Flower horn - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Aquarists are trying to diversify the apartment, hooking into the aquarium interesting in appearance aquatic inhabitants. Flower horn belongs to those, the fish is famous for its pouty head and iridescent color. It looks beneficial in the aquarium, and the content, even for an inexperienced person, is not difficult. Fish surprise a person with their extraordinary behavior and changing external data. But we will not get ahead of ourselves, we will consider the main characteristics in more detail.

Origin

1. Fish were hatched artificially; they were obtained as a result of hybrid crossing. Flower horns belong to the cichlase family, it is difficult to say for sure which breeder worked on creating fish with such interesting data. One thing is certain, the fish reaches a length of 40 cm. Therefore, it looks impressive in a large aquarium.
2. A species of fish was bred in Malaysia. If you adhere to some data regarding the origin, then we can conclude that in the creation took part lipastoma, spotty, rainbow and citron cichlomas.
3. Why exactly these varieties were involved in the creation of a new species, you ask. The crossing is due to the illegibility of aquatic pets in terms of choosing a companion for creating a married couple. This means that the named representatives of cichlase can interbreed, regardless of species.
4. As a result of the research, it was possible to obtain a new species that can easily compete with a dozen popular pets for the aquarium. In the end, cichlazoma, artificially excreted, turned out to be beautiful, omnivorous and rarely ill.
5. The first representatives of the species could be met in 1996, it is this period that is considered the date of the appearance of the flower horns. For almost 20 years, representatives of the family live in various countries, they are kept in aquarium conditions.
6. There are several subspecies of flower horns. Among them are thai silk, camphor, wife ju, malau. It is still unknown whether the species will continue to be improved, because aquarists are happy with everything.

Description

1. What you see on the forehead of a fish is a fat cone. The body is dense, oval in size, the length of the horn reaches 40 cm. The color is reddish, silver, gray or pink.
2. Many aquatic inhabitants on the lateral part of the corpuscle can see a medium-wide dark strip. It breaks up into spots at a visual inspection. However, this is not a mandatory feature.
3. The fins on the back and in the anus are elongated, sharp, and the caudal fin is rounded. As for the duration of existence, this subspecies lives about 10 years.
4. It is difficult to describe horn by external data, because each individual is unique in its own way. If we add to this the fact that each aquarist tries to derive his own type, then the generally accepted standards are completely blurred.
5. It is worth knowing that when buying small fish one cannot say for sure what they will grow in the future. Usually, individuals are dull, then change color over time. It can also be the other way around, that is, after puberty, the fish dims for reasons still unknown.

Difficulties in content

1. Like other cichlids, flower horns do not require scrupulous care and special delights in content. Therefore, we can say that fish are relatively hassle-free even for a beginner. The main thing is that the water meets all the criteria, then the pets will not feel bad and show aggression.
2. Fish are unpretentious in terms of feeding, that is, horn is allowed to treat both frozen or dry food, and live worms, etc.
3. It is worth mentioning that the fish is not suitable for everyone. There are reasons for this. Among them are impressive dimensions. That is, the aquarium is required quite spacious. Horn protect their territory, so you need to carefully select the neighborhood. Because of their violent temperament, some individuals are kept one at a time, even plants are excluded because the fish tear them out.
4. Horns are aggressive when you put your hand in the aquarium. Given that the size of the individual is not small at all, the fish bites painfully. Therefore, when servicing the aquarium, some difficulties may arise.
5. Nevertheless, despite the peculiar nature, the beginner will be able to cope with the care of this species of fish. If you study all aspects, observe the temperature regime of water, there will be no problems.

Feeding

1. We have already mentioned that representatives of this breed group are omnivorous. The fish has a brutal appetite, so it is always not enough. On the other hand, if a pet systematically overeates, it will become obese. This also should not be allowed, because the fish die from being overweight.
2. Feeding can be any. The main condition is the high content of protein compounds in food. Since we live in the modern world, feed has already been manufactured and packaged for you. It is only necessary to choose an option suitable for large cichlids.
3. More horn eat shrimp, gammarus, fish or bird fillets, small fish, flies, bloodworms, worms, etc. Frequency of feeding - 2-3 times a day. Observe the servings; the remnants of the meal should not sink to the bottom or do so, but in minimal quantities.
4. Large-caliber fish used to be fed mammalian meat. But today it is known for certain that such food harms the esophagus. Therefore, when drawing up the diet, give the fish such food no more than once every 10 days.

Conditions of detention

1. The fish is large, so it requires an appropriate housing. One individual accounts for 200 liters. water minimum. Therefore, when keeping two fish, you need an aquarium with a volume of 400-500 liters.
2. In cases where other cichlids will live in addition to the horn, it is necessary to purchase housing of 900-1000 l.
3. Since in natural conditions pets live in slowly flowing water sources, take care of the appropriate equipment. Buy a water filter. Weekly siphon the bottom; replace a third of the water with a new one.
4. Maintain optimal temperature conditions so that the fish always feel comfortable. The temperature should be 27 degrees. The alkaline balance (6.5-7.5), as well as rigidity (10-18 units) are important.
5. Fish negatively refers to plants; if possible, they should be completely excluded. Horny digging soil, rhizomes will simply float up. Therefore, do without plants.
6. A gravel road is suitable for the ground, and for shelters choose driftwood and pebbles. Flower horns do not hide, preferring to constantly walk around the aquarium. Due to the large size, make sure that the whole decor is tight, otherwise the fish will turn it over.

Compatibility

1. We have already said that representatives of this subspecies categorically do not accept strangers in their home. Moreover, aggression applies not only to fish not from the cichlid family, but also to all cichlases.
2. Large, they like to fight for the territory, are aggressive even when cleaning the aquarium - so briefly describe the Horn.
3. The ideal option is to keep the fish alone or add a pair of fish to it. But in the second case, take care of a spacious aquarium so that pets do not fight for the territory.
4. The bites are painful if the horn bites you while cleaning the aquarium. To reduce aggression, try to choose the right time when the fish is napping or hiding.
5. If you want to plant other varieties with your pet, give preference to large-bred individuals. We are talking about Managuan cichlazomas, plecostomy, astronotus, etc.
6. However, if you take into account all the feedback from experienced aquarists, the horns should live alone. So they will be comfortable, and you will prevent hassles and stress.
7. Aggressive attitude extends not only to individuals of another breed, but also to relatives. For example, when you keep a couple of horn, you may notice that there are always conflicts between them.

Breeding

1. If you plan to get beautiful offspring, then carefully read the color of the parents. If everything is done wrong, then you can get fry dull, with incomprehensible spots.
2. The main difficulties that absolutely all breeders of such fish encounter are male attacks on the female. The male sex is attacked by the female, your main task is to protect the female.
3. Equip the water housing in such a way that the female finds where to take refuge. The male should not see her. As a rule, he begins to hammer a female when she is not yet ready.
4. To eliminate this, you need to hang a grid to divide the housing into two sections. In this way, spawning can be stimulated.
5. A stone should be placed next to the net. When the eggs are laid, the net is placed away from the male so that he has access to fertilize the eggs.
6. The temperature regime of water must be maintained at around 28 degrees. As for alkaline balance, it should not exceed 7 units.
7. If, after fertilization, the male begins to beat the female, then resettle her or send her back to the second part of the aquarium.

There are no difficulties in the content of the presented species of cichlids. But it is worth considering the sizes of individuals, the aquarium is selected with a large volume. Fish should not be overfed, otherwise they will quickly become oily. Take into account the aggressiveness of pets and pets in relation to neighbors, choose roommates with special care.

Video: aquarium fish flower horn