My Arowana only eats live fish. What should I feed it instead?

Arowanas need large tanks due to their size. They also require powerful filtration to maintain water quality. Water changes will also be critical to water quality since they produce a lot of wastes. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. A home test kit should also be used to monitor water chemistry. Minimum tank size should be between 130 and 150 gallons. Adults will need larger tanks. Keep a cover in place as they are accomplished jumpers. They should be kept in "soft" water and, being tropical fish, maintain temps between 75 F and 86 F. Feed a varied and balanced diet including krill, shrimp, mealworms, nightcrawlers and feeder fish. Food can be fresh, frozen (thaw it first) or freeze dried. Lastly, these are aggressive fish, so tank mates must be chosen carefully, if at all.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Juvenile RES should receive commercial aquatic turtle pellets, supplemented occasionally with live fish (guppies, goldfish), & earthworms. Make sure she gets at least 15 minutes of natural sunlight weekly. Adults need 30% of diet to be the pellets & some protein like mentioned above. The krill can be offered on occasion. 70% of the diet needs to be plants in the form of chopped leafy greens, kale, romaine, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, parsley, shredded carrot, frozen (thawed) mixed veggies & squash, & occasional fruit. Take care.

Thanks for reaching out about your arowana. These are tough fish to co-habitat in an aquarium as they tend to eat other fish and can be territorial. Introduced fish must be large enough to not appear as prey and not too timid, or will hide and not compete for food. This readily depend on how large your arowana is at present. Good luck.

My rule for exotic pets (fish included) is feed them what they were designed to eat. In the wild they are consuming multiple types of prey, so alternating the diet is always beneficial. Thanks for posting the question! Enjoy your aquarium!

Shrimp should not be the sole source of nutrition. This may lead to deficiencies. Sliders are omnivorous and should be fed a combination of greens and proteins. Offer live prey such as crickets, minnows, nightcrawlers and superworms. Dark, leafy greens can be chopped finely and offered. A commercial pellet or stick formula should also be fed. To stimulate the appetite, you can soak pellets in some water used to rehydrate dried shrimp or krill. Fasting the turtles for a day or two will also get them hungry enough to eat pellets or prey. Be sure to provide adequate space, heat and lighting. Allow 10 gallons per inch of she'll as a guideline for tank size. Three sliders, when fully grown will need a large tank. UVB lighting will aid in calcium metabolism and heat is necessary for proper digestion and health in reptiles. Water temperature should range between 75F and 85F. A basking area should be 90F to 95F. Care should be taken when housing wild caught turtles with captive bred turtles. Parasites and disease present in wild sliders may infect a captive bred one. You should also check local wildlife laws regarding the keeping of wild turtles. You can read more about care of sliders here: www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about your arowana. Barbels can re-grow. Trauma or infection are likely causes for the condition. As barbels are a component of the sensory system for acquisition of food, a damaged barbel can reduce appetite. If inappetence continues, analgesics or antibiotics could help, and a veterinary visit should be scheduled. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Buddy. The only answer is to offer less or no treats. Check and correct husbandry parameters such as water and basking temperatures, UVB exposure and diet. Whole live fish are nutritious and provide some foraging behavior. Good luck.