Black Arowana Help!

[MooseMann]

I have had really bad luck with Black Arowana’s. This is my most recent guy. Are those just injuries on his side? Or something else? Also does it look like fin rot is starting? All water parameters are good. I do 80% water changes every week. No one in the tank to bully him. He is eating hikari food sticks, a lot of them. Am I just worrying too much? Are they harder to keep or am I just failing miserably? Any other advice from people that have kept Black arowanas? Thanks!

 

[Trouser Cough]

I'll point you in a direction and not use too many words to do it:

What does "really bad luck" in this instance mean?

Can you provide a clearer image? It's difficult to tell if those are growths or holes or something else.

Did that fish look as it does when you got it?

How long have you had it?

Yes, there's something wrong with its fins. They s/b uniform and pretty as opposed to torn up and ugly.

Are there no other tank inhabitants or is it that you think no other inhabitants are bullies?

Is there something with a sharp edge near the top of the tank or on the underside of the lid?

Black Arowana are unusually delicate when young and that one looks very. Do you have experience keeping delicate fish or is the Aro your first?

Do you hear that fish startle and jump once in a while? Is there a predator tank very near this tank by chance?

Based on the quality of the pic it's hard to be certain but assuming I'm reading the shadowing correctly that fish may be really hungry. If you're feeding it a lot and it's not growing that could be an indicator.

As young as that fish appears to be you may find that there's more bad luck on the horizon.

There is a lot of expertise on this forum and you're in the right place. I've had several black and a couple silver Arowana over the last few decades and others here have far more experience than I. I have a 2' long black aro now.

 

[MooseMann]

I'll point you in a direction and not use too many words to do it:

What does "really bad luck" in this instance mean?

Can you provide a clearer image? It's difficult to tell if those are growths or holes or something else.

Did that fish look as it does when you got it?

How long have you had it?

Yes, there's something wrong with its fins. They s/b uniform and pretty as opposed to torn up and ugly.

Are there no other tank inhabitants or is it that you think no other inhabitants are bullies?

Is there something with a sharp edge near the top of the tank or on the underside of the lid?

Black Arowana are unusually delicate when young and that one looks very. Do you have experience keeping delicate fish or is the Aro your first?

Do you hear that fish startle and jump once in a while? Is there a predator tank very near this tank by chance?

Based on the quality of the pic it's hard to be certain but assuming I'm reading the shadowing correctly that fish may be really hungry. If you're feeding it a lot and it's not growing that could be an indicator.

As young as that fish appears to be you may find that there's more bad luck on the horizon.

There is a lot of expertise on this forum and you're in the right place. I've had several black and a couple silver Arowana over the last few decades and others here have far more experience than I. I have a 2' long black aro now.

Thanks for the reply I will answer your questions and hope that leads me in the right direction and course to take.

By bad luck I mean he’s my 3rd young black arowana I have tried to care for. The first one had extensive damage to the fins so I quarantined him and treated for fin rot. The treatment did not go well and ended up dying. The 2nd one got swim bladder and didn’t make it after that I ordered 2 more that were DOA. So I guess technically he’s the 5th. I love these fish and I really want to try and make it work.

He did not look like this when I got him I have had him for about 2 months now.

The other tank mates are as follows.
3 small/young tiger moray eels
Hystrix Stingray
Fire eel.
I have never seen any aggression towards him. He stays at the top the other guys all stay at the bottom.

I have kept discus that’s the most delicate fish I have kept. This is my first time with an arowana. There aren’t any sharp edges I am aware of and I have never seen him get startled or jump before. If he gets surprisedhe just swims to the other side of the tank. 220 Gallon. I will try to get a better picture of him. He eats really well, he eats 5-6 hikari food sticks a day and by the time he’s done you can tell he has a nice full stomach. Let me know what you think thanks!

 

[Trouser Cough]

As a general rule a baby Arowana is raised by itself (or exclusively w/ other baby Arowana) and not in a community tank w/ other oportunistic predators. You don't mention the size of the stingray but they do have a reputation for holding down other fish and biting. Tiger morays can bite. I suspect the shredded fins may have something to do w/ fighting once the lights go out.

Your luck will likely improve when you raise your black on its own until it's about 8" long and at that point you're only looking at a fish that's less delicate and not necessarily at a fish capable of defending itself.

 

[MooseMann]

It’s hard to tell by the picture but he’s about 6-7 inches now here’s a few pictures that might help. If it was aggression I would think the more tattered fins would be on the bottom rather than the top?

 

[Trouser Cough]

The damage to fins would not be limited to or even more apparent on the lower fins. Based on the pics provided I'd say that that fish is both beat up and skinny. I also suspect that at some point the water quality may have been less than ideal based on the hole in the lower fin (it's a guess but a useful guess).

If you would like your success w/ Arowana to improve my suggestion would be to get it out of that tank very soon and let it put on another few inches in length and fill out a bit before trying to put it back into a predatorial environment. You don't say anything about the size of the ray or the fire eel but I'd suspect the ray first. Once the lights go out they're big fans of trapping other fish beneath them and running them to the substrate. Once that happens the victim has a heck of a time getting out from under the ray and gets bitten up pretty good in the process.

 

[MooseMann]

The damage to fins would not be limited to or even more apparent on the lower fins. Based on the pics provided I'd say that that fish is both beat up and skinny. I also suspect that at some point the water quality may have been less than ideal based on the hole in the lower fin (it's a guess but a useful guess).

If you would like your success w/ Arowana to improve my suggestion would be to get it out of that tank very soon and let it put on another few inches in length and fill out a bit before trying to put it back into a predatorial environment. You don't say anything about the size of the ray or the fire eel but I'd suspect the ray first. Once the lights go out they're big fans of trapping other fish beneath them and running them to the substrate. Once that happens the victim has a heck of a time getting out from under the ray and gets bitten up pretty good in the process.

I appreciate your help! I will put together another tank for him and see how it goes!

 

[tlindsey]

The damage to fins would not be limited to or even more apparent on the lower fins. Based on the pics provided I'd say that that fish is both beat up and skinny. I also suspect that at some point the water quality may have been less than ideal based on the hole in the lower fin (it's a guess but a useful guess).

If you would like your success w/ Arowana to improve my suggestion would be to get it out of that tank very soon and let it put on another few inches in length and fill out a bit before trying to put it back into a predatorial environment. You don't say anything about the size of the ray or the fire eel but I'd suspect the ray first. Once the lights go out they're big fans of trapping other fish beneath them and running them to the substrate. Once that happens the victim has a heck of a time getting out from under the ray and gets bitten up pretty good in the process.

Great advice given I always recommend growing out small Silver Arowana by themselves until over the 8"-10" mark but it depends on tankmates .Silver Arowana from my experience don't really fight back they just look aggressive. I believe the Black Arowana has similar traits as the Silver Arowana they just grow smaller.

 

[Trouser Cough]

I agree. That Aro will need a month or two of recovery time and should be at least 10-12" before being put back in that tank. Maybe bigger depending on the size of the ray and the eels. My experience w/ the Black vs Silver is that more than 90% of the time they seem to have the same personality traits and when they don't seem the same it's a silver that's unusually aggressive for being an Arowana. I've never seen an aggressive Black... and you are correct that the Blacks are smaller as adults. They also carry a little stronger color sheen and are a little more lithe.

 

[MooseMann]

I agree. That Aro will need a month or two of recovery time and should be at least 10-12" before being put back in that tank. Maybe bigger depending on the size of the ray and the eels. My experience w/ the Black vs Silver is that more than 90% of the time they seem to have the same personality traits and when they don't seem the same it's a silver that's unusually aggressive for being an Arowana. I've never seen an aggressive Black... and you are correct that the Blacks are smaller as adults. They also carry a little stronger color sheen and are a little more lithe.

Would you do anything specific for recovery? Maybe some aquarium salt for a week? Or would you just keep the water clean and let him recover on his own?