Sometimes, friends ask me out of curiosity, "What so nice about a fish? You can't handle them, you can't bring them out for walks and they don't come to you when you call." Quite frankly sometimes, I'm stumped for a good answer.I can't tell them quite simply that I enjoy looking at them as that in itself does not seem like a strong argument for keeping "pets".
Ahhh.. but fish fanatics would know the joy in owning a beautiful aquarium - just as a botanist would appreciate a beautiful garden. Let's just say that keeping fishes is more of a spectator hobby.
So what makes the Arowana so attractive as a pet that is only there for one's viewing pleasure. Even more ridiculous is the high price tag on the Asian variety of Arowanas - usually costing upwards of US$1,000! I'll attempt to explain in my very general interpretation of the Arowana scene in this part of the world.
In Asia, people are constantly keeping fishes for competition. In Japan, Koi competitions are major events for Koi collectors and exuberant prices are paid for the champions of the show. Discus/Guppy shows are commonly being held in this region and bettas (Siamese Fighting Fish) are fought to death for gambling purposes! Fishes thus fetch exponentially higher prices just for it's beauty or superiority.
At first look, the Arowana swims with such flexibility that it actually looks like a snake! It's long body allows it to swim in such tight turns that it's actually able to touch it's tail - literally! Another common name "Dragon Fish" is used for the Arowana quite simply because it closely resembles the mythical Asian dragon. In fact, local fish shop owners term the Arowanas loosely as "Dragons". That alone seemed to have given the Arowanas a different status altogether!
So, why the high prices? Typically, Arowanas take a long time to mature before they start breeding. We are talking 3-5 years minimum not to mention the huge space required. These facilities alone would push up the cost quite a bit. The supply can't seem to keep up with the demand so fish shops do not usually stock a lot of them. In most smaller fish shops, it's hard to find more than 3-4 pieces each time.
Next, we come to the pricing. A red asian arowana can cost in the range of S$800 up to S$5000 or even more for a juvenile Arowana. A "red" arowana however, is almost never actually red in color. The color of the adult fish can be anywhere from a yellowish tint to an almost complete red "dragon". Thus the desire to own a real "red" arowana sometimes drives prices up the wall!
As a juvenile arowana is almost colorless (or pinkish white), it's always a joy to see the asian arowana develop it's color. The main areas of development are the gill plate and scales and the color change can be quite dramatic! The gill plates start to show signs of orange/yellow (for red aros) and thickening gold for the golden varieties. The single-toned scales start to gain defination and soon, the defination in the scales become obvious and different segments of colors can be seen in mainly the core/middle and the rims of the scales. *salivating*
Crossback Golden Arowanas especially, exhibit this characteristic. Some of the better Crossback Arowanas I've managed to catch a glimpse of, has greenish scales in normal sunlight. Yet when it makes a turn - lo and behold! - the different angle gives the scales a blueish or even purplish shine! Sometimes, words just cannot describe such a beautiful sight...
Of course, the sheer size of the Arowana when it matures is also quite a treat for any aquarium tank. Reaching a size of 2 feet of more, an Arowana easily snatches the spotlight in most hobbyist tanks. In fact, many arofanatics choose to keep their tanks bare as this allows the owners to be immersed in the beauty of the Arowana without any other distractions. This also prevents the fish from injuring itself against abrasion of tank ornaments such as driftwoods or rocks.
Lastly, I must say the the swimming posture of arowana is quite a sight. An arowana which has properly settled in to it's environment swims with sheer arrogance. It's large eyes, smirking mouth and effortless flip of it's tail gives it an air of authority. A majestic arowana swims with such grace that it seems to actually glides gracefully beneath the surface of the water, completely unbothered by it's surroundings. That's what fascinated me and I'm sure most of the arowana fanatics out there who've owned or seen an arowana.....
by Arofanatics.com
To see one is really breath taking. First time a saw a malaysian gold aro, i fell inlove instantly.
