Black Flowerhorns Are Digging

[robertprice]

Is it practice, or the real thing? The Black Flowerhorn pair just started digging on the 18th of September. So far they have piled about two cups of gravel on a large flat rock in the middle of the tank, and have exposed a smooth oyster shell is the back corner. They have also cleaned off about 1/3 of a large conch shell between the gravel pile and the oyster shell. They have both been eating more than usual for the past week. Seeing as how the female laid unfertilized eggs in late summer, it would seem too soon for her to be ready for another clutch, but I have seen Flowerhorns start their mating preliminaries months before the main event before.

[dsuperman]

Nature will always try to reproduce. I think you said that female was Zhen zhou? What do you call the male? and if you get offspring what type would you expect them to be?

[robertprice]

The female looks similar to the third picture in the first row of "Images of Zhen Zhou Flowerhons," but is much darker and has red chin markings. Possibly what is called a Blue Dragon. Neither Jing Chan or I could be sure what the male is other than "Black": he changes color, but is always at least very dark purple, sometimes with vertical darker body stripes. In breeding color he has a purple chin,some pearling, and lots of "lettering" down the middle of the body and might be the result of the Zhen Zhou x Kamfa, but again closest to a very dark Blue Dragon. Neither has the sunken eyes of a classic Kamfa.

[robertprice]

Black Flowerhorns are a variety of Zhen Zhou. Zhen Zhou all have red eyes and have "Chinese lettering" on their sides. So the Fry Are Grey Thunder Zhen Zhou, as opposed to Red Dragon Zhen Zhou. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but my ankle has kept me somewhat preoccupied.

Since the eggs were fertilized, the female has adopted what is the standard maternal coloration for Grey Thunder Flowerhorns, a continuous alternation of thick vertical grey and black dorso-ventral stripes everywhere except on the tail. This matches Anthony Tu's poster from is presentation done at the Frontosa Factory, Which I have seen once as a slide slow, but been unable to obtain a copy of. The male has not change color, and is just charcoal colored with a few black spots. Both are stil very involved in parental care, constantly moving rocks and inspecting the fry.

[dsuperman]

Thats a nice name Gray thunder Zhen Zhuo. Thanks for sharing the update, i never knew flowerhorns were good parents.

[robertprice]

Actually, Flowerhorns may be as good as parents as any fish. They will guard their fry ferociously until they 1-2 inches long, move them from place to place during the day, and even share their food with them. When I feed them crushed flakes or shrimp milk, the male and female parent clean up all the big pieces that the fry leave over so the tank stays clean. As of yesterday, the male will still not let me put my hand more than a thumb's lenght into the water. The bite really hard too.

[robertprice]

The pair of Black Flowerhorns are digging and dancing today. They are not great dancers by Flowerhorn standards, but do a fair amount of side by side dancing.

[dsuperman]

http://forum.brooklynaquariumsociety.org/picture.php?albumid=14&pictureid=117http://forum.brooklynaquariumsociety...&pictureid=117 Thanks for the id info,its interesting.I found these photos and vid from may 2012 of the female, i think she was 4-5 inches at the time. She had much blue and red then with that dot above the gills.


http://youtu.be/yuUAEDK0JkY?list=UUe...YQubeVZiS6fkOg

[elcue]

Nice fish

dsuperman - Were you intending on the photo appearing in the post, or the link to the photo?

[dsuperman]

Originally Posted by elcue

Nice fish

dsuperman - Were you intending on the photo appearing in the post, or the link to the photo?

In the post. Did i know how? i don't remember.

[elcue]

Quote:
Originally Posted by elcue Nice fish

dsuperman - Were you intending on the photo appearing in the post, or the link to the photo?

Originally Posted by dsuperman

In the post. Did i know how? i don't remember.

[

[robertprice]

All the places that were blue or red (especially fins) including the spot over the gills and excluding the throat region which is still red have turned charcoal or black. The male has the black spot over the gills as well: it's a fairly typical Zhen Zhou marking. Thanx for the pics!

[robertprice]

I thought I was going nuts the first two time the fry disappeared and reappeared, however this morning I caught the female in the act. I turn the light on and no fry to be seen anywhere. Then he came out from the back of the tank, opened her mouth and expelled at least a 100 fry on to the cleaned glasss surface. Now they are all back. I have never hearded of mouthbrooding in Flowerhorns.

"Images of Mouthbrooding Flowerhorns" does show a few doing the same type of thing.

[dsuperman]

Sounds like a good parent. Do you have to keep the lights out and traffic low near her tank?

[robertprice]

I keep a small light on during the day. The pair is still together. They both are very protective and still dance. I am feeding them crushed Coablt Aquatic Flakes and Shrimp soup which I make by taking half cooked shrimped and blending them until they they are like white, milky water. Unfortunately, with my broken anlke, I can't get to a pet shop to get any brine shrimp, but I think blended whole shrimps are equally nutritrious.

[elcue]

Originally Posted by robertprice

I keep a small light on during the day. The pair is still together. They both are very protective and still dance. I am feeding them crushed Coablt Aquatic Flakes and Shrimp soup which I make by taking half cooked shrimped and blending them until they they are like white, milky water. Unfortunately, with my broken anlke, I can't get to a pet shop to get any brine shrimp, but I think blended whole shrimps are equally nutritrious.

When did you break your ankle? Were you dancing w/ the flowerhorns? sorry, I couldn't resist. This milky water thing sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. How do you not have shrimp eggs?? Here's a link, I"ve been using the ezhatch - they're great.
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/She...-Egg-c202.html

If you pm me your address, I'll mail some regular premium and non-hatching decap to hold you over...

[dsuperman]

I think it was Elcue who once said" No man over 40 should be allowed to dance!" wasn't it? Yeah that shrimp sounds good but messy. I always like to have decap on hand but crushed flake really fine should be ok for cichlids. I feed tuna from the can {in water only ] smushed between my fingers sparingly as it can be messy also.

[elcue]

Originally Posted by elcue

When did you break your ankle? Were you dancing w/ the flowerhorns? sorry, I couldn't resist. This milky water thing sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. How do you not have shrimp eggs?? Here's a link, I"ve been using the ezhatch - they're great.
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/She...-Egg-c202.html

If you pm me your address, I'll mail some regular premium and non-hatching decap to hold you over...

Did you receive the eggs I sent you 2.5 weeks ago?
How are the fry doing?