Anyway, I would just like to start the new year by sharing some photos with all of you going into 2012. Feel free to do whatever you want with these photos of arowanas, goldfish, discus and flower horns. This are FREE for all my readers!!!
These zip files contain close to 700+ photos of fishes that I took during the Aquarama 2011 show that was held in Singapore in May 2011.

You can download all of them using the links provided below here …

1) Arowana Photos – http://www.arowana-care.com/2012arowanapics

2) Discus Photos – http://www.arowana-care.com/2012discuspics

3) Flower Horn Photos – http://www.arowana-care.com/2012flowerhornpics

4) Goldfish Photos – http://www.arowana-care.com/2012goldfishpics

Be patient when downloading as they are huge files ok. Just cut and paste the links onto your browser to start the download.

Hope you like them and cheers to all of you again and have a great year ahead!!!

The arowana has scales that are arranged and shaped like the mythical dragon. That is why the Chinese called them dragonfish. Many owners confirmed that arowanas have superior mental abilities. They are said to understand what humans are talking and emit vibrations that increase good aura in its environment. They can also sense or anticipate unfavorable events to happen. They show these warnings by swimming frantically, bumping the wall of the aquarium and in extreme conditions, leaping out from its container.

Rich individuals in Asia, most of them businessmen, keeps arowanas in their homes or establishment. Feng Shui experts stressed that keeping a freshwater fish like the arowana activates good fortune. The fish is believed to enhance the force of wealth generation and accumulation. They are also kept to counteract negative forces or evil spirits. The fish is also available in decorations or images which are used by people who cannot afford to own a live one. They believe that these items bring the same effect as the real thing. The colors that are favored by feng shui enthusiasts are gold, silver-white, orange and the more popular, red.

In feng shui, it is accepted that water controls the wealth of a person. Most Asian aquarist kept 8 to 9 fishes in their possession believing these numbers or amount is auspicious. Some owners based on He Tu and Lou Shu numerology keep 1, 4, 6 or 9 fishes. The number 1 and 6 symbolizes water element and 4 to 9 symbolizes metal element according to He Tu. To enhance a person’s luck and good fortune, these numbers are used with the water and metal elements.

It is also recommended to use a combination of different fish colors and numbers to create a dynamic cycle of the elements to represent endless wealth. You can try this combination for the purpose. Mix 1 black, 6 white and 8 yellow fished in a tank. In numerology context, 1 represent the element water, 6 represent metal and 8 signify earth. In Chinese beliefs, the number combination 1, 6 and 8 means unbroken prosperity.

Characteristics of the Pearl Arowana

The Pearl Arowana is considered the most aggressive type among Australian Arowanas. It has a dark-colored body with large pectoral fins. The 7 to 8 rows of large scales has red or pink spots at the edge which is crescent-shaped. It can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh as much as 18 kilograms. This is a very strong fish which is challenging and worthwhile to fish enthusiasts.

Food of the Pearl Arowana

You can feed the pearl arowana with live small fish, but care should be taken because parasites or fungi can make the fish sick. It will also eat worms, crustaceans and other live insects. The fish can be feed with prepared or frozen foods like parts of beef and food pellets.

It is advisable to feed small amounts of food several times daily with variations to achieve the best growth rate. If the fish is already more than 1 foot long, it can be fed only once a day. Do not forget to clean or remove any fragments of food that are left uneaten to maintain a healthy environment inside the aquarium.

Taking Care of the Fish

The Pearl arowana should be kept in a tank that is large and spacious for swimming. Changing the water regularly and installing a good water filter system is essential to keep the water clean. Cover the tank with a heavy and strong lid to prevent the fish from jumping out. The temperature of the water must be kept at 24-29 degrees Centigrade, and water acidity should not exceed 7.5 pH. If you want to keep other fishes with the arowana, it should be done with common sense in mind as to not to overcrowd the tank. Large fishes such as catfish, Oscars, plecos, etc. can be ideal tank

The black arowana is very similar to the silver arowana in stature. They only differ when young since the former’s body is black in color and fades as it grows into an adult. Its scales then turn to silver while each fin change to blue. At its final growth stage, the black arowana will look very much like the silver arowana with olive green and purplish hue.

Outside captivity, the fish is easily frightened when approached, but this type of arowana is found to be the tamest or somewhat shy in nature by many of its owners. The black arowana is presently considered a protected species in Brazil. It is getting harder to acquire one as a pet. The possible way of having it is if you are lucky to find imported ones that pass as a silver arowana.

Taking care of Your Black Arowana

The black arowana grows up to 3 feet in length. While still young, it should be placed into a tank that can hold more than 50 gallons of water, while a 480 gallon-capacity container is sufficient for adults. A large tank is important to contain the full length and maximum life span of the fish. The temperature of the water must be maintained between 24 to 28 degrees centigrade. Be sure to cover the tank with a heavy lid since the fish are known jumpers, often resulting as a dead arowana on the floor.
Feeding your arowana with live insect, small fish, crustaceans, meat or food pellet is ideal for its diet. Just be careful when feeding the fish with live creatures since most of them will pass parasites or bacteria to the arowana. Common diseases such as red spot, fin rot, ascites, etc. are usually attributed to these bacteria.
The arowana is best kept in a solitary environment. But if you decide to introduce other fishes to its container, be sure to place fishes that are large enough not to fit in the arowanas’ mouth as the fish is predatory in nature. Ideal tank mates are less aggressive types such as Pacu or Oscar fish. The number of these fishes should not exceed up to six per tank to ensure harmony between each other.

By the way, Aquarama 2011 is here in Singapore THIS WEEK!!! I’ll be finding some time to go there to check out all the latest aquarium paraphernalia. Should definitely have some interesting new stuff there. The Aquarama 2009 was a bit of a disappointment in terms of number of exhibitors, imho, but I hope that this time, there will be much much more!!! I’ll keep you guys posted. Will also let you know the results of the arowana and probably goldfish competition winners as well. Let me know if you have anything else you want me to check out in the exhibition.

Join the party in person if you can. It will be held at the Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre from the 26th to 29th May… You can also check out the following website for more information… http://aquarama.com.sg/

HOWEVER, keep your questions coming to my email address (steven@arowana-care.com) as I will continue to answer all your personal questions. However, moving forward, if I find your questions can benefit the wider arowana hobbyist community, I will post it here on the blog.

Again, have a Great Christmas day and 2010 ahead. May the new year usher in health, wealth and personal prosperity to all.
Cheers and take care.
Steven

Oh yes.. before I forget… the Aquarama 2009 Goldfish Grand Champion is in video 6 here !!! But poor fish… I think because it was so big and fat, it could not move much when I was taking the video!

1) Ranchu – Category B Class 1

2) Pearl Scaled Varieties – Category B Class 2

3) Oranda – Category B Class 3

4) Dragon Eye – Category B Class 4

5) Ryukin – Long Caudal Fin (Tail) – Category B Class 5

6) Ryukin – Short Caudal Fin (Tail) – Category B Class 6 (Goldfish Grand Champion is in this category)

7) Open – Any Variety – Category B Class 7

There are 14 videos so I will give you the 1st 7 here for category A. (smaller goldfishes)

1) Ranchu – Category A Class 1

2) Pearl Scaled Varieties – Category A Class 2

3) Oranda – Category A Class 3

4) Dragon Eye – Category A Class 4

5) Ryukin – Long Caudal Fin (Tail) – Category A Class 5

6) Ryukin – Short Caudal Fin (Tail) – Category A Class 6

7) Open – Any Variety – Category A Class 7