MYTHICAL BELIEFS OF AROWANA

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength and power. Especially in the Southern region of China, people believes that a dragon can ward off evil and brings good luck.

Dragon is a significant icon in Chinese and other Asian cultures. During Chinese New Year and other auspicious occasion, people celebrate with Dragon dancing and if you are born in the Year of the Dragon, you are considered to give you a head start in life. The Arowana, also known as the Dragon fish because of its slender body and its distinct and reflective scales makes it resemble the mythical and mighty dragon.

Business man started keeping the Arowana, especially the Asian Arowana to maintain a properous and growing business. Geomancer often would encourage their clients to keep a Blood Red Arowana at home or office to bring good luck and ward off evil.

These are the few of the many reasons why people keep Arowana:
Incarnation of the mythical dragon
Brings Health, Happiness and Good Luck
Cast out evil
Uphold Families Togetherness
Vital to Business Success
Predicts Business Affairs

DECORATION/ TRANSFERING AROWANA TO A NEW TANK

 













DECORATION

i) If you must decorate your Arowana tanks, do not overdid it! Arowana is a typical curious fish and will always end up injuring itself! (I've encountered these!) So, be very careful what to use! Avoid sharp edges bogwood and rocks! May I suggest to let the tank bare! The advantages that you will get are easier cleaning of waste/dirt from the secretion by your Arowana which is visible with bare tanks and most important aspect is a cleaner and healthier environment for your Arowana to live in! Trust me

ii) Dark background will stand up the look of your Arowana Fish.

(iii) Aquarium light is a must if you would like to admire the elegant looking of your "dragon"! Please use only flourescent bulb that was meant for Aquarium use! The color of these Aquarium bulb when "lighted" is pinkish-white. DO NOT use those normal flourescent bulb(for home use), it will only promote algae growth in your tank!

TRANSFERING AROWANA TO A NEW TANK

(i) Learnt my lesson well! DO NOT USE any kind of aquarium nets to catch your Arowana! You will easily injured them and these dragon fish might broke all the beautiful, elegant looking fins easily! Therefore, how small too the size, for goodness sake,USE plastic bags! Use 2 layers. DO NOT USE 1 layer only as it could easily be broken (plastic bag) by the sharp pointing front part or teeth of the Arowana!

(ii) In the case of a new but cycled tank, the best is to stabilised/aclimatised the fish first before letting go to the new tank! Making use about 60% of the water from the old tank will make aclimatisation very much faster! (after the Arowana was caught in plastic bag) Some people just release Arowana to the new tank after this but if you would like to be more careful(recommended as a sudden PH and temperature change can results in DEATH!) follow steps below:-

(iii) Float the plastic bag containing the Arowana to the new cycled tank!These cycled tank to my meaning is it has already "running" smoothly until the Nitrifying Bacteria has already established in your tank to absorb all the harmful Ammonia and Nitrite in the aquarium tank!One more tip, put in other fish like Gold Fish 3 days before you wished to transfer your Arowana to these new tank to actually "test" the water!

(iv) After about 10 mins, open up the plastic bag, put in one cup of the water from the new tank into the plastic bag containing your Arowana,repeating after every 5 mins for about 3 times
Release the Arowana, slowly to tank and watch very closely! Normally, it will be very timid which is very normal as your Arowana have not conditioned itself with the new environment! Switch on the lights and if he jumps everytime, try switching off the lights to calm him down. Black water/Ketapang leaves extract will be very good in calming him down! And remember, DO NOT OVERFILLED these solution! Once he calmed down (depends on fish, from few hours to days) try feeding him with crickets as a start. After that he will starts to swim all over the tank to signify himself as the Majestic Dragon King of the Aquarium for all to admire!

FOOD FOR AROWANAS

Crustaceans

Live Prawns/shrimps:
Prawns/shrimps are rich in vitamin A which enhance arowana's color. They are very nutritious food. Avoid feeding baby arowana shrimps as thier shells are hard to digest and may cause intestinal injury. Do not leave live prawns/shrimps in arowana tank as they encourage arowana to search downward constantly for them and hence may precipitate drop eye. Once again, there is also a potential risk of disease transmission.

Prawn Meat:
Use only fresh prawns. Avoid frozen prawns unless you are very sure of its freshness as denatured protein may lead to liver and internal problems in long term. Removal of head is recommand as it is hard to digest and also the gill may have high concentration of germs/toxin. Prepare the prawn in bite sizes and wash it before use.

Krill:
Krill is a nutritious food and it is readily available. Use appropriate size krill for diferrent size arowana. Crush the shell then soak the krill to soften the shell proir to feeding baby arowana as hard krill may cause intestinal injury.

Worms

Bloodworms:
Bloodworms are mainly used to feed baby arowana. They a nutritious food. Rinse away impurities before use. Do not feed it when frozen as it may cause intestinal upset. Avoid old age bloodworms as it is hard for baby arowana to digest. Live bloodworms is preferrable but commercially available bloodworms are equally good when fresh. Freeze dry bloodworms may also used.

Tubifex Worms:
Tubifex worms are collected in highly contaminated drain and should be avoid unless properly treated. Commercially breed tubifex worms claim to be cleaner but its source are sometime questionable. Remember the golden rule: "If in Doubt, Don't Use It". This goes to frozen tubifex worms too. Freeze dry tubifex worms are cleaner but possibility of germs survived through very low temperature cannot be ruled out. High heavy metal content in the source is also a worry.

Mealworms:
Mealworms are healthy and nutritious. Avoid feeding them to baby arowana as thier hard shell is difficult to digest and may cause digestive problem or/and intestinal injury. Use worms that have just shed its shell. Darker color mean older shell. So choose pale looking mealworm. Drowning the worm proir to feeding is recomanded if the fish accept dead worm. Head can be removed to minimise digestive problem.

Earthworms:
Earthworms are very healthy and nutritious. Risk of disease transmission is minimal. Squeezing the soil out before feeding is recommanded. Or better still, feed the earthworm with nutritious food to clear the soil and transfer the nutrient. This is a highly recommanded food by most aquarist.

Pellets/sticks Food
There are many commercail pellets/sticks food available. Their nutritious value varies. Choose reputable brand. Pellets/sticks food specially formulated for arowana is recommanded. However, this should not be the only food of arowana.

Amphibians

Frogs:
Frogs are very nutritious food for arowana and are commonly used in Asia. You should be certain that the frogs are not poisonous before feeding them to arowana. Frogs should be quaranteen for a few days before use as they are often collected in Padi(padi)field where insecticide is frequently used. Do not feed death frog to arowana. Frogs are believed to enhance arowana's color.

Lizard/Gecko:
Lizards and geckos are also very nutritious food for arowana and are often loved by the fish. They are usually not commercially available or demand a very high price. Geckos is found in almost every house in tropical region. Catching them is hard work but often rewarded as they enhances arowana's color. Quarenteen is also recommanded as they might have eaten insecticide contamination insects, eventhough the probabilty is small.

BASIC CARE FOR AROWANA FISH

Arowana fish or Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) is one of the most favorite fish in the world. Great endurance, price and million lovers are little many reasons that make Arowana will be the legend.

Actually, Arowana cannot be spared from the commodity business. Collectors or lovers would buy little Arowana and then sell it when reaching specific size ("..I heard their profits reached up to 10x only in a year..").

In this lens, we will discuss about the tips and ways how to maintain and grow Arowana fish. In addition, I hope you also share other information about Arowana fish.

About arowana fish
Many tips you should know in maintaining Arowana in the aquarium
Arowana includes Osteoglasidae or bony tongues families because the base of its mouth is bones that serve as teeth. In many countries, it has various nicknames, such as: Dragon Fish, Aruwana, Arwana, Arowana etc.

There are few tips on how to care for Arowana fish rightfully in the aquarium, so that your Arowana can grow well and not stress.
1. Check your aquarium equipment
2. Be diligent to maintain your aquarium, please!
3. Aquarium interior
4. Disease

3 EXTREMELY USEFUL AROWANA TANK OR AQUARIUM

 



Arowana tank or arowana aquarium is an important ingredient in the life of your arowana fish. So, you want to make sure that your tank or aquarium is appropriate for your fish.

Below are 3 tips on arowana care by having the right aquarium for your fish.

1. Tank size

Make sure that your tank is suitable for different size of arowana. A 200 gallon or 750 liter aquarium is a recommended minimum size, but it can go smaller if your arowana fish is small.

2. Tank cover

Yes, this is important because arowanas can jump up to 2 meters or over 6 feet. It means these adult arowana fish are strong and you want to have a strong cover to prevent them from jumping out of your arowana tank.

3. Tank water temperature

a. Since arowanas are tropical fish, you want to keep them comfortable in their tropical habitat. You can do this by maintaining the water temperature between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Buy a digital tank thermometer to measure the temperature. This will help you keep track of your tank water temperature all the time.

b. Arowana tank water is preferably maintained at pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Check your tank water regularly to maintain the health of your arowana fish. Your fish can be susceptible to diseases or become weak if they don't live the water with sauitable pH level.

c. You are also advised to change about 10 to 20 percent of water when the arowana aquarium needs to have new water. Your arowana fish might go into shock if you replace more water than advised and this could be fatal to your arowana fish.

These tips are just guides. I would recommend you learn more about your arowana fish by referring to arowana experts. One way to do it is buy a few books about caring for arowana fish yourself. I'm sure this will add more knowledge on how you keep your arowana fish healthy.

HOW TO CHOOSE GOOD QUALITY ASIAN AROWANA

An Arowana fish is a graceful, beautiful, and ancient looking fish. They are adored by aquarium enthusiasts not only because of their beauty but because many people believe that they also bring good fortune to their owners. Unlike your typical pet store variety goldfish, the Arowana is pretty expensive so you must pay particular attention to Arowana care when you plan to purchase your own fish.







Here are the Arowana care tips to look for in choosing your own pet Arowana:
1. The Arowana should have a good body shape. This means it should have a broad body which has fins that are proportional to it.

2. The Arowana's color should be bright. For example, if you're planning on buying a golden Arowana it should be that color; gold. Its scales should shine like newly-minted gold coins. Good Arowana care helps to bring out the colors of your Arowana.

3. The Arowana should be a graceful swimmer. One factor why people like Arowanas is because they swim so gracefully; it should turn smoothly, and it should swim most of the time near the surface.

4. Check the fins if they are proportional with the body. The fins should also be fully open when the fish are swimming. Damaged fins are usually a result of fighting or poor Arowana care.

5. The barbels (the whisker-like protrusion on the mouth) should have the same, or at least similar, color with the rest of the body. A healthy Arowana has long and strong barbels; they should be equal in length and pointing up.

6. The Arowana should not be bug-eyed, meaning the eyes shouldn't bulge outwards. They should be proportionate to the fish's body, and they should be clear.

7. The mouth of the Arowana must be large and angled upwards. The mouth should close without a gap, a fish with an overbite or underbite should be avoided.

8. The scales should be bright and arranged beautifully, like roofing tiles. The scales should also be large and can be differentiated from each other. Dull and chipped scales are signs that the fish might have some sort of disease - a result of poor Arowana care.

9. The gill cover shouldn't move so much when the fish is swimming, they should be inconspicuous when they open and close; and they should be smooth and flat to the fish's body. The color of the gills should also be bright; this means that the fish is healthy.

10. The teeth need to be arranged neatly and in line with the fish's jaw line. They should not protrude from the Arowana's mouth.

Finding the fish that is perfect for you will now be easier now that you know what to look for. If you are still unsure of your choice then consider consulting with an expert, and always buy Arowana fish from registered breeders and dealers who administer the proper Arowana care to the fish.

The Arowana fish is easy to keep, but hard to master when it comes to bringing out its best colors. 

TYPE OF AROWANAS

There are 5 main types of Arowana's. They are listed below. 

Asian Arowana - The Asian Arowana is the most expensive of all because they are near-extinct. They are a protected species and mainly from Thailand, Sumatra and Malaysia. Asian Arowana have three main colors - Rusty Red, Gold and Green. Most businessman prefer Gold Arowana as they believe that it will bring good luck .

Australia Arowana - The Australian originated from Australia and look similar to Asian type. Pearl and Spotted Arowana are both Australian. They look the same except for the scales and colors.

Silver Arowana - Silver Arowanas are the most common Arowana you can find in a lot of pet shops around the country, this type of fish you will not find in walmart. It is also the cheapest and not a protected. Silver Arowana have long fins with elongated tails, its whole body silver in color. It can mature to be very large in size around 45 inches long!

Black Arowana - The Black Arowana is the same as Silver Arowana but its fin and tail are black-color. It is not a protected, slightly more expensive than a Silver Arowana. Black Arowana are also a bit harder to raise than the Silver Arowana.

  
African Arowana - The African Arowana originated from Africa and is unlike any other Arowana. It looks slightly differant then the rest due to a oblong shaped head.

WHAT IS AROWANA

Arowana is considered lucky to Asian culture. It has been said that arowana brings good fortune to the owners because of the resemblance of this fish to the Chinese dragon, a favorable symbol for wealth and strength. Whether this is true or not, we should know how to take good care of arowana, which is now considered as endangered species.

What Is Arowana? 
 Arowanas are also known as aruanas or arawanas which are freshwater bony fish. They belong to the family of osteoglossidae, which is one of the most ancient fish species. They are sometimes known as "bony tongues", which are used to squash on their approaching prey. They usually have a long body, large slanted mouth, upturned jaw, sharp teeth, big eyes and have a pair of barbells (whiskers) growing out of the tip of their lower mouth.

The World of Arowana

Arowanas are native to 4 continents; pear, spotted and red can be found in Australia; silver and black arowanas hail in South America. African Nile arowanas are from Africa and the Asian arowana or popularly known as the dragon fish, which has captivated many hobbyists due to its mystery and good looks; not to mention its contribution to good feng shui as believed by many.

How to Take Care of Arowanas?

Studies of fossils show that arowana’s existence can be traced since Jurassic era. And what makes it more amazing is that they can live up to 25 years if they are properly taken care of.

Here are some tips on how to take care of your arowanas and maybe increase your fortune as well.

1. Fix your aquarium with minimum plants and decorations. Give them enough space to swim and hide. Avoid ornaments with sharp edges which can injure arowanas.

2. Maintain good quality of water. Water must be changed at least twice a week. Ph of water must be maintained at 6-7. Salt concentration is about 100 grams of salt to 100 liters of water.

3. The size of aquarium does matter. Length and width of the aquarium are more important than depth. Length should be 3 times the length of your arowana and width about the same size of the fish.

4. Arowanas have insatiable appetite, thus prepare a hefty amount of food to feed them. They have to be fed 2-3 times a day. They devour on live foods such as beef hearts, cockroaches, shrimps, bloodworms and tubiflex worms. Feeding high protein foods also means frequent water changes for it pollutes the water; they also consume vegetables such as lettuce and zucchini.

5. Arowanas get sick too, however, they usually get well easily if you increase their water temperature and add a little salt.

6. Be cautious on medications. Arowanas tend to be very sensitive on them.

Arowanas are not only expensive, but are very fragile as well. But, arowanas become a status symbol nowadays and more and more people opted to care arowanas as their pet. I guess, it’s worth the money and effort.