‘Luck’ a draw as firm sells 10-year bonds to raise money for fish stocks and farms

Malaysian housewife Leong Yoke Ping bought a Sapphire Gold Arowana, otherwise known as a dragon fish, for US$3,000 (S$3,765), but says the result was more than worth it.
“After we bought it, my husband’s business has become better, jobs are pouring in, things are okay and smooth,” said Ms Leong, watching the fish swim in a customised tank at her home in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.
“It also brought a small fortune to me,” she added.
Now, an investment firm is hoping the belief in luck brought by the dragon fish, which is shared by Ms Leong and thousands like her, will pay off – in the form of investment in 10-year bonds based on the Arowana.
Prized across Asia for warding off evil, the mustachioed dragon fish is turning into a hot pick for those keen to profit from surging Chinese demand for good luck charms at a time when the global economic outlook seems cloudy.
Known for its agile body, sleek shiny scales and the”whiskers” that give it a resemblance to a Chinese dragon, demand for the fish is so high that some fetch up to US$50,000.
“Many believe it is auspicious to keep a ‘dragon’ at home because it brings luck and wards off evil,” said Mr Michael Liu, chief executive officer of Arowana Venture Berhad, a Kuala Lumpur-based firm working with a fish farm in Bukit Merah, about 300km from Kuala Lumpur,
His firm is selling 10-year bonds to investors to raise money for buying fish stocks and running fish farms.
At the hatchery in Bukit Merah, Mr Liu gestured to rows of tanks filled with fish at various stages of growth, from bright-orange embryo fish to adults that resemble mythical dragons.
Muddy ponds are used as breeding and harvesting grounds where female fish lay eggs that are fertilised and scooped up by males for incubation in their mouths.
Every 56 days, farm workers pry open the fish mouths to collect the orange eggs and move them to a special container before they hatch. Doing so minimises the mortality rate.
Once grown, the fish will be sold to pet stores across China, Taiwan and Japan.
Dragon fish are also valuable because they are endangered. Rapid agricultural development and pollution have destroyed much of their swampy habitat in South-east Asia.
Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia have successfully bred the Asian Arowana in captivity and are the only countries allowed under international laws to ex¬port them in a global market that ranges between US$250 million and US$350 million, Mr Liu said.
“Breeding helps counter the threat of extinction by boosting reproduction,” he said, adding that all exported Arowana from the farm are implanted with microchips to keep track of them.
By buying the 10-year bonds – undivided interest investment lots – at RM2,500 (S$ 1,042) each, bond holders become part owners of the fish.
In turn, they receive thrice-yearly dividends, and so far the scheme has brought good luck for all.
Investors snapped up almost all the 5,000 bonds on offer this year, which also happens to be the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and sales of the native South-east Asian fish species are up as much as 20 per cent.
“They have helped my business,” Mr Liu said. “With Arowana, things just tend to go smoothly.” Reuters

11 March 2012 The Sunday Times

1) Arowana Fry harvested very young and at this stage, they are very delicate…

2) Slightly larger fry but still very delicate at this stage with the large yolk attached…

3) Another batch of very young fry

4) Yolk is getting smaller here…

5) Young arowana fry released to a larger tank to grow…

6) Fry strong enough to swim around now…

7) Another batch of strong swimmers with small yolk disappearing soon…

8 ) Another batch …

SINGAPORE – In one of the few cases of animal cruelty that resulted in prosecution — according to an animal welfare group here — a maid from Indonesia was charged and fined S$7,000 last week for pouring half a bottle of bleach into her employer’s fish tank, killing 29 fish.
According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which high-lighted the case on its Facebook page last Friday, many of such cases reported to the society do not make it to the prosecution stage, largely due to the lack of witnesses or lack of evidence.
In the case of the 29 fish, the police confirmed that the maid had been arrested on June 20 and charged the next day.
Two SPCA inspectors had found all 29 fish floating at the surface when they attended to the case, according to SPCA’s Facebook post.
The maid, Margaritha, is unable to pay the fine and will spent time in jail, said the SPCA. She will be repatriated after that.
Her employer, Mr Derrick Ng, told MediaCorp he had reprimanded Margaritha before the incident happened.
Margaritha had scolded his son, 4, for being too “troublesome” when his son had requested that she bring in his new shoes from outside the flat.
Mr Ng said: “After that, I went downstairs for 15 minutes with my son to buy food. When I came back, I smelt chlorine and realised all of my fish were floating at the top of the tank.
“I was completely shocked and speechless. I didn’t know what to do.”
The 29 fish, which included arowanas, were valued at nearly S$20,000, said Mr Ng.
The SPCA’s executive director, Ms Deirdre Moss, said: “We want to let people know that such acts are not acceptable in our society and are punishable by law.” AMANDA FENG
2 July, 2011 Today

What can I say? Be Nice(r) Next Time? You be the judge…

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.

SO? What’s the first thing to do…… DON’T PANIC!!!!! This usually happens because the water quality is probably not so good. People ask me whether I check for nitrates levels, etc but I’ll be frank with you, I don’t at all. If you think you have high nitrate problems, well… change the water! I always do that! First thing I do when I see my arowana losing appetite or staying at the bottom of the tank often or it’s swimming patterns seem lethargic, etc, CHANGE THE WATER…

I have said this many times, this should always be your first course of action. It has never failed me until today. No point worrying about what to do first… AGAIN 1st STEP IS… YOU SHOULD CHANGE THE WATER. (Sorry for being naggy but I hope you get it by now.)

So below are the steps I took…
1) 3 weeks back, I change the water like usual during the weekends. 20 – 25% water change as usual. I also always add salt to it. Salt is like, lack of a better word, a tonic to it. I do not add anti-chlorine or any medication to it. No need for all these ok.

I usually do no feed it on the day of water change. I tried to feed it the next day but all it did was bite on the chopped prawn pieces and spat it out. I did not think much of it as it’s done this before. It did the same thing practically throughout the week but I thought they were just not hungry.

2) 2 weeks back, during the weekend, I change the water and added some salt in again as usual… It again decided not to eat for the whole week.

3) Last Sunday, I again change the water, added salt BUT this time, also added blackwater. I sometimes add blackwater as they do like this but it’s really not always necessary. It’s up to you. But the good thing is, it started to eat again yesterday. Was blackwater the ‘cure’, I really don’t think so but as I said, it does not hurt to add them if you have it.

So what is the moral behind this story?
When your arowana don’t eat, DON’T PANIC. Continue to change the water as I did.
I know there is a quote that says “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” Well, this quote does not stand for arowanas ok! In fact, you should change the water over and over again until they do eat. Think about it logically… there must be something in the water that is causing the problem right UNLESS of course, your arowana has inherent health problems that cannot be detected visually. In these cases, it is just bad luck as no one could have predicted that the arowana you bought has health issues.

Hope this will clear up some of your anxieties. Cheers and have a great day!

1. Warped Scales
Also known as cone scales, warped scales affect young arowanas more easily than adults. This condition is caused by immediate temperature change in the aquarium water and poor quality of water. This disease will start with just few scales warping with congested roots. If this is not attended immediately, the scales tend to bend and swell. When the scales raise, this will minimize the capability of the fish to protect itself from pathogen invasions. The scales will drop off and expose a certain area of its body increasing the susceptibility of bacterial attack. Then this will lead to ulceration and eventually causes death.

To stop the condition from getting worse, add in one kilo of salt to every 100 liter of aquarium water. Maintain the temperature at 32 to 34 degrees. Every three days or so, change about 20% of the water. Before you add in new water, make sure to heat up the water. It also makes sense to add antibiotic to the water if the affected area seems huge enough, to prevent infections.

2. Water Mycosis
The fungus stays in the wound of your arowana. It is light gray in color. Water mycosis is caused by fungal hyphae that cover the wound. This causes instability to the movement of the fish as it swims and rubs its body against parts of the tank to try and stop the itch. If this condition continues, it could be fatal to your arowana as it tends to lose it’s appetite as well as get secondary infections caused by bacteria in the water.

To treat water mycosis, you need to add in salt to the aquarium water with one percent consistency. Put disinfectant to the wound or you can add methyl red (4-5 drops) in every 100 liters of water at 5 percent consistency. For about 3 minutes, add in potassium chromatic solution of 1/30000 unit to the water.

3. Ascites
Young arowanas are the ones who are usually affected by this disease. This is usually caused by either decaying food which has been left in the water for too long or if the fish had accidentally swallowed something sharp (like a fish bones or prawn head pincer) which could have hurt its internal organs. This would lead to vibrion infection and ascites. This infection will cause stomach flatulence and swollen anal region. The arowana will tend to have problems balancing itself with its head pointing down most of the time.

Treating ascites includes administration of sulphonamide or antibiotic. The water also needs to be changed and temperature raised by 2-3 degrees to give it a chance to recover. But I have to say, the chances of recovery is slim when this condition hits.

What’s in a Crowd?

Arowanas are usually solitary creatures. Several arowanas can be placed together in a tank in groups BUT ONLY IF they are put together since young. (I personally recommend odd numbers.) If you try to put adult arowanas together in a tank, they will fight and this can be fatal. BE WARNED!!!
They also have tendencies to become aggressive and dominant over other fishes. Should you decide to give your arowana some non-arowana tank mates, do not put in fishes that are small enough to fit easily into its mouth. It is also better to add fishes that are semi-aggressive. Stingrays, oscars, clown knifefish, and parrotfish are good company for your arowanas.

In the Tank

The size of your fish tank must be able to accommodate territorial needs of your arowana. I would recommend a tank size of at least 4x2x2feet to start off with. This would probably be able to accommodate 2-3 fishes for at least 3 years. You should keep your tank covered as arowanas are known to jump up to 6.6 feet high. This fish needs to live in a well-filtered and clean tank. Being meat-eaters, they tend to excrete a lot of wastes. Poor maintenance of tank could lead to nitrate and ammonia toxicity.
Also at least 20% water change is desirable once a week. Clear water does not mean the water quality is good!!! Water pH level is ideally kept from pH6.5 to pH7.0. You should also keep your tank away from direct sunlight as algae grows easily in such condition and will cause oxygen levels to drop in the water.
Sudden rise or drop of water temperature can be harmful and can lead to shock. Maintain your tank’s water temperature to 26 to 30 degree Celsius. Investing in an aquarium temperature checker will do your fishes well. You may put some fine gravel on your tank’s bottom surface but bear in mind that cleaning can be a hassle if you have this. You can also add some rocks or plants to create a natural looking environment for your fish. Be careful not to put anything inside the tank that has sharp edges.

Moving Your Fish to a Larger Tank

This can be stressful for you (and the fish) but you will probably have to do this once or twice when your arowana grows in size. Remember to cycle the water in your new tank for at least 2 weeks. Catch your arowana from the old tank using plastic bags and bring the entire bag into the new tank. Open the bag and mix the water in it with the water in the new tank. This will help to ensure that the water temperature does not change too much as arowanas gets stressed when water temperature changes too drastic too suddenly. Let this bag float for about 20 minutes and then add more water into it. Do this about 3 times and then release your arowana into the new tank. It will usually take your arowana 2-3 weeks to adapt to the new tank and environment. It is also common for them to stay off food during this period.
You can check out this post as I show you first hand how I moved my new arowanas home.
Bringing Your Arowana Home

The Importance of Arowana According to Feng Shui

Feng Shui is a Chinese system focusing on environmental balance. It is a study of people in relation to their environment, particularly their home or place of work for the purpose of achieving utmost harmony with all spiritual forces thought to affect all places.
The element water is very useful and fundamental in Feng Shui. The combination of arowana or dragonfish and water is believed to produce potential positive results. In addition, clean and clear water in the aquarium brings natural beauty that blends with areas that the fish is kept in.

Feng Shui experts suggest placing the arowanas in the eastern, northern or south-eastern location of the office or house. It is not recommended to set the tank in the kitchen and bedroom as this is thought to cause sickness and financial problems.
Most of the Chinese owners believe that keeping an aquarium with 8 or 9 fishes inside the house bring good luck and fortune. People living in Southern China emphasized that the number 8 symbolize prosperity and the number 9 represent longevity. These two numbers are regarded to signify luck.

Symptoms of Upturned Gills

The first symptom noted with an Arowana experiencing curling of gills is the gills inability to open and close well with every breath of the fish. This causes the gill cover to give up, curl outwards and expose the gills. As the gills are exposed, the fish is put at risk to infections. Naturally the fish will have difficulty breathing and is manifested by fast breathing. This encourages the fish to put its head above water just to breathe. The Arowana suffers from lack of appetite. The gills begin to function abnormally as a result of infection.

Care and Treatment for Arowanas With Upturned Gills

Once you have observed your Arowana not breathing well, the first thing you should do is to change the water in your fish tank. Around 20% of tank water is ideally changed once every two to three days. You can also use an air pump to provide more oxygen for your fish. You can also try moving your fish out into a bigger tank. If the gill covers of your fish has not hardened yet you can use a wave maker so when your fish swims against the current it makes, the upturned gill covers will naturally go back to normal. In worse cases however, as your Arowana’s gill covers have already curled up and hardened, an operation would be the most appropriate option to save your fish. This operation has to be done by an expert with properly sterilized instruments. In this procedure, the infected part of the gill cover, as well as tissues growing under it will have to be removed. The fish will have to undergo anesthesia before it is taken out from the tank. To prevent further infection, antiseptics or antibiotics may be given. Once the trimmed parts have grown, your fish is considered healed.