First time Arowana keeper

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
A

AnkurLakhesh

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 8, 2014
7
0
0
India
Dear All

I am Ankur Lakhesh from India and have recently bought 2 Silver Arowana's for the first time.

I am really enjoying these elegant creatures as a part of my home but am a bit concerned about their behavior.

One of my Arowana is around 11" and another one is about 10". They swim aroung the tank whole day and seem very friendly toward one another but while feeding, the bigger one becomes very aggressive and does not allow the smaller Arowana to eat. The smaller one gets forced into a corner while the bigger one eats and even after he is done eating, he does not allow the smaller one to come on surface for feeding.

I have read a lot of posts on this site and I am sure that the current tank (24 Gallons (US)) is not sufficient for them in longer run, I will be definitely upgrading to a 150 galons tank in a few months (Waiting to move into my new apartment), but am not sure if this is the only reason for such aggression because for the entire day they keep swimming around with peace.

Please advise what can I do to keep them at peace till then.

Thanks in advance
Ankur Lakhesh
 
One thing you could do is perhaps separate them using an acrylic screen. But to be honest, if you're going with the Arowana community tank, things like this are bound to happen. infact, you should even be prepared for dropped scales and split fins. after a while of aggression, they'll normally aclimatized and live peacefully. Have you thought about adding target or dither fishes to ease the attention on the other arowana?
 
The problem is your tank. It is extremely too small for those fish. Arros are movers and top swimmers. With a tank that small, they will not both be able to get to the top, and the dominant one will hold onto the area as it is its prefered place.

Dont know what you are feeding them, but try frozen silversides. Thaw them in a bowl of warm water and hand feed one at a time. If the sub is forced to stay at the bottom, just dip your hand into the tank to bring the food to him/her. Ive never had that problem with arros together, but I did once have the same issue with a silver living above a clown knife. And yes, I did get my fingers nipped a few times, but I managed to get everyone fed until I was able to move Ralph and his pet convict into another tank without Draco hovering above them.

And upgrade the tank like tomorrow. Its cruel to make those guys live in that tiny thing.
 
welcome to mfk..........Ankur Lakhesh theres a lot to learn here.. your going to have fun too
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom