low-grade flowerhorn

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FISHandJEEPS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 2, 2006
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North Carolina
A lfs near me has small flower horns about an inch and half for 10 bucks. I don't know much about flower horns, but i assume they are low-grade. I was just wondering what they would look like grown up. I know there are different types. I haven't seen any online that don't look good when full grown. So my question is what does a low grade full grown flower horn look like? It can't look that bad. Post some pics if you have them. Thanks in advance,
Shawn
 
Their colors aren't well defined. They usually are a greenish-yellow with a pinkish-red throat. You can definitely tell the difference between a good grade and a low grade.
 
Heres a low grade..
1208188970
 
i got husstled lol. i paid 30 bux for a baby low grade being told it was a high grade flowerhorn. now i have a flowerhorn with sorta greenish sorta redish colors. maybe it's still young tho, its no bigger then 6"
 
there are a lot of things take make a fh low grade with a high grade you want short face, big head, rounded body nice fins and fan tail and of course intense coloring. what you will find in low grades would be deformittys, small head, longer body dropped tail or not faned out and poor coloring
 
On your 1st flowerhorn always buy a larger fish not fry. It's hard to tell when they are fry if they will be good are not. A lot of flowerhorns fade now and look amazing after but look dull and poor quality before they fade. The older ZZ types are easier to tell about quality when they are fry but the fading ones it will have to do with a lot of luck before they fade. Never buy a flowerhorn that has just arrived at the LFS give them some time (couple days to two weeks) to get back to normal colors. I would recommand buying from individual instead of a LFS when possible.
 
A flowerhorn is a great fish(singular.) They are as tough as a truckers a%*, can take a lot of water and temp. neglection, will eat just about anything, grow very fast and look great. (Even a $10 fish) The only neg. is that you'll be lucky to keep it with any other fish(s) after it gets over 4". If the flowerhorn cannot kill it's tankmate, that is only because its tankmate will kill it. If you didn't know, they are a decorated Red-Devil. If you feed them right, it will be pushing 12" in 8 months. Mine broke a glass water heater when he was 5". Don't waste your time with decorations either. Aside from a large, broken clay pot, they can move just about anything; tubing, powerheads, filtration. Mine loves to move rocks with his mouth. Most large Cichlids do though. If your 50gal is still empty, it will be more than enough to meet the red-eyed monster's needs. They are very mean and have a nasty bite. Good luck, they're really cool and easy to care for.
 
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hey. one of my lfs has had a grown (returned) fh for almost 2 years. he's got a beautiful classic fh shape but his coloration sux--grayish all over except a brush of pinkish on throat. he's gotta be at least 3-4 yo. tops out between 8-9 inches. very aggressive, he killed every tankmate they put in. i've watched them give him gf feeders--he goes after food with a healthy appetite.

i'm wondering if he is a low-grade like you've been talking about, or just very unhappy. they want 86 bucks for him, i've not yet paid that much cake for a fish, but he's really cool. any opinions advice whatever? thnx.
 
So, did you buy him? If you like him, you should get him-you have to live with him, not us. Maybe they'll cut you a deal on him if you ask.
 
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