Breeding
Many hobbyists are keen to know if it is possible to breed Arowanas in
the tank. Reasons for this interest vary from individual to individual but
the most common driving force we know of is the enterprising spirit.
IN THE WILD
In the wild, the Arowanas prefers to stay in
shallow waters (above five feet deep), near riverbanks and in shaded
areas. Arowanas prefer these areas not because they are avoiding the
elements, but because insects are plentiful in shaded areas and these are
their main source of food. Arowanas also spawn in these areas. Parents
take care of their young until they are able to feed on their own. This is
usually about 50 days after the eggs have been laid and the yolk sacs have
disappeared from the underside of the young Arowanas.
IN CAPTIVITY
The conditions of the pond were controlled to be as close to the
Arowanas preferred natural environment. Weeds, floating logs and leaves
were left in the pond to achieve this effect. Between 30 to 40 Arowanas
between the ages of five and seven, half of them male, half of them female
were released in the pond. They were left in the pond to allow them to
pair themselves off, while the fish farmers observed from afar with
binocular.
After sometime (between one and six months): compatible
male and female Arowanas couple by themselves. However, this does not mean
that with 30 to 40 Arowanas, you will see 15 to 20 pairs. On the contrary,
it is sometimes impossible to get even one pair.
The farmers
continued to keep a close watch on the pair. About 30 days later, the
spawning was successful as the male was seen releasing young Arowanas from
his mouth for between three and five minutes before drawing them back into
his mouth again. At this stage, a net was dropped into the pond to
segregate the couple and their young from the other Arowanas. After the
young were free-swimming, they were netted and kept in separate tanks to
grown individually, feeding on bloodworms.
Observations have shown
that the female Arowana spawns once a year and each successful spawn
produces between 30 and 80 young.
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