Silver Arowana inactive

ChildhoodFishLover

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2018
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Hey I currently have a Silver arowana around 8-10 inches maybe, in a 125g tank. He has been in the tank for about 2 months now. The problem I see is that the arowana sits in the top corner of the tank all day and I only see him swim when its dark at night. I stopped turning on the light because I do not have an LED for him yet and I was afraid the lights I had were too bright for him. He is also very frightened of me and swims like crazy and rams himself into a wall and splash the surface when i move a little too fast. He is scared of everything and just likes to sit in the corner. His inactivity concerns me. Right now he is in a tank with a small pleco that likes to hide in the log decor I have and I used to have 2 1.5 inch oscars. I removed the oscars because I noticed they chased him around and at night I heard a loud splash n bang and when I went to check I saw the two oscars chasing him. I have 2 large sponge filters hooked up to an air pump that provides quite a bit of surface agitation and I have a fluval 306 with the output pointing directly down because I was afraid the output would be too strong and create too much of a current. He has started to move a little more since I pointed it downwards, but I am still concerned. Is he just not used to the tank yet? Is he stressed? Does he need tank mates?
 

tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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Hey I currently have a Silver arowana around 8-10 inches maybe, in a 125g tank. He has been in the tank for about 2 months now. The problem I see is that the arowana sits in the top corner of the tank all day and I only see him swim when its dark at night. I stopped turning on the light because I do not have an LED for him yet and I was afraid the lights I had were too bright for him. He is also very frightened of me and swims like crazy and rams himself into a wall and splash the surface when i move a little too fast. He is scared of everything and just likes to sit in the corner. His inactivity concerns me. Right now he is in a tank with a small pleco that likes to hide in the log decor I have and I used to have 2 1.5 inch oscars. I removed the oscars because I noticed they chased him around and at night I heard a loud splash n bang and when I went to check I saw the two oscars chasing him. I have 2 large sponge filters hooked up to an air pump that provides quite a bit of surface agitation and I have a fluval 306 with the output pointing directly down because I was afraid the output would be too strong and create too much of a current. He has started to move a little more since I pointed it downwards, but I am still concerned. Is he just not used to the tank yet? Is he stressed? Does he need tank mates?

Place some floating plants so it will make the Aro feel secure. Is your light on a timer?
 
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ChildhoodFishLover

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2018
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Place some floating plants so it will make the Aro feel secure. Is your light on a timer?
I used to have a light that would have a timer from 11am til 11pm, but my stepdad would always turn it off in the middle of the day so I stopped using it, afraid that the constant on n off would scare the fish. What would you suggest I get? some lily pad bulbs? im afraid the aro would eat the bulbs.
 

tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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I used to have a light that would have a timer from 11am til 11pm, but my stepdad would always turn it off in the middle of the day so I stopped using it, afraid that the constant on n off would scare the fish. What would you suggest I get? some lily pad bulbs? im afraid the aro would eat the bulbs.

You could get plastic plants and when Aro gets over the 12 inch mark you could remove the plants.
 
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ChildhoodFishLover

Feeder Fish
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Jun 23, 2018
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You could get plastic plants and when Aro gets over the 12 inch mark you could remove the plants.
shoot the problem is that I dont even know how long he is LOL. Im guestimating he is around 8-10 because he looks like it. Do you also know anything about aro sometimes has tail lower than body creating kind of like a banana shape. He doesnt do it all the time but sometimes he does it.
 

tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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shoot the problem is that I dont even know how long he is LOL. Im guestimating he is around 8-10 because he looks like it. Do you also know anything about aro sometimes has tail lower than body creating kind of like a banana shape. He doesnt do it all the time but sometimes he does it.

When Aro looks like that it is probably ready to jump.
 

ChildhoodFishLover

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2018
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A timer will get the young Aro adjusted to the time of when light comes on. Turning the light on inconsistently will cause the Aro to spook every time.
What lights do you have, I am thinking of getting an LED strip and using it inside an upsidedown rain gutter or smt. smt diy. i also need smt that doesnt glare too much so my parents dont constantly turn it off n on.
 

ChildhoodFishLover

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2018
29
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Also do you think that only hikari carni sticks are good diet. because im afraid of giving him shrimp and he doesnt eat it causing me to have to reach my arm or net in to grab the piece of schrimp spooking him.
 

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
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Aug 6, 2011
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What lights do you have, I am thinking of getting an LED strip and using it inside an upsidedown rain gutter or smt. smt diy. i also need smt that doesnt glare too much so my parents dont constantly turn it off n on.

I have Fluval Aquasky led's on a couple of my aquariums and others flourescent light strips. You could dim the led if you have that feature.
 
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