Arowanas – The solution to your interior decoration needs

Have you ever felt the need to add color to your home without changing everything in your house? Have you been told that your home needs more positive vibes? Are you an avid fish keeper who wants to progress into the hobby? Do you want to own a fish that is the envy of everyone in town? If your answers are yes, then continue reading. This article is going to tell you about one fish that can add to the ambience of your house and also improve the feng shui of your home.

Evolution

Osteoglossids are basal (primitive) fish from the lower Tertiary and are placed in the actinopterygiid order Osteoglossiformes. There are ten described living species: three from South America, one from Africa, four from Asia, and the remaining two from Australia.

The Osteoglossidae are the only exclusively freshwater fish family found on both sides of the Wallace Line. This may be explained by the theory thatAsian arowanas (S. formosus) diverged from the Australian Scleropages, S. jardinii and S. leichardti, about 140 million years ago, making it likely that Asian arowanas were carried to Asia on the Indian subcontinent.

Behavior

Osteoglossids are carnivorous, often being specialized surface feeders. They are excellent jumpers; it has been reported that Osteoglossum species have been seen leaping more than 6 feet (almost 2 metres) from the water surface to pick off insects and birds from overhanging branches in South America, hence the nickname "water monkeys". Arowana species typically grow to around 2 to 3 feet in captivity.

Several species of osteoglossid exhibit parental care. They build nests and protect the young after they hatch. All species are mouthbrooders, the parents holding sometimes hundreds of eggs in their mouths. The young may make several tentative trips outside the parent's mouth to investigate the surroundings before leaving permanently.

In the aquarium

Arowanas are solitary fish and only appreciate company while young; adults may show dominance and aggression. Some compatible species often partnered with this fish are clown knifefish,pacu, oscars, plecostomus, jaguar cichlids, green terrors, gar, tinfoil barb, siamese tigerfish, and any other semi-aggressive fish that cannot fit in the arowana's mouth.

These fishes are best kept with live or frozen feed and they easily outgrow the tank within a span of 8 to 10 months. A large type aquarium of at least 150 gallons is preferable.

Australian species are best kept alone in aquaria.