Kamfa Flowerhorn - The Ultimate Guide

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How does a Flowerhorn become a Kamfa Flowerhorn?

Many experienced flowerhorn keepers choose Kamfa flowerhorn over other types of flowerhorns. This is because Kamfas possess traits that make them very desirable. Although they are the most difficult to groom, they are extremely rewarding, and many experienced flowerhorn keepers feel that the work is worth it.

It was around 2000 to 2001 when the Kamfa started to arrive in the market. They were a special strain of a Flowerhorn hybrid crossed between any species of the genus Vieja or with any kind of Parrot Cichlid. Kamfa strains brought many new body traits to the existing flowerhorns such as larger head bumps, wrapped strong tails, round and short mouths, sunken eyes which are yellow or white.

Generally, Flowerhorns as a whole are hybrids made by crossing species such as Cichlasoma Trimaculatus and Cichlasoma Festae. So Flowerhorns as a whole isn’t a pure species. To call a flowerhorn a Kamfa, it needs to inherit some so-called “Kamfa Traits”. If a flowerhorn posses at least 75% of these traits then voila! You have a Kamfa Flowerhorn!

Main traits of a Pure Kamfa Flowerhorne

Kamfa should have white or yellow eyes:

To be a kamfa, the flowerhorn should possess white or yellow eyes. On rare occasions, they might even have red eyes.

Fewer head flowers:

Kamfa possesses fewer head flowers which aren’t prominent like in a Zhen Zhu.

A round, small lip:

Again unlike a Zhen Zhu, a Kamfa should have a rounded lip that is smaller.

Kamfa Flowerhorn should have a squared body:

A good kamfa fish should have a comparably larger square-shaped body than Zhen Zhu. Moreover, a long tapering body is typically the characteristic of a Zhen zhu.

Shouldn’t have defects such as underbites or overbites:

Underbite and overbite are common with Zhen Zhu flowerhorns, but not with a Kamfa.

Strong and Wrapped Fins which are short:

This is part of the package when you get a kamfa, because they swim with their fins extended. Their dorsal and anal fins wrap around the caudal fin. By the way, the trailing long fins are characterized to Zhen Zhu.

A Strong Tail:

Kamfa has strong rays in its caudal fin, causing it to stay upright unlike a normal flowerhorn.

Flowerhorns are beautiful, magnificent, and fascinating fish. If a Flowerhorn doesn’t possess the majority of the traits mentioned above, then it’s not worthy to be called a Kamfa Flowerhorn.

King Kamfa Flowerhorn

Kamfa that possess all of those above traits plus more vibrant colors, vivid patterns, and pristine pearls are called King Kamfas. These fish are quite rare, which is why they’re so highly sought after by avid hobbyists.

Only a small portion of the Kamfa hatch will be developed into King Kamfa Flowerhorns. It’s usually less than 10% who become King Kamfa!

So obviously, They are usually more expensive than the Kamfa Flowerhorn.

Kamfa Flowerhorn Temperament

Flowerhorns are best kept alone. This is also true with Kamfa. Although some species may tolerate a solitary Oscar or a Pleco, it is recommended that Flowerhorns be kept alone. They are incredibly territorial and will attack any other fish in the aquarium. However, despite their aggression toward tank mates, they will act like puppies toward their human owners.

If you need two Kamfa flowerhorns in one tank, one of the opposite sex is recommended!

The fish who can live with Kamfa

Pleco
Tiger Oscar
Silver Arowana
Fully grown, large Bichirs
Other large Cichlids who can defend themselves

What to feed your Kamfa?

When feeding your Kamfa you must avoid low-quality, low-nutritious food which you can buy at a cheaper price. Just like any other flowerhorn, when fed low-quality food you end up with a sluggish, pale, and unhealthy kamfa flowerhorn.

You can’t go wrong with a well-rounded diet for your Kamfa. Any strain of healthy Flowerhorns is the result of a diet that includes lots of protein, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and color enhancers.

So, a varied diet is recommended rich in nutrients. But don’t give live foods, as they might introduce harmful pathogens into your aquarium including bacteria and parasites.

One thing that you shouldn’t neglect is adding krill to your fish’s diet.

Omega One Super Color Floating Cichlid Pellets

Floating pellets are the perfect food for your pet because they have a slow sinking rate and provide your Flowerhorn with all the nutrients they need to thrive.

Omega One Super Color Floating Cichlid Pellets are packed with the nutrients that your flowerhorn fish live to feast on. With whole salmon, herring, and shrimp, Omega One delivers a combination of raw, unprocessed cold-water proteins that help support your flowerhorn’s immunity.

Not only will it make your kamfa flowerhorn more vibrant and full of life than ever before, but it’ll make their colors pop as you’ve never seen!

Omega One Freeze-dried Krill

The perfect treat for Flowerhorn Your favorite treat is definitely the Omega One Freeze-dried Krill. It contains whole freeze-dried krill and it’s high in protein. In addition, a freeze-dried krill does not introduce parasites or bacteria like the live one.

Northfin Cichlid Pellets

NorthFin Cichlid pellets have been developed to provide a balanced diet for all fish that inhabit a tropical freshwater tank. The carefully formulated ingredients are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, while the seaweed and krill provide essential amino acids and healthy fats. Thanks to their slow-sinking action, they are perfect for keeping top-feeders like flowerhorns and cichlid species well-fed.

Kamfa Flowerhorn Care

Flowerhorns are large fish and they produce a lot of waste. You need to have good filtration and a big tank to keep them healthy and happy.

Tanks Size for Kamfa Flowerhorn

Kamfa can be generally kept in tanks between 125 and 175 gallons, with larger tanks being reserved for breeding pairs. It’s important to consider the size of your tank, as smaller tanks have been known to cause the fish to feel stressed while in them. Even if they have plenty of space, flowerhorn fish like to be able to swim around freely so the bigger the size the better!

Water Quality and Parameters

Flowerhorn fish are particularly sensitive to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Although they can be added to aquariums at the same time as other fish, it is best to cycle the aquarium beforehand. This reduces the risk of your flowerhorn fish dying within the first month of their life.

Moreover, flowerhorns eat a lot of food, producing lots of waste that turns into ammonia.

Following are the basic water parameters you must keep in your Kamfa Flowerhorn aquarium.

Temperature: 80-85°F
pH: 6.0-8.0
Alkalinity: 6°-20° dGH

The Tank Substrate

You have to be extra cautious about adding gravel to your Kamfa Flowerhorn aquarium. The fish can consume the gravel by mistake while digging for residual food which can be lethal.

The solution is to add a sandy substrate or bigger pieces of tile and porcelain. You can even go for a bare-bottom tank. But we recommend some sort of substrate other than a bare bottom because the bare bottom doesn’t provide any habitat for the beneficial bacteria to colonize.

The water flow and filtration

Kamfa can withstand a high rate of water flow. Besides, a good water current is needed in order for the sunken food and waste to be filtered.

A powerful filtering system is required for any type of flowerhorn. A canister filter or a bio sump filter capable of recycling the full volume of water at least four times per hour is recommended for Kamfa Flowerhorn.

Can you keep live plants with the Camfa Flowerhorn?

It’s highly unlikely that you can keep a good amount of plants growing with a Kamfa as they tend to destroy them at will. But you may try hardier plants like java fern or anubias with them. Good luck!

Conclusion

Kamfa Flowerhorn is a magnificent, colorful fish that can actually be quite interactive with you as a pet fish. They are aggressive towards other fish species but can be sort of your “puppy fish.” They require larger tanks, with a nice water flow. The filtration should be adequate to remove the harmful ammonia generated by the waste provided by this fish. If you know how to maintain the optimum water qualities and provide them with high-quality food, then it’s not so hard to own an amazing, stress-free, healthy pet fish.

Do you like large aquarium fish? Then read about the Red Empress Cichlid.

Kamfa Flowerhorn – The Ultimate Guide