African Arowana's Unite!!!
- Thread starter Madding
- Start date
Mine occupies all levels of the water column. And, he's never been a finicky eater. At this size, filter-feeding is pretty much over. He's one of the 1st to go after the live shiners I offer to the trop gars and polys. He'll eat any fresh, frozen, pelleted, granulated, flaked, stick, and live food dropped into the tank.
As a 2" juvie, the afaro's diet was concentrated. Here's a rundown I posted a while back:
Basically, the only real success seems to be in providing a constant source of food until the aros reach about 8" and develop some fat storage to allow them to receive scheduled feedings like most other fish.
I raised the young in bare tanks with sponge filters. The sponge filters allow the fish to "graze" on previously missed food until the next feeding. Be sure to rinse of the sponges every other day to keep spoiled food off of them. Keep the water on the alkaline side and at 80 degrees. Also keep a good lid on their tank. They're jumpers from the get-go. They also need a cover to provide matching air and water temps while the young's air-breathing architecture is developing.
Feed them on a variety of small foods. Frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, crumble food, sinking food, cyclop-eeze, flakes, and micro-pellets are all taken. Feed high protein foods since they have high metabolic rates (no cheap generic foods). Water changes of 30-50% need to be done every 2-3 days.
Af aros need to be housed either as 1 to a tank or 4 and up to a tank. With 2 or 3 you'll wind up with only one in a short time as their aggression towards each other is high.
Note: my best success was in following the above and allowing my rearing tanks to go green with algae. These are a filter-feeding species, after all, and I think they benefitted from some algae consumption in their diets.
Good luck!!
Basically, the only real success seems to be in providing a constant source of food until the aros reach about 8" and develop some fat storage to allow them to receive scheduled feedings like most other fish.
I raised the young in bare tanks with sponge filters. The sponge filters allow the fish to "graze" on previously missed food until the next feeding. Be sure to rinse of the sponges every other day to keep spoiled food off of them. Keep the water on the alkaline side and at 80 degrees. Also keep a good lid on their tank. They're jumpers from the get-go. They also need a cover to provide matching air and water temps while the young's air-breathing architecture is developing.
Feed them on a variety of small foods. Frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, crumble food, sinking food, cyclop-eeze, flakes, and micro-pellets are all taken. Feed high protein foods since they have high metabolic rates (no cheap generic foods). Water changes of 30-50% need to be done every 2-3 days.
Af aros need to be housed either as 1 to a tank or 4 and up to a tank. With 2 or 3 you'll wind up with only one in a short time as their aggression towards each other is high.
Note: my best success was in following the above and allowing my rearing tanks to go green with algae. These are a filter-feeding species, after all, and I think they benefitted from some algae consumption in their diets.
Good luck!!
Great thread! I only wish to find one of these beauts (BTW love the comment on them being an African Pima
Actually, they're only fragile when they're smaller than 7". Mine eats technically any kind of food (pellets, shrimps, smelts). Both of the ones I keep, I got them when they're 8" or biggerpeewee;3918538; said:
They're all over the tank!studd muffin;3918551; said:
Wow Oddball, that's information!
You make me want one more! (in another tank).
The rundown you posted a while back is top!
Everything everyone needs to know.
Got a bit scared by realizing he's gonna eat bigger parts.
But ey, big car, big tires!
You make me want one more! (in another tank).
The rundown you posted a while back is top!
Everything everyone needs to know.
Got a bit scared by realizing he's gonna eat bigger parts.
But ey, big car, big tires!
Yup, they have it right. If you can get your African Arowana past the younger stages (6"-8") then you should be set for life in regards to feeding. It is at those smaller sizes that they are very picky, to the point where you can find a lot of testimonials on forums about people losing juvenile AA's to starvation. Not only do you have to find what they want, but you have to feed them 2-3 times a day when they are small or you will notice visible thinness!
I had to feed my African Arowana crushed (almost to a powder) Hikari pellets when it was small. Even broken up tablets would be spit out. It liked to dart back and forth into the cloud of particles and suck them in.
Now that it's larger, it gulps down big pieces of krill and shrimp as well as whole tablets.
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Also, to answer a question way up top, mine stays primarily in the middle of the tank. It's always coasting around, occasionally going up to breathe but moreoften heading to the bottom to suck in a ton of substrate and spit it all over the place trying to sift some food out (think Geophagus and multiple by 100. Makes quite a mess!)
I had to feed my African Arowana crushed (almost to a powder) Hikari pellets when it was small. Even broken up tablets would be spit out. It liked to dart back and forth into the cloud of particles and suck them in.
Now that it's larger, it gulps down big pieces of krill and shrimp as well as whole tablets.
---
Also, to answer a question way up top, mine stays primarily in the middle of the tank. It's always coasting around, occasionally going up to breathe but moreoften heading to the bottom to suck in a ton of substrate and spit it all over the place trying to sift some food out (think Geophagus and multiple by 100. Makes quite a mess!)
they kinda remind me of a carp...they are cool in their own way, don't peak my interest, but a unique fish no the less...
