Purchasing Flowerhorn   11/3/07
Dear WWM Crew,
I have been keeping a community aquarium for about 4 years now and have got a fair amount of success with it. Thanks to you people.
<You're welcome!>
I saw a Flowerhorn last month and have been researching on it ever since.
<Hmm... understand it cannot go into your community tank.>
I have got a 50g tank with a heater, filter and other necessary stuff.
<50 US gallons or Imperial gallons? Either way, likely not enough space. 50 US gallons is a mere 190 litres and way too small a tank for a cichlid that normally exceeds 30 cm in length and can be quite a bit bigger. 50 Imperial gallons is about 230 litres, which is only marginally better. Realistically, these fish need around 500 litres of space (130 US gallons, 110 Imperial gallons). They are also destructive fish. Heaters need to be protected by a heater guard or (ideally) placed inside the filter. Obviously you need a massive filter for a tank this size and for fish this messy.>
Now I would like to buy a Flowerhorn for my tank and was having a few
queries.
1) What is the ideal size/age to buy a Flowerhorn?
<Same as most other cichlids: not so small they're still delicate fry, but big enough they are adaptable and willing to eat the foods on offer. I'd suggest something in the 8-15 cm size bracket.>
2) Will a 6-7 inch Flowerhorn be okay for my tank?
<For a while, maybe. But since they get twice that big (and therefore 8 times the mass) your 50 gallon tank will be viable for maybe 12 months.>
3) I know the hump is a fat storage, but at what size/age does it start
developing?
<It isn't for fat storage, although it is made from fat. It's a secondary sexual characteristic. The males develop them to show to females they can afford to "waste" energy on a functionless organ. This reveals to the female the quality of their genes, which in turn makes the males more attractive mates. Being hybrids, Flowerhorns have no "definitive" growth pattern like true species, so while you should see the hump develop within the first year, this isn't always the case.>
4) Is it so that only the males have humps?
<Not all males have humps of equal size, and some don't really develop very substantial humps at all.>
Kindly advise.
Regards,
Sohiel.
<Numerous articles and FAQs on these hybrid fish at WWM. Start off with this one: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flowerhorns.htm , and then read some of the related FAQs. I'm not a great fan of these fish, and if you're looking for a first cichlid to move onto from community fish, there are LOTS of better choices. In a 50 gallon tank, you could keep any number of medium sized species that are at least as pretty, if not prettier. Cichlasoma salvinii and Hemichromis bimaculatus immediately spring to mind. Both of these have amazing colours, and their relatively modest size, around 15-20 cm, makes them much easier to house and look after. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Flowerhorn sel.  11/5/07
Dear Neale,
Thanks for the quick reply about my Flowerhorn questions a few days back. It was tremendously helpful. Well, I have decided to go with your advice and am going against purchasing of the Flowerhorn. May be I will get one when I have another tank, in 6 months. In the meantime can you suggest me a few more moderately sized but pretty Cichlids?
Thanks a lot, you have been very helpful.
Hoping to meet you some day!
Regards,
Sohiel Deshpande
p.s. I read you have a fish named after you! Can you send me a picture?
<Hello Sohiel! I think choosing against Flowerhorn cichlids is a good idea. Flowerhorns are too big for most aquarists to look after properly. I think you should look at some small to medium sized species. There are many, many cichlids that can be kept easily in tanks as small as 20 gallons. Among my favourites is Pelvivachromis pulcher, the Krib, a dwarf cichlid from West Africa. This is a widely sold species that is unusual in many ways, not least of all because the female is more colourful than the male! She is also much more forward at breeding time. Kribs make excellent first cichlids for any aquarist, adapting to most water conditions and being very easy to breed (largely because this species is a superb parent that does all the work!). Another superb small cichlid is Laetacara curviceps, the Flag Acara. It is a smallish South American cichlid with very variable colours that depend on mood and conditions. When happily settled in a tank with lots of shade (real or plastic plants) it has colours that vary from cream to green to blue with lots of spots of red and silver on the fins and scales. Mikrogeophagus altispinosus is known as the Bolivian Ram and is a dwarf cichlid from South America. It is not as colourful as the Common Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) but it is 100 times hardier and easier to keep. It is also a brave, outgoing fish so makes an excellent pet. A final recommendation is Apistogramma cacatuoides, the Cockatoo Cichlid. This is another South American dwarf. It has lovely colours, and unlike most other Apistogramma, it is basically a hardy, easy to keep fish. If you are prepared to take on a challenge, then some of the Rift Valley cichlids might appeal. Labidochromis caeruleus (the Yellow Lab) is amazingly brightly coloured -- like a coral reef fish! -- but its aggression and largish size (around 10 cm) makes it more difficult to keep than some of the others mentioned. Neolamprologus brichardi (Princess of Burundi Cichlid) is a peaceful and beautiful Tanganyikan cichlid but like other Tanganyikan cichlids needs excellent water quality as well as hard, alkaline water conditions. It is an adorable animal, famous for the fact older offspring help the parents look after the younger offspring, so you have a whole family working together as a colony! Note that there are almost 2000 species of cichlid out there, and many species make superb aquarium fish. Spending a little time reading up on this amazing family before making any decisions is well worth doing. Ah, and as for my fish, do a Google image search for "Ellaserrata monksi" and you'll find it. It's a fossil fish. A kind of Porgy, something like a cichlid or wrasse. Hope this helps, Neale>