Aggressive Asian Arowana

[islandguy11]

When I first got my GHXB I kept him in a 4ft. temporary tank until his new 7ft (325g) home was ready. During that approx. month he was always quite calm and cool.

However, since putting him in the 7ft'er he has become increasingly aggressive, especially towards nets or siphons and it's gotten to the point where he attacks them almost every time I put any in the tank. The other day he even jumped out a few inches and bit my pinky as I was holding a net (didn't hurt or even break the skin, just felt kinda like sandpaper). This was in the middle of feeding, so I'm not sure if he mistook my finger for food or he was trying to protect his tank.

I'm not super happy about this aggression; for the past 1.5 years I've had a Kamfa Flowerhorn that' super aggro/territorial and tries to kill me all the time; I love him but doing anything in the tank is a royal PIA, as have to block him with nets (while he's attacking them) or sometimes a divider.

So I was hoping my next showpiece would be milder in temperament, but so far that's not really been the case and at this point I'm not sure why (In fact he's quite spoiled and I've never done anything to scare or intimidate him with nets or anything, he's never been netted in his whole life, just bagged).

Here's just a few clips I took a few days ago, and he's still doing it every day now.

Is he going through a rambunctious youngster stage? Or is that just his personality I can 'look forward' to for years ahead?

Or is it water temperature (84F pretty much day in day out here in the tropics)? But I don't think that's it because plenty of peeps in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia have pretty much the same weather and similar water temps in their tanks without their Arowana being aggressive. Water parameters are otherwise fine (0 ammonia, 0 nitrate, less than 10ppm nitrite).

Or is it perhaps my feeding technique? To successfully get him on pellets I've been using a little system of giving a pellet or two, then after he eats those he earns a couple of ghost shrimp or pieces of white fish, then I put in another pellet or two, repeat, repeat until he's about full. It's been very effective, so his diet is about 50% pellets and 50% frozen food, just about the ratio I want.

However, feeding in small parts like that (as opposed to just throwing in a bunch of food into the tank and letting him take his time to eat) makes him kind of aggressively strike each piece (pellets or frozen food) pretty good -- he's always waiting for the next couple of bits (even if I feed pretty quickly) and gets ready to pounce when he sees my hand/spoon rising from the bowl of food.

Anybody had a similar situation with an Arowana (esp. Asian)? Any thoughts, opinions or advice is welcome.

 

[Galantspeedz]

Could it be that he is not fed enough?

I only had 1 such incident when I was dumping a batch of ghost shrimps in the tank, he jumped and bite unto the net before I could throw the ghost shrimps in

But my tank is slightly different, it is in a comm tank with a few other aggressive fish... at least when it comes to food haha

His main diet which is market prawn is fed the same way as you... 1 by 1

 

[islandguy11]

Could it be that he is not fed enough?

I only had 1 such incident when I was dumping a batch of ghost shrimps in the tank, he jumped and bite unto the net before I could throw the ghost shrimps in

But my tank is slightly different, it is in a comm tank with a few other aggressive fish... at least when it comes to food haha

His main diet which is market prawn is fed the same way as you... 1 by 1

Thx for the input and good suggestion -- was thinking about this as well: I was previously feeding him once a day (as per most suggestions for a ~11 in. Aro), but you've got a point, esp. with warmer water temp and so higher metabolism rate, maybe he needs feeding twice a day. So in fact I started doing this since 2 days ago, will see if it has any positive effect.

Also I was thinking about getting him a tank mate for company and maintenance help (probably a Flagtail), but am wondering if it might be too late now given his current temperament, will see if he chills a bit before trying that.

 

[Galantspeedz]

Thx for the input and good suggestion -- was thinking about this as well: I was previously feeding him once a day (as per most suggestions for a ~11 in. Aro), but you've got a point, esp. with warmer water temp and so higher metabolism rate, maybe he needs feeding twice a day. So in fact I started doing this since 2 days ago, will see if it has any positive effect.

Also I was thinking about getting him a tank mate for company and maintenance help (probably a Flagtail), but am wondering if it might be too late now given his current temperament, will see if he chills a bit before trying that.

i think is worth a try... but try to not put the new fish in around feeding time.... maybe can do it after he is full

for my AA, he will stop coming to the glass in front of me when he is full.....

 

[narayanang76]

I think its the individual character which you cant do much about, just get used to it may be. I also start to think that feeding habits have to do something with this , when feeding them one by one they tend to be a bit aggressive snapping at the water level. However if you add tank mates, then also they need to be more aggressive to get their bites, so I dont feel that is going to solve the issue by adding more tank mates.

In my case, Flash, my golden Aro, have bitten my small finger once, and I started bleeding slightly. It was more a feeling of a sand paper, and he left immediately after snapping my finger. He did this when I was during water change and when I was wiping the glass with a cloth.

While doing water changes, he is not at all afraid, and keeps following the Python or me, in fact I am more worried of being bitten again. He even allows me to touch his back and pat him occasionally.

A more strange behavior I have noticed of Flash is when my son walks in front of his tank, Flash will start doing a 'jerky' move very often. He does similar jerky moves when we hold a newspaper open in the living room. And particularly with a green blanket open. I though he was territorial at these times, and when we looks at him then, he calms down automatically..

 

[islandguy11]

I think its the individual character which you cant do much about, just get used to it may be. I also start to think that feeding habits have to do something with this , when feeding them one by one they tend to be a bit aggressive snapping at the water level. However if you add tank mates, then also they need to be more aggressive to get their bites, so I dont feel that is going to solve the issue by adding more tank mates.

In my case, Flash, my golden Aro, have bitten my small finger once, and I started bleeding slightly. It was more a feeling of a sand paper, and he left immediately after snapping my finger. He did this when I was during water change and when I was wiping the glass with a cloth.

While doing water changes, he is not at all afraid, and keeps following the Python or me, in fact I am more worried of being bitten again. He even allows me to touch his back and pat him occasionally.

A more strange behavior I have noticed of Flash is when my son walks in front of his tank, Flash will start doing a 'jerky' move very often. He does similar jerky moves when we hold a newspaper open in the living room. And particularly with a green blanket open. I though he was territorial at these times, and when we looks at him then, he calms down automatically..

Thx too for your feedback narayanang76! Interesting that happened to you with Flash, he look so calm and collected (maybe it was when he was younger and more impetuous?)

But yeah, always having that worry about whether your fish is going to chomp you is kind of stressful. And while I expect it with a Flowerhorn, I really didn't expect it with an Asian Arowana. And feeding him twice a day instead of once hasn't had an effect yet; just today he took a big chomp on the net as I was removing it from the water.

But what I'm just as worried if not more about is him hurting himself -- I think he could quite easily injure his nice barbels biting and jumping at stuff every day.

I'd like to change feeding styles but a) if I just throw in a bunch of pellets he'll soon lose interest in them after eating a few (whereas with other method I can get him to eat about 10 Hikari sticks); and b) if I throw in a bunch of frozen food half will sink to the bottom, where I don't want him feeding.

Anyway I'm actually in a position of where I can run a little test here: in fact about a month after getting the GHXB, I also got a beautiful Blue Base Golden Crossback (which I haven't yet introduced on MFK, but will do so soon).

And basically this new BB is getting pretty much the same exact treatment/grooming that the GHXB got -- she's starting out in the same 4ft while a bigger tank is being made now, and she's being fed the same way (though she came pellet trained as farm she came from raises them on their own brand), and of course water temp is nearly the same.

So essentially I'll be able to see if she also gets aggro after getting her own big tank, or whether my GHXB is plain and simply a jerk.

Speaking of which, yes both of my Aros frequently do that jerky dancing stuff -- but I haven't yet figured out if it means "Hey nice dude, I'm hungry!" or "Hey slim jim, WTF you doing in front of my tank?" -- or just as likely both depending on how they're feeling -- these fish are friggin' psychotic!

 

[Shaneviolet fusion]

Sounds like my super red violet fusion super aggressive even after a huge meal it’s like it says nope this is my home so get out lol iv found as he has gotten bigger he starts to play games to lol like now wen I feed pellets he whips his tail to slash me every time give it mario worms an it’s like he’s saying thank u an doesn’t splash me an mine hates any nets or hoses an I have cats witch it hates the most they jump on the table next to it’s tank an he will shot straight towards them it hates cats with a passion il get a video it’s so funny

 

[islandguy11]

Sounds like my super red violet fusion super aggressive even after a huge meal it’s like it says nope this is my home so get out lol iv found as he has gotten bigger he starts to play games to lol like now wen I feed pellets he whips his tail to slash me every time give it mario worms an it’s like he’s saying thank u an doesn’t splash me an mine hates any nets or hoses an I have cats witch it hates the most they jump on the table next to it’s tank an he will shot straight towards them it hates cats with a passion il get a video it’s so funny

Wow I thought I mine was bad -- in a perverse sort of way I'm happy I'm not alone And yes, would love to see a video of your cat-hating SRVF!

 

[narayanang76]

Wow I thought I mine was bad -- in a perverse sort of way I'm happy I'm not alone And yes, would love to see a video of your cat-hating SRVF!

True. It gives a relief to me too when known that many others are also suffering having fish with mental issues lol