How Do Arowanas Breed? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods and Techniques

As an ancient, primitive freshwater fish, the arowana is widely kept for its excellent appearance and high cultural significance. So do you know how arowanas breed? And how are they usually kept?

1. How do arowanas breed?

Arowanas reproduce by laying eggs. Arowanas can live for about 18 years, and their growth period and the developmental period needed to reach maturity are very long; generally, females need 6-12 years and males need 5-16 years before they can breed. Of course, with different breeding methods and levels, the breeding age of arowanas also varies.

2. How are arowanas kept?

1. Fish tank

You need to choose a relatively large fish tank, leave enough space for activity, and install a heating device to ensure the water temperature is controlled within this range. In addition, the aquarium also needs a filtration device to ensure the healthy growth of the fish. You can add some simple decorations to the fish tank, such as algae and rockeries, but do not put in too many rockeries, as they can easily cause injury to the fish.

2. Water quality

Arowanas need weakly acidic to neutral water quality to survive, and the hardness requirement is soft water. The pH value is between 6.5-7.5, and the DH value is 3-12. A water temperature of 24-28°C is all acceptable. The nitrite content and chlorine content are best at zero.

3. Feeding

Arowanas are carnivorous animals, and the diet of most arowanas consists of frogs, loaches, crickets, goldfish, grasshoppers, small shrimp, and so on. There is also a color-enhancing issue in feeding; for example, for red arowanas, feeding red swordtails or small shrimp plays a certain role in enhancing the color of red arowanas, because the bodies of red swordtails and small shrimp contain red pigment.

4. Water changes

Generally, the filtration setup of an aquarium can keep the water quality clean and clear very well, so the water source should not be changed frequently. When a water change is needed, just replace one quarter of the water each time.

5. Disease prevention and control

Generally, the probability of arowanas becoming infected with diseases is still relatively low, and viral infections are relatively rare. If injury or illness occurs, salt water can be used for disinfection treatment, and the treatment results are quite good.

Because arowanas need to be kept for a relatively long time before they can breed, self-breeding is generally not recommended. Friends who like arowanas can go to aquariums and flower-bird-fish markets to buy them.