Extremely Timid Flowerhorn

[ChrissFishes01]

Hey guys,

I went to a store on Saturday and picked up a flowerhorn. I used to breed them years ago (back when big cichlids were popular around here), but I haven't owned one in years. I made a point to pick out the most interactive one out of the bunch, hoping to have a water puppy like I remember them being. I got him home, put him into his (cycled) 40 breeder, and so far he's been really skittish. I always kept them in bare tanks years ago, but I also always bought them at larger sizes than this guy - do you think he's scared of the bare tank, where he's still fairly tiny? He'll explore the entire tank, but as soon as I walk into the room he freaks out and darts behind the sponge filter. He eats well (although, oddly enough, he rejects frozen foods and only takes pellets), and seems to be a healthy little guy. Not the highest quality, but I'm not looking to show him or breed him.

Thoughts? I'm open to adding some basic decor, but I've had FHs get stuck under decorations and get pretty beat up, so I'm kind of wary of anything they can hurt themselves on. Some silk plants, maybe?

https://imgur.com/b3ZgYNM

https://imgur.com/ovsOzfh

 

[Krismo962]

he'll come around when he settles in

 

[Deadeye]

That’s right, in the bare tank he is scared. Having somewhere to hide will help it feel more comfortable. Anything smooth and not rough should work.

 

[ChrissFishes01]

he'll come around when he settles in

I honestly figured that it was just settling, but I don't think I've ever had a flowerhorn behave this way, believe it or not. I may just be misremembering, though!

That’s right, in the bare tank he is scared. Having somewhere to hide will help it feel more comfortable. Anything smooth and not rough should work.

Do you keep decor in tanks with larger adults, too, or just with juveniles?

 

[Deadeye]

I personally don’t keep flowerhorns, but as long as they are unable to remain uninjured by their decor it’s fine.
I personally would keep adults or juveniles with decor. As long as it’s designed safely, it will create a more “natural” environment that will result in better behavior.
Welcome to the forum by the way!

 

[ChrissFishes01]

I personally don’t keep flowerhorns, but as long as they are unable to remain uninjured by their decor it’s fine.
I personally would keep adults or juveniles with decor. As long as it’s designed safely, it will create a more “natural” environment that will result in better behavior.
Welcome to the forum by the way!

Thanks!

I may run to Lowe's today and see if I can find some terracotta pots and some aquarium-safe weights to keep them from rolling around. I'll update with a pic later!

 

[ChrissFishes01]

Alright, so apparently we're in the middle of The Great Terra Cotta Pot Shortage of 2021. I didn't find any plain terra cotta pots at Lowe's or Walmart, so I went with some food-safe plastic pots. They're rated #5, which should be food safe and hold up to the water rather well until I can find something else.

I also went ahead and did a water change while I was in the tank - Nanaue is NOT enthused, lol.

https://imgur.com/lt467Of

 

[ChrissFishes01]

Alright, so it's been almost a week and I think Nanaue has settled in and looks much better. Tank got a 25% water change this morning.

https://imgur.com/4LsMoKX

So far, he's been leaving the live plants alone. I've never had a flowerhorn who didn't immediately rip plants to shreds, so we'll see. I've seen him take a couple bites of the moss ball and spit them back out, but that's not such a big deal.

Here's a bite-sized moss ball! ?

https://imgur.com/q28AA83

He got fed bloodworms tonight, so he's been searching the substrate for ones he missed.

https://imgur.com/iPiXaIN

Overall, I'm quite pleased with how he's turned out so far!

https://imgur.com/yLLuIFX

 

[Krismo962]

nice

 

[Deadeye]

Glad to hear he’s doing well!