How to Keep Flowerhorn Cichlids? Key Points on Breeding Methods and Daily Management
How to keep flowerhorn cichlids? Flowerhorn cichlids are quite easy to keep, but raising them to have a sturdy build and a prominent head hump is difficult. Let us share with you how to keep flowerhorn cichlids.
Types of Bait
Flowerhorn bait falls into two categories: natural bait and artificial compound feed. Natural bait can be divided into live bait and dead bait. Generally, flowerhorns are more interested in live bait, which can increase their hunting instinct and activity level. However, live bait contains many parasites and bacteria, which can easily make flowerhorns sick, and when flowerhorns chase live bait they can easily injure their bodies by bumping into things. Therefore, when feeding live bait, you should first wash it clean, sterilize it with ultraviolet light before feeding, and stun it by squeezing before putting it into the water, so the fish can eat it more easily and avoid injury from bumping.
To reduce the harm that bacteria-carrying live bait brings to flowerhorns, you can usually freeze the live bait directly and then feed it to the flowerhorns. Using low-temperature freezing to kill parasites and bacteria on the live bait makes feeding flowerhorns safer. There are now many types of artificial feed on the market, with varying quality. It is recommended to buy brand-name feed from reputable manufacturers, as the quality is guaranteed and it is beneficial to the health of flowerhorns.
Feeding Methods for Bait
Flowerhorn breeding should adopt the "four fixed" feeding method, which helps cultivate good living habits in flowerhorns and is also beneficial to their health.
1. Fixed time: This means the time and interval of each feeding should be fixed, so that flowerhorns form good eating habits and the occurrence of digestive tract diseases is reduced. Generally, feed 2~3 times a day, and each feeding should not take too long, with the flowerhorn finishing within 10 minutes being ideal. Feeding time should be adjusted according to season, temperature and climate. For example, under low-air-pressure weather conditions, the number of feedings and the time of each feeding can be relatively reduced.
2. Fixed spot: This means the location of each feeding should be fixed. In this way, over time, flowerhorns will develop the habit of eating at a fixed spot. When the fixed feeding time arrives each day, the flowerhorn will actively wait there for its owner to come and feed it, which is very interesting.
3. Fixed quality: This means ensuring the bait quality is both fresh and nutritious. Do not feed spoiled or expired bait. If conditions permit, you can use ultraviolet light to sterilize the bait.
4. Fixed quantity: This means the amount of bait fed should be relatively fixed and not suddenly more or less. Generally, a feeding amount of 1~2% of the flowerhorn's body weight is appropriate, and the amount to feed should be decided according to the flowerhorn's size, feeding situation, seasonal changes, etc. Do not feed too much each time, with the fish finishing within 10 minutes being ideal. When feeding, pay attention to the flowerhorn's reaction; when the flowerhorn's appetite decreases, stop feeding.
Water Quality for Keeping Flowerhorns
1. Chromaticity: This refers to the color and transparency of the water. The water body for keeping flowerhorns should preferably be colorless and transparent, with no turbidity.
2. Temperature: Flowerhorns are most suitable for living in water at 26~30°C, with 28°C being the optimal temperature. During the breeding process, sudden temperature changes must be avoided. If the temperature difference exceeds ±2°C, the fish will become sick due to not adapting.
3. Dissolved oxygen: This refers to the amount of oxygen dissolved in water, expressed as D.O, with the unit being mg/L. A DO of 5~7 mg/L in the water body for keeping flowerhorns is normal. Too low will affect the flowerhorn's metabolism. Because flowerhorns have a relatively large excretion volume, it easily causes water quality deterioration and oxygen deficiency in the water, so an air pump should be used to oxygenate the water body to keep dissolved oxygen in the water sufficient. Usually, pay attention to observing more; if the flowerhorn is found floating at the surface or breathing rapidly, it indicates that the dissolved oxygen in the water is too low, and oxygenation measures should be taken promptly.
4. Hardness: Hardness is generally expressed as KH. KH below 7 is soft water, and KH above 7 is hard water. Water hardness is related to pH value: when pH is high, water hardness tends to be higher; when pH is low, water hardness tends to be lower, but there is no absolute conversion relationship between the two. Generally speaking, flowerhorns like neutral to slightly hard water quality. If you want to adjust the hardness of the water body, you can achieve it by adjusting the pH of the water body.
5. pH: The pH of a water body is expressed as pH. The pH range is 0~14, pH 7 is neutral, below pH 7 is acidic water, and above pH 7 is alkaline water. Flowerhorns are suitable for living in water with a pH of 6.5~7.2, and can also live in water with a pH of 6~7.8, but beyond this range it will affect their growth. If the pH in the water is relatively high, you can add phosphoric acid, sunken wood, soft water resin, etc., to slowly lower the pH. If the pH is too low, you can add coral sand to slowly raise the pH.
6. Ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate: Ammonia and nitrogen are chemically harmful substances to organisms, and excessively high content will cause organisms to die. Ammonia and nitrogen are products of protein decomposition. The excrement of fish and other organisms, such as urea and feces, produces ammonia and nitrogen; the decomposition of leftover bait and dead fish in the fish tank also produces ammonia and nitrogen. When keeping flowerhorns, the ammonia and nitrogen content in the water body should be controlled below 0.1 mg/L. Nitrite is the product after the primary oxidation of ammonia and nitrogen, and it also has toxic effects on fish and other organisms. When keeping flowerhorns, the nitrite content in the water should be controlled below 0.1 mg/L. Nitrate is the final product after the oxidation of ammonia nitrogen. It has no direct harm to fish and other organisms, but excessive accumulation will cause water quality to age, causing harmful bacteria and algae to multiply in large numbers, leading to ecological imbalance. When keeping flowerhorns, the nitrate content in the water should generally be controlled below 30 mg/L.
Daily Management of Flowerhorns
The daily management work of ornamental fish is extensive and complicated, yet it is also regular. Generally speaking, the content of daily management mainly includes feeding bait, observing fish activity, and monitoring and adjusting water quality. Because the breeding subjects differ in species, specifications and living habits, the requirements and standards for daily management work are also different. Flowerhorn cichlids are among the "aristocrats" of tropical ornamental fish and require careful maintenance. In daily management work, special attention should be paid to the following aspects:
1. Do a good job in monitoring water quality.
Flowerhorns are ornamental fish with relatively high water quality requirements. Because flowerhorn cichlids have a large food intake and a lot of excrement, it is easy to cause water quality deterioration. Therefore, you should persist in observing the condition of the breeding water body every day, and if you find abnormal water temperature and water color, turbid water, etc., take corresponding measures promptly. If conditions permit, it is best to test the various indicators of the water body every day, and keep timely track of and timely adjust changes in indicators such as pH value, ammonia nitrogen content, and dissolved oxygen according to the requirements for keeping flowerhorns.
2. Pay attention to observing the fish's activity.
Fish activity reflects the fish's adaptability to the environment, as well as its own health condition. Observing the fish's activity is also work that must be persisted in every day, mainly observing appetite and swimming state. When the fish's activity is normal, feed according to the "four fixed" principle; if abnormal signs such as lack of active eating or weak swimming are found, promptly check the water quality and check whether the fish is sick. Strive to discover problems as early as possible, quickly find the causes, and solve them promptly.
3. Focus on adjusting water quality.
Changing water is a necessary measure to ensure the quality of the breeding water body. When changing water, pay attention to the following points:
① Sun-dry new water. Tap water, after purification treatment, is relatively clean, has stable water quality, and is convenient to use. Nowadays, tap water is generally used to keep ornamental fish. Because tap water is disinfected with bleaching powder, etc., the water contains free chlorine, which can harm fish. Therefore, before changing water, it must be sun-dried to allow the chlorine to fully evaporate. Another function of sun-drying water is to reduce the temperature difference between the new water and the water in the fish tank, so as to avoid discomfort in flowerhorns caused by water temperature changes.
② Change water regularly and in fixed amounts. Different strains and sizes of flowerhorn cichlids have different water quality requirements, so the frequency of water changes varies by fish. For example, flowerhorns of the Pearl strain like new water, so the water change frequency should be high, changing water once every 3~4 days; flowerhorns of the Golden Flower strain prefer living in relatively older water, so changing water once every about 10 days is sufficient; Red Monkey flowerhorns prefer living in old water, so they only need a water change once every half month. Water changes are divided into partial water changes and complete water changes. For partial water changes, generally changing 30% of the total water volume of the fish tank each time is sufficient, and usually supplement some new water as appropriate according to the evaporation in the fish tank.
③ Master water-changing techniques. Changing water not only means replacing part of the old water, but more importantly cleaning debris in the water and removing pollution sources. Generally when changing water, the water circulation equipment should be turned off to stop the water flow in the tank and keep the water still, so that feces and foreign matter in the bottom sand can all be cleaned out. Control the speed of adding new water well; it should be slow and not too urgent or too fast. Fourth, closely observe the flowerhorn's reaction while adding new water. If the flowerhorn shows discomfort such as "head shrinking" or dull body surface color, stop adding water immediately, and continue adding new water only after the flowerhorn's discomfort symptoms ease.
④ Strengthen inspection and maintenance. Strengthen the inspection and maintenance of supporting equipment. Whether the supporting equipment operates normally is directly related to the quality of the water, thereby affecting the growth of flowerhorns. Therefore, in addition to checking every day whether the fish tank leaks and whether the filter, water pump, etc. operate normally, more importantly, frequently maintain and service these devices to ensure their operating efficiency. For example, regularly clean the filter to avoid reduced filtration efficiency caused by excessive accumulation of dirt; promptly clear the water pump inlet to ensure water flow, etc.