About four weeks ago I purchased a group of juvenile silver arowanas ranging from six to eight inches. Originally the fish were housed in a 100 gallon aquarium which developed a leak, now im sad to say i had to make a serious downgrade because the tank couldnt be fixed. The fish are currently being housed in a rubbermaid container that holds about 40 gallons of water, however the surface area is amazing for the small amount of water. Its probably 36 inches long, 20 inches wide and about 9 inches deep. Im using a few HOB filters are worth triple what is needed for the 40 gallons and I also have a few airstones pumping, i keep the water moving at a slow pace (im new to arowanas but im told this is what they prefer). My ph is 6.8 and the water temperature is 78f, all other parameters are in perfect range. I perform weekly %50 water changes. Im using black gravel and ive added a few long flowing plants and some flat rocks; keeping the surface clear.
This is obviously an overcrowded "aquarium", I am well aware but i am working on upgrading to a much larger setup as soon as i get paid in two weeks so please do not bash me, right now i feed bad enough and want to make these guys happy. Will these fish be okay in this setup for two weeks? Ive kept many "oddballs" such as gar, lungfish, piranha and many other fish in the past including saltwater and brackish, ive been in the hobby for about 12 years now. I did my studies and am well aware of the needs of these fish and I can meet the demands.
I know this is not your average setup and most people suggest only keeping one aro to a tank, though my studies have informed me if you keep a group of arowanas that they are less likely to cause problems since its hard to single certain fish out.. unless problems arise as the fish age. I pretty much want to know if this setup is okay for two weeks. The fish are showing no aggression, great coloration and activity however the fish tend to hangout at the bottom of the tank and mid section for some reason..? Feeding has been the only problem, four of the six fish are feeding on eartworms twice a day. Two have not fed (that i have seen) since the fish were purchased four weeks ago, they are thin and im worried. Ive tried crickets, feeders and pellets even. Could it possibly be stress of any kind? The other fish are growing larger and these two guys are getting too slim and i would hate to lose them. These two smaller ones also have a few nipped fins, nothing serious.
The feeders in the aquarium (about 8-10 and about two inches) are regular bait shop minnows (i treated them for two weeks to assure they were disease free before i introduced them into the aquarium). The aros are large enough to feed on the fish but for some reason dont take them. Could these guys be the fin nippers perhaps? Any idea of what the species of this fish are?
Any tips, advice or support of any kind would be nice! I want to provide the best for my gang of aros and am really worried about them being in such small quarters..
Thanks,
Easton
This is obviously an overcrowded "aquarium", I am well aware but i am working on upgrading to a much larger setup as soon as i get paid in two weeks so please do not bash me, right now i feed bad enough and want to make these guys happy. Will these fish be okay in this setup for two weeks? Ive kept many "oddballs" such as gar, lungfish, piranha and many other fish in the past including saltwater and brackish, ive been in the hobby for about 12 years now. I did my studies and am well aware of the needs of these fish and I can meet the demands.
I know this is not your average setup and most people suggest only keeping one aro to a tank, though my studies have informed me if you keep a group of arowanas that they are less likely to cause problems since its hard to single certain fish out.. unless problems arise as the fish age. I pretty much want to know if this setup is okay for two weeks. The fish are showing no aggression, great coloration and activity however the fish tend to hangout at the bottom of the tank and mid section for some reason..? Feeding has been the only problem, four of the six fish are feeding on eartworms twice a day. Two have not fed (that i have seen) since the fish were purchased four weeks ago, they are thin and im worried. Ive tried crickets, feeders and pellets even. Could it possibly be stress of any kind? The other fish are growing larger and these two guys are getting too slim and i would hate to lose them. These two smaller ones also have a few nipped fins, nothing serious.
The feeders in the aquarium (about 8-10 and about two inches) are regular bait shop minnows (i treated them for two weeks to assure they were disease free before i introduced them into the aquarium). The aros are large enough to feed on the fish but for some reason dont take them. Could these guys be the fin nippers perhaps? Any idea of what the species of this fish are?
Any tips, advice or support of any kind would be nice! I want to provide the best for my gang of aros and am really worried about them being in such small quarters..
Thanks,
Easton
