# arowana



## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

hey guyz, im probably shifting from fake Ps to a silver arowana. i needed some help though. i've been reading some articles & stuff, but im still worried since they're sensitive. so any help,link, pic,advice or words of wisdom are greatly appreciated. tnx


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## FishermanCanada (Feb 12, 2007)

nice choice , arrowana's are great fish.

by the way, what's a fake Piranhas?


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=92321


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

buzzz said:


> nice choice , arrowana's are great fish.
> 
> by the way, what's a fake Piranhas?


looks like i have pacus instead of Ps

 [URL=http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=160498]http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=160498 [/URL]


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## FishermanCanada (Feb 12, 2007)

good one!


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## Dizzy Dawg (May 1, 2007)

Well if you have Pacus, then great choice to change


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

what size tank do you have? arowanas can grow huge. so I hope you have atleast a 180 that is 24" wide.


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

Tank size is more of a problem than water conditions, i my experience as long as you get one thats over 6 inches they are really hardy fish. At first they can be really skittish, but eventually they will warm up to you some will even let you pet them. Be sure to *keep your tank covered* and make sure that there are no holes where they can escape because they are jumpers and are known to jump out of the tank.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

welsher7 said:


> what size tank do you have? arowanas can grow huge. so I hope you have atleast a 180 that is 24" wide.


Not even good enough yet-I had one that would have out grown a tank of that size in just under two years.

My only suggestion is-if you do not or can not afford a tank with the demensions of at least 36 inches wide preferrably 4 foot instead x at least 8 foot long,I would just pass on it Sir-

Killing mine was the hardest thing I have had to do yet in my fish keepings.......


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

i could remember what size tank yours was in. I thought a 125g, guess I wasa wrong. But these guys grow huge.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

welsher7 said:


> i could remember what size tank yours was in. I thought a 125g, guess I wasa wrong. But these guys grow huge.


im planning to get sth like 150cmX70X50 or maybe longer like 170cm long. & im going to design some heavy cover. i have seen theire power. my biggest concern is theire behavior, i mean how skittish are they? do they hate the changes outside theire aquarium?(like me being there or lights going on & off?) how sensitive are they to the water quality?(cause im planning 25-30% changes every 2 days) how hard is it to get them to try new food?

just to add, im probably getting a 15-20cm silver arowana.

ow & one more problem, i can provide him with frosen shrimp & beefheart or worms. but insects & crickets are kinda hard to find here, specially since they go one killing em by the posion. so i dont even trust those insects. i fear they might kill the fish


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

...so more aro owners can chime in on this.

Also, for the metric'ly impaired... 150x70x50cm = ~60x30x20inches (155 gallons/568 litres). 170cm = ~66inches (which would make the tank 170gallons/644litres).

Just so we know what we're talking about here.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

they are skittish. and it doesn't change much with age. I'd say 8ft tank would be great for them. mine is across my 4ft tank in a flash. the longer bigger tank will help to keep it from jumping. when they feel confined they tend to spook easier. A tight heavy lid is REQUIRED! I made some for my tank that were lipped underneath so that if he did try and jump he wouldn't be able to get past the lids. and they get BIG. so like mentioned if you can't get him I mean minimum would be a 240 L. Id say min 7'x2 1/2' and you might get away for a while. But keep in mind they do get 3ft.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

BlackSunshine said:


> they are skittish. and it doesn't change much with age. I'd say 8ft tank would be great for them. mine is across my 4ft tank in a flash. the longer bigger tank will help to keep it from jumping. when they feel confined they tend to spook easier. A tight heavy lid is REQUIRED! I made some for my tank that were lipped underneath so that if he did try and jump he wouldn't be able to get past the lids. and they get BIG. so like mentioned if you can't get him I mean minimum would be a 240 L. Id say min 7'x2 1/2' and you might get away for a while. But keep in mind they do get 3ft.


hey arowanas are top dwellers, why did you move it?


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

They arent that sensitive to water quality, when i first started out in this hobby the arowana was one of my first fish and trust me i was a pretty shitty care taker back then and then still lived, although they are sensitive when the are young. The first one i owned i raised on feeders cuz i didnt know better and it grew to be about 14 inches before it jumped and died, but other ones that i had i fed cichlid pellets. At first they will be really skittish, some of them stay skittish and others will relax and even recognize you when you come up to the tank.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

welsher7 said:


> i could remember what size tank yours was in. I thought a 125g, guess I wasa wrong. But these guys grow huge.


You would be 100% right too Sir-

But keep in mind also that when I first got into this hobby-I only had the help of a LFS-So with that being said,One could easily see why I had a 3 foot aro in a 125 gal tank-

But one could not afford to purchase a bigger tank in my area either(well with out being loaded ne how)......( no worries either Sir,I can easily house one now)....


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

bamdad said:


> hey arowanas are top dwellers, why did you move it?


Because aros are a tank buster and this sub-forum includes that topic.


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## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

back then, i had a 5 inch silver aro and it grew like it was on roids! I fed it carnivore pellets and would also give a cricket treat 2x a week. the thing doubled its size in less than a year and had to sell it cuz i was moving and could not risk the instability of a move. As mentioned, they grow big quickly and so, it means youre gonna have to be buying and cycling tanks non stop unless you get a tank as suggested by the others here. and also a word of caution too...do not do what those crazy chinese hobbyists are doing on youtube. there are tons of videos on youtube on aros from asian countries but sadly, I dare say, approximately 80% of those there are in tanks that are really just way tooo small for the arowanas. and its a big deal keeping an aro there. To them, arowanas represent good luck and if your arowana dies then it means the arowana took the misfortune on itself instead of going to it's keeper as per chinese superstisious beliefs. Unfortunatley, they are not able to house the fish in proper sized tanks and most become stunted. Living space is at a premium in countries like china, japan and hongkong where it would make better sense to put in a sleeper sofa rather than an 8 foot tank. So go figure.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

yay! i got a 20cm saratoga


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

What's a "Saratoga"?



Spoiler



Yes, I know it's a battlefield in NY and a city there...I used to live in the city.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

ChilDawg said:


> What's a "Saratoga"?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


he'll look like this when he gets big


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## furious piranha (Mar 22, 2005)

jardini????


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

furious piranha said:


> jardini????


i dont know what that is


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Jardini is the specific epithet of one of the more commonly available species of arowana.


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## Uncle Jesse (Feb 18, 2007)

i just saw one like that at a lfs it is about 28'' when i asked about it the guy said "50 bucks hes yours" lol thought it was a good deal any ways


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

If a saratoga is indeed the same thing as a jardini they that aro will be one mean ass fish as it gets bigger.


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

FishBase says that Saratoga is used to refer to either _Scleropages jardinii_ or _S. leichardti_.


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## imnohero (Aug 12, 2007)

Congrats on the new fish!
Any pics of _your_ ara?


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

imnohero said:


> i just saw one like that at a lfs it is about 28'' when i asked about it the guy said "50 bucks hes yours" lol thought it was a good deal any ways


well i got him for like 25 bucks, but they sell the big guys for more than 150. i couldnt believe when he said that a mature red arowana can cost me like 2000


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

I think Red Arowana could refer to the "Asian Arowana" (_S. formosus_), which is quite rare and in CITES Appendix I.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

The picture above is not a "Saratoga." That is an Asian Arowana. "Saratoga" is a native name referring to the two species of Australian Arowana.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

i think he's going to be one bad ass, he didnt even run away when i entered the spearthing to pull out the un eaten food, he even checked it out


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Yours is S. jardini...

If taken care of properly, he will look like this when he gets bigger. This was mine at 19"









It'll likely be extremely aggressive to the point where you can't have any tankmates. Mine lived completely by itself after about 12" because it had killed or near killed every tankmate including a Midas Cichlid and Trimaculatus (two of the most aggressive fish out there).


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

hummm... how did he do it? how can they kill other fishes when they hardly have a tooth? you mean they stab the fish?


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

They don't have teeth, they have serrated jaws. Believe me, I've had enough blood drawn to say that it's true. They can bite, hard, and it hurts! Just wait till it gets bigger.

Jardinis are extremely aggressive.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

dracofish said:


> They don't have teeth, they have serrated jaws. Believe me, I've had enough blood drawn to say that it's true. They can bite, hard, and it hurts! Just wait till it gets bigger.
> 
> Jardinis are extremely aggressive.


yay! i like him then!


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

I think there's more to owning a fish than level of aggression.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

dracofish said:


> I think there's more to owning a fish than level of aggression.


there sure is, i basically chose arowanas because of theirpersonality,attitude & their connection to the owner... and they are one of the most beautiful fishes in my opinion


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Yeah, I definately miss my Jardini, even if I couldn't keep anything with him. It really was a jaw-dropping tank to see...just plain sand bottom with black painted background and one big fish. I lost him about a year ago due to an unseen electrical surge from a heater gone bad. Before I realized what was happening, it was too late.

Now all I have are my pair of Leopoldi Stingrays. I'd say that they're the most interesting out there.


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## imnohero (Aug 12, 2007)

Nice pics Bamdad, truly an amazing animal. I wish I enough tank to keep one of these bad boys. Enjoy!


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

imnohero said:


> Nice pics Bamdad, truly an amazing animal. I wish I enough tank to keep one of these bad boys. Enjoy!


tnx dude, you can start by a small tank, i have a 140litre & my aro is fine. but you'll have to get a bigger tank in a year or so


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

ummm... you think hell tolerate a blood parrot cichild?


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Probably not once he reaches about 10"


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

bamdad said:


> ummm... you think hell tolerate a blood parrot cichild?


Good luck with ne tank mates once he reaches around the 10 to 11 inch mark....


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

here he is today


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Very nice-Got ne full tank shots by chance?


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

AKSkirmish said:


> Very nice-Got ne full tank shots by chance?


ill upload soon, have noticed his back? my dad saw him after 4days & was totally shocked by his growth


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

bamdad said:


> Very nice-Got ne full tank shots by chance?


ill upload soon, have noticed his back? my dad saw him after 4days & was totally shocked by his growth








[/quote]

Thanks-They are fast growers-At first....


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

here's my tank AKSkirmish, it doesnt have a stand since its temporary

















n here's my pleco named "Naghi"


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

That tank is really small!


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

dracofish said:


> That tank is really small!


i totally agree, right now its 4 times his length long & like 15cms more than mt wilson deep. i didnt get the big tank cause of my budget & my family since they believe im nuts n all that


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

that won't last long. It will grow really really fast.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

welsher7 said:


> that won't last long. It will grow really really fast.


according to his growth rate n what other arowanafans say, i should look for the big tank in like 5 or 6 month


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Thanks for the pics man-The tank is a nice tank-But do agree that it is amall-

5 to 6 months will be pushint it I believe-But then again I'm not so famalair with this species at all-

Just make sure to keep up on water params and water changes in that tank sir-Get him on a good diet-And then you shall see some good growth...And can look forward to buying him a bigger tank-The bigger tank one can afford the better off he is going to be....


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

on craigslist i saw a guy selling a 14" jardini that he kept in a 40 gallon







, i wish i had the money to buy it, it was a gorgeous fish.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Buying a tank that you know you're going to have to upgrade in 6mo is a way to waste money, IMO. You should have held of on getting the fish til you could buy the tank that it can stay in for a couple years, or life.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

dracofish said:


> Buying a tank that you know you're going to have to upgrade in 6mo is a way to waste money, IMO. You should have held of on getting the fish til you could buy the tank that it can stay in for a couple years, or life.


well, it had a story since i was about to have a single piranha in this tank. but then i realized that the fishes i had bough were pacus n there were no piranhas allowed in iran. so i saw this guy in a similar tank in my fav fs with 6 other fishes. so i got him home since the tank is enough for him now. but i have promised him to get a great tank later


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

heh here's another update. since no ones posting in this section. i took these today


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Cute little guy-
Although no ne responds-Alot of people view it-So at least it is getting seen-why dont they reply-I have no clue

Have you found n e change in behaviour yet?


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

AKSkirmish said:


> Cute little guy-
> Although no ne responds-Alot of people view it-So at least it is getting seen-why dont they reply-I have no clue
> 
> Have you found n e change in behaviour yet?


well, the first week he seemed peaceful but now he keeps chasing my pleco. i have noticed the poor guys fins have been nipped... :| im plannig to get a oscar or a green terror maybe


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

The tank is WAY too small to add any more fish, especially poop machines like Oscars that grow like weeds.


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

^^not to mention aggression is only gonna get worse and adding cichlids wont really help.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

mike123 said:


> ^^not to mention aggression is only gonna get worse and adding cichlids wont really help.


well then i dont add em







how bout catfishes or bichirs?


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Nothing is going to work man-
He will over run what ever you put into his tank-They are best ment solo-


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

I don't think anyone is responding becuase he doesn't listen any way


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Jardinis are best kept by themselves...

That and your tank is too small to add ANYTHING at this point.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

welsher7 said:


> I don't think anyone is responding becuase he doesn't listen any way


whos not listening? dude im just trying to learn here. im not going to do sth when you guys say its wrong


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

update


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

he is comming along nicely.

Have you seen a change in attitude yet.....


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## aznkon (Apr 27, 2004)

i had bichers along with my jardini before but two things make this not a good cohabitation. 1. if the jardini has a temper then say goodbye to the bicher. 2. if the jardini can fit the bicher in its mouth it will. i was lucky and noticed that my jardini really didn't bother other fish and got along really well so it was fun to add stuff in with it. most people aren't so lucky. just another tip that i think would be good for aros in general. make sure there isn't too much movement under the tank. such as a pet that likes to move around the tank alot. it keeps the aro's attention at the bottom of the tank which will eventually lead to drop eye. it doesn't happen often in jardinis but it's always better to be safe than sorry. i heard if u put a ping pong ball or something else that floats it'll help keep the eyes looking up like it should and in some cases will even fix drop eye (no experience with it just word of mouth).


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

AKSkirmish said:


> he is comming along nicely.
> 
> Have you seen a change in attitude yet.....


well, he's already agressive he picks on the pleco alot. but he's still skittish, get close to the tank n he freaks out alright


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## mike123 (Jul 17, 2006)

looks likes hes coming along nicely.


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## bamdad (Aug 6, 2007)

here are some more pics, i took em today... the last one is the new tank 160x55x65 like 576litres...

the little guy has grown alot n he's becoming soooo agressive. he's sooo beautiful i just wanna hug him


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## leviathon13 (Sep 11, 2006)

i had a silver for over 5 years that i started from a baby ( complete with yolk sac still attached) got rid of it when it was 2 ft and too big for the 125gal. friendly , personable fish.my wife and i could pet it but soone else could. she subsisted solely on a diet of mice, she wouldn't eat anything else. and it made sense if you read what their wild diet consists of.by far the favorite fish i've ever owned. don't let your Nitrate levels get too high though. their gill covers will begin to curl outward if the levels stay high for extended periods.Water changes, water changes! Good luck with the Jardini, they tend to be a bit more aggressive than silvers and somewhat more skittish.


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