what temp for flowerhorn?

[striperjoe]

hi my tank temp is 84f is that okay or should i lower it to 82f ?

 

[Angelphish]

hi my tank temp is 84f is that okay or should i lower it to 82f ?

Temp doesn't really matter. 75-82 works for most fish. 78-80 is a good spot in the middle keep your temp at.

 

[jhook]

From everything that I've read here in the flowerhorn section and elsewhere online, they thrive at the higher temperatures. I would think that 84 degrees is fine. I just bought a small flowerhorn this weekend and am keeping it at 82 degrees. Maybe we can compare notes on the progress of our two fish later on down the line.

 

[striperjoe]

yeah okay we will compare notes thanks

 

[RD.]

From everything that I've read here in the flowerhorn section and elsewhere online, they thrive at the higher temperatures.

Don't believe everything that you read. FH's are a hybrid cross of CA cichlids, species of fish that did not originate in year round temps of 84F. In a closed system such as an aquarium, bacteria thrives at these higher temps, making a perfect breeding ground for disease such as Flexibacter columnaris, more recently named Flavobacterium columnare aka duck lips. Exactly why one sees so many FH topics with "duck lips".

I suspect that some of the early breeders of FH felt that higher temps were better, as most of the designer fish have delicate immune systems, and higher temps gives the entire metabolism a boost. That, and at higher temps with a higher metabolism one can power feed more which results in increased growth in juvenile fish, which allows breeders to get their fish to market fa$ter. Good for the breeder, but overall maybe not so good for the longevity of the fish.

I've grown out several FH over the years, all imported from Bangkok, and they all did just fine at 78-79F.

 

[jhook]

Thanks for the info RD. I didn't, for some reason, correlate the higher temperature with disease. I should have. Nice to hear from someone who has raised a few of them as well.

 

[Vibsee]

well.. where I stay the water temp is mostly between 83-87.. for about 6 months.. and the fh does just fine in those months too.. yes.. the only difference is that he eats a lot more during that period..

 

[RD.]

Elevated temps increase the metabolism, fish eats more, grows more, and dies sooner. The reality is that doesn't need to happen as FH fish do not require higher temps than any other tropical species of fish.

 

[heavyhitter]

Elevated temps increase the metabolism, fish eats more, grows more, and dies sooner. The reality is that doesn't need to happen as FH fish do not require higher temps than any other tropical species of fish.

I agree completely. I always keep my CA cichlid tanks at 78. Also when you raise the temps in a cichlid community tank, or with pair will usually raise aggression and hostilities.

 

[RD.]

Most FH keepers keep their fish solo, and being aggro is a positive, not a negative. This also tends to enhance the nuchal hump (kok) size, so is also considered a bonus.

But again, it's not required for any health type reason. Just another myth within the circle of FH fish keepers. IMO high temps bring more negatives, than positives.