Getting into Arowanas

[Pwn]

I just picked up a tank from craigslist - a freaking steal. Listed as a custom acrylic 50g with canister filter...and the dimensions as listed: 5'x20"18". I ran the numbers and came up with 94g - all for $125 and a 10 minute drive.

So I have never liked the way arowanas looked, and then I came across this site and they have kind of grown on me. Seems everyone has one! I think this new tank is a perfect grow out tank for an aro, so I think I'm going to add one to my collection. I'm used to making hasty decisions, and this time I want to take my time and make everything perfect. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. What type should I get? Seems like they are pretty common, but whats that rare type that people will go crazy over?

2. I've heard drop eye is more common in silvers; is that true?

3. What type are illegal to own in the states(California), if any at all?

4. What kind of tank upgrade am I looking at and how soon?

5. Substrate or bare bottom? I have never done a bare bottom tank, but most of the aro videos I have watched are bare bottom.

6. Should there be tank mates, or should he be kept solo?

7. Since they swim near the top of the water,what kind of lighting adjustments need to be made? Will regular hood lights work?


I think thats it for now, if I think of anything else I will post it up.

 

[Venom]

I just picked up a tank from craigslist - a freaking steal. Listed as a custom acrylic 50g with canister filter...and the dimensions as listed: 5'x20"18". I ran the numbers and came up with 94g - all for $125 and a 10 minute drive.

So I have never liked the way arowanas looked, and then I came across this site and they have kind of grown on me. Seems everyone has one! I think this new tank is a perfect grow out tank for an aro, so I think I'm going to add one to my collection. I'm used to making hasty decisions, and this time I want to take my time and make everything perfect. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. What type should I get? Seems like they are pretty common, but whats that rare type that people will go crazy over?

2. I've heard drop eye is more common in silvers; is that true?

3. What type are illegal to own in the states(California), if any at all?

4. What kind of tank upgrade am I looking at and how soon?

5. Substrate or bare bottom? I have never done a bare bottom tank, but most of the aro videos I have watched are bare bottom.

6. Should there be tank mates, or should he be kept solo?

7. Since they swim near the top of the water,what kind of lighting adjustments need to be made? Will regular hood lights work?


I think thats it for now, if I think of anything else I will post it up.

1. How much are you willing to spend?
2. Yes.
3. Asians and maybe others I don't know I 'm not from USA
4. Really depends on long the arowana is at first. Expect 1-2'' a month and about a 8x3x2 tank.
5. Really just opinion
6. Yeah regular hoods will work just make sure to secure them with heavy items.

 

[Pwn]

I wouldn't spend over $1k....I would be killed by my wife. I could go a few hundred if I was knocked off my feet by one ..maybe more. Most of my collection are common fish that I really enjoy..EBJD's, cory's, clown loaches etc....I'm looking for a really beautiful monster that people will envy

 

[city_of_evil6661]

I just picked up a tank from craigslist - a freaking steal. Listed as a custom acrylic 50g with canister filter...and the dimensions as listed: 5'x20"18". I ran the numbers and came up with 94g - all for $125 and a 10 minute drive.

So I have never liked the way arowanas looked, and then I came across this site and they have kind of grown on me. Seems everyone has one! I think this new tank is a perfect grow out tank for an aro, so I think I'm going to add one to my collection. I'm used to making hasty decisions, and this time I want to take my time and make everything perfect. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. What type should I get? Seems like they are pretty common, but whats that rare type that people will go crazy over?

2. I've heard drop eye is more common in silvers; is that true?

3. What type are illegal to own in the states(California), if any at all?

4. What kind of tank upgrade am I looking at and how soon?

5. Substrate or bare bottom? I have never done a bare bottom tank, but most of the aro videos I have watched are bare bottom.

6. Should there be tank mates, or should he be kept solo?

7. Since they swim near the top of the water,what kind of lighting adjustments need to be made? Will regular hood lights work?


I think thats it for now, if I think of anything else I will post it up.

1. silver are the least expensive. but blacks tend to be more tame. but a little more costly. jars(from what i have read) dont do well with tankmates in most cases. and all asains are illegal.

2. yes this is true.

3. as i said before all asians.

4. depends on the size of the aro. if its small then it should be fine for a year or less. when you upgrade the length should be 3 times as long as the fish. if not longer. it should be wide enough so that the fish has enough room to turn with no trouble.

5. is its a baby then your gonna want to make the tank planted so that if it get frightened it can hide. which means if its a baby its better to have substrate. but if its a decent size you can choose whether or not that it has a bare bottom.

6. if its once again a baby then its best kept alone. silvers and blacks tend to do well with tankmates. but wouldnt chance it with a jar.

7. normal lighting. secure the hood so that the aro cant jump out. this is how i lost my baby silver. cover all holes and everything.

hope this helps. im not an aro expert but i explained everything the best i could. and if im wrong about anything feel free to correct me.

 

[LemonHead]

Hey welcome to MFK. I feel exactly the same way. I'm looking for some aros myself.
Would love to own an asian aro but not here & now. Maybe in the next life or somethin...
I thought O's were badasses till I got curious about aros.. Real monsters.
You know of any good LFS in your area?

 

[dbcb314]

I have had two friends own aros, one of them was a roomate so it was int he same apartment.

IMO...

everyone that isn't a fish keeper will be wowed by an aro because of their odd shape and their big mouths. Everyone that came by our apartment was wowed by it and his wasnt even that big. My friend who had one for a while got the exact same reaction. They just had regular silvers. And a large, well kept silver will wow anyone, even people that keep fish. They are just impressive to see in person. They have a "presence" about them.

Both of them had substate... sand. I think it looks better than bare bottom anyway, but bare bottom is easier to clean.

Every silver I have seen in person as had drop eye.

One of my friends did 2 water changes a week, fed a varied diet... basically was very concious of keeping his fish as healthy as possible. His silver aro went from about 6-9 inches to 2 feet in less that a year and outgrew his 125. Its growth was just ridicolous.

The one we kept in the apartment did not grow fast at all. It was also in a 135 (same tank actually... other friend sold it). He did not do a single water change all year. Diet wasn't anything special. And it went from 6 inches to about 14 maybe in a year and had plenty of room in the tank.

A pretty full grown silver would need at least a 3 feet wide tank IMO.

both friends used regular hood lights

 

[Sonsinator]

I just picked up a tank from craigslist - a freaking steal. Listed as a custom acrylic 50g with canister filter...and the dimensions as listed: 5'x20"18". I ran the numbers and came up with 94g - all for $125 and a 10 minute drive.

So I have never liked the way arowanas looked, and then I came across this site and they have kind of grown on me. Seems everyone has one! I think this new tank is a perfect grow out tank for an aro, so I think I'm going to add one to my collection. I'm used to making hasty decisions, and this time I want to take my time and make everything perfect. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. What type should I get? Seems like they are pretty common, but whats that rare type that people will go crazy over?

2. I've heard drop eye is more common in silvers; is that true?

3. What type are illegal to own in the states(California), if any at all?

4. What kind of tank upgrade am I looking at and how soon?

5. Substrate or bare bottom? I have never done a bare bottom tank, but most of the aro videos I have watched are bare bottom.

6. Should there be tank mates, or should he be kept solo?

7. Since they swim near the top of the water,what kind of lighting adjustments need to be made? Will regular hood lights work?


I think thats it for now, if I think of anything else I will post it up.

1.It really depends on your taste and how you're willing to take care of that fish,but I do prefer that you start off with silvers first since they're the cheapest and gives you alot of info about them as well before you go for rare ones like black,chili red,etc.Once you already know how to take care of that fish and made them grow successfully, then it's time for you to buy rare ones as your uhm.... "trophy".

2.It's common to every arowanas that's eating too much. DE sometimes cause by excess fat building up behind the eyes or sometimes it's from the genes.

3.Every asians.

4.If you want to see their full growth then a 350-400+ gallon will be a must sooner or later, but if they're still a baby, they can go with the 94 gal tank for a while.If you're comfortable with a 21/2-3 ft arowana then a 150-200 gal is fine.

5.If it has no tankmates then a barebottom should be fine also, but if it has some semi-agressive tankmates then I suggest you should put substrate, plants to hide for.

6.If you're comfortable with 1 fish in the tank then it's okay, but never put jardini arowana as a tankmate, cause they have the attitude of killing everything in the aquarium,but if you want, you can go for the clown knife as a tank mate because a silver and clown knife make a good pair.

7.Normal lighting will work, but remember to turn it off at night/midnight, cause not turning the lights off is considered as a soft torture for these fishes.For the hood, I suggest you put heavy things on it and put a strong lid because arowanas tend to break through the glasses, hoods if it's not securely tight.

 

[Pwn]

Good info guys, thank you all. Since I want this to be my trophy fish, I might wait...it looks like my new tank will be outgrown quickly by an arowana. I'm not sure I can get anything smaller than 10" from my LFS and thats already close to not meeting the tank standards. Looking into getting a 500g or so, but that will have to wait until next year at the earliest. Still, I got a good deal on this tank, so I will just leave it empty in the garage until something else inspires me.

 

[Sonsinator]

Good info guys, thank you all. Since I want this to be my trophy fish, I might wait...it looks like my new tank will be outgrown quickly by an arowana. I'm not sure I can get anything smaller than 10" from my LFS and thats already close to not meeting the tank standards. Looking into getting a 500g or so, but that will have to wait until next year at the earliest. Still, I got a good deal on this tank, so I will just leave it empty in the garage until something else inspires me.

It really depends on how you take care of that fish .

 

[Hot Slime]

Good info guys, thank you all. Since I want this to be my trophy fish, I might wait...it looks like my new tank will be outgrown quickly by an arowana. I'm not sure I can get anything smaller than 10" from my LFS and thats already close to not meeting the tank standards. Looking into getting a 500g or so, but that will have to wait until next year at the earliest. Still, I got a good deal on this tank, so I will just leave it empty in the garage until something else inspires me.

I would use the 5'x18"x20" as a growout for something else. 500 gallons is alot of room and you will have enough space for tankmates for the aro. Maybe Datnoids? if you find then interesting. They grow hella slow and in one year probally still wont have outgrow your 5'x18"x20" depending how big you get then at and how many you put in the tank.
Just my 2cent.