What fish can flowerhorn cichlids be kept together with?
Flowerhorn cichlids are quite fond of fighting. Whether it is with their own kind or with other species of fish, as long as they are put together, there is rarely a case where they do not fight, except that a male and a female may still have some chance of coexisting peacefully. Yet some aquarists insist on taking up the challenge of keeping flowerhorn cichlids in a community, and with other species of fish at that. So let us take a look below at what fish can be kept together with flowerhorn cichlids!
Keeping flowerhorn cichlids together with arowanas
Generally speaking, there are not many aquarists who choose to keep flowerhorns together with arowanas, mainly because both of these ornamental fish are quite territorial and aggressive, and fighting will occur after they are kept together. Usually it is the flowerhorn's attacks that cause the arowana to be injured, which not only easily leads to related arowana diseases, but also does nothing to improve the beauty of the tank, so it can be said to be a lose-lose situation.
However, a small number of aquarists have succeeded in keeping flowerhorns and arowanas together, which gives an affirmative answer to whether flowerhorns can be kept with arowanas. If you must choose to keep an arowana and a flowerhorn together, then it is recommended to pick an arowana and a flowerhorn of the same body size, or an arowana that is larger than the flowerhorn, so as to prevent the flowerhorn from injuring the arowana. In addition, in the early stage of cohabitation, the arowana and the flowerhorn should be separated by glass in the same tank to observe whether they can coexist peacefully. If no chasing or fighting occurs, you can consider removing the partition and keeping them together.
Keeping flowerhorn cichlids together with parrot cichlids
Parrot cichlids and flowerhorns both belong to hybrid cichlids, and both have rather violent temperaments. If they are raised together from a young age, there is not much of a problem, but if the size difference exceeds one third, then it must be considered based on the volume of the tank and the arrangement of the tank's aquascape. Usually, parrot cichlids serve as punching bags for flowerhorn cichlids.
Keeping flowerhorn cichlids together with pig-nosed turtles
Flowerhorn cichlids can be kept together with pig-nosed turtles, but it is rather troublesome, because flowerhorn cichlids are domineering by nature, and the result of cohabitation is often that the pig-nosed turtle gets bitten and injured, and in some cases even its tail is bitten off. Keeping the two together is a real test of the keeper's skill.
Keeping flowerhorn cichlids together with oscars
Flowerhorn cichlids and oscars basically cannot be kept together. They are both ferocious fish with a very strong sense of territory, and they will not tolerate the invasion of “uninvited guests”. Even for flowerhorn cichlids of the same species, it is best to keep them alone, especially once they reach the sexually mature stage, when vicious fights are unavoidable. The same goes for oscars, so it is still advisable to keep them separately.
Keeping flowerhorn cichlids together with plecos
Flowerhorn cichlids and plecos can be kept together. Plecos are bottom-dwelling fish that feed on moss and food debris. When kept with flowerhorns, feeding them the same food is enough. Of course, relying mainly on the flowerhorn's food can only guarantee the pleco's basic living conditions. If you want the pleco to grow a bit larger as well, you can also feed it some special food suitable for plecos.