Help me make a decision please!

[Redearsunfish]

So I purchased a Flowerhorn, oh, about 3 months back. Well, unfortunately it turned out to be a female. I haven't vented it, but its got a black patch on its dorsal.

So on to my question:

I have no plans to breed Flowerhorns at all, so is there any value in keeping her and raising her. I.e., she won't be much of a show piece I'd imagine. Right now she's 3 1/2 inches, olive green with black bars on the back half of her body, and relatively moderate to light blue speckles and an pale orangey, pale yellow jaw and just a faint faint faint amount of red around her gills and pectoral fins. i bought her for a very cheap price when she was about 2 inches, so my guess is that she is of low quality? Is there any point in keeping this fish besides breeding? I have no room to add a male if I wanted to anyway.

Will she magically transform into a bright red wonder, or will she just remain a basically olive fish?

What should I do? I'm at a crossroads here on this one and I don't want to make the wrong decision ... I'd love to get your opinions.

 

[hamfist]

Need a picture really.

Small FH's can change a lot as they grow. It's a bit unpredictable. However, as far as I understand it, and as far as my experience goes, they generally do not get that much "redder" or "bluer" as they mature.
By your description she sounds of "low" quality. However, she could still make an oustanding pet and/or a very enjoyable fish to own. It comes down to what you want out of a fish really.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Very true.

She eats really well and is very friendly, but i don't know...

When I bought her i went by the old "bigger and most aggressive in the tank" to try and make sure she was a male. Unfortunately i didn't know about the spot on the dorsal.

 

[Redearsunfish]

I'm leaning towards being done with her. I could use the tank space for something else.

I was just hoping that an olive colored female 3 inch flowerhorn would peel or whatever, or color up... i guess they don't generally?

 

[honda237]

i would give it time, i wouldn't always go by the dot on the dorsal, cause i have 2 MALE true trimacs from rapps that he sexed that have the dot on their dorsal and their 3"

 

[cichcrazy]

I too have a 4"male FH with black on his dorsal fin. So, I would not rely on that too much. Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Do all male flowerhorns at 3 inches already have a pronounced kok?

The fish I have resembles my male midas at the same size, just with a little bit less pointed fins.

My understanding was that the black dot was THE way to tell a female, aside from venting?

 

[hamfist]

My understanding was that the black dot was THE way to tell a female, aside from venting?

No, it's pretty unreliable really.

One can take a guess from body shape and dorsal fin spots etc, but the only real way is to look at the "naughty bits" hole underneath !

 

[Redearsunfish]

hmm. I didn't know that it was unreliable.

It's just that EVERY male Fh pic i've seen posted here on this board shows a male with a soild Dorsal, or at least NO black in it, and a pronounced Kok, even at a small size, or at least it would seem.

 

[Water]

hmm. I didn't know that it was unreliable.

It's just that EVERY male Fh pic i've seen posted here on this board shows a male with a soild Dorsal, or at least NO black in it, and a pronounced Kok, even at a small size, or at least it would seem.

If your fh is a ZZ, then that method is pretty reliable, 9 out of 10 ZZ's that have a dorsal spot will be female,The only time that method isn't reliable is when you're dealing with strains that aren't ZZ.