The Asian Arowana as distinct from the African Arowana are species of fish belonging to the Sceleropages family. There are current differences of opinion regarding the many colour varieties with some classifying them as separate species while others think they are strains of the same species. Currently there are 6 identified variations; these being:

 • Scleropages aureus – (Red-Tailed) Golden Arowana
• Scleropages formosus  – Green Arowana,
• Scleropages jardinii  – Australian Arowana
• Scleropages legendrei – Red Arowana,
• Scleropages leichardti  – Spotted Arowana
• Scleropages macrocephalus  – (Yellow Tailed) Silver Arowana

Image by Mohd Rosdi Zainal Abidin

All species are often (locally) referred to as Chinese Dragon Fish and a host of myths and legends surround them in some parts of Asia. This mythological status means they are popular pets, (they are said to radiate luck, wealth and prosperity onto its owner and household) and this combined with habitat destruction has put incredible strain on the wild population. So much so that Asian Arowana’s are now listed as an endangered species and are on the 2006 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This means that the buying and selling of Arowanas falls under the auspices of CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna).

Fortunately all species is relatively easy to breed in captivity providing the right conditions are met and they are being bred in fish farms in Indonesia and Singapore in reasonable numbers. However demand still greatly exceeds supply and buying an Arowana on a whim is fortunately beyond the means of most beginning aquarists.
Now when buying one your fish will come with its own birth certificate confirming it is captive bred and it will also be micro chipped so any individual fish can be identified.  Despite this they are still almost impossible to obtain in the USA as the required permit is normally only available to Zoos and public Aquariums, however they are available in Europe and the UK where a small Green one can be obtained for around £1000 currently.

Should you be considering buying one here are a few things to think about:

1. They grow very large – fully grown they can easily reach 3ft and a thus will need a big tank. Nothing less than 8ft by 4ft is suitable of one so unless you can accommodate this don’t consider even a small one as they grow quickly.
2. They are carnivorous so will need a good mix of live foods such as feeder fish, earth worms, and large crickets. They will also accept high quality dead food such as shrimps and lean meat. Poultry is best avoided due to the high risk of infection from raw chicken. Smaller specimens will also take pellet fish food.
3. Any companions must be suitably robust. An Arowana will regard anything it can fit in its mouth as food and even bottom dwellers such as small catfish are unlikely to last long. Given they like soft, and slightly acidic water possible tank mates would include large South American Ciclids and other large species such as Pacus or Giant Gouramis.
4. Their diet will put a lot of strain on the filtration system meaning external canister filters are going to be required preferably with some form of trickle system. This will add to the space requirements and the cost.
5. Arowanas are excellent jumpers so if you tank doesn’t have a strong and secure lid you will have a dead one on your hands. In the wild they have been known to jump over 3ft out of the water and given their muscular bodies they can easily break a flimsy tank hood should the mood take them.

Despite the drawbacks keeping an Arowana can be a rewarding challenge for the more experienced aquarist and for those who enjoy showing their fish entering a fine specimen is a sure way of picking up a few prizes.

The book below offers a very comprehensive guide to keeping Arowanas and is a lot cheaper than making a costly mistake!

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A few Internal Pages its a real nice e-book!

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