Arowana with armatus (payara)?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

lix.ma14

Hydrolycus Armatus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2011
7,182
21
92
Ontario, Canada
I'm moving into a new house soon and there is going to have more space for my fish so i'm getting a tank between 200 gallons to 300 gallons. I am wondering if arowanas and armatus (or payaras in general) can be put in the same tank together? I either looking at an black aro, african aro, asain, or a leichardti. I'm leaning toward the asain aro though. I found a nifty price for juvis just yesterday. What do you guys think?
I just don't want my armatus to kill the arowana like the 2 angelfish I had with it. The armatus is around a bit over 7 inches. I'm planning to get an aro about the same size or a bit slightly smaller. 6 inches?

Any experiences, concerns, or just comments?

thanks
 
Despite what many have said about Armatus aggression I have successfully comm'd them and I've done it on more than one occasion with several Armatus so I doubt my success was a fluke. How ever I will say that without fail my Armatus wouldn't tolerate fish that where Silver in color. Especially the more streamlined silver fish where targeted mercilessly. So I wouldn't attempt it as the damage a Armatus can inflict is serious to say the least. Even if there's little aggression from the Armatus(by some fluke) toward the Aro the abrupt quick motions of the Armatus will definitely spook the Aro into jumping.

My experience is totally with Armatus so you may be able to comm other kinds of Payara with the Aro. If you did attempt it I'd go with a Tat or Rhaph I've seen both available on Aquabid.com within the past day. I lean more to Rhaph's though as I have had experience with them and of the Payara's I'd say they're one of the easiest to comm. They're generally calm for a Payara and I personally love their streamlined bodies and their silver sheen is much brighter than the other Payara in my opinion.
 
ok thanks. So I should get an aro that not silver? So a black aro, red asian, african? Can leichardtis work?
 
Anything silver(Lei's, Black Aro's) are going to be targeted by the Armatus. You might be able to mix them with a African or possibly a Asian but I'd be very hesitant with the Asian due to their expense and the fact that you'd have to get a high quality one so as to get one colored as far away from silver as possible. I've also heard people say red has the same affect on Armatus which incites them to attack so I wouldn't go for a Red Asian Aro either. I gave you my best recommendation above which is trying either a Tat. or Rhaph Payara, I even told you there's some available on Aquabid.
 
which arowana have you kept successfully with armatus? The reason I'm asking this is because I've ALWAYS wanted an arowana in this hobby but i've got the chance to until now.
 
I haven't been able to cohab an Armatus with any Aro as of yet. As I've said they go crazy on Silver fish, My Armatus impaled my Rhaphiodons all of them within minutes, Scomberoides and a Silver almost immediately. I lost the Rhaphiodons and Scomb's but saved the Aro who was moved to another tank till I re-homed him. That's perhaps the worst thing about Armatus unlike with cichlids and some other aggressive fish where you see the badgering and can try and get a feel of how serious it is and intervene, with an Armatus one attack can easily be fatal for the targeted fish. It's unfortunate but some fish just can't co-hab together. You can try it but remember it's your choice and the repercussions of those choises will fall squarely on your shoulders.

If you are going to try it, make sure you have a spare cycled tank handy change the decorations around in the tank you want to tr the co-hab in and introduce the Aro before the Armatus. Let the Arm cool his heels in the spare tank till the Aro gets settled. Also go for the least flighty and less aggressive of the Aro's the Lei or the African Aro.

My best advice though is stated above twice already, but you seem intent on risking the 2 fish and their lives, so I've given you the safest way to proceed with what will probably turn into a disaster with the loss of one or possibly both fish.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com