i was very thankfull to obtain 2 large black aro's over the weekend..they had a rough go at it though...they were stored in a rubbermaid bin for 2 days until i was able to establish a 125 gallon tank its up and running now and fish are in it...both have lost there front barbs and tails are lookin a lil shredded ,,any advice dont want to lose these 2 beautifull fish...thanx kel..new to the arowana world
HELP..dont want arow's to die
- Thread starter tera1kel
- Start date
Just from what you described, it seems that they are just stressed from being in that rubbermaid for a long time. I would just put some of that black water extract or some of those almond leaves that i saw someone post here. You can also put some melafix there or some stress coat item taht you can get at your LFS.
Sounds like your arows went under a lot of stress. Was the rubbermaid container at least aerated? Filtered? They should come out of it however if you JUST got the tank ensure you monitor the water and keep it pristine if possible. You will have ammonia spikes and nitrate spikes that will further stress the fish. Increase temp to around 84 debrees and keep lights down as well as traffic around the tank to a minimum if possible. I do not see how they got shredded tails from the rubbermaid container. Must have been that way before you got them.
I once received a 23" black aro in a shipment that came belly up and barely alive. Strangely, its fin appeared to be rotting and falling apart as it slowly died overnight. I'm guessing that it was from either severe shock/stress or lack of movement that minimized body fluid circulation into the fin that caused this.
Are the fish swimming all right? For some time, they will drag their tail but will recover in time should the tank environment is comfortable and they are in proper condition.
Well, there are so many factors. Your Aro's are bound to get better as they recover. Try to heat it to 82-84 F, add salt. They like clean water and love playing in bubbles. You do need some area of little current so they can rest. Some like to hang out in a floating plant, I just toss in a silk fern for him to float on.
Almond leaves, I swear by, they really make my fish happier and healthier. I'd try Melafix, maybe start at 1/2 dose to see how sensitive he (oops They) are to chemicals. I try to minimize on chemicals and have never had a problem. I've heard back and good about Pimafix, but personally have never used it.
My Aro's have all, always hate the tank being all dark at night. I clip on two side lights (clip on desk lights) and use an amber flame bulb (walmart cheap) at night, they seem to keep him from trying to kill his tankmates and himself, I think not being able to see spooks him. The side lights add about .4 of a degree F of heat to the tank.
Are they eating? It's OK if they don't for a day or three, they big. Try to get them on staples first, if you're going to feed pellets, do that b4 you give the crickets or worms or they'll snub pellets, minedoesn't care, he'll eat pellets and crickets at the same time.
Make sure your top is very very sturdy, they can pack a wallop when jumping!
Most of all, enjoy them and congrats!
Almond leaves, I swear by, they really make my fish happier and healthier. I'd try Melafix, maybe start at 1/2 dose to see how sensitive he (oops They) are to chemicals. I try to minimize on chemicals and have never had a problem. I've heard back and good about Pimafix, but personally have never used it.
My Aro's have all, always hate the tank being all dark at night. I clip on two side lights (clip on desk lights) and use an amber flame bulb (walmart cheap) at night, they seem to keep him from trying to kill his tankmates and himself, I think not being able to see spooks him. The side lights add about .4 of a degree F of heat to the tank.
Are they eating? It's OK if they don't for a day or three, they big. Try to get them on staples first, if you're going to feed pellets, do that b4 you give the crickets or worms or they'll snub pellets, minedoesn't care, he'll eat pellets and crickets at the same time.
Make sure your top is very very sturdy, they can pack a wallop when jumping!
Most of all, enjoy them and congrats!
While the fish is still recovering, try to keep the water condition as steady as possible. I wouldn't recommend putting in all that medication, tanning, salt, etc. as these will just stress the fish further. What kind of filter are you running by the way?