Shy/scared arowana

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FreshwaterHawaii

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 1, 2011
203
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16
Hawaii
Ive had this arowana for about a week now and hes still very jumpy. Water parameters are normal and temperature is about 80. He has no tank mates and hes about 7 inches. Every time i lift my hand to drop food in for him, he immediately darts to the other side of the tank as if i was gonna hurt him. He does this every meal time and i'm starting to think its hurting his appetite since he barely eats 3 hikari sticks each feeding. He also chews the food and spits most of it out which is a completely different issue.

What can i do to make him less scared?
Why does he chew his food and spit it out? Should i try feeding something different?

Thanks
 
that size most arowana are jumpy/skittish/nervous..spend more time with it approach slowly with no sudden movement..
 
i got my silver arowana at 8" and it jumped out of the tank at 12", he was skittish for the whole time i had him ..
 
What kind of aro? I'm assuming a silver. Silver aros are very skittish when small. They are also very skilled jumpers and can fit through small openings in the top of your tank. So be sure to have a good lid. Try to spend more time in front of his tank and watch moving fast,turning the light on, or banging the top. Also, for some reason arowana have a problem with the color red. In my experience it spooks them. I cured mine of this by using a red plate when feeding him tilapia fillets... If you have him eating aro sticks don't stop!!! They can be very hard to pellet train.

----Chris
 
Yes it is a silver arowana.

So i found out today that my baby brother is at the age that he pounds on stuff. Hes been scaring the arowana every chance he gets by slapping the tank lol
The aro doesnt eat and every time i slowly approach the tank, he darts off to the other side and stays at the bottom or rubs his barbels on the back of the tank. He hasn't eaten for a couple days and doesnt seem to be getting better. I've been sitting infront of the tank and even eating my lunch next to it but it just seems to be stressing him out. I'm thinking of trying to find a new home for him since i cant think of anything else i can do.

If anybody has any other suggestions, let me know! I'd hate to give him up, thanks.
 
keep doing what you doing he will get used to it, aro is very aware of whats going on outside its tank, no sudden movement is the key to whether takes short time or longer to get used to..
 
Not sure there are any advice to be given as long as your little brother is beating on the tank. If you continue to let this go on your arowana will soon be dead.
 
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