The absolute king of the freshwater aquarium! Or would that be discus fish? We still think the arowana is one of the most striking, beautiful freshwater fish one can find.
The Asian variants come in exquisite different colorations, with gold and red being the most sought after. These fish can reach monstruous sizes and therefore need large tanks. Although the Asian arowanas are in general less jumpy than their south American counterparts, it’s still a good idea to close of your aquarium on top, preferably with heavy, thick glass, because they are known to even break glass covers.
In Asia, the arowana is regarded as a dragon fish and seen as a symbol of fortune, wealth and prosperity that can protect your family and business. The number 9 has a special meaning, because ‘nine’ means long/eternity in Chinese (九 Jiŭ ) and therefore business men like to keep 9 arowanas together, symbolizing their business will go on forever (into eternity).
LATIN NAME | SIZE |
Scleropages formosus | Max. 90 cm in captivity |
REGION | WATER CONDITIONS |
South East Asia | Temperature: 25 – 30 °C pH: 5,5 – 7 |
NOTE | EXTRA |
Adults can reach up to 90 cm in length and therefore need large aquariums, preferably a tropical pond. | Asian arowanas are sometimes called ‘bony tongue fish’ because of a toothed plate of bone in the lower part of their mouth. |