Flowerhorn Growth Progress

lilred15

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2020
6
13
3
24
Hi, everyone I posted earlier about my new flowerhorn and I decided to do a post where I continually update on his growth and progress till he is an adult.

First Day I got him
day 1.png

Around 3 weeks after I got him
IMG_0103.pngIMG_0102.png

Currently around 6 weeks after I got him
f.pngff.pngfffff.png

Will continue to update as he changes and grows. Im pretty impressed considering I got him for only 14 dollars he's come a long way already I was sure at first but I am starting to think its a male his hump seems to be coming in already thanks for looking!
 

Magnus_Bane

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2020
2,734
2,923
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Canton SD
Hi, everyone I posted earlier about my new flowerhorn and I decided to do a post where I continually update on his growth and progress till he is an adult.

First Day I got him
View attachment 1441038

Around 3 weeks after I got him
View attachment 1441039View attachment 1441040

Currently around 6 weeks after I got him
View attachment 1441041View attachment 1441042View attachment 1441043

Will continue to update as he changes and grows. Im pretty impressed considering I got him for only 14 dollars he's come a long way already I was sure at first but I am starting to think its a male his hump seems to be coming in already thanks for looking!
Looks to be male to me. Decent kok growth at a young age along with him having his manhood sitting out in the open in the second pic from the bottom lol.

I'd say he's a bit on the chunky side tho. Not sure if he's just being over fed or if he just got fed before the pic but he does have a bit of a gut to him. I'd recommend fasting him atleast once a week just to help keep that belly down a bit. Don't want him to get too far otherwise he may end up with some health problems later down the road.
 
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lilred15

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2020
6
13
3
24
Looks to be male to me. Decent kok growth at a young age along with him having his manhood sitting out in the open in the second pic from the bottom lol.

I'd say he's a bit on the chunky side tho. Not sure if he's just being over fed or if he just got fed before the pic but he does have a bit of a gut to him. I'd recommend fasting him atleast once a week just to help keep that belly down a bit. Don't want him to get too far otherwise he may end up with some health problems later down the road.
Thanks so much for the input I definitely think I have been overfeeding will fast him for at least once a week now!
 

HybridFinatic

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Oct 24, 2018
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Virginia
You chose a quality fish my friend. Based on the first pic I wouldn’t have given it a second glance but he is really turning out nicely.
 

lilred15

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2020
6
13
3
24
You chose a quality fish my friend. Based on the first pic I wouldn’t have given it a second glance but he is really turning out nicely.
Thank you! I always have wanted a flower horn and I was going to just drop a couple hundred on a high quality adult but I saw this little guy at my lfs and for only 14$ I had to pick him up and try my chances but he is honestly getting prettier everyday now its great.
 
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lilred15

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2020
6
13
3
24
Nice fish you picked. Watch for overfeeding though, red dragons get fat belly easily.
Thanks! And I will definitely cut down on the feeding now that I know. What would you recommend a good feeding schedule is im feeding the small cichlid gold pellets.
 
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Magnus_Bane

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2020
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Canton SD
Thanks! And I will definitely cut down on the feeding now that I know. What would you recommend a good feeding schedule is im feeding the small cichlid gold pellets.
I would recommend twice a day untill it's atleast reached 4in. Once it hits 4in ya can slow down to feeding once a day as an adult/mature FH will start to slow down on growing at that point and no longer needs massive amounts of food for fast growth. The only reason ya want to feed your juvi twice a day at the start is just because he is still using a massive amount of energy/resources in growing as quickly as possible atleast untill he is sexually mature.

But yeah just don't forget to fast once a week to help keep him somewhat slim. Honestly it's better to have a fish being a lil on the skinny side rather then it being fat. There's atleast less health problems ya gotta look out for then. Also it'll make sure that he's always willing to eat as long as he isn't sick.

Btw IDK if your interested or not but if you would like to improve your FH's colors there is some foods you should try out. For red color I would recommend hikari blood parrot formula and for making the pearls brighter I would recommend using any food the has a high spirulina percentage. Idky but for some reason spirulina helps make pearls brighter and bolder.

As for kok growth I would recommend using a lil mirror for 20mins after feeding. This will give him a sense of competition for his territory/food along with a sense of victory once the intruder/mirror has been removed from view. Just don't show him the mirror before eating otherwise you'll have him completely ignore his food just to fight his own reflection.
 

Ruturaj

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
1,802
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Seattle, WA
I would recommend twice a day untill it's atleast reached 4in. Once it hits 4in ya can slow down to feeding once a day as an adult/mature FH will start to slow down on growing at that point and no longer needs massive amounts of food for fast growth. The only reason ya want to feed your juvi twice a day at the start is just because he is still using a massive amount of energy/resources in growing as quickly as possible atleast untill he is sexually mature.

But yeah just don't forget to fast once a week to help keep him somewhat slim. Honestly it's better to have a fish being a lil on the skinny side rather then it being fat. There's atleast less health problems ya gotta look out for then. Also it'll make sure that he's always willing to eat as long as he isn't sick.

Btw IDK if your interested or not but if you would like to improve your FH's colors there is some foods you should try out. For red color I would recommend hikari blood parrot formula and for making the pearls brighter I would recommend using any food the has a high spirulina percentage. Idky but for some reason spirulina helps make pearls brighter and bolder.

As for kok growth I would recommend using a lil mirror for 20mins after feeding. This will give him a sense of competition for his territory/food along with a sense of victory once the intruder/mirror has been removed from view. Just don't show him the mirror before eating otherwise you'll have him completely ignore his food just to fight his own reflection.
Beside hikari blood red parrot plus, foods like Northfin krill pro and NLS ultra red do pretty good job for red coloration as well. All are high in astaxanthin which is a carotenoid for red coloration. Fish can not make carotenoid and they need to get it from food.

Spirulina is high in xanthophyll which is carotenoid as well. Xanthophyll covers yellow, blue, green colors. So it makes pearls a little colorful. Though the pearls themselves are made up of guanine crystals which fish can produce themself.
 

GentleGiantsCichlidKeeper

Candiru
MFK Member
Sep 17, 2020
296
199
46
Toronto, Canada
Yes, please keep us updated! He's growing quickly, and his colors are really beginning to show as he matures. The hump of a male is also coming in, one of these species great attributes! I wouldn't recommend purposefully overfeeding but I personally like my fish a little chunky idk about y'all, lol. Not too much where there will be health problems along the road but i like them to look full, even if they haven't eaten yet. You should see my Blood Parrot's stomach lmao, if this is fat you'd consider him obese? ....
 
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