Golden arowana is one of the most sought after and celebrated breed of all arowana breeds. It deserves such admiration. Not just because its a striking fish but because what it had done to contribute in the popularity of arowana. In its native waters golden arowana is a good luck charm. Though, this fact helps to its popularity presents risks also.
In this post we will talk about general appearance, region of origin, cultural significance, food, tank, filtration and general care. Let’s look into this in more details.
Golden arowana conservation status.
Golden arowana are endangered. They are listed in IUCN red list in 2006. This means that their number in natural habitat is declining. Additionally this implies that the natural population is on the verge of being lost forever. Therefore they are under protection and their is a ban on their trade.
Well the good luck charm doesn’t work for the fish, that is for sure. In order to nurse them back to their glory days catching and transporting this fish is under prohibition. But where there is money in equation, commodity as rare as this fish finds its way to help commerce, for instance.
A few arowana breeding farms are operating under licence to carter the needs of aquarium fish enthusiasts. But, in order to import an arowana from them please go through the law of your land.
Has it done any good?
Well, its yes and no. Let me explain it properly. If you can relate it to exotic products then this law have increased the poaching. But the law have helped at least the export of illegally acquired fishes from the wild. I have explained this several times in my earlier posts. Actually when the sexually mature population in the wild is at risk for whatever purpose, the natural regeneration capacity reduces for sure. Moreover, over fishing can eradicate the whole population. So, by placing restrictions high enough helps.
But still a huge reform needs to bloom, don’t you think so?
Physical appearance.
Like other Asian arowanas, golden is a member of a larger family. They they are also very similar to others in several aspects.
for example they grow to about 3 feet in length. They have a body structure similar to that of a red tail golden aroawna or a green arowana, for that matter. Similarly they have 5-6 rows of scales. Similar weight like others.
They have an up swept lower jaw with 2 small finger like extrusions at the tip. Their back is straight and meets the skull almost horizontally in a straight line. They have a small paddle like tail at the end of their elongated body. Their dorsal and pectoral fins are both small and close to the tail at the end of their body. And yes there is very little to no red pigmentation in the fins and head.
Essentially the head is free from red pigmentation but fins and tails may carry a hint of red.
Their color ranges from dark gold to very light. But, you may be sure of one thing, color of juveniles will get two or three shades darker as they will mature.
They are indeed one of the most beautiful arowana breeds.
Golden Arowana tank requirements.
Throughout this series I am very thorough on this topic. Golden arowana is a really big fish. Most fish keeper do not realize this simply because their fishes do not last long enough to reach their absolute size. To the new comers here I will highlight this once again.
Arowana is a fish that grows to amassive lenght of 3 feet or more. This fish may live upto 25 years of age if taken care of properly. Now, as per recommendations length of aquarium should be at least 5 times the length of the fish. The width should be 3 times and the height should be 4 times.
This translates to an aquarium 15 feet long, 9 feet wide and 6 feet tall. Impractical isn’t it? So, what to do. Best option for that is to buy a prefab aquarium that comes with 8 feet length. These aquariums are around 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall. So, such an aquarium will hold this beast for a long long time. Then may be in 12-15 years of time make a pond for your golden arowana to answer their need properly. I bet this has not been on projection of many people. In that case, its best to leave this fish and opt for some other beautiful options.
What should you feed to golden arowana?
There are several options available in the market. You can choose any one of them as per your convenience. You can buy commercial packaged foods, dried shrimps or worms or fishes, you can feed live fish and other suitable organisms and you can buy specialized arowana foods.
really there is a very wide selection available. So, are you confused? don’t be! This I have also addressed in my previous articles. To study this topic in detail you can click on the following links.
Jardini arowana the Heavy weight form arowana world.
all these are general articles in which you will find generalized food options for arowana.
Arowana Fish Food : Best Food, Fish Food, Price
these are specialized articles giving details about feeding schedule, what to feed, when to feed and how much to feed at different stages of life.
Arowana Fish : Introduction, Arowanas Fish Families
Some of my very interesting work on arowana. For new comers to arowana family these are very interesting and informative.
Conclusion : the golden arowana.
Video about Golden Arowana conservation status, tank requirements, food and physical features.
This fish is one of the first to have been popularized. Yes the red tail golden arowana is more popular but still the golden arowana was the first one to have caught eyes. This article is developed mainly to help you distinguish between two breeds. Next article will focus on the red tail golden arowana. That will help you to clearly distinguish between two breeds. By this you will be able to appreciate these two separate breeds, for instance. But that is for new entrants to this world. For experienced and seasoned arowana keepers i would like to make a request. Kindly let us know if there is something missing or you would like to add anything. Please comment and let us know.
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