First, there are so many different opinions on the internet so take any and everything you watch, read, or listen to with a grain of salt do your research and ultimately make decisions you can be accountable for.
With no further adieu let’s GO.
The #1 thing any Flowerhorn Keeper needs is a large enough aquarium!
Too many people see Flowerhorns on the internet or in pet stores in these tiny tanks or sectioned off into cubicles. These types of setups are at best decent for very temporary housing. Keeping your fish in a small tank isn’t good long-term.
So I’d recommend getting at least 55 Gallons for a single specimen.
#2. You Gotta Keep that Large Aquarium Clean! So an Adequate Filtration System
Notice I just said adequate! If you have a 60-gallon tank you don’t need two hang-on back filters, a sponge filter, an under gravel filter, and two Fluval Fx6’s under the cabinet. I’ve seen people literally with setups like this before. You can actually get away with two hang-on back filters (my personal preference is the Fluval AquaClear 110) with a sponge add-on to the inlet tube.
My has done exceptionally well with this kind of setup and has grown from 3 inches all the way to 11 inches and really thick. His nuchal hump is also very large and beefy! I do have one secret weapon when it comes to keeping my tank clean though. And that is the Ehiem gravel vacuum! These guys are excellent for extracting feces without having to remove a lot of water each time like a traditional siphon. You can get these guys online for 25% off of retail (I’ve actually included a link in the description in case you want to get one too).
#3. My THIRD and Final Tip for the “3 Must-haves for any Flowerhorn Keeper” is good quality food.
The whole reason you probably keep Flowerhorns is because of their beautiful colors and strangely attractive and prominent nuchal humps. Both things are affected by your fish’s diet and water quality.
So keep your aquarium clean! Remove organic waste within a reasonable amount of time. Keep up with your bi-weekly water changes, and if you see any weird behavior from your Flowerhorn check the water parameters and act accordingly.
FOOD! So I’m actually working on my own Flowerhorn food and will be releasing it very soon! But in the meantime, I would recommend MIGHT actually surprise you. GO ONLINE or IN-STORE and BUY…… buy Hikari pellets which will both facilitate growth and feature a color enhancer.
What no Grand Sumo or Humpy Head? I don’t have anything against those brands but I also haven’t seen any crazy evidence of them changing any of my fish’s appearance dramatically.
However, if you have a Flowerhorn that has lots of Red’s feeding them a Blood Parrot formula WILL absolutely highlight those red hues and make them pop.
So there you have it! 3 Things all Flowerhorn keepers absolutely need to have. If you are interested in any of the items mentioned I have put the links in the description so you don’t even have to look. All of which I 100% stand behind and have used before.
