# flowerhorn compatability?



## pattygnsd (Jun 14, 2010)

We get so much misinformation from our 3 crappy fish stores out here. They told us our flowerhorn & frontosa would be ok together and now everyone here disagrees. So what ARE good tankmates for FHs?


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

if its less then 6ft nothing in most cases


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## pattygnsd (Jun 14, 2010)

all the fish in the tank now are all around 4 inches the tank is 5 foot long 2 deep and 2 tall


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

Didn't you post this in the SA forum already? You should keep that fish by itself. :thumb:


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## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

You may get lucky and a mate may work.


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

homerl said:


> You may get lucky and a mate may work.


Ya.. the tank is big enough. You'd have to be really really careful though to make sure that they liked eachother and that the male didn't turn on the female. A divider and occasional introductions to breed may be in order.

It's really a bigger tank than one would usually dedicate to a single FH. Not much, but a bit. It's a nice home for one though and I think you'll enjoy it.


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

Take my suggestions with a grain of salt...because I've never actually owned a flowerhorn. I have however, owned many other large, very aggressive new world cichlids.

In my opinion, in a tank that isn't at least 6 feet in length, I'd only try non-cichlid tankmates. Often times cichlids are much more aggressive with other cichlids present.

It will take some trial and error finding the right tankmates though. A good start would be Synodontus catfish, plecostomus catfish, Bichers, etc.

Or, you could try a school of fast moving dithers---the trick will be getting a large school of something that is fast & agile, keeping them in large numbers (so your FH can't pick off individual fish), and something that can't be easily swallowed. I'd start with one of the larger Austrailian Rainbowfish species---if you can find inexpensive ones. You'll need at least 12 for the desired affect.

If you insist on other cichlids---choose small, fast moving, tough cichlids....and give them a lot of hiding places. Or, as already suggested, a mate for your flowerhorn.


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

oldcatfish said:


> Take my suggestions with a grain of salt...because I've never actually owned a flowerhorn. I have however, owned many other large, very aggressive new world cichlids.
> 
> In my opinion, in a tank that isn't at least 6 feet in length, I'd only try non-cichlid tankmates. Often times cichlids are much more aggressive with other cichlids present.
> 
> ...


Giant danio would be a good fast moving dither. I still think it would be better to keep the FH alone though.


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## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

My flowerhorn and his mate have 8 exodons and a mating pair of convicts.No problems, I believe it keeps him in shape,cause he can't quite catch them,but he sure tries.


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## uncleholmes (May 10, 2010)

homerl said:


> My flowerhorn and his mate have 8 exodons and a mating pair of convicts.No problems, I believe it keeps him in shape,cause he can't quite catch them,but he sure tries.


What size tank is that in?


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

it is going to be touchy no matter what size tank it is but if u do decide to add tankmates use smaller cichlids. i personally had success using convicts, salvini, and groups of firemouths as tankmates in the past with my tankmate friendly flowerhorns my more aggressive ones killed everything


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## scubasteveRFC (May 28, 2010)

flower horns are not right in the head, eventually they will try and kill everything in the tank. they look great but trust me they dont do well with other fish. they only really work in a species only tank and expect deaths in those occasionally to


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## PepoLD (Dec 9, 2009)

scubasteveRFC said:


> flower horns are not right in the head


best.fh.description.ever :lol:


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

scubasteveRFC said:


> flower horns are not right in the head, eventually they will try and kill everything in the tank. they look great but trust me they dont do well with other fish. they only really work in a species only tank and expect deaths in those occasionally to


... how many flowerhorns have you had? I've had over 10 in the past and I have only had 2 that were non-tolerant of tank mates, both of which were bought older and were raised alone.


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

homerl said:


> My flowerhorn and his mate have 8 exodons and a mating pair of convicts.No problems, I believe it keeps him in shape,cause he can't quite catch them,but he sure tries.


Your post is quite self-contradictory. You only have no problems because your flowerhorn is too slow to kill the fish he'd otherwise kill if he were fast enough?


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## CichlidFarmer (Sep 30, 2007)

Flowerhorns do best by themselves. Even during mating they are quite aggresive and death is not uncommon.


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## scubasteveRFC (May 28, 2010)

*** had rougly a couple of hundred plus of them. Why?


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

scubasteveRFC said:


> I've had rougly a couple of hundred plus of them. Why?


Let me guess, a pair and a couple hundred fry... I've never had one raised with other fish that did not tolerate tankmates, to each there own but if you've owned that many flowerhorn to at least 6" in size you should know it all depends on the individuals. That said if they were primarily fry raised together no doubt they will be intolerant, when you raise potentially aggressive fish in a tank together for a given amount of time they all tend to pick up an intolerant attitude.


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