Flowerhorn breeding dates from 1993. Malaysians admired fishes with protruding heads, known as Karoi or "warships," found in the western part of the nation. The slightly protruding forehead and long tail of these fish were prized in Taiwanese society as bringing luck in geomancy. By 1994, the red devil cichlid (genus Amphilophus) and the hybrid blood parrot cichlid had been imported from Taiwan to Malaysia and bred with these native fish, marking the birth of the flowerhorn
In 1995, the blood parrots were further crossbred with the Human Face Red God of Fortune, which produced a new breed called the Five-Colors God of Fortune. With its beautiful colors, this fish quickly became popular. Selective breeding continued through 1998, when the Seven-Colors Blue Fiery Mouth (also known as Greenish Gold Tiger) was imported from Central America, and crossbred with the Jin Gang Blood Parrot from Taiwan. This crossbreeding led to the first generation of Hua Luo Han flowerhorn hybrids, which were then followed by subsequent flowerhorn introductions.Both of these fish are raised at 28°C water temperature, pH ~6–8 (with slightly acid water preferred)
