Can everyone believe it is already August?! More than half the year has passed by and summer is gonna come to an end very soon.
The good news is that a new batch of Jardini Arowanas have arrived again. Shipments of the Jardini have been a little slow this year and we’ve had many people requesting them for the longest time.
This particular batch is a little bigger than usual at about 7 inches in size.
We’ve got them in our store and they are all ready to be in their new homes soon!
The weekend is finally here! And summer just around the corner. We are sure you have got many plans for the warmer weather coming (especially with fish keeping).
We finally got in a huge batch of African Arowanas. These are rare to see in the fish hobby and are always sought after by many arowana and monster fish keeping hobbyist alike. Originating from Africa, you can find them in the waters of Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi and other rivers in that region.
Though it has the name “arowana,” it is actually more closely related to the Arapaima as they are both in the Heterotidinae. In the wild, they are known to grow up to around 3.25 feet and over 20 pounds (definitely a monster fish). A good size tank is required for these African Arowanas. Juveniles need a good 50 gallons or so and when they reach adulthood, a good 250 gallon and up is needed.
They are known to scavenge around all day looking for food. They are quite a hardy fish, taking in live or frozen foods and can be tamed to take arowana pellets if trained early on. Beware of keeping them with smaller sized fish and as a rule of thumb, keep it with fish that you’d normally keep other arowanas with.
Water conditions would need to be pristine to keep this fish in good health. Weekly water changes are required (just partial like the usual tank cleanings you do). Like other arowanas, they are sensitive to bad water, so provide good filtration. pH will need to be around 6.8-7.5 and the temperature would need to be in the high 70s to mid 80s F (mid 20s to high 20s C).
As a monster fish keeper, we are sure you’ll find much joy in this rare fish! Do not hesitate to contact us with any pointers you might need.
The Silver Arowana is one of the most popular tropical fish that we sell at our store! Whether you’re an arowana enthusiasts or just a beginner fish keeper, the Silver Arowana is the hardiest of all the arowanas in the fish hobby and aren’t prone to stress like the Jardini or Black/Blue Arowana.
This arowana is native to the Amazon River Basin in South America, in the waters between Brazil and Columbia. Known to grow to a very large size in the wild, a good sized tank is needed for this gorgeous “dragonfish,” as it can still get quite big in captivity. 250 gallons is preferable.
In comparison to the Jardini or Asian Arowanas, they can be kept together and not territorial toward other arowanas like the Scleropages arowana species. Be aware of tank mates, as they can (and will) fit smaller sized fishes into their mouth with ease.
Water requirements aren’t particularly tough but it is a good rule of thumb to keep the water conditions in pristine condition for the arowana. Mid 70s to low 80s (Fahrenheit) is the required temperature, along with the pH being around 6.0 – 7.0.
Make sure you use a good lid that is sturdy. These fish are known to jump very high (in the wild, it jumps out of the water to catch prey) and can knock off a tank lid that isn’t secure.
They are easy to “tame” in comparison to the other arowanas and will readily accept fish pellets. Just make sure to feed it a varied diet so it will not “get spoiled” on one particular food. Hai Feng Fast Color is one fish food pellet staple that the Silver Arowana loves. Supplement it with live mealworms, live or frozen bloodworms and live feeders.
As a fish from the Jurassic period, the arowana definitely has that ancient look and has survived throughout these millions of years!
For more tips and advice, do not hesitate to contact us! And continue to follow us on social media and here on our blog!
Many fish keep hobbyist have been asking us this question on a regular basis when deciding which arowana to choose. Often, the question is how to differentiate between a Jardini and a Leichardti.
The dorsal profile has a slight curve and it’s head is sloped down
Barbels are pointed downward
Fins have around 2-3 large red spots
Scales have red crescents
Gill covers have a pattern
Color is dark bronze
By far the easiest way to distinguish them is by looking at the gills and seeing if the pattern is present. It is a little hard to tell the difference between a Jardini and Leichardti just from a glance but once you look very closely, it is rather easy to distinguish the two! Many experienced Arowana hobbyist claim that the Leichardti is less aggressive in nature compared with the Jardini, which we also find to be true (most of our Leichardtis are quite mild tempered compared to the Jars).
Here are pics of both the Jardini Aro and the Leichardti Aro (Jardini on top, Leichardti on bottom):
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for more tips and advice on tropical fish keeping. We are always happy to assist you!
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We currently got in a small batch of wild-caught Leichardti Arowanas (also known as the Saratoga Arowana or Spotted Australian Arowana). These guys only come in on rare occasions (there was a period of a few years when no one in the hobby saw its import). It wasn’t until just the last couple years that batches of them have been imported in 1-2 times a year.
Though the Leichardti Arowana isn’t an endangered species in the wild, it’s range in the wild in quite limited. So when they appear in the tropical fish hobby on those rare occasion, they sell very fast and can be priced quite high. As it’s classified into the arowana category of Schleropages, they have very similar resemblances to the Asian arowana (which are illegal here in the US), which makes them a popular alternative (along with the Jardini Arowana) amongst arowana fanatics.
Care is similar to that of keeping Jardini Arowanas. The water conditions should have a pH is around 6.8-7.5 and a temperature of between 75-86° F (24-30° C for those of you outside of the states). And as in the case for all arowanas, a tightly shut cover should be used to prevent the fish from jumping out. A good filter would need to be used to keep the water in pristine condition and regular water changes need to be done to prevent problems from occurring.
Arowanas are carnivores in their home habitat but in captivity, they can be “trained” to eat fish pellets. One popular fish food pellets that many hobbyist use to feed their arowanas is Hai Feng Fast Color. Do not make the mistake of feeding them too much of one thing, as they will eventually get spoiled and be quite picky in what they consume. The best thing is to give it a variety of different foods, such as live feeders, bloodworms, mealworms, etc. A diverse diet will make your arowana more acceptable to changes in it’s diet.
As with most arowana fish in the Scleropages family, they almost always have to be the only arowana in the tank as they get territorial towards other arowanas in the tank and will become highly aggressive. There are some occasions where hobbyist are able to keep them together successfully but as in most cases, it’s recommended you don’t put more than one together.
Hope all of this helps you learn more about this wonderful fish and in making a decision of being an arowana owner!
Pet Zone Tropical Fish 