Managing Your Flowerhorn Aquarium

Managing Your Flowerhorn Aquarium'hardy' fish doesn't mean that you should keep
Ifyou're thinking about purchasing a beautifulpoorwater conditions in your tank. Adequate feedings
Flowerhorn fish, you'renot alone. The beautifuland frequent waterchanges promote better growth,
Flowerhorn fish is one of the more popularadditionsand, as a result, can even change thewhole body
to your aquarium. However, if you have chosen amorphology of the fish.
Flowerhorn,proper tank management is essential. It is,Water pH level and Mineral Content
indeed, more important topractice a good tankWater pH levels indicate the acidity and alkalinity of
management than it is to purchase the suitabletypethe water.Dissolved minerals in the water are often
of fish for your tank.termed the "hardness" of thewater. These two
Properfish tank management and beautiful Flowerhornwater parameters are interrelated. The water
fish complement eachother perfectly. It is, therefore,isconsidered 'hard' when there is a high content of
crucial for all hobbyists to haveproper knowledge ofdissolved minerals init (like calcium), and normally the
good fish tank management. While it is not assimplepH of 'hard' water is above 7,which is more alkaline.
as dumping clean water in every few weeks, it isn'tWhen there's a lack of dissolved minerals inthe water,
as terriblycomplicated as you may imagine.it is considered 'soft,' and thus the pH will be lower
The Tankthanneutral making it acidic.
As the Flowerhorn's ancestry originated from theLocalbreeders have indicated that higher pH levels
Central and SouthAmerican cichlids, it is essential to(7.5 to 7.8) will favorthe growth of the nuchal hump,
set up your tank to a closelysimulated natural habitatand lower pH levels (6.1 to 6.5) willfavor color
for the fish, which at the same time, isincrediblydevelopment in Flowerhorn fish. Aquarium
pleasing to the eye.PharmaceuticalsProper pH powder is widely used to
Varioussizes and designs of fish tanks are available atmaintain water quality. As a bonus,with its aloe vera
your local fish store.Choose one that will complementand electrolytes contents, it also works toeliminate
your house, and always assume thatchlorine and heavy metals from the water while
yourFlowerhorns will grow to be about 500 mm inreducing fishstress. Depending on which traits you
length. It is advisable toget at least a 3 feet tank todesire in your Flowerhorn, it ispossible to adjust your
start comfortably. Acrylic aquariums arerecommendedwater pH level accordingly.
as these tanks are leak proof, lightweight and theTemperature
wallmaterials provide exceptional clarity. The SeaClearFlowerhorns are tropical fish. They can survive in
(TM) 26 gallon flatback hexagonal tank is one goodwater with varioustemperature ranges, but they
example of an acrylic tank that isgreat for keepinggrow well in water temperature of 28°C.During
Flowerhorns.transportation, the water temperature is usually
Tank Accessoriesmaintained atabout 22°C, and the temperature
Once you've gotten the tank, you may want to thinkis raised to about 30°C when the fishis sick.
about backgrounds.Various attractive backgroundThis, though, doesn't mean that all illnesses are
designs for aquariums are easilyavailable. Choose onecurable thisway. Check out the "Common Illnesses"
that will fit the natural environment of thefish. Addedsection for more information. Asimple thermometer
pebbles, stones and gravels is a good idea as well.may be purchased to monitor water
Theycan be used as substrate for biological filtrationtemperaturechanges in your tank.
as well as a tool tohelp smooth and polish the teethDechlorination
of Flowerhorns as they dig, shove andcarry theseTap water is commonly used by hobbyist, but most
pebbles. Keep in mind that in captivity, the teeth oftap water containshigh levels of chlorine, which poses
theFlowerhorn tends to be quite sharp, and if youa danger to your Flowerhorn. Highchlorine toxicity
can help to take theedges off a bit with pebbles ormay lead to fatalities. Dechlorination of tap wateris
gravel, less damage will be causedduring mating orcrucial prior to usage. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap
fighting sessions. Once you've added thatWaterConditioner instantly removes and detoxifies
gravel,expect to see it migrate around the tank a bit.heavy metals from tapwater. Add one teaspoon to
Flowerhorns tend tobuild their 'nest' by moving theyour water to treat up to ten gallons.
pebbles and stones from one place toanother. ThisFiltration systems
behavior normally indicates that the fish hasIn an artificial aquatic environment, a good filtration
matured,and it is ready for mating purposes.system isextremely important. Flowerhorns feed on
Eventhough you may think that sunken pirate shiphuge amounts of food, and as aby product, they
looks neat, otherunnatural tank ornaments aresecrete large amounts of ammonia. A good
discouraged. These do not serve anypurpose at all infiltrationsystem eliminates solid wastes from the fish,
the tank, and they may even be hazardous becauseleftover food, ammoniaand even dusts from the
theycan cause accidental cuts and injuries on youratmosphere. There are various types of
Flowerhorns. These fishpossess fierce territorialfiltersavailable in the market. The efficiency of these
behaviors, and fights among fishes arecommon.filters depends onusage, stocking density and other
Keeping objects like these in the tank only causesfactors.
problemsduring fights.Mechanicalfilters work mainly to sieve out wastes,
Lightingbut they do not break it down.It makes the water
Suitable aquarium lighting will enhance the colorationclear, but this doesn't mean it is 'clean,' as
and the overallphysical development of yourtheammonia produced by fish is still in the tank. The
Flowerhorn. It is recommended that youplace yourmisconception of'clear water' being 'clean water' often
tank where is it able to get at least an hour ofcontributes to a lot of fishdeaths. A mechanical filter
indirectsunlight a day. While you may worry thatnormally uses filter wools and filtersponges as sieve
algae will infest your tankbecause of the sunlight,materials. Mechanical filters work best coupled
with proper water quality management, yourtankwithbiological filters.
should not go green with algae with that minuteBiologicalfilters are more efficient as they provide
amount ofsunlight. If sunlight isn't possible in yourbio-media surfaces forbeneficial bacteria to grow on.
living space, getting afull spectrum light is advisable.Bacteria colonize these surfaces and'work' on the
Be sure to leave it on for four toeight hours a dayammonia waste left by fish to break it down into
to maintain the color development of yourfishfriendly water components. You can read more
Flowerhorn.about this in the "Ammoniaand Nitrogen Cycle" article.
Water qualityFlowerhornfish are quite beautiful, and they'll make a
Flowerhorns are 'hardy', which means these fish arelovely addition to yourhome aquarium display, but
highly adaptable todifferent water conditions, includingensuring successful aquarium management isessential
bad water ones. However, justbecause they'reto keep your fish healthy and happy.