How to Care for Red Dragon Flowerhorns

Simple Tips for Enhancing Red Dragon Flowerhorns

The red dragon flowerhorn is one of the very first Lou Hans I kept. As with other flowerhorns belonging to
the Zen Zhou category, the red dragon is unbelievably very easy to enhance and care for. If you are a
newbie to this hobby, I suggest keeping this strain or any strain belonging to the Zen Zhou category.

In this post, I will discuss with you everything you need to know on how to care for red dragon
flowerhorns. Even if you have very limited experience keeping fishes, I guarantee that by following the
tips below, you will do just fine in keeping these hardy cichlids.

Choosing the Right Fish
Health, above anything else, should be your primary consideration when choosing a red dragon. Fish
should be free of defects, have no visible signs of disease, and should swim just fine.

When it comes to buying flowerhorns, its better to buy a better quality fish even if the price is a bit higher.
In my experience, its almost always better buying a single high quality fish at premium price than buying
a few low quality ones at bargain price with the hope that they will turn out beautiful once
enhanced. Check out my other post for a more detailed discussion about the traits, pricing, and origin of
the red dragon flowerhorn.

Preparing the Tank
A 50-gallon tank would suffice for most red dragons aging two years or less. In fact, these may serve
them just enough for their entire lifetime. Unlike many classic Lou Hans, new strains normally dont grow
as large. However, you should still observe the growth rate of your fish as its not uncommon for many
new red dragons to grow to a fuller size. If you think your fish is already having trouble moving around its
tank, you definitely should get it a much larger tank.

If you prefer buying a juvenile fish that you could rear until they achieve their best potential, I suggest
using a 50-gallon tank until they reach 6-8 inches in size. If you think your fish is still growing, buy it a
larger tank. A 70-gallon tank is the smallest in this case. Or you could just use a 70-gallon tank right
away. With these fast-growing cichlids, bigger tanks are always better. Read more about this topic on
our guide on flowerhorn tank sizes.

Comprehensive Feeding Guide
The red dragon flowerhorn would eagerly consume any fish food designed for cichlids and they would just
do fine. If you however want to enhance your pet to achieve its full potentials, provide it with fish food that
are rich in Astaxanthin, preferably those derived from natural ingredients like krill. Personally, I stay away
from synthetic astaxanthin. In my experience, they make fish develop redness much faster but there
effects are not as long-lasting and as vibrant as with fish food containing natural enhancers.

At their growth years provide them with high protein fish food, but slowly shift to those containing more
vegetable matter as they grow older. Personally, I believe that this will help you fish live longer. Always
check that they are not very fat and overfed as this is the biggest reason for poor health. The growth rate
of the red dragon flowerhorn typically starts to decline as they reach six inches. I think thats the right time
to SLOWLY shift to fish food containing less protein and more fiber and spirulina. Read more on food for
flowerhorn head growth.


Keeping Your Fish Healthy
Flowerhorns are voracious eaters so its expected that they would produce a lot of waste. Keep you fish
healthy by following a strict feeding routine. Again, NEVER overfeed.

Religiously follow a water change routine. Red dragons unlike many Kamfa are not as susceptible to the
bad effects of water change and may in fact benefit from it more if done frequently. You dont have to
remove the fish from the tank. Just siphon waste along with 30% tank water and replace with aged water.
Do this every week or two.

Provide your fish with properly lighting as well. Check out our guide on flowerhorn lighting.

How to Enhance Flowerhorn Color
A Guide on How to Improve Flowerhorn Color

Enhancing the beauty of flowerhorn fishes is not confined with improving the size of their nuchal
humps alone. Equally important is increasing flowerhorn color intensity.

Natural Colors
The most popular color for flowerhorn fishes is red. It is extremely popular among people who
practice feng shui. Other popular colors include yellow, orange, blue, and silver, as in the case of Thai
Silks.

Which Color Should I Enhance?
Your goal as owner should enhance the natural colors of your fish. A common mistake that beginners do
is forcing the fish to develop red colorations even though is natural base is blue. Never do this as this
could make your fish sick or develop some form of allergic reaction, especially if too much enhancer is
used.

Intensity and Spread of Coloration
In enhancing the natural colors of the fish, consider developing both intensity and spread of its coloration.
Its colors should be vivid and crisp, and their coverage should be as wide as possible. Often, there are
lines that separate or surround the colors, enhancing those lines are also recommended.

Balance
Flowerhorns often have different colors at varying width and intensity. If one of its colors is more intense
than the others, it is recommended to enhance the less intense ones more. This would make the colors of
your fish more balance and that no part of its entire body appears dull.

Caution: Darkening of Colors
This often occurs when the fish has developed a certain type allergic reaction because of too much
enhancer. A good example of this is feeding blue dragon flowerhorns with red enhancing pellets thinking
that this will make the fish red. As a result, the fish would turn dark for months even after feeding of the
red enhancing food has already been stopped.
Other causes of color darkening are disease, poor water condition, injury, or stress.

Golden base flowerhorns would normally turn dark before they shed off their scales to reveal its new
coloration.
Some fishes naturally have dark colors. In some cases, nothing can really be done to change that. As a
rule, it is better to choose light colored flowerhorns than dark ones to avoid this problem.

Pellets with Color Enhancing Pigments
Many flowerhorn and cichlid fish food contain varying amounts of color enhancing pigments. The most
common is astaxanthin, which is used for enhancing red and orange coloration. Some may contain
xanthophyll for enhancing yellows and spirulina for enhancing blues. Ideally, it is recommended using fish
food that contain balanced amounts of all of these pigments.


Fish foods that focus on enhancing a specific color are typically used by those who participate in
flowerhorn competitions.

Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin, enhances red and orange coloration of fishes. It is perhaps the most widely used in
flowerhorn fish foods among other color enhancer. Astaxanthin is derived from natural sources such as
krills and shrimps. Some fish food would indicate containing canthaxanthin. This is the synthetized form of
astaxanthin.

When using astaxanthin, be careful not to feed too much to blue-based flowerhorns as this may cause
unwanted allergic reactions. XO Super Red Syn is known for such so use this fish food only according to
instructions.

Recommended flowerhorn fish food containing astaxanthin are XO Ever Red, Alife, XO Super Red Syn,
and Cyclop Flowerhorn Food. My personal favorite here is XO Ever Red. It takes a bit longer for this fish
food to show desired results, but the enhanced redness is much beautiful and does not fade easily when
feeding is discontinued.

Spirulina
Spirulina is used to enhance blues. In nature, they are abundantly found in blue green algae.
In most cases, blue-based flowerhorns are somewhat dull in coloration. To address this, you must feed
your fish with spirulina rich pellets consistently. It may take as long as three months before you notice the
difference, but trust me it's worth the wait especially if you like classic flowerhorns.
Another common use of this enhancer is for the pearly dots or wormlike pearls found in many new strains.
Thai Silks would also benefit from Spirulina-rich fish food.
I have tried different brands containing Spirulina, but I always go back to Ocean Free XO Starry. I
consider it as the best one in its category.

Xanthophyll
If you have been shopping around for flowerhorn food that enhances yellows (those containing
Xanthophyll), you should have already known that there is not many around. As an alternative, you may
cross-over to fish food intended for other cichlids or even to goldfish pellets. I have tried Tetra Goldfish
Pellets and I really liked the results.

You may also check your local pet shops and go over the ingredients lists of the fish food they carry.
Look for those containing xanthophyll, marigold powder, dried egg, or corn gluten meal. These
ingredients enhance yellows.

Live Food
At one point, a hobbyist would try using live food to enhance the coloration of their fish. Shrimps and
frozen blood worms may be used to enhance redness and dried egg yolks for yellows. I have tried these
ones, and I dont necessarily recommend them as they could expose your fish to a variety of diseases. I
assure you, you are better off using color enhancing fish foods.

Lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the coloration of your fish. It has been noted that fishes exposed
to ample indirect sunlight project more vivid colors. As a rule, your flowerhorn tank must be placed in a
well-lighted room and much better if the light source is indirect sunlight. You may check ourguide on
flowerhorn lighting for more information on this matter.

Age
Age plays a role in the color development of flowerhorns as well. They commonly start to develop their
coloration when they are around two to three inches in size. For male flowerhorns, colors would continue
to intensify and spread in area until they are around six to eight inches in size. After this, their coloration
will start fading slowly, a sign of aging.


At around 3-5 inches in size, golden base flowerhorns will also change their coloration characterized by
first shedding off of old colors. After this, new coloration is revealed and intensified after some time.

Breeding
When breeding flowerhorns, it is a common practice to stop using any color enhancing feeds. Some
believe that too much enhancers could adversely affect the the breeding process.

How to Make Flowerhorn Fry Grow Fast
A Guide on Improving the Growth Rate of Flowerhorn Fry

A big challenge that comes with breeding flowerhorns is making the fry grow as fast as possible. While it
is more important to focus more on producing high quality fishes, this aspect of the breeding process is
equally important.

Scope
This guide deals with fishes from their wriggler stage (when the eggs are hatched) until they are 2 months
old. These fishes are still kept in community tanks.

Juveniles that are groomed in individual tanks are not included in this guide. My next article will deal
with those juveniles.

Food
Among the different types of fry food, my favorite is the daphnia. However, this type of food is not readily
available all year round. As an alternative, I use pulverized flowerhorn food. There are those that are
especially formulated for smaller fishes. You may use those as well.

Does it have to be especially formulated for flowerhorns?

No, it does not have to be. Ive used feeds intended for goldfish and other cichlids. The results are just the
same. Of course, using those containing higher protein content would normally enhance flowerhorn
growth. You also dont need to use those containing color enhancers. As long as the feed is within your
budget, you may use it. Feeding a thousand flowerhorn fry with expensive pellets is just not logical
especially that most of them will be culled anyway.

Culling
Yes, culling plays a big role here. Space is very important to speed up growth. Whenever, you see fry
with visible deformities, I recommend culling them right away. You would want to provide the high quality
ones with the best possible conditions, e.g. more space, less competition. I do this at least once a week.

When the fishes are already one month old, I would already start separating fast growers. Typically, I
would prepare an additional 50 gallon tank for this. I would transfer around 100 fast growing fry, each
inspected that they have no visible deformities, to provide more room for remaining smaller ones to grow.

For a population of 1000, I would typically cull 800. The remaining 200 will be observed for any sign of
head growth in small individual tanks.

Population Density
To really speed up growth, I recommend using the ratio of 100 1-inch fry per 50 gallons of water.
Remember that the important thing here is not tank size. You should focus more on population density.
Again, you need to separate the fast growers from the smaller ones to provide them the chance to catch
up. Never allow fast growers bully the weaker ones. Not all high quality flowerhorns are fast growers, so
you really need to protect slow growers as well.

Water Change
What if you have a limited number of tanks or your tanks are not that large?

Ive seen breeders raise as much as 500 pcs 1-inch fry in 50 gallon tanks and would just do fine.
However, they would have to do daily partial water changes to keep them healthy. Some even do it
multiple times each day. This is fine if you are in a place with unlimited free running water and you have
the time to do this process religiously. Your fry could really suffer if you could not keep up. 500 pcs
flowerhorn fry are always bound to produce a lot of waste even in just a single day.

If you have enough space or tanks available, I recommend using the 100 fry to 50 gallon tank ratio. Its
much safer and their chance of survival is much higher.

How to determine if you already need to do partial water change?

A good sign that water parameters are not ideal anymore is when you notice your fry breathing near the
surface. At this point, oxygen level is already very low or ammonia or PH levels are already bad. I dont
recommend that you wait for this to happen. Instead, create a schedule for water changes. For fry, I
suggest doing it at least once a week.


Diseases & Treatment

Click Above Picture for Better View
White Spot Disease

Cause and Symptoms

The cause of this condition is Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH ) , a ciliated protozoan .
Bad water quality can increase the likelihood that your fish will be victim to this parasite.
Low water temperatures (< 25C) are ideal breeding grounds for ICH.
The most common way Flower horns get ICH is when they are fed live or frozen food that has already
been contaminated with the parasite.
The most prominent symptom of this condition are the pure white spots that will appear all over your fish.
You may also notice the fins are clumped together, and they act a bit more lethargic than usual.
Moreover, it's common for them to lose interest in food when ICH infects.
Treatment

The parasites resides under the skin of the fish, hence it is not affected by water treatment or direct
treatment applied to the fish . Break the breeding cycle of Ich by washing the tank thoroughly to remove
the cysts of the parasite. Keep in mind that this is a highly contagious condition, so your entire aquarium
must be treated.

To cure white spots:

Place Kordon Ich inhibitor in your tank.
Add aquarium salt at 3g/l of water every 3 days together with the medication.
After 3rd day, tank must be washed thoroughly to eliminate the causative agent.
Add Kordon Malachite Green treatment to your tank.
Preventive measures:

Add Kordon Prevent Ich Fish Disease Inhibitor and Preventative to your tank.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.


Hole-In-The-Head Disease

Cause and Symptoms

The cause of this condition is Hexamita Protozoa , parasitic organisms that are highly contagious.
These parasites thrive with poor water quality management.
If your fish has this condition, you will notice the appearance of small pits and pimples mainly on the fish's
head. These pits will simply grow and form bigger pits.
The pits are white in color, and sometimes mucous are visible around them.
In addition to losing weight, becoming lethargic, and losing their appetites, the fish will produce white,
stringy feces.
Treatment

Add Dimetrydazole (5mg/l) or Metronidazole (7mg/l).
Repeat treatment once every 3 days.
Do a 20%-30% water change.
It is sometimes necessary to inject Metronidazole, but injections near the affected area should be attempt
only by qualified personnel.
Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.


Mouth, body and tail fungus

Causes & Symptoms

This condition is caused by Saproglenia and other related bacteria.
Bad water quality only causes these kinds of bacteria to thrive.
Sudden changes in the water condition can also cause this condition in your fish.
If your fish has this condition, you will notice cotton like tufts at the mouth, body, fin and tail.
You may also notice your fish losing weight.
Treatment

Add Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Aquarium Salt to your tank.
Adding Jungle Labs Fungus Eliminator will also help.
Be sure to treat the whole tank, but quarantine the most seriously ill fish.
Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.

Dropsy

Causes & Symptoms

This condition is caused by a bacterial infection.
Poor water quality, overcrowding, and stress can make your fish more susceptible to this condition.
If your fish is affected, he may appear bloated and stop eating
Treatment

Do not add aquarium salt to your tank.

Use a commercially prepared treatment available at your local pet shop.

Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks to avoid the introduction of new, dangerous bacteria.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.

Fin & Tail Rot Disease

Causes & Symptoms

This condition is caused by Pseudomonas and other related bacteria.
Poor water quality causes these bacteria to thrive in your tank.
If your fish is affected, the fin and tail appeared eaten away and white edged. You may even notice the fin
or tail beginning to literally dissolve.
The color of the fish may dull, and the fins may clump together.
This bacteria is highly contagious.
Treatment

Treat the whole tank, but quarantine and treat the heavily infected fish.
Tetracycline should be added.
Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.


Air Bladder Disease

Causes & Symptoms

This condition is caused by a number of things, but the most likely problems are a virus or a bacterial
infection.
If your fish has this condition, you may notice they have trouble swimming correctly, or they tend to swim
upside down.
Treatment

Because it can be hard to determine the cause of this problem, it can also be difficult to treat it, but in
general, an antibiotic agent should take care of the problem.
Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination

Velvet Disease

Causes & Symptoms

This condition is caused by a fungus living in your tank.
Poor water quality causes this fungus to thrive in your tank.
If your fish is affected, he may stop swimming, and he may begin to look ill.

Treatment

Add Copper Sulfate (Blue Crystal) to your tank. Be sure to use the ratio of 1 g Copper Sulfate and 0.25g
Citric Acid to 1 litre of distilled water. Dosage instructions: 12.5 ml to 10 litres of aquarium water for 10
days. Administer half of this on days three, five and seven.

Preventive measures :

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.