I bought my first two arapaima this summer at ~5"-6", $225 each and housed them together first in a 240 gal. They were easy and started taking cut fish readily after a couple of days or so. One also took to catfish pellets. They were jumpy though and afraid of me.
After a month or so I noted the one taking pellets and fish grew 2x faster than the other one. After another month or two, it was ~16"-18" while the one that refused pellets was only ~8"-10". They always kept together through his time (still were skittish) and I thought that the smaller one needed the bigger one for comfort. But the bigger one now would hog almost all food and I decided to separate them.
The bigger one went into one 4500 gal and at 2.5'-3' into another 4500 gal. The smaller one stayed a couple of months in the original 240 gal where, surprisingly, it became less skittish with the bigger pima gone, and where it grew to ~14"-16" taking whole bait fish greedily and refusing pellets ~99% of the time.
The smaller pima then graduated into the first 4500 gal (the bigger one had already moved on by then) where it quickly learned to like pellets with gusto because fish was offered only twice a week.
The bigger one has light-colored spots around the rear end while the smaller one's rear is colored solid black. IDK what this means. Does anyone know?
Sadly, both of them are developing a dropped eye on the left hand side. IDK why either. Perhaps it is irrelevant but none of silver arowanas I've ever raised myself have ever had DE.
Here is the smaller pima at ~16"-18" in 4500 gal, a shameless beggar:
After a month or so I noted the one taking pellets and fish grew 2x faster than the other one. After another month or two, it was ~16"-18" while the one that refused pellets was only ~8"-10". They always kept together through his time (still were skittish) and I thought that the smaller one needed the bigger one for comfort. But the bigger one now would hog almost all food and I decided to separate them.
The bigger one went into one 4500 gal and at 2.5'-3' into another 4500 gal. The smaller one stayed a couple of months in the original 240 gal where, surprisingly, it became less skittish with the bigger pima gone, and where it grew to ~14"-16" taking whole bait fish greedily and refusing pellets ~99% of the time.
The smaller pima then graduated into the first 4500 gal (the bigger one had already moved on by then) where it quickly learned to like pellets with gusto because fish was offered only twice a week.
The bigger one has light-colored spots around the rear end while the smaller one's rear is colored solid black. IDK what this means. Does anyone know?
Sadly, both of them are developing a dropped eye on the left hand side. IDK why either. Perhaps it is irrelevant but none of silver arowanas I've ever raised myself have ever had DE.
Here is the smaller pima at ~16"-18" in 4500 gal, a shameless beggar:
