Gill the flowerhorn—questions

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JJM

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2025
16
3
3
45
Evart, MI, USA
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“Bad side” day one


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Good side day one


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“Bad side” day 3


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“Good” side day 3


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Poops on bottom of the tank


Meet Gill he is a 10 month old flowerhorn. I have questions…so many questions 🤪 I thought I was ready to bring him home but man I feel unprepared. So here goes.

1) what kind of FH is he? I thought red dragon but now I see kampha and am not sure.

2) are him and his kok appropriate sized for his age?

3) will his “bad” gill plate cause problems (I know this will be assumptions but feedback would be great.

4) is his poop a problem. He came to me pooping this way and Google gives mixed feedback and treatment recommendations.

5) He was eating pellets and shrimp when we got him. Once we brought him home we figured out we had missed a few swordtail fry in his tank and he had fun hunting. Now he only wants the fish. He spits out the pellets if he even grabs them at all. I have no issue feeding him live but am concerned that my live bearers won’t keep up.

6) how often should I feed him if he stays on live fish?

7) How do I medicate him if necessary if he won’t willingly eat the pellets?

8) any other gems of information that I could benefit from?
 
1. Definitely a kamfa

2. Looks fine, maximum kok size is from genetics if your fish is well taken care of then it'll grow to its appropriate size. Kamfa usually have smaller kok than ZZ types of flowerhorn like red dragons.

3. Afaik it's mostly a cosmetic issue? The main concern is that the delicate gills are exposed so don't keep any pointy wood and rocks, more rounded stuff is fine. Fish also use the operculum to push water over the gills but as long as he isn't gasping at the surface oxygen isn't a problem. Seems like you have sponge and a Hob so you're probably fine.

4. White poop can come from stress of moving but it's also a sign of intestinal parasites. Personally it's something I'd rather catch earlier than for the fish to randomly stop eating after a few months of looking healthy on the outside. I'd treat with praziquantel medication like prazi pro but anything with praziquantel in it should work.

5. Might just be picky after getting live foods or is getting reduced appetite from parasites so only wants to go after high value foods. Medicate him first then check appetite after full treatment, if he still won't eat pellets he's just being picky so fast him for 1-2 days and only offer pellets.

6. FH shouldn't be on a live fish only diet, the fish used to create flowerhorn are all omnivores that are typically eating more invertebrates than fish (amphilophus) or lean more on plants and algae (vieja). Long term it can cause gut issues once the fish is older, prepared foods also have a long list of vitamins and other nutrients that help round out the diet since most people cannot provide the varied diet that a wild fish would get.

7. Praziquantel can be treated through the water, no need for food treatment.

8. Kok enhancing foods are kind of a sham, the kok will grow based on genetics, health, and how dominant the fish feels. The food just needs to be good quality theres no secret sauce that specifically makes the kok grow.
Some people will groom their FH using mirrors for a few minutes a day to exercise the fish and make it feel dominant I don't do it personally but I can see the appeal.
Pearl colors are enhanced by the phycocyanin in spirulina, feed a food with spirulina in it to increase pearls.

I liked that you've got some stuff in the tank btw, everyone does things their own way but keeping FH in completely empty tanks is boring imo. My FH have always liked to dig in the substrate after fully maturing, it gives them something to do.
 
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1. Definitely a kamfa

2. Looks fine, maximum kok size is from genetics if your fish is well taken care of then it'll grow to its appropriate size. Kamfa usually have smaller kok than ZZ types of flowerhorn like red dragons.

3. Afaik it's mostly a cosmetic issue? The main concern is that the delicate gills are exposed so don't keep any pointy wood and rocks, more rounded stuff is fine. Fish also use the operculum to push water over the gills but as long as he isn't gasping at the surface oxygen isn't a problem. Seems like you have sponge and a Hob so you're probably fine.

4. White poop can come from stress of moving but it's also a sign of intestinal parasites. Personally it's something I'd rather catch earlier than for the fish to randomly stop eating after a few months of looking healthy on the outside. I'd treat with praziquantel medication like prazi pro but anything with praziquantel in it should work.

5. Might just be picky after getting live foods or is getting reduced appetite from parasites so only wants to go after high value foods. Medicate him first then check appetite after full treatment, if he still won't eat pellets he's just being picky so fast him for 1-2 days and only offer pellets.

6. FH shouldn't be on a live fish only diet, the fish used to create flowerhorn are all omnivores that are typically eating more invertebrates than fish (amphilophus) or lean more on plants and algae (vieja). Long term it can cause gut issues once the fish is older, prepared foods also have a long list of vitamins and other nutrients that help round out the diet since most people cannot provide the varied diet that a wild fish would get.

7. Praziquantel can be treated through the water, no need for food treatment.

8. Kok enhancing foods are kind of a sham, the kok will grow based on genetics, health, and how dominant the fish feels. The food just needs to be good quality theres no secret sauce that specifically makes the kok grow.
Some people will groom their FH using mirrors for a few minutes a day to exercise the fish and make it feel dominant I don't do it personally but I can see the appeal.
Pearl colors are enhanced by the phycocyanin in spirulina, feed a food with spirulina in it to increase pearls.

I liked that you've got some stuff in the tank btw, everyone does things their own way but keeping FH in completely empty tanks is boring imo. My FH have always liked to dig in the substrate after fully maturing, it gives them something to do.
Thank you so much for your response.. I tasted his tank with Fritz paraclense starting yesterday. His black colors had faded and that actually looks better today already. I treated the sword tank to be safe but am going to fast him and work to getting him back on pellets. He did take a mealworm yesterday willingly.
 
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