FH water management FAQs

[spyder79]

any sifu can enlighten me on the above topic ?

i read over the forum over at taiwan and hong kong , they will put large amount of CC in their tank at the young stage of luohan . they claim that it will bring ph to above 7 to 8 which are good for growing kok of the luohan

other put only lava rock in their tank to replace CC as they claim that lava rock will bring out the colour of luohan and also keeping their Ph at acidity level = below 7 .they will replace the CC when their luohan have reach 7 inch and above .

although i knew gene itself play a important role but i think water will be more important , as it will make the fish more lively and colourful .

thanks you very much for reading . thanks for your future input too .

[Ong88]

cc will increase ph & hardness. it also buffers ph. the calcium probably enhances kok. but adding calcium tablets alone doesn't increasse my fh kok so the ph stability & water hardness from cc may have a part to play.

lava decreases ph. colors tend to improve with lower ph.

but all these are secondary to our fh own genetic capacity to kok or have nice colors.

Originally Posted by killersinz

isit ok to put both cc n lava together

i use both.
cc to buffer & hopefully help kok.
lava for fh to play & hoping increase beneficial bacteria in tank.

Originally Posted by Rune

Sorry to hijack this thread .. also use both cc and lava rocks medium in my FH tank. Noticed some use clam shells too. Can any bro share if this works the same way as cc. Is it true that they last longer than cc ....

cc buffering capacity lasts about 3 months, after that the coat of dirt/biobacteria slime stops its effectiveness. the cc erosion also slows, hence longer lasting but not effective in its buffering capacity. after 3-4 months need to wash & sun before re-using cc, some even bleach cc before rinsing well & sunning. my cc disappear after about 15 months.

i prefer oyster/clam/cockle shells for ph buffering as they don't need maintenance & work longer. the shells will gradually thin out & become brittle flakes as the acidity corrodes them over 6-9 months. i use shells in cannister & sump filters.

overall, with regular maintenance, equal mass of cc lasts longer.

[spyder79]

Originally Posted by Ong88

cc will increase ph & hardness. it also buffers ph. the calcium probably enhances kok. but adding calcium tablets alone doesn't increasse my fh kok so the ph stability & water hardness from cc may have a part to play.

lava decreases ph. colors tend to improve with lower ph.

but all these are secondary to our fh own genetic capacity to kok or have nice colors.

that what i learn from them too. they tend to put CC to grow the kok of luohan first . then at much later stage then add in lava rock to enhance the colour .

my OHF not much space left . thinking of hanging some bag of CC in the tank . anyone have any idea of how to hang the CC beside using those plastic S shape hanger ?

[KAO LUO]

More importnal . FH genes must have good,,,,,,,,,, if no kok ... add what oso no use for FH

[Ong88]

Head to become big all up to parent genes if male parent got koky head got high chance the fries follow the father genes. Coral chip and lava rock this make the water ph stable at 7.8 like buffer the water at all time morning afernoon and night . Once Ph stable at 7.8 and temperature at 28'C LH perform better eat well and sure show it true color and koky head.

[isa]

Another important thing keeping Flowerhorn is about water change for Malau and Cencu genes water change every 3 days but only 1/4 of tank water if time permit this to make the pearl more shining , solid color , good appetite and koky head. If for Kamfa genes water change once a week but now kamfa got Malau bloodline so 3 days water change is ok but up to individual . Use good quality anti chlorine like Prime Seachem now I using it for my fish and filter wool need to change once two week if need to use back wash it with tank age water.

I fully agree all points. Most important is genes, next is water quality, lastly envirnonment and food.
IMO small, frequent w/c is best. This prevent stress and reduce chance for sickness. For kamfa less frequent w/c as they tend to recover slower after w/c.
I think Kamfa also prefer softer water, not as high temp also. For ZZ, and Kamalau more pH and buffer and can up the temp.
High temp for color as well as lower pH. Higher pH to help kok.

[KAO LUO]

In fact, every piece of Flowerhorn has different character & requirements.
Some like new water, others like old water.
If you want to raise your fish well, see what each individual fish character is like, (in particular Jinhua where each fish character is different.)

[Ong88]

what about Thai fh water requirements?

[KAO LUO]

For thai fishes,,,, have to water change every 5 days or week ,,,,,must add more salts into water ........then spore breed n m'sian breed ,,,,,, this just my suggetsion ...