# Flower Horn Fish



## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Hello what is a good tank setup for flower horn fish? A bare tank? My dad is planning to set one up at his clinic.

thx


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

a large tank would be good Flower horns get big but are buetiful and expensive(at least in the US).This post shoulf be in the cichlid section i believe, and if your dad gets one tell us and take some pictures


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

ok thx for the info


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

You're welcome here's some articles i pulled up for your research
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article18.html
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile69.html
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/cichlids_neotropical/flower_horn_fish.htm
http://fish.mongabay.com/flowerhorn.htm


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Flowerhorn cichlids are one of the most pucnacious cichlids, showing very little territorial behaviour, which makes it very difficult to keep more than one in an aquarium any less than 200g.
If it's in a clinic then I guess your dad can afford a very large tank. 200g+ is a must if you want to keep the fish in a bare bottom tank, though I would recommend you keep at least a dozon of them in the tank to reduce the latent aggression.


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

is six ideal ok though?


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

thanks a LOAD :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :fish:


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## solar-ton (Aug 15, 2005)

well they do like to dig in the gravel like most cichlids of course not much biological bacteria will grow in a bare bottom tank so the waste will get fungus on it and a load of other things will happen that are very annoying take it from someone with experience....


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Then can I have bigger-than-the-average bits of gravel? I have some in a tank all the waste gets caught there so I will need a strong filter.


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## solar-ton (Aug 15, 2005)

i think it would be okay if youre lokin for a good filter the tetratec Pf500 with the heater is good but you need to have a high water level. then the fluval 404 is a great filter since it has 3 levels of filtration then the emporer 400 is awesome cause of the bio wheel it has nitrifying bacteria a combination of all three will keep the tank super clean but they cost a hell of a lot im thinking 220.00 dollars (american) maybe then if you want you could get a couple large rocks with holes in then then fill the holes with sand and put huge plants in them that might also help control the nitrates. bamboo is a tough one and will be kinda hard to destroy but isnt a planted tank plant i have a load of them iun my 75 gallon and they seem to help a little in the nitrgen cycle


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

ok I'll talk to my dad


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Hello sorry to bring this thread up again after so long, but here are the pics I promised, ad thx to all of you that helped; I just wish my dad could have let me pick the fish. He went pick them alone, and landed himself with a flower horn, and some other neotropical cichlid:









The Flower Horn.....









He also managed to pick this,


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/micstar/FILE0080.jpg
And this.

And he bought the fish as well when I only told him to get a tank and filter for cycling!
He then said the clerk told him they were all the same species just that the females dont have big heads.....
I nearly wanted to tell him, FORGET THE WHOLE THING AND BRING THE FISHES BACK!


1. He only bought three cichlids
2. He bought two species, and thought they were the same species
3. He bought the fish the same day as the tank
4 The tank he got was 80g because that was the size they were housed in on display
5

So now the fish are on reserve in that LFS and we are cicling a 250g tank with two Emporer 400 filters that was reccomended by solar-ton (thanks) but what should I cycle it with, or should I take some filter medium from each of my tanks and pop them in the Emporers?

Thanks to everone that helped and gave me advice!


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

micstarz said:


> should I take some filter medium from each of my tanks and pop them in the Emporers?
> 
> Thanks to everone that helped and gave me advice!


This would be the absolute best thing you could do as long as your tanks are 100% clear of any disease or fungus. (Which I bet they are).


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Ok, thanks once again.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Is it just me, or is the first pic a Frontosa?


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2005)

looks like a frontosa to me. doesnt really look like a flowerhorn...


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Yes, Frontosa. (More valuable too)


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Are Frontasas any harder to keep?


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

micstarz said:


> Are Frontasas any harder to keep?


The Frontosa is an African Cichlid from lake Tanganyika and is a wonderful pet to have as long as you keep em in large tanks.

They need a PH of around 8.2 and pretty hard water. Same as most others from the same lake.

Hope that helps.

Keri


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

thanz alot, this time i'll FORCE my dad into listening to me!


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