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Best Food for Flowerhorn Fish (Growth and Color)

We all know diet is essential to fish health and overall well-being.

It has a massive impact on their ability to breed and grow, on their resistance to disease and infection, on the vividness of their coloring and on their overall energy levels and behavior.

If you want to see your flowerhorn fish at their very best, then it is important to invest the time and energy to research what is the best diet for their species.

All fish require a mixture of things, but species like flowerhorns have their own specific needs and requirements, as well as likes and dislikes.

So, if you want to discover some of the best brands of fish food for flowerhorn fish available on the market right now, as well as what to look for when you purchase your fish food, then you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve got all the information you need right here!

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OKIKO Fish Food Set Pellets of 3

[amazon box=”B01N2GOMBA”]

This is one of the best staple products for flowerhorn fish, as it provides a lot of the essential goodies that they need to survive and even thrive.

It also contains an abundance of ingredients that are designed to enhance the natural colors of your flowerhorn fish, which can really make them stand out.

Some of these types are targeted specifically for red flowerhorns, helping to accent the banding on their bell-shaped heads.

The ingredients in this product also include healthy amounts of Krill and Spirulina, which have been shown to have a positive impact on fish’s immune systems.

This is important to consider when planning for their long-term health.

Another benefit of this product is that it is a floating type of food, which not only makes cleaning up after feeding less of a chores, but also ensures that your critters will rise to the surface to eat, allowing you to get a good long look at them and check for any signs of illness or injury.

You may even get to pet their heads if you’re lucky!

PROS:

  • Specially formulated to enhance the colors in your fish
  • Floating food that is not eaten can be easily removed after feeding time, which helps to reduce waste and debris in your tank
  • Helps boost your fish’s immune systems

CONS:

  • Only contains a modest amount of protein filled ingredients
  • Not available in a wide selection of sizes

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon (M Pellets)

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon (L Pellets)



Tetra Cichlid Crisps Advanced Clear Water Formula

[amazon box=”B000OQRK94″]

Tetra is one of the leading providers of fish food worldwide, hence by buying this product you are getting a recognized mark of quality.

This model is not specifically designed for flowerhorns but it is suitable for all type of cichlids, so it should suit them fine.

There are a great many other reasons to buy this product, beyond the brand name.

For example, this product boasts that it can help reduce waste by up to 35% which will lead to better cleanliness and water clarity in your tank.

Not only is this more healthy for your fish, but it also improves the experience for you as an observer!

What’s more, the lack of starchy ingredients in this product helps account for the reduction in waste.

Instead, this product is made with high quality protein rich ingredients such as shrimp meal, which helps give it an impressive 43% crude protein content.

Also, these crisps are designed to float for longer than flakes, which gives you fish longer to feast. They’ll certainly thank you for that!

PROS:

  • Helps reduce waste in your tank
  • Made with protein rich ingredients, to give your fish lots of energy
  • Floating food that is not eaten can be easily removed after feeding time, which helps to reduce waste and debris in your tank

CONS:

  • Only contains a modest amount of carbohydrate filled ingredients
  • Not specifically designed for flowerhorn fish

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



Hai Feng Fast Color Fish Food Floating Pallets

[amazon box=”B00FN8UO00″]

These pellets come from a lesser known fish food provider, but they also supply the types of nutrients and vitamins required by growing cichlids.

In fact, this may be one of the best food for flowerhorn fish, as they supply essential vitamin A, C and E as well as some important enzymes required for energy harvesting.

Color is one of the major reasons why cichlids such as flowerhorn fish are so popular, which means that many owners would like their fish to display their colors as brightly and prominently as possible.

This food has natural ingredients that enhance color in your fish, which can have secondary health benefits as well.

When fish display bright colors, they generally feel less stresses and more at ease, which can have noted health and behavioral effects.

This is really a win-win situation for you!

PROS:

  • Helps promote bright colors in your fish
  • Contains plentiful supply of essential vitamins like vitamin A and C
  • Very affordable

CONS:

  • Only contains a modest amount of protein filled ingredients
  • Only available in one 900 g size
  • Pellets may be too large for smaller fish

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



TetraCichlid Balanced Diet Flakes Food for Cichlids

[amazon box=”B00025Z6Q6″]

This is another offering from the well-known brand Tetra.

It contains very similar ingredients to the food describe above, which is specially formulated for cichlids, but in a different format. Instead of being in the floating crisp form, this is in the more conventional flake form.

This does have the advantage of being sturdy and very insoluble in water, which means it should not break up into debris and cloud your water, but unfortunately, they are sinking food.

Like lots of Tetra foods, this offering includes their patented ProCare formula, which is a cocktail of ingredients specially selected to provide your fish with the required nutrients to keep your fish happy, healthy and strong.

It also helps build up their immune system, which means they will be better able to fight off infections and are less likely to get sick in the future.

Thus, this could be a very worthwhile long-term investment.

This protein contains even more crude protein than the crisp form (48%), which is brilliant for promoting quick growth of your fish.

It also is available in a wide selection of sizes, which is very convenient, especially if you want to stock up.

PROS:

  • Helps promote a strong immune system in your fish
  • Contains a lot of protein rich ingredients
  • Comes in a large range of sizes, from 1.5 ounces to 1.75 pounds
  • Helps reduce waste in your tank and keep the water clear

CONS:

  • Flakes sink in water
  • Flakes may need to be broken up for smaller fish to digest

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



Omega One Super Color Cichlid Pellets Small Sinking

[amazon box=”B009NT1IG4″]

Omega One is another trusted brand in this industry, which is responsible for producing some of the most popular fish foods.

The secrets of how it produces possibly the best food for flowerhorn fish, is that it uses only the highest quality ingredients.

In fact, unlike other manufacturers, it sources the ingredients itself, freeze dies them to lock in the flavor and natural goodness, and it does not rely on pre-processed proteins. This is a major plus.

Some of the biggest ingredients in this product are high quality whole salmon, halibut and whole shrimp, which all come with their own natural vitamins and minerals.

These pellets are also insoluble in water, which means they will not contribute to waste in your tank and can be easily picked out by hand if they are uneaten by the fish.

PROS:

  • Helps promote a strong immune system in your fish
  • Contains a lot of the finest quality, protein rich ingredients
  • Comes in a large range of sizes, from 16 ounces to 3 pounds
  • Helps reduce waste in your tank and keep the water clear because the pellets are naturally insoluble

CONS:

  • Pellets sink in water, which reduces the available feeding time
  • Premium product with a premium price tag

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



Omega One Freeze Dried Blood Worms

[amazon box=”B000BYLQRG”]

All the products listed above are staple foods, which will provide all the nutrients that your fish need to survive.

However, if you want to add some spice and variety to your fish’s diet, you may want to supplement these foods with other types. One great example of this would-be freeze-dried blood worms.

Coming from Omega One, these are a high-quality product, which will give an extra boost of protein to your flowerhorn fish.

This might be especially important when they are young and growing fast, or if you want to breed them.

Some of the best food for flowerhorn fish are freeze dried products.

Freeze dried products are ideal, because they provide all the nutrients and natural goodness of live food, without introducing the added risk of parasites or infections to your tank.

Thus, this is a great alternative choice, and could easily be combined with some of the other staple foods described here, to give a rich and balanced diet.

PROS:

  • Great supplement to provide some variety in your fish’s diet
  • Contains a lot of the crude protein, up to 55%
  • Freeze dried foods are full of flavor and essential vitamins
  • Trusted brand name

CONS:

  • Not to be used as a staple food
  • Premium product with a premium price tag

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



Fischuel Aquarium Feeding Ring

[amazon box=”B07X9B8WJ4″]

Thus is not a fish food, but it is an extremely useful accessory which might improve the quality of your feeding time with your flowerhorn fish.

This handy tool essentially allows for more efficient feeding.

You simply defrost your freeze-dried food in the measuring cup provided, then place it in the strained, which sits on the surface of your tank.

The fish can easily feed through the slits, and because there are multiple slits, no one dominant fish can hog all the food.

This essentially allows you to cut out the bullying and ensure that all your fish get a fair and equal feed, allowing them to all grow healthy and strong.

This handy tool is very easy to assemble and simple sticks onto the edge of the tank with a suction pad. It might even transform your feeding experience.

PROS:

  • Clever design
  • Low cost
  • Ensures food is shared equally among your fish

CONS:

  • Relatively cheap build quality
  • Only works for certain types of food

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon



Flowerhorn Diet

Flowerhorn fish deserve to be one of the most popular aquarium fish. Their bright colors and odd shapes are bound to bring enjoyment to many a tank owner.

When thinking about their diet, you should remember that they need lots of protein as well as the right amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Feeding should be regular and done in small amounts. In practice this means you should feed them three times a day, and feed them no more than they can eat in 30 seconds.

You should ensure you scoop up any uneaten food after that, because otherwise it will become waste in the tank and damage the overall environment.

Some of the best food for flowerhorn fish are the staple pellets shown here, but, with the proper precautions, you can also give them live feed.

For example, you should consider giving you fish special treats such as crickets, grasshoppers or worms.

If you are worried about spreading infections, stick to the freeze-dried versions of these foods. Mixing up your fish’s diet with occasional treats will make them love you even more!

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Conclusion

There is no doubt that diet can have a deciding effect on the health of your fish. The right depend should contain a healthy balance of vitamins, nutrients and proteins, as well as essential minerals.

As we have shown in this article, this can be provided by supplement foods, staple foods, or a mixture of the two.

Protein is especially important for flowerhorn fish, as these omnivores need lots of energy to thrive in a tank environment.

We have illustrated some of the best food for flowerhorn fish in this article, highlighting the perks and drawbacks of all the major brands.

Before deciding which one is best for you, you need to consider your own fish, and see if they have any special dietary needs.

Then consider how much you are willing to spend and what you want to prioritize.

After that, you can come to an informed decision on what is the best food for your own beloved flowerhorns.

Aaron Boyd
Aaron Boyd

Hello, I’m Aaron Boyd, the proud owner and author behind Aqua Movement. I hope my article was able to answer your questions. If you want to learn more about me, click the home icon above.

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