How long is the lifespan of an arowana? How many years can it generally live
The silver arowana, also known as the silver bandfish, silver boatfish, or dragon-spitting-pearl fish, originates from the Amazon River basin in South America, the Nile River basin in Africa, Australia, and Papua New Guinea, among other places. It has extremely high ornamental value. Although its price is lower than that of the golden arowana or red arowana, it is still loved by many enthusiasts. However, its lifespan is not very long. If carefully raised, its lifespan will not be very short either!
How long is the lifespan of the silver arowana
Generally speaking, the lifespan of arowanas is 60 to 80 years, but the silver arowana is not that long-lived. If kept at home, a sufficiently large fish tank is needed. Generally speaking, the silver arowana can live 6-7 years. Of course, there are also longer-lived silver arowanas that can live to 18 years.
The breeding environment for the silver arowana
The silver arowana is a carnivorous fish. From fry to adult, it must be fed animal-based bait, with live food being the best. It is best not to feed a single type of bait. A nutritionally rich menu should be formulated to ensure balanced nutrition. The suitable water temperature for the silver arowana is between 24-29°C. If the fish adapts well, it can even adapt to temperatures of 22-31°C. However, like other ornamental fish, the silver arowana must never be exposed to sudden drastic changes in water temperature.
Breeding methods for the silver arowana
1. Fry preparation: In lower-temperature conditions, doors and windows should be closed properly and heating should be added appropriately, adjusting the temperature in the fry room to 28°C.
2. Choosing a good fish tank: Generally, a fish tank with a diameter of 126 cm and a depth of 48 cm can hold 300 fry. Install filter cotton, activated carbon, coral stone, an air pump, and a water pump, control the tank water depth at 20 cm, and adjust the temperature to 28°C. At the same time, prepare an appropriate amount of new water at 25°C containing 1% table salt and 2 mg/kg furazolidone.
3. Introducing new fish into the tank: When new fish have just been bought back, the air pump in the fish tank should run for at least 24 hours to thoroughly eliminate chlorine in the water. If a biological filter is used continuously, then it is best to make the water reach a pH value of 6-7, with a water temperature of 25°C. Add a little table salt to the fish tank (approximately 1 or 2 teaspoons per 5 gallons or 20 liters of water) to reduce the risk of fungal attack and to keep the fish healthy and increase its appetite. If conditions permit, it is best to take water from the original tank of the new fish back to your own fish tank (if the water in the original tank is fine). It is best to take back 1/3, as this helps the new fish cope with adverse reactions to sudden environmental changes. It is recommended to raise arowanas from a young age.
4. Fish tank size: The silver arowana is a large fish, so the fish tank should be at least 1.5 m long, 0.5 m wide, and 0.7 m high. The fish tank must be covered. Arowanas are fish that swim in the upper layer and like to jump, so this avoids them jumping out of the tank when no one is around and suffocating to death.
5. Feeding and taming to eat: Newly introduced silver arowana fry have a small yolk sac in their bodies and mainly rely on yolk for nutrition. After 7 days, the yolk sac disappears. From the 2nd day onward, taming to eat should begin to meet their nutritional needs. For taming to eat, live bloodworms can be used (first soak them in an aqueous solution of 3% table salt and 5 g/L furazolidone for 15 minutes before feeding). Great care must be taken during operation, and the feeding amount should be based on finishing within 20 minutes.
6. Changing feed at the appropriate time: Silver arowana fry should mainly be fed live bloodworms within 10 days of age. After 10 days of age, they can be switched to quick-frozen bloodworms. In the 3rd month, gradually transition to shrimp (either marine or freshwater shrimp is fine; remove the head and tail, cut into appropriate sizes, rinse with salt water, and then feed). Feeding times and frequency: In the 1st month, feed 5 times a day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; in the 2nd month, 4 times; in the 3rd month, 3 times; in the 4th month, 2 times. Note that 20 minutes after each feeding, remove leftover residue and uneaten bait.
7. Adjusting density: The silver arowana grows relatively quickly. When fry are first introduced, their body length is about 6-7 cm. At 1 month of age, they can grow to 12 cm; at 2 months of age, 17 cm; at 3 months of age, 24 cm. Therefore, during their growth process, the stocking density must be adjusted in a timely manner according to growth conditions. It is best to screen once every 1 month. The first time, stock 150 fish per tank; the second time, 70 fish per tank; the third time, 25 fish per tank. After that, gradually reduce the stocking number, or move them to a larger tank for rearing.
8. Water body management: The suitable water level in a silver arowana tank: 20 cm at 1 month of age, 25 cm at 2 months of age, 30 cm at 3 months of age, and 35-40 cm afterward. Depending on water quality conditions, in the 1st month, siphon waste once every 3-5 days (siphon off waste at the bottom of the tank); from the 2nd month onward, siphon waste once a day, with each siphoning not exceeding 5 cm of water level. Clean the filter cotton, activated carbon, etc. once every 5-7 days. Throughout the entire rearing process, strictly control the water body's pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and so on. The pH value is 6.8-7.2, dissolved oxygen is 7 mg/L, and the temperature is 28°C. Once adverse changes in the water body are found, corresponding measures should be taken immediately for adjustment.