How do you stop your silver arowana's from bullying each other?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

luexiong

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2011
19
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0
Minnesota
I never had this probably before, use to raise silver's without problems. I have 2 silver arowana's (5-6ins long) in a 20gallon tank atm (I have a 55 gallon aquarium ready for them to be moved into once 8inches long). Another 2 16in-18in arowana in a 90gallon aquarium. One of the young silver is now bullying the other young silver arowana. I was just wondering is it because the tank is too small or is it because of something else? They got along pretty well.
 
Aro aggression is common.. i've had the same thing happen.. and i moved them to individual tanks.. aro communities work better in odd numbers.. 3,5,7.. and its always a hit or a miss.. feed them well and observe for a couple more days.. i believe the aggression is partly because of food.. being surface feeders they want to get almost all they can.. when there is one more, food obviously tends to be lesser so they dominate and push the other one down..
 
when its a wet season in the wild the arows like to have their own space. they become agressive. in the dry season, they get loaded up in once section of river or lake etc.. and their aggression is reduced.
you can load the tank up with more arows, or other fish and it would reduce aggro. there is also another trick people can do and that is to load the tank with weed/plants/logs etc.. i guess it makes them think they are running out of water and are crowded.. and some even use a jet of water though personally im not sure if that helps or not or if its just because loaded tanks need more flow and without it the water would become polluted quickly.
so if you have a small tank/filter, you dont have the best solution on hand.
 
well,

first what do you have besides the 90gal? you already have that over filled with aros and more to go. they will be 20"+ in their first year.

second, aros are aggressive toward each other at all times. you need to have aros that get along from the start. if they are fighting now chances are they will kill each other and if you separate them they most likely will not tolerate any aros in the future. unless they are large at the time of reintroduction. then there is a chance they will get along if they have enough space.

i have had many many aros and now have just found a group that will mix. i have had them around 8months now and they are 15-19" and still go through daily higher archy reaffirmation.
 
Both your tanks are definitely too small to be keeping multiple arowana in. The two 5-6" should be in the 55 now if not the 90g. The two 16" should be in a 6x2x2' 180g tank at least.
 
home depot sells plexiglass sheets cheap i have one and get it trimmed and use it as a divider drill holes but definatley upgrade your tank
 
I moved both of the arowana's into a 75 gallon which contains a group of tetras instead of a 55. I also have a pond that both of the 16-18in arowana's will be moving into next month.
 
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