Michael Deikin. Flower Horn

Magnificence and ferocity, a unique memorable appearance and a quarrelsome character, a lone decorative giant - all these epithets can be attributed to one aquarium fish that has many names. Flower Horn, hua luo khan, Thai silk - this bright beauty has such names, which in wild nature never existed and never does.

It is known that work on breeding a new species was carried out in Malaysia, and aquarists-breeders are inclined to believe that its ancestors are Central American cichlids: the red devil (lat. Amphilophus labiatus), the three-banded cichlazoma (lat. Amphilophus trimaculatus) and the three-hybrid parrot.

Notably, the flower horn can interbreed with other American cichlids, and most breeds and color variations have been bred this way.

Why exactly these fish were selected?

The thing is that representatives of the cichlaz family are not very picky in creating married couples and can interbreed with partners of a different species. This was used by unknown Malaysian experimenters who wished to keep a trade secret.

And the result exceeded all expectations! Not only did the artificial cichlomas turn out beautiful, they are also prolific, rarely sick and almost omnivorous.

The first individuals of the flower horn appeared relatively recently, in 1996. In less than 20 years, these decorative beauties have become inhabitants of many aquariums around the world. Now there are already several varieties of Flower Horn:

campha,
malau (or kamalau),
zhu wives,
thai silk (Thai silk).

Whether the serious selection work of aquarists will continue with this fish, no one knows.

Appearance and characteristic features

As already mentioned, this hybrid can reach a length of 40 cm, but this is the maximum size. Ordinary aquarium specimens rarely grow larger than 30 cm.

In appearance, the representative of the perciformes has massive body elliptical in shape, strongly flattened on the sides. On the forehead of each individual there is a large bump. This fat deposit is a characteristic feature of the flower. According to him, it is difficult to confuse him with someone.

Scales the fish is large with a metallic sheen, gray, and sometimes pink or red. A black stripe runs along the middle of the body, which turns into separate spots closer to the tail. However, such a band may not exist.

An interesting feature: as they grow older, the scale pattern can change dramatically. That is why, when buying a fry of a hybrid horn, one cannot be completely sure that its color will remain unchanged.

Dorsal and pelvic fins stretch almost from the head to the tail, gradually increasing and acquiring a pointed shape at the back. But the tail is almost round. The fins can also have a different color: from dark red to purple.

Bump on a forehead is the pride of Malaysian breeders. In the East, it is believed that it is a kind of symbol of longevity and good luck, and the larger this fatty process, the more good luck it will bring to the owner of an exotic creature.

Apparently, the work of breeders big influence had a fascination with the Chinese ideology of Feng Shui. The Chinese, for example, are sure that the spots on the sides of the fish add up to some kind of hieroglyphs, and the more favorable the meaning of the hieroglyph, the higher the price offered for the horn.

Males and females are difficult to distinguish. Some experienced owners of cichlases distinguish females by the presence of characteristic black dots on their backs. To be honest, this difference is rather ghostly, since there may not be any points. Perhaps the real difference is the duller coloration of the scales of females.

The hybrid cichlazoma lives for quite a long time - up to 10 years.

Flower Horn in Super Red Texas. This breed was obtained by crossing a horn with a red morph diamond cichlazoma.

The nature and habits of hua luo han

Frankly, her character is nasty and quarrelsome. This fish is very calm only when alone. She will tirelessly drive smaller decorative fish around the aquarium, especially during. With their relatives, if there are any, the flower horn will constantly fight.

Some aquarists believe that hua luo han is not devoid of intelligence and is very cunning. It is not yet possible to unequivocally agree or refute this opinion, but the fact that over time these fish recognize their owners, distinguishing them from several spectators, is beyond doubt. Most adult flowers even allow their owners to stroke and pick them up.

Just like domestic mammals, right? Or maybe selection by cichlase was aimed at creating smart fish?

Horn loves to dig everything, and does it with great enthusiasm. That is why in the aquarium where this handsome man lives, you should not pour soil, in extreme cases, you can put a thin layer of gravel. Decor elements must be well attached, as strong and aggressive fish it costs nothing to turn over even a stone, not to mention wooden snags.

Color variation Thai silk.

Conditions in the aquarium

Aquarium dimensions

The large size of the flower also requires a large aquarium, at least 150 liters per individual. If two hybrid cichlases are bred (a male and a female, for example), then the capacity should be doubled.

At first, you need to make sure that the fish in the fight do not cripple each other until they resolve the territorial dispute. By the way, in this case it is easy to distinguish the male by his pronounced aggression.

Water parameters

Horns love warm water, from 28 to 30 degrees. Apparently, the genetic heredity of tropical and equatorial fishes affects here.

The hardness of the water should be close to neutral, its high acidity should be avoided. The water should be filtered intensively, as after feeding the flowers, quite a lot of waste remains at the bottom of the aquarium.

Naturally, for a 200-liter tank, for example, a powerful one with high performance is required. Approximately 1/3 of the total water volume must be replaced weekly.

Vegetation

The owners of hua luo han do not usually breed plants in their aquariums. Not because they are saving on creating a living plant design, but because it is useless.

An energetic horn will either dig up vegetation or gnaw at it. In both cases, representatives of the aquatic flora will surely die.

Flowerhorn red dragon.

Feeding

Hybrid cichlazomas are distinguished by excellent appetite and omnivorousness. Although merchants have developed special food for flowers, their diet may include worms, shrimp meat, bloodworms, grasshoppers, natural fish fillets, small fish.

Experts recommend high-quality German-made Tetra Luo Han nutritious food as branded ready meals. It will be better if you organize a varied diet, with alternating live and commercial foods.

Food should be served 2-3 times a day in small portions, avoiding overeating. An excellent indicator of the quality of food and the correctness of the diet is the coloring of cichlase.

If the color of the scales is bright, saturated, then everything is in order with food. Color fades - close attention should be paid to feeding issues.

reproduction

The breeding process does not cause any particular difficulties. If, apart from a couple of horns, there are no other large living creatures in the aquarium, then a special spawning ground is not needed. Otherwise, it is necessary to temporarily move the couple into a jar with a volume of at least 100 liters.

It is not necessary to fill the soil, but the shelter for the female (cutting ceramic pipes, for example) needs to be built and well fixed. Immediately after spawning, she will sit there, escaping from the attacks of a violent male. The water parameters should be identical to the usual ones in everyday life.

Spawning couple.

A large flat stone or even a ceramic plate can be used to lay eggs. Not far from this place, it is desirable to place the aerator tube in the direction from the male to the female. For one spawning, the female can lay about 1000 large eggs. Immediately after this, the male shows an extreme degree of anxiety and tries to drive the female away.

A stone or a plate with eggs must be moved to the territory of the male so that he leaves his girlfriend alone. But if the level of his aggression is extremely high, then it is better to put the male in the main aquarium altogether.

After about 3 days, larvae appear from the eggs, after another 2 days they try to swim. You can start feeding fry, or dry egg yolk.

As a rule, parents care for juveniles for 3-4 weeks, and by the age of 6 months, young horns develop a characteristic color.

In any aquarium, even a very impressive size, hua luo han is central figure, and his personal status in the aquarist community is very high. When purchasing a flower fry, you need to be prepared for it. age-related changes. What if he is lucky, and with age, intricate Chinese characters will appear on his scales, which will bring great luck and prosperity to the house?

Thanks to careful selection selection, which Flower Horn went through for many decades, an amazing representative of cichlids was born. Most breeders go to great lengths to ensure that they produce a fish with the most intense color and wide body. Males have a hefty hump on their foreheads, there are dark spots on their bodies, somewhat similar to hieroglyphs. If you thought that this is a mutant fish, then you are mistaken. As a result of long-term breeding research, various chemicals or biogenetic developments were not used.

If you look closely, then in one generation you will not find absolutely identical individuals. Today, several variations of the Flower Horn are known: Kamalau (KML), Thai Silk (Titanium Flower Horn), Zhen Zhu (ZZ) and KamFa (abbreviated KF). Flowers are quite beautiful aquarium fish. Males and females have some anatomical differences. In males, the color is brighter and more saturated, and there is a large hump on the forehead. The dorsal and anal fins end in long pigtails. If the fish are on the eve of spawning or they have received stress, then the outlines of dark transverse stripes will appear on the body, which are especially pronounced in females. AT aquarium conditions the fish can reach 30-40 cm in length. The average size of males is 20-40 centimeters, and females 15-20. The life expectancy of a fish in captivity is 8-10 years.

Origin

Yes, indeed, Flower Horn is artificially bred and is a hybrid. Apparently, now no one will definitely name the name of the breeder and the living material from which this cichlazoma was derived, reaching sizes up to 40 cm.

The real pedigree is known only to the one who did it. It is only known that work on breeding a new species was carried out in Malaysia, and aquarists-breeders are inclined to believe that its ancestors are Central American cichlomas: spotted, citron, lipped and rainbow.

Why exactly these fish were selected?

And the result exceeded all expectations! Not only did the artificial cichlomas turn out beautiful, they are also prolific, rarely sick and almost omnivorous.

campha,
malau (or kamalau),
zhu wives,
thai silk (Thai silk).

Conditions of detention

Keeping a flower horn does not require special training, this fish gets used to the conditions from which other representatives of the aquatic fauna could suffer. They are omnivorous and live under strict water conditions. Unlike other cichlids, Thai silk, malau, campha and other species even attack the owner, although there have been cases when the fish allowed themselves to be stroked and even picked up for a while. Keeping with other fish and a large number of plants is not recommended, rather, it is a solitary fish. She will definitely eat neighbors and plants in the aquarium.

One massive individual requires an aquarium with a volume of 150 cubic liters. Male flower horns show their temper more aggressively. When you populate fish of different sexes, monitor their behavior so that fights and territorial disputes do not occur.

Flower horns prefer water high temperature, 24-30 about C, with an acidity of 6.5-7.8 pH, dH 10-20. Prefer slow current and clean water, it is recommended to refresh 1/3 of the water once a week, siphon the bottom, because cichlids clog the water during the meal. The external filter must be strong power. He does not like plants, he can eat them, but there should be enough soil at the bottom where the fish will flounder. Gravel is suitable for the ground, stones and driftwood will also look good, but they must be firmly pressed to the bottom. Her character is open and active, she is unlikely to hide.

Breeding

Flowerhorns are fertile fish despite their hybrid origin. To get the offspring of the same color as the parents, you need to study their pedigree well. You can breed in the same aquarium where they live, just keep in mind that sometimes the female can be the object of attacks by the male. Experienced aquarists supply the aquarium with a net that divides the space into two parts, or temporarily plant shelters where the female will hide from pestering.

Spawning stimulation is possible at a water temperature of 28 o C and an acidity of 7.0 pH. It is necessary to feed the parents abundantly, not forgetting to renew the water. After spawning, the parents will protect her, sometimes the male will consider that the female is superfluous here and will attack her. Again, you will have to evict the female flower horn, or divide the territory of the aquarium.

The female lays about 1000 eggs on a small stone. In order to avoid conflicts, it is recommended to substitute a stone with caviar on the territory of the male. On the third day, larvae are born, after two days they already swim and feed on living dust. Dry egg white and brine shrimp can be added to the diet of young animals. Parents take care of the offspring for about a month; at the age of six months, the color of a young flower horn is visible.

Such an impressive flower horn will become a real property of the aquarium, bringing good luck, love and prosperity to its owner!

FEEDING FLOWER HORN

It is an omnivorous fish with a huge appetite that is difficult to feed. They eat all kinds of live, frozen or artificial foods, as long as they contain a high amount of protein. Food variety is just as important as nutrition and quality, so it is best to give: high quality food for large cichlids, shrimp meat, bloodworms, worms, crickets, flies, grasshoppers, small fish, fish fillets, gammarus. You need to feed two to three times a day, especially if you are feeding food that leaves a lot of waste.

It is important to know that feeding on the meat of mammals, so popular in past years, is now considered harmful. This meat contains a large number of proteins and fats that the gastrointestinal tract of fish does not digest well. As a result, the fish gets fat, work is disrupted internal organs. You can give such food, but infrequently, about once a week.

COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER FISH

Flower horns are not well suited for keeping with other fish, as they are very large, aggressive and territorial. It is best to keep one fish separately or in pairs, and if you still want neighbors, then only in a very spacious aquarium. The flower horn will even attack you while maintaining the aquarium, and the bites will be painful. To reduce aggression, you need an aquarium full of free space, many shelters and large neighbors. Such fish will be: black pacu, plecostomus, pterygoplicht, managuan cichlazoma, astronotus, giant gourami. But, as a rule, people who keep horns come to one conclusion - the flower horn must live alone!
If you want to breed flower horns, then remember that its aggressiveness extends to relatives. Keep a close eye on the couple so that they don't kill each other.

GENDER DIFFERENCES

A reliable method for distinguishing a young female from a male flower horn is not yet known. It is believed that the female has a black dot on the dorsal fin, which is absent from the male, but other aquarists refute this. When sexually mature individuals are ready for spawning, a thick ovipositor is visible in the female, and the papilla in the male. The only technique that can be considered real in sexing a flower horn is that used by tilapia breeders. Take the teenager, put it on the palm of your left hand, and gently run the right hand along the abdomen towards the caudal fin with the palm of your right hand. If this is a male, then you will see splashes of a clear liquid from his anus, the female does not have this. An adult male is easy to distinguish by a fatty cone and size.

An aquarium with exotic fish looks fascinating. Its multi-colored inhabitants of all shapes and sizes attract attention, while the measured glow of the backlight and the “rustling” sound from the running compressor contribute to relaxation. A flowerhorn aquarium is a little different than an aquarium with other aquarium fish and not only because of the size of the fish and its unusual look but also because of her temperament and sociability.

Habitat

Flower horn (or flower horn) belongs to the family of cichlids, which is part of the perch order. (more than 1900 species) live in salt and fresh water bodies of North, Central and South America, Asia and Madagascar, but you will not be able to meet the flowerer in the wild, since this fish was bred by Malaysian geneticists, by crossing different types cichlid families.

Along with a bright appearance, the hybrid inherited from its ancestors an unusual ability to change body color throughout life and give offspring, both with representatives of its own species and with other cichlids.

Description and appearance

Flower horn or Flower horn (literally "flower" and "horn", English) got its name due to two of the most characteristic features their appearance - bright coloration and a large (especially in males) fat bump in the head area. These are quite large, predatory fish.

Their body length is in the range of 30-40 cm, and their weight is around 1 kg. The colors are very variable: from gray-brown and inconspicuous fish to painted bright colors handsome men.

The colors are rarely solid, although the dominant color is always identifiable, and in most cases it is crimson or red. As they grow older, spots of regular or arbitrary shape appear on the body of the flovers, sometimes resembling hieroglyphs, which gives the fish a mystical look.

Did you know? Flower horn entered the TOP-10 most beautiful aquarium fish 2015 according to the Indian media resource Trending News.

Despite the fact that the flowers are quite undemanding to the conditions of keeping and food, beginner aquarists are still advised to start with something simpler, arguing that it is difficult to care for a large aquarium (100-150 liters per individual). But if big undertakings do not scare you - then go ahead!

aquarium requirements

For fish with dimensions of 30-40 cm and weighing a kilogram, you need an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 l / individual, and to keep a couple, the volume should double. In addition, complete equipment is required, including a compressor, lighting and a thermostat.

If you are just going to start fish, it is better to buy everything you need to keep them at the same time in one store, so consultants will help you choose the right equipment, and possibly make a good discount.

Important! Flovers are quite heat-loving fish. It is reasonable to apply the idea smart home» to the aquarium. Aquariums made from plexiglass, they retain heat better, which is very useful in the cold season and in cases of power outages.

The water temperature should be in the region of 27 ... 30 ° C, the pH reaction should be neutral or slightly alkaline.

Care and hygiene

The issue of hygiene when keeping this fish requires a lot of attention, mainly due to the need for 3 meals a day and the protein nature of the food. Replacing the water in the aquarium can be complete and partial.

Partial or regular water change is a weekly change of 15-20% of its total volume. This approach allows you to maintain a constant chemical composition liquids, avoiding sudden drops, and allowing you to get rid of excess nitrites and nitrates, as well as other decomposition products of organic substances.
Complete water change. It is produced mainly on demand, for example, with extremely high levels of ammonium and nitrates in the water. In this case, the water change lasts 2 days in 2 trips, for each of which 50% of the water is replaced in the aquarium. After a complete replacement, the level of nitrites is measured again - it should not exceed 0.1-0.2 mg / l. To measure, use a special test strip (photo below), which is sold in most pet stores.

Feeding

The florists have an excellent appetite. Healthy fish are happy to eat 2-3 times a day and need protein food, preferably live or frozen. It can be shrimp meat, bloodworms, grasshoppers, worms, small forage fish, fish fillets.

Feeding on meat from mammals and birds was practiced at one time, but showed poor results in the form of fat fish and digestive problems. The thing is that there is no enzyme in the intestines of fish that can break down animal fat and protein into easily digestible compounds, so it is not recommended to give such food more than once a week.

Compatibility

Like most cichlids, horns have a very developed sense of own territory. Sometimes they do not get along well even with representatives of their own species and agree to tolerate a neighbor only during the spawning period.
When choosing a neighbor for your fish, you need to take care that:

both fish were proportionate;
had a similar temperament;
there was enough room for two in the aquarium.

Important! In the event of a fight between fish and causing serious damage, it is worthwhile to prevent infection, which can easily get inside through wounds. For this, antibiotics are used: nifurpyrinol or kanamycin.

Behavior and lifestyle

As mentioned earlier, the horn fish is a very territorial animal, so it is reluctant to share an aquarium with its other inhabitants. It leads a daytime lifestyle and in the cold season requires an extension of daylight hours by at least 5 hours.
Among the advantages of this animal can be called high level intelligence: after some time, the fish begins to recognize its owner, to identify him in a group of other people.

Moreover, as studies have shown, the fish really remembers rather subtle features of the owner's appearance, since the ability to recognize is not lost with a change of clothes.

A well-fed and unexcited flowerer gladly allows himself to be stroked and makes contact with a person: he rubs against the palm of his hand, follows the movement of a person in the aquarium, when the aquarium cover is removed, he rises to the surface and sticks his head out of the water.

But we should not forget about precautions: the feeding time and the spawning period are not the best time to communicate with fish.

Horns love to dig, turn over driftwood and other items in the aquarium. A powerful head and a strong body are wonderful for this activity. So, when setting up an aquarium for a flowerer, it would be wise to choose pebbles instead of soil, and securely fix all decor items.

Reproduction and breeding

Despite their breeding origin, florists are very prolific. The female during spawning is able to lay from 700 to 1000 eggs. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 1 year, but in order to obtain better offspring, experienced breeders and aquarists advise starting breeding work when the fish reach 2 years old, this is especially important for females.

Did you know? The history of aquarism has more than one century: for example, ornamental fish began to be bred in ancient China around the 7th-8th centuries. China is also the birthplace of goldfish, they were kept in special baskets, which made it possible to admire pets only from above, therefore, during selection at that time, emphasis was placed on the attractiveness of the upper part of the fish.

Spawning in these fish occurs under the condition of favorable environmental factors, such as water temperature and quality, daylight hours, and an abundance of food supply.

The water temperature for spawning should not fall below 28 °C.
The diet should contain a lot of protein and at least 60% consist of live or frozen food.
The aquarium should be spacious - at least 150 liters for 2 individuals.
Inside the aquarium, it is necessary to build a shelter for the female. It could be a snag certain form or a transparent mesh that divides the aquarium in half.

The net is set at a height of about 7-10 cm from the bottom of the aquarium, and the masonry bed (flat smooth stone or ordinary ceramic plate) is placed under the net, with a shift towards the female. The male releases a cloud of sperm onto the laid eggs, thus fertilization occurs.

In order to facilitate the process and increase the percentage of fertilized eggs, aquarists advise using a filter to adjust the flow of water in the direction from male to female. Such natural measures are very effective in aquarium maintenance.
The incubation period lasts 3 days, after which the fry hatch into the light. At birth, their size is only 7-10 mm. Both parents protect and take care of the offspring, so there is no need to put the female with the young in a separate box.

This care lasts about 3-4 weeks. By this age, the size of the fry is already 2-3 cm and it is time for them to move to their own aquarium, since around this time the parental instincts of the breeding couple weaken and cases of cannibalism are possible.

Health and disease

Horns have fairly good health and are resistant to minor changes in the environment.

Important! Beginning aquarists should be aware of New Aquarium Syndrome. Before introducing fish into the aquarium, the water (already poured into the equipped aquarium) must stand for at least 2 weeks to establish biological equilibrium. It is not scary if the water becomes a little cloudy - this is an indicator of the course of natural processes and you should not interfere with it (change water, etc.).

Let's look at a few of the most common problems found in flowers.

On the other hand, the aquarium is a great example of a closed ecosystem, illustrating the laws by which the whole planet lives by the example of a 100-liter box, and there is something beautiful about it. Take care of your pets and be competent creators of their little worlds.

Content:

Luxurious, domineering giant - Flower Horn combines the strong character of American cichlids and the whimsical brightness of colors of Asian selection. This is the real king of the aquarium, which requires special treatment and rarely gets along with anyone. But cichlid fans know that its personality and showy beauty are well worth the effort.

Origin, appearance and character

Flower Horn is a hybrid cichlazoma of the order Perciformes of the Cichlov family. Horn was artificially bred in the 90s of the XX century. Judging by the characteristics of the fish, among its progenitors were iridescent and lipped cichlazoma, as well as citrons and spotted ones. The resulting hybrid is unique: a large (on average 30 cm long, but sometimes growing up to 40 cm) fish with a bright, bizarre color, unusual shape body and complex character, very hardy and not particularly demanding on the composition of water and feed.

Flower Horn's "native" name given to it by Asian breeders is Hua Luo Han or Silkfish. In Asia, Horn is considered a talisman that brings good luck and wealth. The fact is that the dark spots on its sides look like hieroglyphs. Individuals with "lucky" signs are very expensive.

The main sign of horns, in addition to size and color, is a large hump on the forehead, giving the fish a very “brainy” look. The cichlazoma is not deprived of intelligence, but the main component of the hump is adipose tissue. In females, the hump is smaller and they are dimmer in color.

In horns, those character traits that distinguish cichlids from other aquarium fish have united and intensified. They are aggressive, territorial and very intelligent. Horns are not afraid of people: their aggression extends to their hands, which are immersed in the aquarium. The fish can very sensitively bite a stranger. But the horn quickly gets used to the owner. He can safely stroke him, play - the fish will curl around his fingers and rub against his palm.

Arrangement of the aquarium and the composition of the water

Flower Horns are hardy and will survive even if they are poorly kept, but this will spoil the coloring and behavior. For a normal life, the fish needs a large volume of water - from 150 liters. The soil is laid on the bottom in a thin layer, and it is better not to use living plants - the fish will dig them out. But shelters are necessary, so snags and rock decorations must be present without fail. If you start 2-3 horns, then the territory needs to be partitioned off with decorative elements, otherwise skirmishes are inevitable.

True, there are many reviews about peaceful (within the limits of cichlid peacefulness, of course) horns. Perhaps this is due to the high intelligence of the fish - among these there are real individuals. But, most likely, with the fact that the most peaceful Flower Horns live in the largest aquariums, with a volume of 800-1000 liters. In such a space, their territorial claims are reduced, and the fish coexist quite acceptably with many species of cichlids and catfish.

Horns love warmth, they feel best when the water temperature is 28-31 degrees. Water should be well filtered and aerated, as the fish produces a lot of waste and actively digs the bottom. Every week, at least a third of the volume of the aquarium is replaced. Make sure that the water parameters are within the limits: hardness dH 6-20 °, acidity - pH 7.4-8. With careless care, an excess of phosphates and nitrates is formed in the aquarium, which leads to diseases of the horns.

Horns are not demanding for lighting.

Feed Features

Cichlazoma is practically omnivorous, the selection of food for them is not difficult. But the legendary color of the horn directly depends on the variety and nutritional value of the feed, which will sparkle with all the richness of colors only if the need for nutrients and minerals. Now there are many specialized feeds for this species, some have added special pigments that increase the brightness of the color. The products of German manufacturers are considered the best, but they must also be alternated. Flower Horns are happy to eat live and frozen food, shrimp, mussels, dry food. From time to time it is worth alternating them with granules (which are slightly soaked) and flakes.

Feed the fish twice or thrice a day, in small portions. Horn is very voracious, but it is impossible to overfeed him, like any other inhabitants of the aquarium - the digestive system will not cope.

Compatibility with other inhabitants of the aquarium

In an aquarium with a volume of 200-350 liters, horns are kept alone or in pairs; other inhabitants should not be added to them. Such aquariums look very impressive: large, brightly colored fish in discreet scenery do not require additional neighborhood to emphasize their beauty.

Like most cichlids, Flower Horn is quite active and aggressive, but the opinion of him as an aquarium tyrant is somewhat exaggerated. This is a large, intelligent cichlid, and its aggression does not exceed the usual for representatives of this family of cichlids. In a large volume of water, comfortable conditions content and sufficient food, horns get along quite well with cichlids, various chain mail (loricarian) and other catfishes that are commensurate with them. Subject to all parameters, diamond cichlids, astronotus, citrons, managuan cichlids, ancitrus catfish, armored catfish such as platidoras and agamixis, and tarakatums can become neighbors.

reproduction

Flower Horn breeds easily in favorable conditions. Although fish of this species can bring offspring as early as 12 months of age, they reach full maturity only at two years. It is worth growing at least a female to this age in order to avoid excessive aggression during spawning and achieve strong offspring.

For spawning, the pair is deposited in a separate aquarium with a volume of 100 liters or more. The female lays her eggs on a smooth surface (a stone, a ceramic plate or an ordinary plate will do), which she carefully cleans before that. A horn can lay over 900 eggs at a time.

If the male is too aggressive during spawning, then the aquarium is blocked by a transparent wall that does not reach the bottom. The surface with eggs should slightly go beyond the partition so that the male can fertilize the offspring. Check that the flow of water goes from the side of the male to the female.

The fry hatch by the end of the second day and after another two days they begin to swim. For the first feed, fine food is suitable, specially designed for fry, pounded yolk (just do not forget to remove the excess immediately after feeding, otherwise the water will deteriorate), artemia crustacean. Horn parents touchingly care for the fry for a little less than a month, then the fry should be placed separately. The color of the fish, characteristic of this cichlazoma, begins to acquire by about six months, at this time or a little later, their sex can be determined.

Classificationflowerhornthis is not a classical classification in a generally accepted form and has no scientific justification. This is just an attempt, for the purposes of breeding and commerce,share a huge mass of variety of shapes, colors and lines. As the basis of this classification, the so-called CLASSICAL FORMS of three main types are taken F.H. These are KamFa, Zhen Zhu and Malau.

A few notes on being drunk:

- on the Internet there are a variety of spellings and pronunciations of these types and commercial names!

- each type can have signs of another type! Those. statement "ThisFHpure Zhen Zhu!” not quite right! The statement "ThisFHbelongs to Zhen Zhu type"!

- not every fish can be unequivocally assigned to any type of FlowerHorn , but this does not mean that your fish is not a FlowerHorn, and vice versa - for exampleRed Texasand AmphilophusTrimaculatummay resemble FlowerHorn, but Flowerhorn they are not , also FlowerHorn may look likeRed Texas, but not be them, many moreFHhave the shape, color and spots like AmphilophusTrimaculatum, but this is no longer AmphilophusTrimaculatum.

- this classification is the basis for judging fish at various FlowerHorn competitions.

Basic (classic) FlowerHorn morphs

A- The head has a powerful throat and does not have a black flower, even the smallest one (although today Kamfa often has a flower on its head, because there are many "experimental" crossings of various lines).

B- The eyes are NOT bulging, golden in color, light, but there are also red ones (which does not mean that this is bad).

C- Lips parallel to each other, without underbite.

D- The dorsal and anal fins do NOT continue with thin processes, even if they are longer than the tail.

E- The caudal fin is widely spread, has the shape of a folding fan (even covers the dorsal and anal fins), without forming gaps between the tail, dorsal and anal fins.

F- The shape of the body is rectangular (like the fish itself looks rectangular along with the fins and forehead). Black spots on the body are concentrated mainly in the back of the body.
An example of a classic Kamfa form:

Other Kamfa subtypes (King Kamfa/KKF, SRS=Super Red Syn, RM=Red Monkey, RS= Red Shock, RK= Red Kamfa, OK= Orange Kamfa, OP=Oriental Phoenix, RP=Red Phoenix, RBK=Rainbow King, HBK=Hell Boy, TK=Tan King.....whatever they are called), have different colors and luster, but all are of this type and must fit these characteristics).

ZZ or Zhen Zhu

A- The head is raised and there is a flower on the head (black spot.

B- The eyes are bulging red.

C- Pocket jaw, overshot.

D- The dorsal and anal fins are long and with extension/protrusions. In an adult male, they can exceed the total length of the fish by 1/3.

E- The caudal fin is either round or spear-shaped. Large gaps form between the caudal, dorsal and anal fins.

F- The body has the shape of an inverted (from wide to narrow) triangle. Black spots run along the entire body evenly.

Example Zhen Zhu

KamfaMalau ( Golden Monkey

A - The head is massive and broad. Features are similar to Kamfa.

B - Eyes Not protruding. Red.

C - Mouth almost flat, horizontal.

D - Similar to Kamfa.

E - Similar to Kamfa.

F - The shape of the body is similar to Kamfa, the more massive and rectangular the better. The color may be different, but closer to the classic form - the transition from red to yellow. Sequins can be different, but closer to the classics. Hair-thin shiny sequins all over the body along with the head - this type of FH is rare and expensive.

KamfaMalau example

The real Golden Monkey (Good Fortune) or Kamalau was bred by Mr. Lam Seah and Lam Soon in Malaysia. After the third generation, they were all sold in 2001. This type of Flowerhorn is the original Luohan, not the mixed type of Zen Zhu or Kamfa. This is one of the expensive types of Flowerhorn, prices for some specimens can be over one thousand dollars. The most expensive Golden Monkey was sold for 600 thousand dollars in Malaysia at an exhibition in 2009.

Titanium

Or Thai Silk, that's The Flowerhorn is fully painted in metallic blue, the presence of a large occipital hump is much appreciated.

IndoMalau(from Golden Monkey/GM and ZZ). It turned out from crossing the last representative of the classical G olden M onkey (the legendary Elvis) and ZZ females in Indonesia. Because the female was still ZZ IndoMalau may have black spots on the flanks. IndoMalau, to a greater extent than ZZ, repeats the classical G olden M onkey and has thin, worm-like spangles all over the body along with the head. Today, the descendants of Elvis are considered a model G olden M onkey.

TanKing

This species was created by Mr. Tang in Vietnam by crossing Zhu Zhen with Kamfa.It has a large amount of sequins and a flowerline like King Kamfa, but the body and fins are more similar to Zhen Zhu.Most have bulging eyes and a more rounded tail, like Zhen Zhu.

King Kamfa

This is probably the most controversial and discussed type of Flowerhorn. Whether king Kamfa is a separate group of fish bred from parents who have formed a certain set of traits, or whether it simply denotes a certain quality of fish, king Kamfa, is by far the most popular type of Flowerhorn.I think that for all practical purposes, king Kamfa today stands for exceptional Kamfa quality.From the Kamfa family, this fish usually has a white or yellow eye, although red eyes are possible but rare.Distinctive features of this breed include intense black flowers in two rows along the lateral line and very thick white pearls.Originating in Thailand, this breed has not found a continuation in Vietnam.The body is typical of the Kamfa, with a fan tail, and a more massive body than some other Kamfa.

olden base– rather, a color form that is not a type or line and is random in nature, since is an uncontrolled mutation, although it is inherited. Today, some stubborn breeders manage to develop lines where there is a rather large percentage in the offspring of "molting / fader".

And in conclusion, I would like to point out that Flowerhorn also has great amount commercial names, but all fish sold can be assigned to one or another of the morphs described above. And the commercial name does not always reflect the real quality of the fish, so if you decide to buy Flowerhorn, always ask for a photo of the fish you are selling. A conscientious breeder or seller always has a camera, and if for some reason they don’t want to provide you with a photo of a future purchase, then they may be deceiving you.