To: editor@getforme.com
Subject: flowerhorn
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 00:17:56 -0700 (PDT)
hi, im (NAME DELETED) from the philippines. i have a small aquarium with a small flower horn in
it. i would like to ask some important questions. what is really the ideal aquarium size suitable for faster growth of a flower horn and how many months wil it take for this fish to attain its full size potential. Lastly, how often do we change the aquarium water is it everyday of weekly. Please help me in these problems and thank you very much. Hoping for quick response.
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Hi
Thanks very much for your email.
Here’s our reply:
Question 1. i have a small aquarium with a small flower horn in it. i would like to ask some important questions. what is really the ideal aquarium size suitable for faster growth of a flower horn and how many months wil it take for this fish to attain its full size potential.
Answer: Flower Horns are territorial creatures so they live best alone. Put a fish in a rectangular tank which is at least 2.5 ft long. The tank is sufficiently big to accommodate the fish throughout its life.
If you have two fish (a male and a female), let them share a 4 ft long tank which you divide into two compartments using an acylic (plastic) divider placed in the middle. This is particularly important if you want the fish to spawn. Never remove the plastic divider! Not even if you want them to mate!
The whole process of spawning is quite simple. When a female Flower Horn is at least 6 months old, she may lay hundreds of eggs on the floor or sides of the tank. The eggs now need to be fertilised by the male Flower Horn. Just switch the two fish. Let the male occupy the compartment with the eggs, and let the female occupy the other compartment. The male will hover over the eggs and fan them with his fins over the next two days. He will also fertilise them. On the third day, move the male fish back to his compartment and let the female fish take care of the eggs. Remove all white-coloured eggs as these have not been fertilised and are rotting.
So the female Flower Horn can breed when she is about six months old. Flower Horns take about a year to reach full size, provided you give them good food such as raw shelled prawns (chopped into bite-sized pieces).
Question 2. Lastly, how often do we change the aquarium water is it everyday of weekly.
Answer: Change about one-third of the water in the tank every three days. Replace the water in the entire tank every weekend and add aquarium salt. Scrape the glass walls and floor of the tank with a sponge. Wash the filter system every weekend. It is important to wash the filter thoroughly, especially the long plastic tubes, to avoid fungal problems. The Flower Horn is very susceptible to this type of disease. Once the disease finds its way into the tank, it will be very difficult to get rid of, and the Flower Horn may slowly succumb to it and die within months.
Best regards from Singapore.
Editor
Getforme Singapore
Email: editor@getforme.com
This question was sent by a visitor who read our Flower Horn articles in our http://www.getforme.com/Info_pets.htm section.