Black arowana stopped eating!

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A

Anderman

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 8, 2007
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I have a pair of Black arowana's around the 24" mark in a 450 gallon tank. The female has stopped eating for about 3 weeks now and I can't figure out what's wrong. There are no signs of disease but I treated for 5 days with prazi-pro in case it was internal. The parameters of the tank haven't changed and the occupants are 9 stingrays and a male black arowana.The water gets changed every five days and I have also done a few more to see if that would affect her appetite. The diet for the aro was pellets,smelts,shrimp and other frozen types of seafood. I tried feeding dew worms,feeder comets and crickets but the only thing that caught her eye was the crickets but she didn't even touch them. Looked like she wanted too but then just turned away. I know aros can go on a fast for long periods of time for unexplained reasons but this is getting too long for my comfort.

Any suggestions?
 
Lots of people have had "sudden death" with black aro, inculding myself. I personally dont think they do to well in captivity. Usually they make it to about 20" or so then start falling off. Mine stopped eating then started swimming kinda funny several days later.

GL, hope for the best.
 
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-less then .1mg/l
Nitrates are between 20-50 mg/l.

Doing another water change!
 
Man that sucks. You already tried the medication so I wouldn't risk that again. Also the other fish are fine. I would not do anything and wait this out.
You could try removing the fish to another tank but my experience with Aros is they panic jump and kill themselves when a net goes in the water and that could happen to the healthy one too.
 
All you can do is monitor her behavior. Have you tried some live baby brine shrimp.
 
I had a 28" silver go 3 months without eating. Then one day started attacking any food that I put in. They do fast for long periods of time
 
SWEET!!!!
Update, After over 3 months with no food the female start eating 2 days ago. I sure would like to know what causes arowanas to stop eating for such extended periods of time. This was worse then the "Crack" diet. She is skinny as hell but holding down everything she is eating. She has ate a full smelt and a bunch of massivore.
 
They go on hunger strikes for many reasons over feeding or even being startled. My silver went 3 months without eating for no reason that i know of and i researched it and for that is fairly common and since they have a real slow metabolism it dont hurt them too bad

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keepinfish said:
Lots of people have had "sudden death" with black aro, inculding myself. I personally dont think they do to well in captivity. Usually they make it to about 20" or so then start falling off. Mine stopped eating then started swimming kinda funny several days later.

GL, hope for the best.
Click to expand...

Captivity in and of itself is not a toxic thing. There is surely a more empirical source of their decline.
 
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