# Not quite the flowerhorn I thought - what am I ?



## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

I picked this guy up for $3 , being told it was a flowerhorn. It's about 2" long.

Doesn't matter to me either way, because I bought it because I thought he/she was really unique looking. Tail is a little ratty looking, but that will heal up on it's own. I apologize for the hazy photos - my Q tank is a little cloudy right now.

Anyone have any thoughts? Looks like a flowerhorn crossed with something else to me - but - I'd love any feedback!


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

Well...flowerhorn crossed with something else is kind of a redundant statement, since a flowerhorn is a cross anyway. Either way, appears to have a very strong Texas appearance to me, I agree that it's a unique, pretty little guy or gal.


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

I have to agree with SK. It looks like it has a lot of Texas in it. It will be neat to see what it looks like once it grows up some more. Hopefully you can keep us up dated. Good luck.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

True FlowerHorns can be some nice fish... it's a shame that any old hybrid is often sold as a FlowerHorn...

It does look strongely Texas... who knows what it will grow up to look like...

As long as your happy with it then it's a nice fish still


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Perhaps a Texas / Trimac hybrid?


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

looks like a Texas hybrid of some sort .


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

The only reason I throw Trimac into the possible mix is the spot above/behind the eye.


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 24, 2008)

Give it 3 months or so to grow out a bit and repost some shots, too hard to say at this size - or even venture a guess, mutts are hard enough at adult size.


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

looks exactly like my red devil texas hybrid. The thinnes of the body and head shape are just about identical. the only difference is my fish has red fins.


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Whats your take on the purplish spangles on it?


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## fishfreak317 (Feb 22, 2006)

i'm gonna say it's a flowerhorn. very strong flowerline, good job! looks very stressed in the photos, give it a few weeks to get more used to everything, and update the photos on it.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I personally doubt it has any Trimac in it what so ever...


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## westwood8183 (Jun 15, 2003)

Looks like a regular fh to me.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

its just a flowerhorn, a nice and pearly flowerhorn. probably a Zhen Zhu Malau judging on the pearling.

Toby, there has to be some form of trimac in this fish, the first flowerhorn had trimac in it, and all flowerhorns are desendents of that ancestor, though the trimac gene is probably almost bred out of it by now, it will still be in there.


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## nothing else matter (Oct 2, 2007)

looks like a cross of texas and JD


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## xXGrEeNxTeRrOrXx (Jan 25, 2006)

Looks H. cyanoguttatus X Vieja of some sort... probably bifa or zonatum... that would explain the thick lateral line, and the purplish spangling.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

i can 100% guarantee you it is either a KML or ZZM... (Kamalau or Zhen Zhu Malau) mine looked like that when he was younger, actually pretty close to exact, only mine had a small kok at that size. his pearling will change color, as mine did.

this is a before pic.


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Gage,

Did yours have that dark, nearly black, undertone that mine has?


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## westwood8183 (Jun 15, 2003)

Flowerhorn colors can vary an extreme amount from fish to fish, based on genetics, age, food, mood, tank mates, tank location, gravel color, and possibly migratory bird patterns. 

I'm sure it's very possible that all of the suggested fish are mixed in there somewhere, but that is a ZZ flowerhorn for sure. It's hard to say at this age how they will turn out but at least you know it will be nice and pearly. I'd give him or her a few days to settle in before making any judgements.

This isn't a zz, but you can see how dark the base of this fish was. It can change easily.

Day I got him:









Little older:









More recent pic (which is several months old)  









I should try to get a current picture of him, but his base color is a deep purple, which I think contrasts with his pearls really nicely. Sometimes patience is a virtue with flowerhorns.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

JWhipple said:


> Gage,
> 
> Did yours have that dark, nearly black, undertone that mine has?


when i bought him yes.

all post some before and now pics for you

and this one resembles westwoods quite a bit as far as body and shape, and he/she was relatively dark as well, but hes faded now.(turned orange like a midas)

















and heres the one i posted earlier without the flash that lightens up his color in the previous pic.

















westwood, i want the one in your avatar


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Now that it's had a few weeks to settle in - here's some new photos... I apologize for the crappy hiding of everything else in the photo - I REALLY need to clean the inside of the glass !


























NOW, any differences in opinions from the original batch of photos? What am I?


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

i stick with flowerhorn


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

I'd have to agree - I'm curious about the dark coloration to it though... Will it stay, or will it grow out of it?

Here's a new photo I took today.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

they usually loose it with age, of course, being hybrids, ya never know, looks like he will be red though


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Unfortunately he won't turn out to be much...

I came home today and found him dead :-(


















I just tested the water - nothing wrong with the water, and no other fish having issues!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Sorry for your loss.
I wonder what happened? :-?

BV


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

Not sure... I'd really like to know myself! He had one heck of a personality - it's like coming home and finding your puppy dead and nobody knows why!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Yeah, I hate it when that happens.
Not that I come home to dead puppies all the time...but I mean the mystery part of it all...

If everything else checks out fine, it could simply be that something internally went wrong with him...something completely out of your control. It's difficult to say. :?

BV


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

What has me scratching my head is why his belly was white... He looked completely fine and was acting normal before I left in the morning (I actually check all my tanks before leaving the house to make sure nobody died and sits all day!) I guess one of the other fish could have been messing with him after he died, but, I think it may be a tell-tale sign that you're right - something internal went wrong.

Poor fish :-(


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## stuckinthemiddle (Feb 26, 2008)

are flowerhorns more prone to parasitic infection than most fish?


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## JWhipple (Jun 20, 2007)

It wouldn't suprise me if they were. Anyone have a more educated answer?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

His belly does look a little bloated in the pics ... but that could also be from length of time after he perished or a heavy feeding before death. I don't see marks where other fish would have been picking on him in the pics, so between the bloating and the discoloring I'd vote internal as well. He was pretty for an oddly colored trimac. :wink:


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

nah, flowerhorns arent really prone to anything except aggression, but parasites and stuff can still happen, as far as what exactly happened, i honestly couldnt tell you  sorry for your loss though.


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## OceanDevil (Jul 17, 2005)

gage said:


> its just a flowerhorn, a nice and pearly flowerhorn. probably a Zhen Zhu Malau judging on the pearling.
> 
> Toby, there has to be some form of trimac in this fish, the first flowerhorn had trimac in it, and all flowerhorns are desendents of that ancestor, though the trimac gene is probably almost bred out of it by now, it will still be in there.


Trimac was used in the begining of the FH craze. Now there are entire lines with zero trimac genes. Vieja,Texas and Midas are used alot. People also start from scratch and trimac is not as popular anymore. 
I think ZZ and related "breeds" are heavily trimac influenced. Some of the newer ones though are noticeably missing trimac features.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

ZZ, ZZM, Kamfa, KML, GM and more *all* have trimac in them, even if it doesnt appear they do, the ones you are referring to with no trimac are like Rose Queens, SRT's, RBK's, etc. which are not actually classified flowerhorns, they are just hybrids kept and enhanced by the flowerhorn enthusiasts like myself, in any true flowerhorn, there is always a hint of trimac gene in there, whether it is evident or not.

btw,

Vieja x KKP = RBK (over generations of course)
Texas x KKP = SRT (again, over generations)

and midas isnt used very often anymore, only is you want to get some faded fry and even then more people use KKP/BP's to get faded Kamfa as ZZ's dont sell as much anymore.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

if im not mistaken, midas is used in RQ, but i dont knoq exactly how they made RQ.


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