The Flowerhorn cichlid is a unique fish with varied unique colors and another unique aspect relating to its appearance; a gorgeous hump on its head which has now come to be called a nuchal hump or a Kok.

The species itself is an original specimen from South America, being the result of cross-breeding of selected specimens. It is a very popular fish in Asia, due to the Feng Shui philosophy, which affirms that the owner of a Flower Horn Fish will enjoy greater prosperity, luck, and longevity, the bigger the characteristic protuberance of the fish. It is a fish that did not and does not exist naturally in the wild.

Characteristics of Flowerhorn

Flower horns are a species that will grow from 12 to 16 inches which means their size, their habit to swim around from the top of the aquarium to the roots, and often even knock down any aquarium decorations coincide with the tank size they are kept in ( 70 gallons ).

If one must think of keeping another flower horn in their aquarium, they must add this amount of size to it which means if you are an aquarist with an average tank this fish is not for you.

Nature

A flowerhorn cichlid has one prone characteristic: its aggressiveness. The aggressive nature also results in difficulty in choosing a tank mate, which combines with its territorial nature all sums to prove a very hard task to find a tank mate for this fish.

Another thing to note is that if you are planning to keep a tank mate for a cichlid the safest option might just be another Flowerhorn. Flower horn is a fish that you will find, due to these aspects, a fish, that is happy to stay on its own.

Finally, we must bear in mind that, sometimes, when the female cichlid has not matured sexually, the male cichlid as it’s tank mate might be prone to attack it until death, so it will be necessary to monitor it during the breeding season.

Things you might have to keep in mind while finding a tank mate for a cichlid

• If the two fishes have grown up together (the Flowerhorn and the tank mate).

• The size of the fish (needs to be very nearly the same size as the cichlid).

• The nature of the tank mate (can it defend itself, is it too aggressive, etc.).

• The size of your tank.

• If the tank mate is prone to grow at the same rate as the flowerhorn. 

Potential Tank Mates for Flowerhorn

• Texas Cichlid
• Midas Cichlid
• Black catfish
• Red Piranha
• Oscar Fish
• Pleco Galaxy
• Pike Cichlid
• Pleco Ancistrus
• Iridescent Shark Fish
• Royal Farlowella Fish
• Arowana fish
• Common Pleco Fish
• Mahi Mahi Fish
• Severum Fish
• Green Terror Fish
• Jack Dempsey Fish

Texas cichlid

Texas fish is similar to the American cichlid; it is a territorial and an aggressive fish and demands a personal space to mark as a territory that belongs to it. They can grow in large size so make sure you have a big tank to suffice them.

Scientific Name – Herichthys cyanoguttatus

Origin – Texas & Northeast Mexico

Size – 13 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 55 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Intermediate

pH – 6.5 to 7.5

Midas Cichlid

The kingfish Midas is a fish that likes to establish dominion in the tank, any fish that fits in the mouth will be devoured, so keeping it with any fish that is small in size poses a great liability and even greater repercussions however they can share an aquarium with other fish similar in size and are good mates for flower horn cichlids.

Scientific Name – Amphilophus citrinellus

Origin – Costa Rica

Size – 14 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 55 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Intermediate

pH – 6.6 to 7.3

 

Black Catfish

Black catfish as well as a fish that harbors nocturnal habits, and likes to stay at the bottom of the aquarium in dark spots.

Scientific Name – Ameiurus meals

Origin – North America

Size – 6 to 9 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 55 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 5.0 to 7.0

Red Piranha

Piranha are fishes of school and like to stay with their species, they too are aggressive and are carnivorous, they are similar to Flowerhorn cichlid and are therefore good mates.

Scientific Name – Pygocentrus nattereri

Origin – Tropical America

Size – 8 to 10 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 55 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Intermediate

pH – 6.5 to 7.8

Oscar Fish

Oscar fish is a territorial fish that is known to devour any fish that is small in stature as long as they can establish dominion and have enough space in the aquarium they can be kept with species of similar size like Flowerhorn cichlid.

Scientific Name – Astronotus ocellatus

Origin – South America

Size – 10-14 inches

Nature – Semi-Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 50 to 60 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Intermediate

pH – 6.5 to 7.8

Pleco Galaxy

It is a fish that will be kept most of the time at the bottom of the aquarium, it is territorial with other fish that also occupy the bottom of the aquarium or with which it has to compete for the food that falls to the bottom of the aquarium.

Scientific Name – Leporacanthicus galaxias

Origin – Orinoco or Columbia

Size – 5 to 8 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 20 – 30 gallons

Diet – Omnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 6.0 to 7.5

Pike Cichlid

The pike fish is a very aggressive fish with all fishes smaller than its size however with a size that’s similar to its own it can stay in the same tank given that there is enough space.

Scientific Name – Crenicichla lepidota

Origin – Venezuela & Colombia

Size – 7 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 30 gallon

Diet – Carnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Difficult

pH – 6.3 to 7.5

Pleco Ancistrus

This fish also possesses a nocturnal habit and shows affection to dark places and often is very active during the night time or in less light. It’s a social fish that is also very territorial and often digs up dark rocks at the bottom.

Scientific Name – Ancistrus cirrhosis

Origin – Panama

Size – 4 to 6 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 30 gallon

Diet – Herbivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 5.6 to 7.3

The Iridescent Shark

Small fishes can be eaten easily by this shark, it is big however if its tank mate was similar to its size and a fish that won’t fit in its mouth. By nature, this species in nervous and has a very jumpy affiliation.

Scientific Name – Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Origin – South East Asia, Mekong

Size – 48 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 100 gallon

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Difficult

pH – 6.6 to 7

Royal Farlowella Fish

Farlowella possesses a nocturnal nature and often likes to stay in dark places in the aquarium by nature it is sociable and peaceful.

Scientific Name – Sturisoma panamense

Origin – Panama

Size – 8 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 30 gallons

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 6.5 to 7.8



 

Arowana Fish

Keeping it as a tank mate must mean that there is enough space in the aquarium it is territorial and often likes to stay in the high or middle waters which is why a bottom-feeding fish or a nocturnal fish might be a better tank mate. A fish that is small in size is likely to become its food.

Scientific Name – Osteoglossum bicirrhosum

Origin – Amazon River

Size – 30 to 40 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 200 gallons

Diet – Carnivore

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Difficult

pH – 6.0 to 7.5

Common Pleco Fish

Commonly called in different countries such as fish sucker, catfish, fish corroncho, the fish devil, fish clean glass, fish clean crystals, coroncoro, or plecos. It is a fairly friendly fish reciprocally with most of its companions in a community aquarium even with large and aggressive fish like Flowerhorn. It tends to be territorial with others of the same species, it spends most of the time hidden in rocks, filters, and dark places of the aquarium since it is a fish of nocturnal habits and it is only active during the night or when there is a lot of darkness.

Scientific Name – Hypostomus plecostomus

Origin – South America

Size – 18 inches

Nature – Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size – 60 to 80 gallons

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 6.5 to 7.5

Mahi Mahi Fish

Common dolphinfish is a part of the cichlid family often known as the condemning cichlid. By nature, it is a territorial fish. And a very easy fish to breed. Like the flower horn cichlids, it also posses unique colors and pigmentation due to its crossbred ancestry.

Scientific Name – Coryphaena hippurus

Origin – Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Costa Rica

Size – 38 to 42 inches

Nature – Semi-Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 100 to 150 gallons

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Moderate

pH – 6.5 t0 8.0

Severum Fish

This fish also belongs to the cichlid family and originates from South America as well. The scientific name assigned to this fish is Heroes Severus. It grows large with the male growing about 25 cm and the female a little less.

The appearance of the fish is defined by its unique pigmentation which is unique to its cichlid characteristics. It also enjoys 8 horizontal stripes on it’ disk-like body.

Scientific Name – Heros efasciatus

Origin – South America – Amazon River Basin

Size – 12 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 40 gallons

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 6 to 8

 

Green Terror Fish

It is a fish that is social by nature, moves around the aquarium a lot, and is likely to remove any disruptions like decorations in its way. it only tolerates its mate in the tank given that the size of the tank is enough.

Moreover, if a fish that has a similar growth rate to this fish and grows to the same size is kept in the same tank with this fish when both of these fishes are in infancy then maybe it can be protected. Therefore is a good match for Flowerhorn.

Scientific Name – Andinoacara rivulatus

Origin – South America

Size – 8 inches

Nature – Semi-Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 50 gallons

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Moderate

pH – 6.5 to 8.0

Jack Dempsey Fish

The Jack Dempsey is a very territorial and aggressive fish, hence its name in honor of a former American boxer, does not accept any other fish as a partner unless it is accustomed to its constant presence and the space is large enough to maintain contain jack Dempsey fish and the Flowerhorn cichlid.

Scientific Name – Rocio octofasciata

Origin – Guatemala, Central America

Size – 6 to 10 inches

Nature – Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size – 55 gallon

Diet – Omnivores

Breeding – Egg Layer

Care – Easy

pH – 6.0 – 8.0

Conclusion

With this list that I have formulated now, you have enough information to keep a tank mate for your Flowerhorn cichlid. Hope you make the right decision and keep the nature of the fish and the tank size in mind.