Can flower horns flare at each other?

Yesterday I was doing some homework and I forgot to feed my flower horns some food. When I got over to the tank, 2 of my flower horns were fighting. One's around 2', and the other's around 1 1/2'. The 1 1/2' is pretty small, but it's showing a lot of color, and it's very aggressive and territorial. Before they locked jaws, the 1 1/2' starting 'flaring' at the 2'. It's gills or whatever you call it went out (like a betta would do it) I thought it was strange and they couldn't do it, but this one did. The flare wasn't stretched out all way though, it was at around 45*, (while a betta's is around 90*).





Do they usually do this, or do I have a weird fish?

Can flower horns flare at each other?
You are sitting on a potential time bomb pal. These are baby fishes or juvenile flower horns, so they are still able to survive together. Never keep 2 flower horns together, without a seperator in the tank, which I guess you do not have, as you are speaking about flowerhorns locking jaws while fighting..





As Flower Horn originated from South American Cichlid, they are quite territorial in nature.Co-existing with other fish or fishes of its own kind (expect for a pair of mature Fh in breeding season) is not advisable. You would lose the weaker flowerhorn soon enough, if you do not get moving now.





For more details on your fish, visit this site, and once again, don't forget to get a seperater for your tank, if you want to keep both the fishes in the same water.





http://www.flowerfish.com/
Reply:I think being part of the Cichlid family, they're hyper when it comes to dominance and aggression, so yes, I'd say so. And without food, anything would become grumpy.