Arowana hobbyist - Comprehensive CareGuide

[PAIN]

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ksagaran sa inflame gills or Gills infection kay oxygen starvation or bacteria.


try this:

• reduce Tank mates if daghan cla sud sa tank.
• check air pumps specialy filter if needs cleaning nba.
• use antiparasitic medecations (mga tambal for Aros) chemicals.

if your aro is gasping (grabe na). ayaw adto sa ChongHua, ma doclan ka. hehehe
you can separate your aro to a medecation tank (with high air ventalation + filters + medecin, salt and high temperature aroud 30 to 31c) while cleaning sa iya orig n aquarium.

note: this process neds close monitoring/atention

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

If its a COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE ... why wait for questions when you can actually post the ACTUAL SUPPOSED to be GUIDE .

Im just saying , sounds misleading ang topic nimo . The reason why I opened it is because I might learned something from the topic but nag huwat pa man diay ka pangutan-on and your answers are sometimes based sa experience pa jud which in the case ... di siya generally accepted guide because it falls under the category of individuality .

Please if naa naka GUIDES , dont wait for questions , post it dayon ranging from selection , varieties , care , maintenance , breeding if naa which we dont have in the Philippines , feeding , what to look for and so on and so forth .

[PAIN]

aw hehe chure chure, like i said newbies pko sa forums.
maypa diay ako gi kuha ang comprehensive da, mka type kog taas taas ani...
one of my reason n w8 lang kog nay mag ask, pra mao ray ako tubagon.

also the advices are base on books pud syempre didto man ta mag sugod, i am adding my own experience mao bitaw nay "best" to proved that its not only on reading dba.

ok to make this thread fit sa tittle ako gi buhat ill post informative information regarding aros... aguy

w8 hunat sa ko SpringField ha...

i will update my starter page, part 1 to 3 will be posted 1st then 4 and 5 ASAP.

[6foot1]

ksagaran sa inflame gills or Gills infection kay oxygen starvation or bacteria.


try this:

• reduce Tank mates if daghan cla sud sa tank.
• check air pumps specialy filter if needs cleaning nba.
• use antiparasitic medecations (mga tambal for Aros) chemicals.

if your aro is gasping (grabe na). ayaw adto sa ChongHua, ma doclan ka. hehehe
you can separate your aro to a medecation tank (with high air ventalation + filters + medecin, salt and high temperature aroud 30 to 31c) while cleaning sa iya orig n aquarium.

note: this process neds close monitoring/atention

nakasuway na diay ka boss imong aro gi-adto nimo sa chongHua? ... maayo gani wa na parisi og puso og softdrinks... hehe

[moxji]

mahal man ang arowana intawon oi.. dili makaya sa budget.. naay namaligya ug baratohon nga arowana nganha.. papalita ko ha.. please please..

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

@ PAIN ... tnx a lot !!

That would probably save you time kay gi ladlad na nimo and we will just ask questions if na ami gkalibgan otherwise amo na lang basahon and if di gani self explanatory , diha na mi mo ask ug questions .

Again tnx and I ams eriously considering of acquiring an AROWANA na GOLD or GREEN from Australia ?? ( correct me if I am wrong ) puhon .

[PAIN]

PART 4: Illness / Treatments and Health



Pag prevent sa stress is crucial to preventing illness sa Aros. There are no guarantees that treatment will cure your fish! As the saying goes, Preventive is better then cure!

Ammonia: is produce in the tank by fish excrement and decaying organic mater sma sa excess food or food waste. Ammonia is highly irritating to fish, prolonged exposure can cause gill damage and respiratory stress, as well as skin, fin, eye and intestinal damage. With chronic exposure, kidney damage may occur, and growth may be stunted.

Symptoms: Flashing and rubbing against solid objects; erratic swimming; Bloody patches on the body (lisud e determen if Red Aro); elevated mucus production; gasping or respiration difficulties and sudden death. Continuation

Nitrite: is a toxic to fish as ammonia. Pag sugod sa nitrite level mo follow dayun ang ammonia, since ammonia is converted to nitrite during biological filtration. The addition of new fish and overfeeding are common source of both ammonia and nitrite level incress. Nitrite prevent fish’s red blood cells from transporting oxygen. Grabe xposure can cause fish blood to turn from red to brown, and you can see it in the gills.

Symptoms: Permi naas taas sa tank (gasping), or near water inflow or aeration source; paspas ang gill movement. Fish can die of suffocations due to nitrite toxicity.

Nitrate: (lahi na cya ha sa Nitrite) is the final product of the nitrogen cycle in the tank and is formed when nitrite is oxidized. It is less toxic to fish’s and can tolerate slowly elevating nitrate levels with little indication of stress. Chronic stress and overall ill health are common effect.

Symptoms: Gasping at the surface of the tank, incressed gill movement, clamped fins, loss of appetite, extreme lethargy and delayed wound healing.

pH: is the acidity or baseness of the water: the maximum acidity is measured as 1 and the maximum baseline is 14. A pH increase of 1 point therefore means the water is 10 times more alkaline. Aros are least stressed when the pH in their tank is stable at approximately 7 (neutral). A pH of between 6.5 to 7 is best for Aro, a high pH tends to increase the toxicity of other substance such as ammonia in addition to causing fish discomfort. A low pH level is also very hard for fish to tolerate and may also interfere with the health of the bacteria essential to bio filtration. Aros force to live in inappropriate pH condition may adapt and survive, But their coloration may suffer and Breading will likely be unsuccessful.

Symptoms: Fish suffering from fluctuating pH distress may exhibit excess mucous production, inflamed or red skin and fins, bleeding and deteriorating gills. Excessive darting and jumping or erratic swimming is also common. Aros cannot survive in highly acidic or alkaline water.

Fish Nutrition:
Dragon Fish requires protein, carbohydrates, fat (lipids), vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
Protein: at least 45% of Aros diets should be protein based. It quickly metabolizes during swimming and is also used in growth as well as repair of cells and tissue. It is essential for egg production and growth of young Aros as well.
Carbohydrates: for adult Aro, approximately 30 -40% in the diet is acceptable and are significant source of energy for adult.
Fat: Should be fed approximately 6-8% in their diets and it is also important for red, orange, yellow and green coloration in fish.

Medicine:


It is a good idea to have some medication and items likely to be used in quarantine treatment ready on hand (pra dili mag karag-karag pag palit) Optional.

• Water quality test kits
• Aquarium salt
• Malachite green and formalin
• Methylene blue
• Tetracycline, erythromycin, nitrofurans (or lain n antibiotics)
• Copper medication
• Amquel (or lain ammonia neutralizer)
• Q-tips
• Tweezers
• Mercurochrome
• Chlorine bleach for disinfection
• Varieties of food including antibiotic food
• Extra filter media ( carbon and zeolite)
• Water Conditioner
• Black water extract

Common Fresh water antibiotics: Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Nitrofurans and Quinolones.
Antiparasitic Medication: Malachite green and formalin treatment, Copper and Quinine.
Antifungal Medication: Malachite green and formalin treatment, Copper and Methylene blue

Ok most of the medicine mentioned is not familiar sa ato, the best thing to do if you think your Aro is ill, is to go straight to your aquarium shop (mas mayo if naay namaligya exclusively for Aro na shop, it would be an excellent choice) and then tell them what you have observed about your sick fish and they should be able to provide you with the right medicine. If possible, pichure asa dpi tang problem (if visible) and show them.



Symptoms of Stress:

• Loss of Appetite
• Gasping at the surface
• Scratching against tank items
• Excessive stillness and inactivity
• Darting
• Excessive Jumping
• Clamped Fins
• Shimmying (fluttering movement in place)
• Erratic Swimming
• Excessive Mucous

At this first sign of stress, perform water test, a partial water change and filter maintenance as needed to correct water quality deficiencies. During this time, look closely for additional symptoms of disease such as:

• Bloating
• Spots
• Lesions
• White or Red Patches
• Gill discoloration or Inflammation
• Eye Cloudiness
• Fin or Tail deterioration
• Growths
• Raised Scales
• Visible parasites

Common Fish Illness and Diseases:
Symptoms: bag-ong isda namatay, no signs of illness
Likely causes: New Tank Syndrome or Improper acclimation
Treatment: please see above statement (acclimatizing).

Symptoms: Loss of appetite
Likely causes: Stress, illness and improper acclimation
Treatment: Offer live foods, test water and inspect for any manifestations of disease.

Symptoms: Small white Spots on head, body and fins
Likely causes: White Spot (ichthyophthirius)
Treatment: Malachite green and formalin or copper medication / salt

Symptoms: Cotton wool effect on the body
Likely causes: Fungus, Columnarius (mouth fungus)
Treatment: Anti fungal medication / salt bath (yaw kiskise ha).

Symptoms: Fraying of the soft tissue (fin membrane)
Likely causes: Fin Rot
Treatment: Anti bacterial medication / salt bath; treat aggressively

Symptoms: Appearance of a whitish film over the eye of the fish
Likely causes: Poor water quality, poisoning (chlorine) Cloudy eye or Eye fluke
Treatment: Water change and filtration, condition tank and use antibacterial medication.

Symptoms: Gasping at the bottom of the tank; Red streaks around gills
Likely causes: Oxygen starvation or Gill disease
Treatment: Reduce fish population, air pumps and filters check and antiparasitic med.

Symptoms: Visible worms from the gills, fish are gasping
Likely causes: Gill Worm (dactylogyrus)
Treatment: use antiparasitic drug as directed.

Symptoms: Reddening of the skin or Red streaks in the Fin
Likely causes: Virus, Bacterial infection, Ulcers
Treatment: Use antibacterial medication, a prolonged salt bath (several days) will allevate osmoregulatory stress in the case of severe ulceration.
Symptoms: Scales seem to be raised; fish are bloated.
Likely causes: Dropsy
Treatment: Water test / change, Tetracycline can be use, but not always effective.

Symptoms: Small worm like parasites attached to fish, scrapping against rocks or tank.
Likely causes: Anchor worm or other parasites
Treatment: Antiparasitic medication.

Symptoms: Dull color / mucus visible; detached skin; fraying of the skin.
Likely causes: Slime disease, poor water condition, stress or flukes.
Treatment: Water test / change; use antiparasitic medication as directed.


Common Dragon Fish Ailments:
Cloudy Eye:
This is often seen in Aro, and is generally the result of unclean water or an injury. One or both of the eyes cloud over, and may become covered with blue and white particles. This is serious illness that can result in blindness ug pede ika matay if untreated.
Treatment:
Perform a 30% water change and filter maintenance. Add salt in the ratio os 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Raise temperature to 30 to 33 C. if naay improvement, continue the process at least twice per week until it’s cured.

Droopy Eye or Droop-eye syndrome:
This is cause by the build up fatty tissue behind the Aros eye, which forces it down. The causes are debatable, but may include: ever-feeding a fatty diet; Failure to focus the fish attention at the top of the tank by keeping bottom dwelling tankmates only; failure to use gravel, which may to much interest in the tanks reflection bottom (sigi tanaw sa ubos); and finally, a limited, corrupt genetic pool due to captive breeding.
Treatment:
This is a cosmetic defect, and can be left untreated without danger to your Dragon fish.
Put some gravel at the bottom to prevent them looking at its own reflection below. Feed them with variety of foods, so that it does not only eat fatty food. Try to drop the food 1 at the time that they can see it at the surface.

Tilted Gills:
This disorder is cause by Overcrowding, too little space, contaminated water and inappropriate temperature. Gills eventually curve upward (open), It will gasp for air at the tanks surface and suffer a loss of appetite. Once the fish internal gills are damaged, bacteria may infect them, making breathing even more difficult, death can result.
Treatment:
At the 1st sign of breathing difficulty, begin performing 20% water change every 2 to 3 days. Increase the supply of oxygen to the tank or adding additional pump and aeration device. Once the gill cover is hardened and tilled up, the only treatment is removal of the head (este) hardened edge diay of the gill via surgery.

Protruding Scale Disease (Dropsy):
Most common cause by poor water conditions, extreme water temperature change or a sudden change in pH. The fish scales begin to tilt outwards or protrude. Ksagaran ma bantayan when the fish turns or viewed from above. This desease is fatal if left untreated.
Treatment:
Raise water temperature to 34 C, and a salt at ratio of one teaspoon for each gallon. Do a 25% change every two days and begin treating the fish with tetracycline per package instruction. Ayaw sag pa kan-a ang isda and continue lang ang treatment until scaled flatten.

Tail Biting Syndrome:
Bacteria cause this infection, poor water quality, feeders or new tankmates can be culprit. The bacteria cause the fish to itch, and it begins to bite its own tail to alleviate its discomfort and cause injures which can be infected.
Treatment:
Perform 20% water change, change all filter medium, and add salt (one teaspoon per gallon of water) and increase tank temperature to 34 C. Turn off the tank light and begin treatment with a commercial antibiotic designated to cure fin and tail rot.

Fin Rot:
A Bacterial infection on the fins, and most likely due to poor water quality, low water temperature or introduction via food or tankmates. The edge of the fin turn pale and begin to disintegrate (murag nadugmok).
Treatment:
Paki basa nlang sa taas na treatment. Nyahahaha (nag tinapulan nsad ^^)

Bulging and Swollen Anus:
A condition that affects Aros as a result of intestinal injuries due to eating sharp edged foods. The fish anus becomes Red and begins to protrude. Eventually the fish will stop eating, its swim bladder will lose function, and the fish will no longer be able to hold balance and swim (fatal).
Treatment:
Stop feeding the fish, raise the water temperature to 34 C and add salt at a ratio of one teaspoon per gallon. 25% Water change every 2 days, and treat with antibiotic per directions. Resume feeding non-sharp and soft food once symptoms begin to subside.

White Spot:
Wait, I’ve already discus this at the upper page, please read this part at “common fish illness” section. Hehehe (kala nyo ha).


PART 5: (Bonus Chapter!) Tips and Breeding



The scarcity and popularity of Asian Aros often attracts fish hobbyist to the notion of breeding them. Breeding dragon fish poses many challenges, and is likely to prove unsuccessful to the novice for various reasons:

• It is next to impossible to successfully breed them in an aquarium; an earth pond is needed.
• Dragon fish take a long period of time (several years) to mature enough to breed.
• Aros are mouth brooders, which severely challenge fry survival rates.
• Aros do not “pair” easily or frequently (mili-on ug partner); aggressiveness and territoriality often make fighting more likely than pairing.
• They are an endangered species; it is illegal to sell and trade wild asian Aros, and legal captive bred Aro with good quality bloodlines are highly priced rarities.
• Strict ang CITES regarding dragon fish farming; requires identification and management practices of all Aro bred raised in captivity.

Asian Aros are most successfully bred in an earthen pond and it serves as for breeding purposes only. Breeders usually have separate concrete ponds for another program of growing small Aros for breeding puposes but this will take 3-4 years before you see the fruit of your labor.

Gender:
Gender distinction is only possible among fully mature dragon fish. Heads and body size and shape are the main distinguishing features between males and females.

Male Aro have a slimmer, shallower body shape compare with females. Their heads and mouths tend to be larger than females. Male often show more intense color, having longer fins and behave more aggressively as well.
Be aware that you cannot tell the *** of the fish if they are less than 2 – 2.5 years old. Even above this age, experts have been known to make mistakes in identifying their gender. You can only be 100% of their gender when they have mated and swimming together in a pair in the earthen ponds.

Natural Pairing:
Like I said Aros are territorial fish, putting them new member in a pond would end to tragedy. Why? Because most of these Aros have never seen another Aros before in their lives which makes them extremely aggressive. Or you can put them 1st in a large tank devided with a glass to let them familiarize each other prior to releasing them in the pond. Releasing all fish into the pond simultaneously may also help reduce territoriality.

Aros I pili-an, like most of us where picking a partner is a personal choice. This is why you must have at least 20 Aros in a pond for breeding to give it a better chance of finding their own partners. (ka arte noh? ^^). Even 1 coupled pair out of 10 is considered a great accomplishment, and the pair is watched/monitored closely.

When a pair is formed, the male begins to swim closely to the female, and both will chase other Aros away. Coupled Aros chase and bite each others tails and fins, and continue to swim often circling the parameters of the pond. The pair also becomes very territorial as they select an area for spawning.

Spawning:
Prior to spawning, the female appetite drops, and her abdomen begins to swell as it filled with eggs. Spawning commonly occurs in the afternoon; the pair will swim parallel to each other and rub against each other, or may become motionless.
With a sudden spasm, the female release her eggs in a steady stream, while the male simultaneously release his sperm to fertilize them. Between 30 and 50 eggs are laid. The Male immediately scoops as many eggs as possible into his mouth; the remainder usually consumed by the female.

Incubation:
The young Aros incubate in the fathers’ mouth for several weeks after successful fertilization. The Fry has an yolk sac to provide the early stage of incubation, the yolk will fully absorb after about 60 days. After this days the father would open his mouth for the babies to leave and swim around and probable get acclimatize to its surroundings (take note that the father won’t eat until the incubation is complete). During the incubation period, female chase the male aggressively. Some egg may be swallowed by the male during these chases, so that’s why breeders used “stripping” to save the fry.
The process is to remove the fry from the mouth of the brooding male before the completion of the natural incubation period. And incubate in a nursery tank to ensure the chances of leaving.


Tips:
Feeding for Color:
Prwans and Shrimp are rich in Vitamins A, and help boost red coloring in Aros. Crikets (timus) and grasshopper fed with carrots are also excellent foods for enhancing red and orange coloration.

Background: should be dark (black) surroundings for Red dragon fish.
Lights: Use pink aquarium light as a substitute natural sunlight; would also recommend 8 hrs of light everyday. A tanning bulb light is also recommended for Red Aros.

Conlcusion.

All that I have divulged here is from personal experience and I guess it also helps that I have experienced friends who have the same love as me. By reading this article you have saved a buck in an Aro book. Hays na human na gud

Thank you for reading ^^ Enjoy!
PAIN

[Pinkybunny1981]

very informative thread GOOD Job!

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

Tnx @ PAIN ... read mode sa ta .

[PipayNove]

wow!
Hi po moderators at Admin

pede po ba e "pin o sticky" thread na to?
very important man gud ang article niya. ug ako kuya agree gud na naka save cya sa libro kay mahal man ang arowana books ug lisud pangitaon dri sa cebu nangita cya nay daghan sa online ug mahal tag 2k kapen.

pls pls.... thnkx po god bless............