FishProfiles.com Message Forums

hey ppl, i just purchased a small silver arowana. Atm its being housed in a standard 3.5 ft tank with 6 discus. what else can i keep with it?

i am not to sure how discus are with an arrowanas, but my friend had put his arrowana with firemouths and other large ciclids. Plecs are also a good companion for your tank.

Arrownas need 300g+ tanks (if I remember corrct) and should be kept with large cichlids and Plecs, or just anythin large enough not to get eaten and it can defend itself

Perky is correct...300G+, and nothing that can fit in the rather large mouth of a 4'+ fish.

I'd been told 500 gallon minimum for arowana (I'd seen one in one of my LFS's and fell in love). I really wouldnt' keep anything smaller than it in the tank, my understanding is that they're very skilled hunters .

^_^
*Proud member of the Committee for Sig Line Restoration*

just to let you know - i got a silver arowana when it was about 6" long and put it into my 33 gallon - it outgrew it in about 2 months. they grow really fast (like 2" per month if properly cared for) right now i've got it in a 55 gallon, and i'm even gonna have to upgrade that pretty soon. other than that - they're beautiful and interesting to watch! hope you enjoy her

I'd been told 500 gallon minimum for arowana

What I would prefer, certainly, but a 350 wide is OK for a small adult.

When your arrowana grows, he will eat your discus. "Bright colorful tasty treats....mmmmmmmmmmm ".
This fish will easily grow to his full length of 4 feet in a years time. They are predatory, in the wild leaping over 6 feet out of the water to snag chicken size birds out of the tree branches. You need a tank at least 12 feet long and probably 8-10 feet wide to house this fish at maturity.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

Sorry that is they leap to snag not only birds but spider monkeys out of the trees.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

http://www7.plala.or.jp/aa1/arowana/tom%201-16%2011.jpg
Sorry for the multiple messages, I cannot edit my messages for some reason.
Heres a picture of a full grown arrowana saying "Ahhhh" so you can see how their mouth works. I can only liken them to the rear bay of a B52 bomber when It opens. Capable of easily sucking in all in their path.
Thought you guys would like this pic hehe


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

from what i've heard (and seen with my own...) they can only grow a max of 2" per month... but that's still 2' in a year - it'll take 2 years or more to get to full size of 4' provided it's not stunted in a tank that's too small

i plan on getting a larger tank as it grows as for now looking for tank mates to grow him up with. i was told discus are ok

You have to remember 1 thing though, unlike other fish who "only eat other fish when they are starving", or "only eat little fish", the arrowana is an adept and merciless hunter. A 1 foot specimen can open its mouth wide enough to completely inhale a 6 inch long fish, sometimes another of the same species. A 4 inch discus will prove no match for a predator like the arrowana. I will remind you that a 4 foot arrowana is capable of chowing down on a 15-20 pound monkey without a problem, so your discus would be small fry for this predator.
If this fish only grows 2 inches per month, it will outgrow a 3 foot tank in about 8 months time. At this point it will be as long as the tank is wide.
Plan for this growth. If your fish doesnt grow at least an inch and half a month, then realize you are stunting its growth.
I wouldnt put any fish smaller than an Oscar in a tank with an arrowana. But thats just me, I would hate to have a 70 dollar discus disappear down the gullet of that titan.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

for now i'm sure the discus will be fine - but just remember that by the time you need a bigger tank for the arowana - you're not going to want to put the discus into it. i had a betta in the tank with my aro for the first couple months and there wasn't any problem. i'm sure those long fins made him look bigger than he was. but as they get older (and ultimately, bigger) they will become much more aggressive. and i have to agree with sneaky pete! i wouldn't want to pay for a $70 feeder fish!

i would have to agree with all the previose posts. my friend had a 55 gallon aquarium with a 4 inch arrowana and he out grew it very quick and even ate every other fish that he lived with. my friend had to eventually put him in a very large tank with fish that are bigger then the arrowna. An arrowana will eventually eat anything it thinks it can fit into its mouth (the arrowana doesnt care how much money you put into his tank mates). Discuses may be fine now, but may eventually eat the discuses as he gets bigger.

The Discus should be fine for now... However, when you get a larger tank tankmates should be fish like large bichirs, datnoids, or rays and such. Perhaps cichlids... But Discus won't stand a chance.

But yes, a large tank is necessary to keep an arowana. Width and length are the most important factors; depth is not very important, but a 12" tank isn't gonna look very good with the dimensions of an arow tank.:%)

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.