my petsmart flowerrhorn, opinions wanted

[Bcrafty]

I bought my flowerrhorn from petsmart a couple of months ago, he war probably around the 3" mark, hes now just over 5" when I first got him I know he doesn't have the desired red eye trait if that's even desired anymore. he went from quarantine in a 10gallon with 75% wc every 2 days to a 160gallon for 2 weeks alone while I cleaned a tank to reorganize to the 40breeder in the house, he seems to be happier on a daily basis in the house with the fighter level of attention. he currently has 2 turquoise severums as dither fish to see if he would be compatable in a community setup( he wont) luckily they are quick enough to avoid the beating. ive had friends with flowerhorns and I bought this guy for the personality hoping he would copare with an old Oscar I had and so far has exceded my expectations.
my questions are,
what type is he if he has a classification, ie zz king kampha kalamalou?

he isn't very red, is that how he is or am I missing something?

I know iu can use color enhancing foods like grand sumo red, if the fish doesn't have the genetics for it am I doing harm by feeding those foods and or ingredients that wont get processed?

what foods do you guys feed and for what reason? I believe in a VERY diverse diet, currently consisting of an array of hikari cichlid pellets, carnivore pellets, massivore pellets, algae wafers, frozen spirulina brine, frozen bloodworms, frozen beefheart, frozen krill, frozen silversides, live minnows, goldfish(rarely) mill worms, earthworms and freezedried rivershrimp, cyclops and krill, anything I should add or remove and why

do they get bored?he has a couple pots to roll around and some pingpong balls and of course the dither fish to chase but I doubt he will let them stay when hes much bigger, anyone have suggestions on keeping his mind occupied? oh and we do interact with him about 15-30 minutes every evening out side of his normal feeding times
also feel free to throw out any tid bits of information that could make my or any other fishkeepers knowledge bigger
thanks all
Brian
p.s. his color is more pink than red but the blue spangling he has all over his body and under my fluval led on with blue and red this guy is just gorgeous and so relaxing to watch patrol around the tank before bed

 

[Cosmic_surfer]

I honestly feel these "color enhancing" foods are a fake in what they really do. From everything I have read, a balanced diet will bring out the best possible colors of a fish, but what those colors are, that is completely based on genetics of the fish. A flowerhorn from petco probably will never reach the high colors of the costly flowerhorns that are hand picked and bred for superior colors. Once in a while you may get a little lucky, but the luckiest flowerhorn from petco still won't compare to the pricey ones coming out of Asia.

 

[Bcrafty]

I honestly feel these "color enhancing" foods are a fake in what they really do. From everything I have read, a balanced diet will bring out the best possible colors of a fish, but what those colors are, that is completely based on genetics of the fish. A flowerhorn from petco probably will never reach the high colors of the costly flowerhorns that are hand picked and bred for superior colors. Once in a while you may get a little lucky, but the luckiest flowerhorn from petco still won't compare to the pricey ones coming out of Asia.

I feel the same about the foods bring more marketing that anything else, and I know pet smart quality fish vs bred to perfection fish will be different but wild it be better to feed an extra meal of krill over dropping in a color enhancing pellet designed to bring out reds. What do you feed your flowerhorn if you have one or what fish or experience are you referencing? Feel free to share pics

 

[Cichlover2017]

Thinking of getting a flower horn to put in a 90 gallon when I am ready to move my aro to the 275. What's the recommended it's size tank for a flowerhorn

 

[Cosmic_surfer]

I think a 90 would be big enough for a lone flowerhorn, but I don't think you will be able to put much with it. I have heard it recommended to not feed flowerhorns krill and other hard shelled foods, flowerhorns have poor digestive tracts and have all sorts of problems (due to inbreeding and such). Stick with a nice pellet and substitute things like red wrigglers. I bet they would also enjoy a piece of cucumber from time to time.

 

[Bcrafty]

90 should be good unless he becomes an absolute beast, I use a 40breeder for now but have a strict large water change scedule, and he's still small imo. Never heard that about krill or hard shelled foods, fancy goldfish ivr heard but they are bred from carp for a deformed body shape, I wonder if it mainly applied to short body's cause these fish were bred from predators that would have eaten crustacean no problem I would think.
He has eaten cucumber, wasn't a fan of shelled peas tho. Thanks for the response

 

[Aquatank]

It's always the same in Petco and PetSmart they just think that people are fools and will be fooled by them very easily but it's our bad luck that the shipping charges and the original cost of these flowerhorns can easily break you savings just like that.
But the fish you own is pretty nice and you can feed him some dried shrimps .

 

[Cichlover2017]

It's always the same in Petco and PetSmart they just think that people are fools and will be fooled by them very easily but it's our bad luck that the shipping charges and the original cost of these flowerhorns can easily break you savings just like that.
But the fish you own is pretty nice and you can feed him some dried shrimps .

Thanks all. actually caught a video this week with a guy that had a 275 in the wall appeared to have flower horn Oscars Redtail sharks and even Arawana all in the same tank Tank look massively overcrowded kind of feel sorry for the fish light cramming 17 people into a one bedroom apartment but whatta you gonna do? As for the feedings have a couple Oscar tanks and they just love the monster mix medley and Cichlid pellets. Don't really like giving blood worms as it leaves red blood spots all over the inside of my tank. Had heard About the hardshell shrimp digestion issues but the freeze-dried krill is bout the only thing I can get my aro to take. Guy that gave him up said he has yet to be able to get him to take pellets.

 

[Bcrafty]

Thanks all. actually caught a video this week with a guy that had a 275 in the wall appeared to have flower horn Oscars Redtail sharks and even Arawana all in the same tank Tank look massively overcrowded kind of feel sorry for the fish light cramming 17 people into a one bedroom apartment but whatta you gonna do? As for the feedings have a couple Oscar tanks and they just love the monster mix medley and Cichlid pellets. Don't really like giving blood worms as it leaves red blood spots all over the inside of my tank. Had heard About the hardshell shrimp digestion issues but the freeze-dried krill is bout the only thing I can get my aro to take. Guy that gave him up said he has yet to be able to get him to take pellets.

Ha, like a monster sized collectoritis type tank, i remember setting up my first tank and throwing every pretty cichlid a puffer, giant crab, al the while thinking I got this cause I know how to cycle my "huge" 55 gal, and yes I thought my 4" fish were full grown. That would be interesting to see, can u share the video? Link maybe?
Who makes monster mix medley? I have fed hikari mostly give or take a random brand food(love spirilina 20 for my tosakin goldfish).
I'm also curious about the blood worms leaving blood on the tank, I mostly have tanks with snails or plecos so I wonder if that helps but I've never noticed it, I'll have to watch for that.
Thanks all,