How to buy a flowerhorn

Decide what you want first

Three questions narrow the field faster than scrolling listings.

• Pet or show? A pet-grade fish with one flaw (a small kok, broken markings) has the same personality as a show fish for a fraction of the price. Pay for grade only if head, markings and pearls matter to you. Our grading guide explains what to look for.
• Which strain? Kamfa for head and body shape, Zhen Zhu for pearling, Red Dragon for red, Thai Silk for a metallic sheen, Golden Base for a hardy starter. Compare them in the strain guide.
• What size and age? Fry are cheap and fun to raise but a gamble. A 4 to 6 inch (10 to 15 cm) juvenile already shows its color and pearling. A grown fish is exactly what you see, and costs the most. See flowerhorn prices for real numbers.

Have the tank running before you buy. A single adult needs at least 75 gallons; the tank setup guide covers the rest.

Where to buy

A local fish store lets you watch the fish swim, eat and react to you, with no shipping stress. Ask how long it has been in the store and what it eats.

An online specialist gives you far more choice. The good ones photograph each fish individually, ship overnight and publish a written live arrival guarantee. Our own fish are listed individually at flowerhorn.co and on view at Pet Zone in San Diego.

A breeder can show you the parents and tell you the line. How flowerhorns are bred covers what to check.

Marketplaces and social media groups carry the most risk. Photos can be borrowed from another seller, fish can be shipped by slow ground services, and there is rarely anyone to call when a fish arrives dead.

Questions to ask any seller

• Is this photo or video the exact fish I will receive, and when was it taken?
• How long is it, measured nose to tail?
• Is it sexed, and how? (Read male or female before you believe the answer.)
• What has it been eating, and has it been on color-enhancing food?
• What temperature and pH is it kept at?
• Which days do you ship, by what service, and what exactly does your guarantee require from me?

Red flags

• A seller who guarantees a male at 2 inches.
• Only stock photos, or photos of one fish sold as a batch.
• A fish that stays dark, hides, clamps its fins or ignores food.
• Cloudy eyes, frayed fins or pitting on the head.
• Refusal to take video, or pressure to pay immediately by a non-refundable method.
• No written terms for dead-on-arrival claims.

Once you have your fish, shipping and acclimation walks you through arrival day.