fish in a single aquarium, it is advised that it be limited to up to three only and that there are decorations in the aquarium that would segregate the territories of the different flowerhorns. Likewise, male and female flowerhorns may be kept in the same aquarium, especially when the intention is to breed. When trying to breed, a flat surface should be provided where the female flowerhorn will lay her eggs. Male flowerhorns tend to guard the territory, chasing other fish away, while the female flowerhorns guard the eggs.

Male and female flowerhorns tend to look almost the same when they are small.However, when they reach about 10-12 cm they can be distinguished when the anal pore is checked A female flowerhorn is characterized by a U-shaped anal pore while a V-shaped anal pore is distinctive of the male flowerhorn. Also, mature female flowerhorns have a smaller hump compared to their male counterpart. Despite the slight difference in appearance, the flowerhorn sale for both male and female flowerhorns are at par.

The price of flowerhorns nowadays is not as extravagant as it was in the start Only those flowerhorns with very distinct marks such as those that resemble the Chinese character for luck or those with a well-proportioned hump are valued at the highest price. However, this has not stopped breeders and enthusiasts to stop breeding the hybrid cichlid to enhance the features of the fish. Crossbreeding of flowerhorns are still done today to further enhance the markings and colors of the flowerhorn fish.

There are groups of people, however, who detest the flowerhorn fish. Being developed by man, many groups, religious and environmentalists alike, frown at the creation of the flowerhorn fish. It has been considered an abomination of nature since it would not exist without the tampering of man. There are groups as well that consider the flowerhorns a threat to the ecosystem.

The flowerhorn fish indeed captured the attention of many.With both the grandeur and criticism that it has attained, people will continue to appreciate the flowerhorn fish be it for its beauty or for the associated good fortune that awaits those who keep them.

By Quintos Macon - Article Source: EzineArticles

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FLOWERHORN Fish - A Hybrid Cichlid of South American Origins

One of the more unusual cichlid varieties is the flowerhorn. It is actually not a recognized species due to its hybrid origins. The actual parent species remains a mystery because the original breeder has not made the origins public. It is widely believed however that South American cichlids were used in it's creation.

The flowerhorn is an unusual looking species that can grow a large nuchal hump on it's forehead. Coloration can vary as many variations have been created using selective breeding. Red patterns with scattered black scales are typical of the fish frequently seen. Other types such as the red flame flowerhorn have large yellow areas at the dorsal end of the fish's body. The black scales are sometimes arranged into bands as seen in the red general flowerhorn.

Tanking (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Flowerhorns have the potential to grow quite large. 40 cm can be expected from a mature specimen. For this reason a large aquarium of 4 feet and upward is recommended. Due to their potential for aggression they are often kept alone or with other flowerhorns in such fish tanks. If your aim is to keep more than one fish it is advised to select the tank mates while young. By doing so they can become accustomed to one another and show less aggression once mature. Suitable fish to keep with flowerhorns are red devils and other large South American cichlids. Such species will be better suited to defend themselves than smaller varieties.

These fish should be cared for in the same way that other South American cichlids are. A high protein cichlid pellet can be fed though there are also foods produced specifically for flowerhorns. Water should pH should be kept in the vicinity of neutral using a test kit and adjustment additives.

As large cichlids have a tendency to rearrange their surroundings care should be taken in decorating the tank. Aquarium plants can not be used because thy will soon be uprooted and damaged n the process. Large stones and resin ornaments are suitable but heavy rocks should not have any gravel beneath them. This will ensure the object is not undermined and toppled onto the digging fish.

While these behaviors can be tiresome for the aquarium owner it is quite stimulating for the fish. To further amuse your flowerhorns additional objects can be offered from time to time. If you have several tanks the ornaments can be periodically switched around.

By Andrew Fuller Andrew Fuller spends much of his free time writing about aquarium related topics on a range of websites. He believes in free information for fish keepers who want to learn about their pass time. You may find buy flowerhorns online to be a useful resource from aquarium fish shop Article Source: EzineArticles

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FLOWERHORN FISH

Flowerhorn Fish

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