Arowana Water/Filtration Requirements

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T

Towhead

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 31, 2012
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United States
I've got a healthy little silver aro about 7" long (currently in a 20 gal tank - soon to move into a 75 gallon), and I'm planning to build a 300-375 gallon tank setup for him. I'm planning on using a wet/dry biofilter with a sump. I've been doing the research and as far as water requirements go, I've come up with the following:

Temp: 75-85°
pH: 6.5-7.0 (slightly acidic)
Hardness: Soft (GH??)
Carbonate Hardness: (kH??)

My aro is doing fine right now in hard water GH 150 ppm (no RO filter yet) with a pH around 7.2. My kH is around 80 ppm.

My main question is concerning the carbonate hardness. I've read this acts as a buffer to sudden changes in pH, and that adding sea shells, coral, etc will increase your kH. Will this also increase your pH? How can I achieve a stable AND low pH? Any ideas are welcome...

My planned solution as of now would be to fill the tank with RO water and add sea shells to my filter sump tank.

IMAG2415.jpg
 
Drawing from my limited knowledge, sea shells will definitely raise pH. Additionally, I have learned that Arowanas are able to tolerate and adapt to high pH levels. Having said that, I do not know how it affects their life span.

For what it's worth, my uncle has an Jardini that has grown from 6" to 18" now. In all the years he's had it, he never bothered checking the pH level of his tank. If there was anything consistent with his maintenance routine, it was the twice a week 25% water changes.

I have a 6" Silver that doing ok in a tank pH of 7.4.
 
What is the current KH level of your water?
 
I have no problem keeping my silver arowana and jardini grow in my very hard water with ph of 9.0. No problem with my discus as well but all my wild are in only RO.
 
I'm probably over-analyzing this, but what can I say? I LOVE this fish. I had a salt water aquarium for 2 years when I was a teenager, and kept live caught grouper, sand bass, sargassum fish, etc and never had a problem with any of them dying or getting sick; I also had no clue about kH, GH, or what nitrates, nitrites, or Ammonia was. Lol

Thanks for the advise! I'm pretty sure you're right about the sea shells raising pH. Does your uncle's Jardini have any tank mates?
 
JV_Z06 said:
It is currenlty housed with a 10" Silver Aro and recently 5 small clown loaches (3"-4").
Click to expand...

I've been thinking that a silver and jardini combination would be cool. I keep hearing that jardini can be somewhat aggressive though. I suppose if the tank mates are big enough it would be fine.
 
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