Few questions on Arapaima.

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So here's some photos I took today, you can notice how thick the Arapaima is getting, gaining some fat on it's back.

Hope you enjoy them.7a57d270-a88f-47e7-a57e-3ffcc380e2ce.jpg 7e6b0033-b921-401f-b3d1-e4fc3ce36d61.jpg 5683aa1f-e1a0-46bf-9b67-151b2011702e.jpg 48399206-3e50-4fa7-ac28-b5b84623ae5c.jpg e0eea19e-a580-44d1-abb9-5a5f04cd9dd9.jpg
 
Hey people, I hope y'all well! I got a few of questions for you.

#1 How long does it take for an arapaima to start developing it's red coloration?

#2 My arapaima is farm raised but for the fish meat market, could this possibly mean it may lack of coloration since it's not raised for that purpose but for being thick? :)

#3 I'd like to add a tank mate for the pima soon, my two only options are RTC or a Chitala, I know both of this will get huge... But hey, so will the arapaima. Are any of those two suitable companions?

Cheers!
 
Pretty sure RTC is not a suittable companion for any fish.
Fishes like the arapaima would be fine tank mates, if you got both at adult size, but the RTC is likely to keep growing, and growing, and growing more before your pima has a chance to even try to catch up.

If at all the case (take what I say with a grain of salt, my two favorite fishes, but never had either), then your RTC will end up with a cherished and very pricy meal one of these days.

Chitala on the other hand sounds alright, the one I had didn't grow fast enough for my liking, but I'm sure given a proper size, these two could work well together, for a while.
 
Hi Roberto
Your arapaima is still small mine started developing red at 12inches....And some arapaima will get more redder than others
As for tankmates... In my opinion arapaimas have the fastest growth rate...
Mine went from 12'' to 36'' in little less than a year... They do grow really fast
rtc should be okay when your arapaima is atleast 12'' +..make sure you get a small one but make sure he is not small enough to be swallowed by your pima...arapaima will grow faster than rtc
 
Hi Roberto
Your arapaima is still small mine started developing red at 12inches....And some arapaima will get more redder than others
As for tankmates... In my opinion arapaimas have the fastest growth rate...
Mine went from 12'' to 36'' in little less than a year... They do grow really fast
rtc should be okay when your arapaima is atleast 12'' +..make sure you get a small one but make sure he is not small enough to be swallowed by your pima...arapaima will grow faster than rtc
Thanks for the reply Dude! :D I'm hoping my arapaima will get red coloration, specially because of the fact that it´s farm raised and i´ve seen a lot of pale pimas from this kind of farms. As for the companion I ended up buying a RTC since I thought basically the same as you did, Arapaima grow stupidly fast, and there´s no way a RTC can catch up to that, I bought a RTC small enough for the arapaima to not be able to swallow him, I'm also planning on moderating it´s feeding since I'm really not that interested in owning a monster catfish so quickly, not with the arapaima.

Cheers mate!
 
Today is father's day here in Costa Rica, and since I'm a proud dad I wanna show you some "from above" pictures I took of my 25cm baby monster :)

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Cheers! 20160619012034-01.jpeg 20160619012158-01.jpeg 20160619012316-01.jpeg
 
Certainly has grown a lot since you first post, good looking fish!
 
Certainly has grown a lot since you first post, good looking fish!
Yes! It's hard to believe but it's definitely bigger by the day! A biggger 250gal tank is now cycling so I hope I can move it soon.
 
That Arapaima is looking great! I am looking forward to your picture updates as this Arapaima grows. Thanks for the information.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com