Introducing Flowerhorn to new Aquarium

[vinnie coyle]

Hi All,

Need a quick bit of advice.

Do any one recommend adding salt to an aquarium while introducing a flowerhorn to his/her new home.

I currently have around 600 ppt of Salt in my 68 Gallon tank, which was previously a African Cichlid Tank. I had an issue with an overly aggressive Kenyi Cichlid, and this was the reason I added the salt, see my previous post.

My normal reading in my tank with water conditioner prior to adding any salt was around 120PPT.

After completing a 50% WC today, my new reading is around 720.

I can do a large WC if necessary to reduce the salt level in water tonight, as my FH wont arrive until tomorrow, however I thought that leaving this amount of salt may actually help with Stress etc., during the first week or so, my tank parameters are as follows.

PH: 7.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate between 5-10

I will then slowly remove the salt by doing 20% WC every 4 days, until I get my PPT back to 120.

Please let me know your thoughts, or if you need any more information let me know.

Thanks

 

[vinnie coyle]

Anyone any ideas..

Not sure if I should do WC or not. From what I read I should be ok. But if anyone knows any different, let me know...


Cheers

 

[MrsE88]

I’d personally do a wc to lessen the salt amount. Then drip acclamate when your fish arrives. You don’t want to stress it more after its long journey.

 

[vinnie coyle]

I’d personally do a wc to lessen the salt amount. Then drip acclamate when your fish arrives. You don’t want to stress it more after its long journey.

Cheers for getting back to me....

Ill do another 50% change in the morning...

 

[vinnie coyle]

I’d personally do a wc to lessen the salt amount. Then drip acclamate when your fish arrives. You don’t want to stress it more after its long journey.

Hey,

Just a quick update, so yesterday morning, i dont about a 80 liter water change, this brought my PPM down to around 480. I hadnt time to do anymore as the FH arrived early..

My flowerhorn "Sulley", has been in the tank now for around 26 hours, and is doing great. He eat some flakes after the first hour, and didnt seem to be stressed at all, just explored the tank from the moment I dropped him in. I had all lights switched off for first half hour then turned them on, for the rest of the day.

I tried feeding some cichlid 2mm pellets that I already had, however he just seems to spit them out, he likes the flake and shrimp mix I have, and I have some Okiko Head up on order just waiting on delivery.

Cheers for the advice.

 

[MrsE88]

He is beautiful! Will be a very stunning adult I’m sure.
My boy seems to do the same with some pellets. Very picky little turd. Haha.

 

[vinnie coyle]

He is beautiful! Will be a very stunning adult I’m sure.
My boy seems to do the same with some pellets. Very picky little turd. Haha.

Hey,

Yeah, I have a big tub now that he wont eat. lol..

What age is yours? is it a Thai aswell?

 

[MrsE88]

Hey,

Yeah, I have a big tub now that he wont eat. lol..

What age is yours? is it a Thai aswell?

Mine is just a little baby. Just under 2”. Nothing special. Just a mislabeled flowerhorn from pet smart. He was an impulse buy. I just couldn’t say no to him, so much personally for a little guy. After a couple tries I have him eating from my hand He is my first flowerhorn.

 

[vinnie coyle]

Mine is just a little baby. Just under 2”. Nothing special. Just a mislabeled flowerhorn from pet smart. He was an impulse buy. I just couldn’t say no to him, so much personally for a little guy. After a couple tries I have him eating from my hand He is my first flowerhorn.

Cool, I must try that,. He actually ate a few of the pellets there for me.

 

[Man-made Monsters]

Hey Vinnie, word of advice about Thai Silks. They tend to have weak stomachs. I saw that you said you ordered some Okiko Head Up for him. Thats fine but make sure you get a food that has a high veggie content. Hikari makes Cichlid Excel. It is high in Spirulina and my flowerhorns love it. They also make a straight up Spirulina food designed for Koi Fish. I have not tried that one but its worth looking into. High fiber diets are key for the silks.

 

[vinnie coyle]

Hey Vinnie, word of advice about Thai Silks. They tend to have weak stomachs. I saw that you said you ordered some Okiko Head Up for him. Thats fine but make sure you get a food that has a high veggie content. Hikari makes Cichlid Excel. It is high in Spirulina and my flowerhorns love it. They also make a straight up Spirulina food designed for Koi Fish. I have not tried that one but its worth looking into. High fiber diets are key for the silks.

Hey,

Happy new year from Ireland...

Thank you for the advice.

I'll def look into Spirulina, as I have read it's great for enhancing the colour blue.

Here is what I am currently feeding my Thai on a normal day. I switch things around, but always the same at end of day..

Morning,
a pinch of a mix I have made up consisting of Tropical Flakes, Granules, dried blood worms, Daphnia, Krill tablets.

Lunch
Half an algae wafer tablet
Half a glass shrimp tablet.

Dinner
3x 2mm sinking cichlid pellets
3x head up hunter pellets

I have added pics for you to see.

I am also going to be including freezed dried crickets, silk worm pupae, fish, and shrimp. I am due a small 100g pack of each tomorrow...

Do you think this is a good balanced diet for a Thai juvenile?

It's hard for me to get good feeder fish, so probably not be feeding live, unless I set up my own breeding tank...

He always eats everything and is really active. His hump has got quite a bit bigger since I got him just over 3 weeks ago. Ill add a pic when I got him and a few taken just now for you to compare. He's about 3".

Is this normal growth?

Any pics of your fish?

Thanks again...