5 Best Foods for Flowerhorn Cichlids for Head Growth in 2025 – Reviews & Top Picks

Flowerhorns are some of the most impressive fish in the aquarium hobby, with their unusual head growth, known as the nuchal hump or “Kok”. Their diet plays a major role in head growth, and protein-rich foods are the building blocks for growing their nuchal hump to an impressive size.

Flowerhorns are quite easy to care for if they have a decent-sized tank that allows them to grow, but a good staple diet and high protein supplements will make your Flowerhorn grow and help them develop their hump, while maintaining a vibrant coloration.

Let’s get into the best foods that can help with flowerhorns’ head growth.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2025

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Hikari Cichlid Gold	Cichlid specific food High protein Rich in vitamins	Check Price
River Shrimp		Fluker’s Freeze-Dried Insects	High protein Can be stored for long periods of time Freeze-dried for easy feedings	Check Price
Premium Choice		Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp	Rich in vitamins and minerals Freeze-dried for easy feedings Small and easy for cichlids to eat	Check Price
		Hai Feng Fast Color Floating Food	Color-enhancing Formulated for cichlids Contains a variety of micronutrients	Check Price
		Tetra Bloodworms	Safer option than live worms Freeze-dried for easy storage Increase protein intake	Check Price

The 5 Best Flowerhorn Cichlid Foods for Head Growth

1. Hikari Cichlid Gold

Flowerhorns are a species of cichlid, so they will benefit from cichlid fish food as a staple. These foods have high levels of protein and promote the growth of their nuchal hump. The Hikari cichlid gold food not only helps to enhance a Flowerhorn’s color, but the high-protein content helps them grow and develop.

This food is great if you want to feed your flowerhorn a staple diet that can help with their head growth. Not only is this food affordable, but it consists of high-quality ingredients that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

2. Fluker’s Freeze-Dried Insects – River Shrimp

Since Flowerhorns are large fish, they will benefit from the nutrients and high-protein content of river shrimp. These are freeze-dried shrimp that do not have the parasites and risk of other diseases (like with live shrimp), they are also affordable and make a great supplement to your Flowerhorn’s staple diet.

Freeze-dried shrimp can be stored for a long time in the original container, and you do not have to care for them yourself, as they have already been prepared and preserved to be fed to your Flowerhorn.

3. Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp

Like the river shrimp, brine shrimp are much smaller, but contain an equally beneficial number of vitamins and minerals to help with your flowerhorn’s head growth. These freeze-dried brine shrimps are free from parasites and disease, unlike live brine shrimp.

The brine shrimp have been processed into cubes that your Flowerhorn fish can easily eat to get the nutrients and protein they need for growth. Brine shrimp should not be fed as a staple diet to Flowerhorns, and should be fed as a supplement for their head growth and development.

4. Hai Feng Fast Color Floating Food

If you are looking for a color-enhancing food for your Flowerhorn, that also functions as a staple food high in protein for their head growth, then this is a recommended food to check out.

It has been specially formulated for cichlids, such as Flowerhorn fish, and it contains a variety of micronutrients and color-enhancing krill, with a blend of multivitamins to help your fish’s digestive system. The highly digestible protein-rich formula makes an excellent staple food for growing and developing flowerhorns.

5. Tetra Bloodworms

These high-protein and nutritious freeze-dried worms can be fed to condition your Flowerhorn and help them grow. The freeze-dried process helps eliminate harmful organisms from the worms, which makes them a safer option than live bloodworms for your Flowerhorn.

The bloodworms should be fed in addition to your Flowerhorn’s staple diet to help increase their protein intake and to encourage proper head growth and development.

What Do Flowerhorns Eat?

While Flowerhorns are omnivores, they enjoy a carnivore diet that consists of brine shrimp, blood worms, and daphnia. These large fish are known for the hump on their head, which varies in size depending on certain factors.

Since diet plays a role in your Flowerhorn’s head growth, it is important to feed them a high-quality staple diet along with protein supplements like bloodworms or shrimp. Their staple diet should be high in protein and have the added benefit of color-enhancing ingredients like krill or spirulina.

Many Flowerhorn fish keepers also recommend feeding Flowerhorns a mixture of blanched veggies like lettuce, zucchini, or deshelled peas. A good Flowerhorn diet will consist of veggies, protein-rich supplements, and a high-quality staple diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Our Flowerhorn Cichlid Foods for Head Growth Selection Process

When it comes to selecting products, Hepper has a committed team of writers and editors who work closely with licensed veterinarians to find the very best in today’s market. Together, they consider customer feedback, brand reputation, veterinary expertise, and whenever possible, hands-on testing. We aim to select and review the highest-quality products to help you make informed choices that meet both your and your pet’s needs.

Why Trust Hepper?

Since 2007, Hepper has been a trusted and growing online brand and resource with the edge of creating and retailing our own line of cat furniture, toys, and gear, and pet consumables, giving us valuable insights into how to choose flowerhorn cichlid foods. Our driven team of pet-loving writers, editors, and veterinarians is dedicated to empowering our readers to make the best decisions for their animal companions. Our priority lies in providing top-notch information and recommendations. Our team is genuinely invested in the health and well-being of all pets worldwide, believing that expert knowledge is crucial for achieving this goal.

Final Thoughts

With the right diet from a young age, Flowerhorns will have all the necessary nutrients for proper head growth. Although a good diet will not suddenly cause your Flowerhorn’s nuchal hump to grow large, it will help condition it to grow properly. A good diet can help lower your Flowerhorn’s stress by providing their body with the proper nutrients they need to thrive, as high levels of stress can be a reason for Flowerhorns developing a small hump.

• Related Read: Best Filters For Flowerhorn Cichlids

Featured Image Credit By: Huy-Thoai, Shutterstock