Getting to Know More About Arowana
The arowana is a truly magnificent fish. Though it seems to glide through the water with much elegance and the least effort, it is capable of moving powerfully, and at lightning speed.
Studies of fossils indicate that the arowana has existed since the Jurassic Age. Having been around for millions of years, this is a very hard species, and individual fish can live for a good half-century!
There are six known species of arowana, also know as dragon fish, in Asia, Australia, Africa and South America. The ones commonly found in local aquarium outlets are juveniles or young adults belonging to the silver, red and gold varieties of the species.
Arowana Fry
- Arowana fry usually stay in the parent’s mouth for a period of one to two weeks, or until their yolk sacs disappear. Extra care is required in caring for juvenile fish as they are rather fragile during this stage of their lives.
Arowana Gender
- Gender differences are indiscernible during the juvenile stage and only become apparent when the fish are more mature. The arowana grows very quickly and reaches maturity at around four years of age, when it should measure between 17 to 23 inches.
- Determining the sex of an arowana is not easy, but here are some ways of differentiating the gender. Males usually have a shallower body depth, a longer anal fin, bigger head and mouth, more intense coloring than the females, and are more aggressive in competing for food. The females tend to be slightly larger and broader, especially during the spawning season.
Arowana Diet
- Young arowanas can be fed food like brine shrimp or bloodworms. The adult fish will eat practically anything that can fit into its mouth!
- Though the arowana prefers live food, it will accept frozen or processed food. Be wary about the kind and source of live feed you use as these may introduce disease or toxins into the aquarium and infect or kill the fish.
- A suitable diet for these carnivores can consist of live food like crickets, centipedes, small frogs, freshwater prawns and the small fish like guppies, supplements like vitamin—enriched krill, and pellet and flake food.
- It is important to give them a well-balanced diet—too much fat in their diet could cause health problems like “bulging eye”, a condition in which one of the fish’s eyes points downwards.
Arowana is a type of fish many new fish hobbyists dream to have but never dare rear them let alone keep them as pets. I understand the resistance. It may look very intimating at first especially of its heavy price tag, but believe you me it’s worth the effort and pleasure of keeping them. I used to keep six arowanas for auspicious reason and I never regretted it.
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Dec 15th 2006
11:22 AM
hi.i have a question.what is the minimum size for a arowana to breed?pls reply asap as i need it ugently. thank you very much.
Dec 15th 2006
10:10 PM
Hi Hancai,
I personally have never bred arowanans. I believe this should be left to the professionals.
It is not advisable to put just two arowanans (opposite sex) in a tank for breeding. They might not be compatible for one another even they are at their appropriate age and size. Arowanans flair better in their own pairing rather than our intervention. What the professional arowanans breeders do is allocate about 10 or more mature arowanans in the tank/pond for them to do their own courtship and mating.
To answer your question…
For Red Arowana, the idea age for breeding is 4 years old. Size wise should be approximately 50cm.
For Crossback Arowana, the idea age for breeding is around 3 – 4 years, and should have a minimum length of 45 cm.
Oct 11th 2007
8:47 PM
Hi,
I am first time owner of an Arowana. I washed my tank for the first time two days ago. My net was a small one and accidentally the fish jumped out. I managed to put it back. But somehow, part of it’s tail was gone. Will the tail grow back? Thanks.
Oct 29th 2007
7:53 AM
Hi Murugase,
Generally, it will. It may not grow as fast as you wanted it to be, but in due time the tail will grow back.
Make sure his diet is well-balance but don’t over nourish as it could backfire. Most importantly, do not stress him unnecessary again. Take extra caution when transporting him.
Hope this help!
Jan 9th 2008
2:54 AM
i have a silver arowana.. about 65cm long. all of a sudden he stopped eating for about now almost three weeks. at times he comes on top of the water and put his mouth out of water as if he is trying to stand streight and fiddle with the water.. then he goes at the bottom of the tank and exhaling oxygen bubbles from his gills.. i’m really worried about this and if any one could advise me as to what to do with this would be much appreciated.
regards,\
rajitha.
Jan 12th 2008
7:41 AM
Hi Rajitha,
Can you tell me what you normally feed your arowana. Live or dry food? How often do you feed him? Has the temperature been changed drastically, and what is the temperature right not?
Generally arowanas are active and good jumpers, you might want to secure the aquarium properly. Desperate times (hunger pangs) call for desperate measure. So it is better to be safe than sorry.
Nov 22nd 2008
8:32 AM
i have bought a new pearl arrowana and its 5 days its not eating so pls if some one can give me a valuble info on it
Apr 11th 2009
6:00 PM
I had a Silver Arowana that i put into my fish tank. He was doing just fine, but a month and half later he started to look injured.I have a Blue Lobster that seemed interested in him when i put him in. Could my Lobster have killed or even injured him at the start? I know that the lobster ate my fish, but I don’t know if it killed it.
Apr 14th 2009
2:19 AM
hi,
remove your arowana immediately as arowana is a very much territorial fish it might have tried to attack the lobster. how old and big is your arowana? pls show him to a wet as arowana is getting very weak when they are injured or hurt as they dont eat anything at all.. you must act fast! save your fish!!
rajitha
Jun 8th 2009
3:13 AM
Hi,
I just bought my first Arowana today. He is a Austrailian Arowana about 3-4 inches long. What is the easiest way to tell the sex of it? I want to breed the fish ( I know that it is still along time away). And what other fish can they live with? What are the temper differences between the Silver and the Austrailian? If any?
Thank you
Jun 22nd 2009
8:15 AM
hi,
i want to know how to uunderstand the difference of male and female from a group of about 6 silver arowanas. i need you to send thier difference on the basis of length,width,shape ,broadness,behaviours, etc.Also plzz tell me whether they can breed at any cuase.
My arowanas are pure silver ones in a tank holding about 1000 litre of water!!
send me this as fast as you can.its a request;merely wish.
cheers
Usman
Dec 1st 2009
3:16 AM
Hye Hancai,
actually arowana wont breed if your keep them in fish tank. arowana will only breed in dark soil pond such as lake or human made pond. it have to be at least 3 or 4 years before it can be consider as matured. you can get info from other site or just type “bukit merah arowana breeding”. you’ll find something there for sure
Dec 1st 2009
3:19 AM
oh ya…………..sorry i forget………..please send me any info related to arowana………….waiting emails from all soon.thanks
mohdafni@jkwh.com.my