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Flowerhorns are very unique fish and very popular among fish keepers. They have a bump on their head that makes them attractive. Generally, they can’t be kept in a community tank due to their highly aggressive nature.
However, some large fish can be compatible with flowerhorn which have a high personality. This article will discuss the top 7 most possible tank mates of flowerhorn. Still, they are not recommended for beginner fishkeepers. So without wasting time let’s dive deep into the topic.
What are the 7 possible tank mates of flowerhorn?
| Note:- Having a tank mate of a flowerhorn fish is quite risky. We don’t encourage this kind of experiment regarding fish keeping. However, some flowerhorn may be less aggressive than average. For them, experienced fishkeepers can add tank mates under proper care. |
1. Oscar Fish
Oscar fish can be a great tank mate of flowerhorn. The South African Oscar fish is called a water dog. It means they become very intelligent and know their owners very well. Flowerhorn is intelligent too. So they can become a tank mate of each other if they are taken care of properly.
However, flowerhorn is a highly aggressive and high-tempered fish. So you need to keep your eyes on both of them. Oscar fish can survive without food for fifteen to twenty days. On the other hand, the flowerhorn needs food many times a day. That’s why flowerhorn is called the hungriest fish. For these two fish, you have to choose a heavy diet so that they can survive for a long time.
Flowerhorns grow faster than Oscar fish. These two fish are large so it is very important to have a very large tank for them (at least 4ft). Both of them are warm water fish. They should be kept in water at a temperature of at least 26°C to 30°C. Oscar fish and flowerhorn are both omnivores.
Too much decoration inside the aquarium isn’t good for flowerhorn and Oscar both. They may destroy it. So it is better to keep them in a normal aquarium.
These two types of fish are aggressive, so if someone wants to keep both of them in the same tank, then they should be brought from a very young age. Moreover, the two fish must be of the opposite sex. This is the only way to keep these two fish in the same tank.
Since they are both quite large, keeping these two types of fish together requires a large tank that holds at least 150 gallons of water. They like to live in clean water. They like to live in clean water, the water filter should be of very good quality.
2. Jaguar Cichlid
Another possible tank mate for the flowerhorn is the jaguar cichlid. The jaguar cichlids are aggressive fish too like Oscar. They prefer to live in warm water between 22°C and 27°C. On the other hand, flowerhorn likes to live in little warmer water that is 30°C. Therefore, you can maintain a certain temperature between 22°C to 30°C of the tank that carries jaguar cichlid & flowerhorn both.
A good filter should be used and the water should be changed frequently so that the temperature of the water remains perfect for them.
Jaguar cichlid grows up to 24 inches long whereas flowerhorn grows up to 13 to 16 inches in length. To keep these huge fish in the same tank a minimum of 170-gallon is required. Otherwise, they will not freely move around in the aquarium and they will start fighting with each other.
3. Texas cichlid
The Texas cichlid is an incredibly popular fish for its bright colors and unique patterns. In the same way, the flowerhorn is one of the fish that carries a hump on its head and has become uniquely beautiful. So a tank would become very attractive if it carries both of them.
The Texas cichlid can easily survive in both cold and hot water temperatures and they are omnivorous like the flowerhorn. Moreover, both of them can be fed the same type of food. It means texas cichlids can be kept with the flowerhorn in the same tank easily.
One thing to be careful about with the Texas cichlid is that this fish produces more organic waste than other fish. Due to this, the water becomes very dirty and it is very difficult to keep the water clean. On the other hand, its tank mate Flowerhorn is a clean water fish, so if these two fish are kept together, a very good quality water filter must be used.
4. Giant Gourami
As the name suggests it is a giant-shaped fish. Despite its huge size, the giant gourami is not aggressive as flowerhorn. Flowerhorn is much smaller in size than Giant Gourami.
The change in the appearance of this fish with age is very interesting. The head of this fish is flat when juvenile but with age, the lips become wider and the head becomes quite swollen with a thick chest.
The flowerhorn and giant gourami are large and because of their large appearance, they do not fight easily with each other, so these two fish can be kept together. These fish prefer to live alone, and do not like other fish in the aquarium. So try to keep the tank spacious.
5. Silver Dollar
Silver dollars are moderately aggressive fish and can’t be caught by predators easily. The flowerhorn is very aggressive. If there are other small fish in its tank, it will prey on them and eat them in a short time. So keep silver dollars & flowerhorn in a large tank.
This fish is not a brave type of fish and even they can get scared when the light of the aquarium is turned on. They always roam around with their mates. They move very quickly so, in a large tank flowerhorn may not create a serious threat for silver dollars.
The silver dollar is deep-water fish so always care should be taken if this fish is kept in a tank with 100 gallons of water otherwise this fish may jump out. Flowerhorns grow very quickly and can grow up to 12 inches long. To keep these two together, you need a tank that can hold at least 150 gallons of water.
6. Common Pleco
Common Pleco is a very friendly fish. Despite being large fish, they are very calm and friendly until they don’t attain adulthood. They don’t easily fight with other fish. So they can be kept in the same tank with flowerhorns.
They are herbivores & considered as algae eaters. Flowerhorn likes to have a clean tank. So pleco can offer a clean tank by clearing algae very well. This way the tank becomes a suitable habitat for the flowerhorn.
These two fish can be kept in the same tank, but one thing must always be noted, the common pleco fish must be bigger than the flowerhorn. If the two fish are of equal size, the flowerhorn may attack the common pleco.
7. Bichir
Bichirs are famous because of their unique body shape. Fish keepers like to add Bichirs to their monstrous. This fish has a body like an eagle and a head like a dragon that can make an aquarium scary. Senegalese bichirs are often called dragon fish.
On the one hand, the flowerhorn is an aggressive fish too. It is not possible to control this fish easily with bichirs. However, you can keep flowerhorn with bichirs until flowehorns are not grown up fully. It is recommended not to keep adult flowerhorn with any kind of bichirs.
To keep bichirs with flowerhorn you must have to build at least a 200-gallon tank that is huge enough. It should be full of hiding spots that are made of rocks. These will cover bichir from the aggression of flowerhorn.
There are a few things to be aware of when keeping Flowerhorn and Bichir together, Bichir fish have blurry vision. During feeding time, feed the flower horn first and then feed bichir in a corner of the tank where the fish’s territory is, or else flowerhorn will eat all the food.
| An interesting feature of this fish is that it can breathe through the upper part of its head. |
Final Thoughts
Here we have discussed 7 possible tank mates of flowerhorn. You should not mix any of them blindly. They are not recommendations from us, rather there is some sort of possibility to keep these fish with flowerhorn.
So you must understand the nature of your flowerhorn well. If it shows aggressive nature alone then it’s better not to add any kind of tank mates. So we can’t give a generalized conclusion about this topic. As a note, you must have at least a 150-gallon tank before adding any kind of tank mates of flowerhorn.
Best of luck and happy fish-keeping.