To every novice to the aquarium world, every newcomer to our magnificent aquatic world or anyone who just knows that something called Arowana exists happen to know silver Arowana. Silver Arowana has gained a fan following across the globe and rightly so. This behemoth of an aquarium fish is a hardy pet that is interactive too and lives for close to two decades or more if properly cared for.
Let us take a deeper plunge knowing the magnificent silver Arowana.
General Introduction.
Silver Arowana is a freshwater fish that is native to the South American waters. Silver Arowana belongs to the family of freshwater fishes Osteoglossidae. I have already covered the detailed story of the evolution of all strains of Arowana at the beginning of this series about Arowana.
Silver Arowana is longer than Asian Arowana by a considerable margin. They are very ancient species that are roaming earth’s waters even before all the continents have been formed. In general people, fancy Asian Arowana breeds like red Arowana or red tail golden Arowana. Personally, I fancy a fully grown silver Arowana.
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The sight of a regal fish that is close to four feet in length in a large 10-12 feet aquarium is a sight to behold. Pure magnificence of nature at the display. Words can’t describe the awe I felt when I saw this fish in its full glory.
Physical features.
Typically silver Arowana is a very long fish that is having a smooth tapering rear-end profile. It resembles a broad sword in shape. The body finely meets with the tail in a really smooth ending virtually merging to the end.
Their scales are large and they have 5-6 rows of scales running across the length of the body. Scales in very small babies are having a brownish hue which turns into brilliant silver when the fish matures. It seems as if this fish is the knight in shining armor of the fish world.
The height of dorsal and anal fins are small in height and long in length. Both dorsal fin and anal fins start from the back of the head up to the beginning of the caudal fin. In fully developed adults fins appear to merge into one another along with the caudal fin giving an appearance of a single boundary fin running all along the body.
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Silver Arowana tend to grow faster and larger than most Asian Arowana breeds. In the aquarium trade, I have personally seen a 2.5 feet long silver Arowana. There are videos on YouTube showing silver to have reached 4 feet and a little beyond. I reckon that in household conditions it can easily stretch to just over 3.5 feet if provided ample living conditions.
Behavior and temperament.
Silver Arowana is a predator and remains a predator from start to end. To be rightly so because surviving in cruel amazon for eras requires this fish to be ruthless and lightning-fast.
Silver Arowana has survived the Amazonian wilderness for thousands of years and the temperament of a survivor is deeply embedded in its DNA. This can be observed in its activities if you have one in your aquarium. In its natural habitat silver Arowana consumes a variety of prey.
Along with the fishes in the stream that can fit their mouth, they are found to have consumed insects, small birds, bats, and snakes. How did they get into the close range of silver Arowana to attack them? Silver Arowana has a peculiar ability to jump up in the air to catch its victims and sometimes to escape from threats. This is why they are known as Monkey fish is some cultures.
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This behavior is best observed in household conditions when you make major water changes or clean the entire aquarium. You are forced to move the fish to a separate tank. With small and young Arowana its seems an easier task but with the adult will let you witness why they are known as leapers. They can leap as high as 4 feet above water level. Silver Arowana will bend its tail and will wait for the right opportunity. When they find it or will be in need of a big leap they will flick that tail and travel high up in the air.
Bonding with the owner.
Silver Arowana is a very intelligent fish. Tough, you can not expect them to be enough intelligent to amuse you with tricks. They are intelligent enough to recognize the person feeding them on daily basis. They will even let this person touch them, occasionally at first.
Make a horseshoe shape with your palm and lower your hand in the aquarium. Slowly the fish will learn to swim in between your fingers enjoying the touch. If this practice of little interaction is practiced daily then your fish will learn to do it every time you lower your hand in the water. After a few months, your fish is going to enjoy these personal interaction sessions.
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Conclusion
This is the most well-known Arowana species. Worldwide they have gained popularity because of the ease to keep them. They are hardy and survive with little care. Also, they can feed on a vast variety of foods available. If you are fancy of exotic large breeds of aquarium fish I would suggest that you should start to form this fish.
Other details like silver arowana price, silver arowana food, arowana tank set up, and many more are covered in our earlier posts. Do read those also and comment and share with your social circle. I hope this post is helpful in satisfying your quires about silver arowana.
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