yEllOw

Yellow-Tail Arowana is believed to be the cross between the Gold and Green Arowana . Its scales are usually milky-white with yellow colored fins and tails . It is about the same price as the Green Arowana.

rEd

Red Arowana is found in Kalimantan and Sumatra of Indonesia. They can be divided into 1st grade red and 2nd grade red. 1st grade red can have different intensity of color ranging from yellow to orange to red to blood-red and chilli-red. The higher intensity red is more desirable and often demand very high price. It is often difficult to diffferentiate 1st grade red from 2nd grade red when the fish is young.Young 1st grade red's tail and anac fin have intense red color and their scales are shiny gold in color with some green at the base. Young 2nd grade red has orange fins and the scales color are no obvious and often whitish silver. When the fish grows, in 1st grade red, the color of the fins remains red, their scales and the gill cover will develop its color. Ther type of color it will developed into depends on which type of 1st grade red you have. On the other hand, the adult 2nd grade red will only have pinkish or orange colored fins, thier scales and gill color will only developed pink or orange color.

platiNuM silVer

The Platinum Arowana is an extremely rare type of fish with virtually no color in its body. This fish is so valuable that an offer for $80,000 was recently turned down! Legend states that this fish is supposed to bring luck to its owner, which is another big reason why it is so unbelievably expensive. This unique fish dines on a diet of insects, shrimp, fish, and frogs. They enjoy warm water of 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

priCe n valUe

Arowana can range in price from a few hundred pounds up to in excess of £250,000. The value of the fish is determined by a number of factors:
1) Colour the definition and contrast of the colour increases the value, the more unusual combination and the more striking the colours the greater the value.
2) Depth of colour, the more of the body that is coloured the greater the value.
3) Dimensions, as always the proportions and size of the fish effect the value.
4) Blemishes, sunburn, marks, cuts, bites etc reduce the price of the fish.
5) Uniqueness, this takes many forms, if it is through deformity but a completely unique event, the price of the fish can be hugely elevated. Missing tail sections or deformed jaws that occur in a visually appealing way can make the fish very valuable to someone seeking something unusual. If the deformation is irregular it can completely devalue the fish.
6) Personality, due to the uniqueness of each fish and how they interact, their personalities and the connection a potential buyer has with the fish can set the value.
7) Age, although this does not directly effect the price, many of the above cannot be determined until the fish is approaching 24 months old. This means that although juvenile fish are significantly cheaper, they are a gamble as to the older fish you are purchasing. To guarantee elements the fish must be much older, by which time a higher price will be set. (Even with super red fish, one can not necessarily say if it will be red or orange if purchased below 12 inches).

aSpectS

Growing to 35 inches in length it is not a fish for the small aquarium, requiring generally as an adult a 5ft x 3ft x 3ft tank as a minimum.
The most notable being:
They have large distinct scales arranged in 5 horizontal rows. The scales themselves contain several bandings colours with the most intense and appealing contrasts fetching the highest prices.Distinct barbells protrude from the lower jaw and the large number of teeth and presence of bone in the mouth lead to the common name Bonytongue.
Long flowing pectoral and pelvic fins add to the graceful impact of the fish, and their powerful motion allows them to jump in excess of 6 feet from the surface of the water.

Cultural Beliefs
The Asian Arowana is considered auspicious by many, as well as being a symbol of wealth and stature. They embody several Feng Sui concepts of the Dragon complemented by Water bringing luck and tranquillity to the owner.The Dragon Fish in Feng SuiThe Fish itself has a number of characteristics that fit within the principals of Feng Sui. The large scales and their colouring of Red or Golden demonstrate the existence of wealth and success. Being such a noble and dominant fish it also presents the character of strength and success which can be reflected on the owner. The large mouth that only collects food from the surface show how the fish can engulf success from above and draw it in for the owner.Water is a place where chi gathers, it is naturally a source of yin energy containing an "auspicious" fish such as an Arowana e balances the yang and helps to dispel any negative energy in the household or office.Also because the fish is so naturally effected by magnetic fields it is in keeping with the feng sui principals also based around the world’s magnetism and polarities.

Myths of Arowana
There are many stories of Arowana succumbing to ailments similar to their owners, and the owner subsequently recovering in record time. This extends to a believe that the fish may save its owner from death by dying itself. Often people who have come in contact with Arowana or the Arowana community hear stories of owners dying and shortly thereafter the fish jumping out the tank, or in a more fortunate of circumstances a miraculous escape from a car accident and on returning home the owner finds an Arowana died at around the same time as the accident.
As unbelievable as it sounds the number of stories and closeness of events does beg the question is there more to this than myth?

caRe n oWneRship

Often there is concern from potential Arowana owners about the investment involved and the risks associated with it. The reality of the situation is that Arowana (with a life expectancy of 20+ years) can be a long term aquatic companion with one of the lowest requirements of care of any tropical species. Well filtered, soft and slightly acidic water at roughly 28C is preferable, however, Arowana are known in captivity to be kept in a wide variety of conditions ranging from a PH4 to PH8 and KH2 to KH20. This will be reflected by the specific fish and its tolerance to the environment but Arowana themselves are very hardy.
Ideal conditions are based around sensitivity to PH and we always recommend owners keep their tanks as close to PH6.4 to PH6.8 as possible.
Arowana are exceedingly tolerant of poor conditions, they are not however tolerant at all to changing conditions. The greatest risk your Arowana will face is a change in environment such as changing the filter, or overfeeding a tank that has too weak a filter. This can cause a spike in ammonia, nitrates or nitrites. It is not the conditions themselves that can be harmful but the change which may result in losing your fish.
A clear example of this is a tank that has been poorly kept for several months. The owner decides to perform a 60% water change with the purest, most perfectly conditioned and correct water. As a result the Arowana becomes unable to swim correctly, starts to rotate in the water and over a week dies. The issue is not the condition of the water but the unexpected change. This same change could be achieved with 10% water changes per week, or even a reduction of the water level and a drip fed increase over several weeks.

iNtegRity

Can I keep Arowana with other fish?

Arowana are also highly territorial but establish good relationships with other fish such as Barbs, Parrot Fish and Stingrays. If you desire to keep a number then as a general rule they can only be kept with other Arowana if in groups of 6 or above. As a testament to their individual personalities it is often possible to keep smaller groups of Arowana together if they are individually more sociable.
Always keep watch over your tank and fish to understand the relationship that are forming. Also remember the Arowana’s primary territory is within 16 inches of the surface of the water. If you have fish that regularly swim in this zone they are prime targets for Arowana to pick on. If your tank is not deeper than 16 inches you may find keeping any other fish will be a problem.