The pandemic saw a rise in home cooks, plantitos/plantitas and pet owners. With so much time on their hands, some people wanted a hobby to focus their nervous energy on, and turned to baking or plant tending or dog grooming.

For Gilbert “Gigi” Natividad, however, his interest in Flowerhorn fish started as a balm for his mother-in-law, whose husband had recently died. Natividad set up a simple tank and filled it with guppies so she would have something to look at.

In his initial research on proper fish care, he discovered Flowerhorns, a hybrid known for their bright colors and distinctly shaped bulbous heads.

This led him down a rabbit hole where he discovered local breeders and collectors of this particular fish. Two months ago, he bought his first Flowerhorn; he now has four housed in separate tanks.

“I feel like I have a connection with the fish. Even my family feels it,” Natividad told Lifestyle in a phone interview. Since setting up the 50-gallon tanks at home, they now bond over the distinct characteristics of the fish. After dinner, they gaze at the tank in the dining room, marveling at the colors and antics of the fish. All electronic gadgets are briefly, thankfully, set aside.

Showy appearance

For a while, two Flowerhorns shared the tank with only a clear acrylic panel separating them. They would swim up to the panel and face each other, which made it look like they were going in for a kiss. Actually, Flowerhorns are territorial and these two were simply sizing each other up. The panel separating them was the only thing that stopped them from attacking each other.

First developed in Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan, Flowerhorns became popular with hobbyists because of their showy appearance. They can be destructive, hence their tanks contain no water plants or other decorative objects, just a few rocks and a colored light designed to bring out the fish’s colors.

Caring for these hybrids, however, is not an inexpensive hobby. Breeder and collector Lozt Ropal (Lozt Rider on Facebook) told Lifestyle that one Flowerhorn requires at least a 50-gallon tank, separate air pumps and filters, and a specific type of food. He puts together starter sets for anywhere from P7,000 to P8,000, including one Flowerhorn measuring two to three inches.

Since the start of the pandemic, he has seen his sales double.

“There are now a lot of breeders of Flowerhorns and other fish like arowana and betta (Siamese fighting fish). Caring for these fish, however, is a big responsibility. Hindi sya biro (it’s no joke),” Ropal said.

Natividad seems up for the job. In fact, he’s even considering eventually becoming a breeder. “But that’s still very far away. For now, I’m enjoying caring for Neo, Sunny, Conan and Miracle. My wife and son also like them. It’s the closest thing to owning a puppy,” he said. INQ