# what is the smallest arowana



## sweet lu

is there any fish that looks or is an arowana that is around 10 inchs full grown. or a real arowana that is about 18-20 inches full grown. or is there no such fish. thanks


----------



## Lahot

no such fish


----------



## ADAM a.k.a "fishdude"

many wil say if you want a dwarf arowanalook to the african butterfly fish...a bony toungued fish...


----------



## Black-Phoenix

still i wounder what is the smallest? 2 feet? is it a leagal variety?


----------



## sweet lu

are arowanas even legal in the U.S. or in maryland :rock:


----------



## Kory

sweet lu said:


> are arowanas even legal in the U.S. or in maryland :rock:


 yes just not Asian aros


----------



## RhomZilla

What about stunting their growth??? Best way to minimize the size on any fish, but wouldnt risk it to give 'em stress.


----------



## dracofish

RhomZilla said:


> What about stunting their growth??? Best way to minimize the size on any fish, but wouldnt risk it to give 'em stress.


 That will often result in "Quasi Modo Syndrome"...


----------



## Lahot

RhomZilla said:


> What about stunting their growth??? Best way to minimize the size on any fish, but wouldnt risk it to give 'em stress.


 I've seen 8" silver arowanas in a 10 gallon tank, I don't think you can stunt their growth unless maybe you don't feed them.

A black arowana seems to grow at about half the rate of a silver, you could always buy one of them and see how you like it as it hits 10-12 inches. Which from what I've seen will take over a year to happen.


----------



## Killer

Sorry man, I've done extensive research on Arowanas and you're not going to find any "dwarfs". The only thing you really could do to stunt their growth would be to keep them in a small tank and let the water load up with pollutants. Most people are under the impression that tank size limits fish growth but that's acutally not true. The smaller tank's water is more concentrated, therefore the pollutants and impurities in the water are much more concentrated. The chemicals in the water (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, phosphates, etc.) actually poison the fish and that stunts it's growth. I'm not saying to do this because it's extremely inhumane, if you can't house a fish properly, don't buy it. If you wanted something similar to Arowana, go with the African Butterfly fish. It is also a top swimmer, it feeds on crickets and flies that fall into the water. It is intolerant of other top swimmers, so you probably can only have one. It doesn't get much bigger than 4". It is a predatory fish so there is the possibility of it eating smaller fish that are in the tank with it. It is also a very good jumper, much like the Arowana, so a good hood must be used to cover your tank if your fish jumps out. African Butterfly are much cheaper than an Arowana anyways. So if you're wanting a fish like this, do the smart thing and get something that isn't going to grow 3' feet or larger. Or else buy a new tank (300 gallons +) at full adult size for an Arowana.


----------



## sweet lu

well what about a tank that is 8' long and 2' by 2' this is a 240 long.would that be good for a arowana for life and would it be able to survie with other fish such as piranhas and other tetras. would this be a bad idea. also would a african butterfly fish be able to mix with piranhas.


----------



## Kory

sweet lu said:


> well what about a tank that is 8' long and 2' by 2' this is a 240 long.would that be good for a arowana for life and would it be able to survie with other fish such as piranhas and other tetras. would this be a bad idea. also would a african butterfly fish be able to mix with piranhas.


 I would'nt mix p's with arrow's someone will get hurt.


----------



## Killer

Well piranhas don't mix with anything really (exception being pacus as large as they are or larger). The length of your tank you described sounds good but you need a tank that will be at least 36" wide so that the Arowana can fully turn around as it swims. So I strongly advise you not to buy anything you want to have for a long time and put it with piranhas. Arowana can be kept with other bottom dwelling fish though, such as cichlids, stingrays, or other fish that aren't going to get eaten or that can't eat the arowana. Single species tanks are kind of a drag, but they're really the most safe when it comes to running the risk of predation from another fish in the tank. Also when selecting an arowana tank, don't worry about depth very much, as I'm sure you know, they keep to the top of the water most of the time, major considerations are length, width, and filtration that won't disturb the top of the water very much, because that stresses arowana out really bad. As far as tetras are concerned, when they school they are notorious fin nippers, so they may nip the fins of your other fish, or the arowana (if big enough) will have an all you can eat buffet with tetra as the main course.


----------



## sweet lu

what if the tank was like 4ft by 3ft by 1ft. is that big enough.


----------



## Killer

I don't think that is really going to be deep enough for it. I would say it would need to be at least 20" deep, 40" wide, 60" long.


----------



## 14_blast

I thought the smallest arrowan is an Asian arowana and they are 39"


----------



## dracofish

Jardinis reach about 30".


----------



## acestro

> Most people are under the impression that tank size limits fish growth but that's acutally not true


True, toxins are more important. But lack of swimming space (exercise) does have some effect. In short, FISH DO NOT GROW TO THE SIZE OF THEIR TANK (at least not without serious internal organ problems and stunted growth).
Also, PLEASE try to have a separate tank for piranha and other fish. Or just ditch the piranha shtick and go with some more interesting fishes (yes I know this site is "piranha fury"







).

African Butterfly fish is the way to go. Forcing incompatible fish or incompatible tanks sizes is a bad idea and borderline inhumane. Let us know which way you choose and post pics!

Good luck.


----------



## Black Piranha

asian aros are legal. but you have to buy one thats already here. no importing. which means when you find them they are super expensive.


----------



## dracofish

Black Piranha said:


> asian aros are legal. but you have to buy one thats already here. no importing. which means when you find them they are super expensive.


Um, NOPE. Asians Arowanas are protected under CITES Appendix I, which means that they are illegal to buy, sell, import, and even possess in the U.S. You can obtain a permit to legally get one, but you have to either be mega rich, own a conservation institute or public aquarium, or know some seriously important people.

How do you think those Asian Aros that you think are legal got here? They were imported...illegally, so therefore, they are illegal.


----------



## sweet lu

i just got an idea(dont get one very often) but can an arowana go into a freshwater indoor pond. that way he can have lots of room. i think it would be easy. have one side acrilic and the other a thick pond tarp. that way it would be so you can see him and he can have lots of room for a really cheap price. would a pond of 8' long 3' wide and 3' tall be good tank for him.what do you think.


----------



## dracofish

LOL, I have a 750 gallon indoor pond that's almost built. It will be fish-ready in about a month...









*this shot shows about half of the pond*









*high cat for size comparison*









The inside and outside are painted with a sealant to keep any moisture out of the wood. The cracks you see will be sealed with silicone once the paint dries. It will be lined with carpet padding underneath an already purchased black 40mil rubber liner. You can't see it, but the sides are braced quite well! I can't wait to get this thing finished. It will be filtered by 2 home made fluidized beds and a wet/dry with an overflow. I will post full plans once it is finished.


----------



## sweet lu

looks good. pm the direction on how to make one. what are the dimensions of the pond. is there a little area to see the fish from the side. or can you only see them from the top.


----------



## Lahot

very interesting setup, what are you going to use as a "lid"?


----------



## 14_blast

That's f'ing awesome, dracofish
















I'm anxious to see the finished product


----------

