Basically im saying how can we say silvers jump, die, dont reach their full size, ect ect when we dont say the same about aussie and asians.
Lol maybe because OP was asking about Silver Arowana and not Aussie or Asian
Also as RD says with Silvers the general concensus is that Silvers have a reputation for being the most skittish and jumpy of Arowana, at least in captivity. Just like Jardini have a reputation for not too infrequently going beserko in community tanks.
The comparison im making is we have some saying they dont reach their size potential and die prematurely because they need to be kept in larger tanks and this is the sole reason for the lack of size. polyaddict asked if anyone seen a 4ft aro in person. Not kept in a pond. Better off you read the beginning posts of the thread.
Well I guess your referencing my post, but where did I say the need for a larger tank is the
sole reason why Silvers die prematurely or don't get to 4'?? Please go back and do some re-reading yourself: I said ..."because they
mostly die and/or are so stressed they jump out of the tank
long before reaching 4' -- the smaller, more cramped the tank, the more likely an aro is to jump out." Nowhere in this statement does it say tank size is the
sole reason (though it can certainly be a big reason, and that's what this thread is about) -- but there's those ace reading comprehension skills again...
shouldnt the same go for anyone keeping scleropages in 30ish wide tanks ?
Well of course it depends on the size of the Scleropages (be it Asian, Leichardti or Jardini, all of which can get 2' to maybe even 3') -- as well as the long-term plans of the owner.
But agreed with your main point, good to see you coming around: and that's why having a (doable) plan in place with these kind of fish is very important -- and for each step along the way, to provide the fish with adequate --
not long-term cramped -- space, for both practical and ethical reasons.
I can't speak for other Scleropages owners, but for anyone who cares here's my personal plan:
1) Acquired 2 X Asian Arowana @ ~10.5". After 3 weeks in temporary 90 gallon tank (20" wide), each moved to new solo 325g tank, 84"Lx32"Wx28"H. They're both ~13" now and have
plenty of space and certainly no trouble to turn around easily.
2)
If I do a good job of raising them, and if I'm lucky enough they reach 24", I'll reward them with ~500g tanks with wider/longer footprints (luckily I live in a place where large, custom tanks are quite inexpensive compared to Western countries).
3) If I'm fortunate enough and they outgrow those tanks then it's time to set-up an outdoor pond or two -- luckily I live in place where the climate is super ideal for this
Or if they get that huge I could always sell them for big bucks to a rich Thai businessman.
But for those of you who live in frigid climates and keep Scleropages I don't know what your long-term plans would be for keeping such fish -- perhaps indoor ponds in heated garages, basements or specially built fish rooms like Joey DIY? Sounds expensive.