ARAPAIMA colours

[z4lt]

sorry if my english so bad..

hai every one.. let me introduce my self. i'm from Indonesia, and i have one a baby arapaima in my tank 100cm x 35cm x 35cm

in this picture fish size 30cm, and after 2 week now fish size 40cm

check this pict

 

[drillionaire]

one that size is usually still all black/dark grey.. MAYBE .. with little red marks around the tail area. Usually the red (or yellow, which i seldom see), will come out as it grows.

btw, where r u gettin it? Im in Indonesia too..

 

[TLkmDN]

sorry if my english so bad..

hai every one.. let me introduce my self. i'm from Indonesia, and i have one a baby arapaima in my tank 100cm x 35cm x 35cm

in this picture fish size 30cm, and after 2 week now fish size 40cm

check this pict

NICE FISH! wat do u feed it???

 

[jr monster fish]

I agree with Karun, in time your gigas will show red/orange (it is just the matter of how much). I got mine and it had no colors at all (just dark green). It is starting to show coloring on the scales all over the body (not yet briliant red) and the tail definitely has red stripes developing.

Karun's version is exceptionally colored at such a small age. I have a lost a batch of paimas that were selected for their color during a cold spell in February (similar to Karun's) alas when i returned to the shop for more they had non-colored ones left (but i was assured that the color will come - and it is coming now).

Feeding paimas fresh fish (and prawns if you can afford it) DOES bring out the color better. My neighbor's paimas get brighter when he adds fish to their diet (on top of dog pellets)

fish=better than dog food? Never would have guessed.
Seriously, try to get your neighbor to switch his diet. Im pretty sure dog food food isnt meant for fish.

 

[iwak]

sorry if my english so bad..

hai every one.. let me introduce my self. i'm from Indonesia, and i have one a baby arapaima in my tank 100cm x 35cm x 35cm

in this picture fish size 30cm, and after 2 week now fish size 40cm

check this pict

Nice pict gan

 

[johnny potatoes]

Mine is all black, only about 6" at this time and in a black back tank. I like the light green colored ones the best. I hope mine lightens up when I put him in a lighter tank.

 

[TLkmDN]

They usually darken up thru age and diet. the red may also develop later in his life. LOVES all these pima pics tho! im gona pick one up soon!

 

[A. gigas]

there are actually quite a few different color forms:
red (johnPTC's sam)
white rose (samantha)
green (arapaimag's)
golden
albino
menalistic

hopefully getting an above-ground pond for two of them

 

[tbonewarrior]

I agree with Karun, in time your gigas will show red/orange (it is just the matter of how much). I got mine and it had no colors at all (just dark green). It is starting to show coloring on the scales all over the body (not yet briliant red) and the tail definitely has red stripes developing.

Karun's version is exceptionally colored at such a small age. I have a lost a batch of paimas that were selected for their color during a cold spell in February (similar to Karun's) alas when i returned to the shop for more they had non-colored ones left (but i was assured that the color will come - and it is coming now).

Feeding paimas fresh fish (and prawns if you can afford it) DOES bring out the color better. My neighbor's paimas get brighter when he adds fish to their diet (on top of dog pellets)

At full size, you could probably start feeding them dogs instead... I can totally picture a paima chowing down on chihuahuahs lol...

 

[sibernation]

in my short experience on arapaima, this is what i can say.

i bought mine on a LFS and its other sibling was left there. i bought it at about 4in in length. after a month, my paima grew to 8in. i visited his sibling and saw it only grew an inch or so. i guess they were under feeding it.

when they were both on the LFS, their color were golden green. after a month, mine became copper green with dark tinges all over. the one left in the store was very dark and almost black in color.


conclusion: when a paima is fed and is not stunted, it should be lighter in color. the space in the middle of its scale gives dark hue on it. when its stunted, the scales wont grow larger. hence, it would be darker. if healthy and fed adequately or power fed, the scales will grow much larger. out coloring the dark inter-scale coloring.

but its just from a newbie on arapaima care. hope it helps and i hope it also made sense.