Flower Horn

The Flowerhorn is a very interesting creature. It was the focus of a major craze in Singapore and other parts of Asia in 2003. Behind this fish therefore lies many interesting myths, facts, as well as the story of the large impact it made on the Singaporean society.

An artificial fish produced from the cross-breeding of two hybrids, this fish has a unique appearance, and serves well as an ornamental fish to decorate homes and offices. Also an aggresive, but easily tamed, hardy and active fish, it serves well as a pet and its rearing can be a fun hobby for both young and old.

There are also many myths and superstitions behind the fish, most of which probably originated from old people, aquarium shop owners, as well as Feng Shui masters. Some of the body parts of the Flowerhorn resemble that of ancient Chinese gods, and sometimes Chinese characters, gold, or other "prosperous" or "lucky" items and mythycal beings, and because of these resemblences, the Flowerhorn is believed to be able to bring prosperity, success, protection from evil etc to their owners.

All of these and other social factors in turn led to the Flowerhorn Craze of 2003. The craze involved the sky-rocketing of the price of the fish, along with the sudden sprouting of aquarium shops and other phenomena. The ornamental fish trade boomed, after years of sluggish local business after the economic slumps.

The craze ended sometime in late 2003 to early 2004. Prices and production rates dropped together with the demand for the fish, and after the craze, many investors were left with many Flowerhorn fish that few people wanted. Because the fish was carnivorous had a voracious appetite, maintaining these fish deemed a pricey job, most of these fish were eiter exported, killed or thrown away and released into the wild. The Flowerhorn, being a hardy fish, many of them that were released into the wild managed to adapt to the wild environment all over again, and began to feed on other marine organisms, eventually wrecking ecological havoc. This problem was more significant in countries like Malaysia.

There are many lessons that can be drawn from the Flowerhorn Craze and the impacts the Flowerhorn made on the economy, the environment, as well as the society. Such lessons include, with regards to protecting the green earth, learning not to carelessly release artificial creatures into the wild to prevent harm to the environment, with regards to smart consumer habits, not blindly believing in superstitions or rumours, and with regards to smart investment, learning how to seize opportunities and ditch them as soon as they begin to fall. All in all, the Flowerhorn fish has a very interesting background, and also brought about a major impact not only in Singapore but other parts of Asia. It is a subject well worth researching and understanding, for there are many lessons we can learn through this.

Some Information about this Fish

• Usual maximum size in fish tanks (min-max):
  24 - 28 cm ( 9.45" - 11.02")
• Water pH for Flowerhorn should be maintained within the range:
  7 - 7.5
• Water hardness (dGH) should be between:
  6 - 25 °N
• Recommended water temperature for Flowerhorn:
  25 - 30 °C ( 77 - 86 °F )
• Place in the aquarium:
  Middle levels
• How this species reproduces:
  Spawning
• Fish' origin:
  Cultivated form

 Different Type of Flower Horn Fish