Arowana tankmates?

As a much younger man I inherited a mature (~2 1/2') silver arowana and a pair of ~8-10" oscars in a 100 gal tank. I cared for them for about a year until I went away to college and then turned the whole set up to family friends. The time I had them, they got along just fine and appeared to have plenty of room to move and stay out of each others way...but I was young and didn't have the luxury of an internet by which to research suitable tankmates. Fast forward 20 years:

I've bought a 100 gal tank (4' long, 2' deep) and have option to buy 150 gal in about a year. I am enamored with the arowana and have been researching tankmates. I'm getting conflicting info on suitable tankmates, and haven't found any recommended tank mates with color to off-set a silver aro.

Please, I need some ideas on tankmates!


Other considerations: I'll probably end up buying a small aro, so growth rates may be a factor. I'm still cycling the tank, and I'm giving living plants a go...but I usually can't grow mold on yogurt, so may end up with artificial plants.

 

Here are a few articles I have read when we had our 2 silver arowanas babies.

Fresh water rays is what a friend of ours has with his arrowna.

Others

 

As much as arowana move around, either floating plants or anchored fake ones, are probably the best way to go.
As for tankmates, that's a tough call.
I would be leery of placing anything not twice the arowanas size with it as they are motion predators.
Large pleco-type catfish would be my suggestion.

 

I agree with what Dino has said, as well as the fact that you will need a much larger tank (even bigger than the 150). Silvers have the potential to reach well over 3 feet in length, so even a 6 foot long tank would look tiny. A 300 would work, or something with the measurments 8ft long X 3 ft Wide X 3 feet deep would be even better.

Having said that, I currently am keeping my 10 inch arowana with 4 inch datnoids, a tiger shovel nose and a red tail cat, HOWEVER both of those catfish will grow WAAAAAAAAAAAY too big for your 150 (my rtc has grown over 4 inches in less than three months) so unless you are prepaired to have a pond, I'd stay away from them

 

As for tank mates make sure nothing in the tank will fit in it's mouth because it WILL eat it, and their mouth is huge.
carol

 

lol I wanted to say that, (nothing small enough to fit into its mouth) or anything that it thinks will fit into its mouth, because it will try to eat EVERYTHING. lol

 

ive seen large 8"+ Clown Loach with Arowana before

 

you can keep all sorts of large sized fish with the aro's, but its no guaranteed that the fish will or will not fight. Every single fish has a different personality and temperament so you will kind of have to take a chance.
I've raised plenty of fish together that most fish "experts" say can't be put together but they have been in the tanks for years and have not harmed each other.

 

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Did you look at the file? But anyway I want to help you.
Tank mates:
1. Cichlid
2. Plecos
3. Large catfishes
4. Stingrays

 

Try a huge pleco

 

I have a friend with a 300 gal tank he has a silver arowana with a redtail catfish a fully grown green texas, adult albino oscar and a full grown jack dempsey. they all get along just find so far the only thing that gets bullied around in his tank are feeders he farms and pellet food.
By the way the aro is 16 inches the last time I saw it.

 

Tank Buds

One of my favorite fresh water fish makes a perfect tank mate for an Arrow is a Tiger Shovelnose Catfish....I have also had Peacock Bass with my Arrows.

 

One of my favorite fresh water fish makes a perfect tank mate for an Arrow is a Tiger Shovelnose Catfish....I have also had Peacock Bass with my Arrows.

Please note the date of the Original Post in threads you respond to, as some of them are very outdated, as this one above will be a year old in a week..
Most old threads have had the questions resolved by now..

 

I think u can put flowerhorns and parrot fish with arrows

 

Wow, this thread is super old, please check the dates before replying.
As capekate said, this issue has most likely been resolved.
Thanks