Extremely aggressive

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
OP not sure it's what you're looking for (and there are certainly other considerations with such fish) and I really can't recommend it, but some people have successfully kept a pleco with their Flowerhorn. I've seen others online and some years ago I had this going on with a ZZ Dragon, but it really depends on the personality of the FH (and whether they're smart enough to know that eating the pleco could kill them). So it's basically a roll of the dice.

In the case mentioned the ZZ was definitely aware of the pleco but as long as it didn't get in his way he pretty much left it alone. Another factor was that the pleco was in the tank first -- had it been reversed the ZZ very likely would have gone bonkers.

I eventually gave the pleco to a hotel partner with lots of big ponds, as it was just contributing too much waste and FH already do enough of that themselves -- like others I also think a 75g would be a nice home for just your bonsai.

If you're worried about your fish being bored:
a) one of the best things about FH's is that they're so interactive -- if you 'play' with your fish by moving your finger around the glass sometimes, train it to do loop-to-loops, etc. it will be happier and healthier and get some exercise in the process.
b) some peeps also put a mirror against the glass or in the tank, then let their FH 'fight' its reflection (esp. males for developing their humps), but this should only be done for short periods and maybe not everyday as it can overly stress the fish -- I prefer directly interacting with the fish, they're characters, act like they love you and then try to kill you lol.
 
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I was more curious about the high ph deal. I've never heard that before.

Yeah really, it's true, talk to a long-time breeder or delve more deeply into the world of Flowerhorn keeping and you'll see plenty of others saying the exact same. Many FH folks are just as serious as Arowana owners when it comes to grooming their fish.

Consider too that the best Flowerhorn in the world come from Thailand: check out any breeding farm, shop, LFS or home tank here, and you'll find that 99% have water that is PH 7.8-8.2. Sure they can be kept in lower (just like Oscars can survive in somewhat higher PH but thrive better in low-med PH), but for best results if you ever get a Flowerhorn hopefully your water is higher PH.

And as always take published Care Sheets with a grain of salt -- even MFK's doesn't get it totally right: "6.0-8.5" -- with all due respect to the Sticky poster, keeping any FH at 6.0 PH or even 7.0 imo is just asking for trouble. It got the water temperature (80-85F) correct though: keep a FH at 78F, not only will one not see its best, they'll very likely encounter health issues.
 
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So what's the GH value or even TDS value of water in these FH farms? There's a few places with high PH as a result of ground water being affected by agriculture, but really soft water (lower GH/TDS).
 
So what's the GH value or even TDS value of water in these FH farms? There's a few places with high PH as a result of ground water being affected by agriculture, but really soft water (lower GH/TDS).

That's what I was getting at with my kh comment. If I'm not mistaken some african cichlids come from waters like that
 
A 75 gal is really not big enough for any more than one (or maybe a time tested compatible pair).
And as far as a dovii goes, not large enough for any dovii, except a juvie, and even then, very temporarily.
I Don't want a dovii. Tank is too small but i was looking for a catfish or something to keep the bonsai busy.
 
I Don't want a dovii. Tank is too small but i was looking for a catfish or something to keep the bonsai busy.

Sorry the dovii was my general comment that you can keep everything together in a big enough space.

Bonsai will probably kill whatever you put in there. Give it something to explore doesn't have to be wood but something to give it something to do...if you haven't already.
 
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So what's the GH value or even TDS value of water in these FH farms? There's a few places with high PH as a result of ground water being affected by agriculture, but really soft water (lower GH/TDS).

Excuse me, I shouldn't have mentioned the word "farm", as in fact most FH here are not raised on farms out in the boondocks, they're bred & raised in tanks in inner-city or suburban shops on treated (but non-chlorinated) city water, which likely wouldn't be affected by agricultural activity. I live on an island with no agriculture going on even remotely close; my GH is consistently about 6d, KH is about 7.

Btw I'm not inventing this high PH is better for FH grooming train of thought lol, if anyone has doubts about the claim, again I suggest they go to a serious FH forum or Facebook group and pose the question, then report back their findings here.

That's what I was getting at with my kh comment. If I'm not mistaken some african cichlids come from waters like that

Sorry maybe I'm missing a point as I'm not as scientifically knowledgeable as you guys, but not sure what African cichlids have to do with this (or even Central/South American cichlids for that matter) -- Yes they're cichlids but Flowerhorn are an invention of themselves and don't have exactly the same optimal care requirements as any one of these other types of cichlids in order to see their best (which is what we're talking about, not just surviving).

Bear in mind too that being genetically weaker FH simply aren't as hardy or adaptable as other fish that been around hundreds of thousands even millions of years like many other fish -- a higher PH helps keep them in their narrower 'thriving' zone.

But again I'm really not basing my claim on Care Sheets or even hard scientific data/numbers, I'm simply reporting my experience/personal thinking which happens to coincide with many others who have kept them a long time, anyone else is of course perfectly free to keep their FH in lower PH (and then wonder why their fish is drab looking or having even more health problems than FH usually do).
 
OP not sure it's what you're looking for (and there are certainly other considerations with such fish) and I really can't recommend it, but some people have successfully kept a pleco with their Flowerhorn. I've seen others online and some years ago I had this going on with a ZZ Dragon, but it really depends on the personality of the FH (and whether they're smart enough to know that eating the pleco could kill them). So it's basically a roll of the dice.

In the case mentioned the ZZ was definitely aware of the pleco but as long as it didn't get in his way he pretty much left it alone. Another factor was that the pleco was in the tank first -- had it been reversed the ZZ very likely would have gone bonkers.

I eventually gave the pleco to a hotel partner with lots of big ponds, as it was just contributing too much waste and FH already do enough of that themselves -- like others I also think a 75g would be a nice home for just your bonsai.

If you're worried about your fish being bored:
a) one of the best things about FH's is that they're so interactive -- if you 'play' with your fish by moving your finger around the glass sometimes, train it to do loop-to-loops, etc. it will be happier and healthier and get some exercise in the process.
b) some peeps also put a mirror against the glass or in the tank, then let their FH 'fight' its reflection (esp. males for developing their humps), but this should only be done for short periods and maybe not everyday as it can overly stress the fish -- I prefer directly interacting with the fish, they're characters, act like they love you and then try to kill you lol.
I am afraid that pleco would be my only option.
 
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