Pantodon buchholzi, Behaviour - 08/07/2004
My butterfly fish is timid. It's always hiding in the corners and under the flow of the filter. I don't think it's eating either. Is it sick?
<Not sick, no.  Probably hungry - but more on that later.  African butterflies are very specialized fish, that require a nice, hidden spot with little (or no) water movement where they can hang out, preferably in hanging plants.  These fish are very, very active at night - sneak out an hour or so after lights out with a very dim flashlight and watch the butterfly - notice the extreme difference in color from night to day, and its swimming behaviour differences.  If African butterflies are given proper care, they are very exciting animals, both to feed and to watch at night!>
I read that butterfly fish are known for jumping out of the tank, but mine is always hiding.
<Not at night, I'll wager - if the fish is healthy, it will be *very* active after dark, cruising around all over the tank, jumping and playing.>
I tried feeding it live food, flakes, frozen and dried, and haven't seen it eat anything.
<What live foods have you tried?  This fish is an extremely specialized insectivore - many individuals will not accept any foods at all other than live insects.  My female Pantodon is this way; she will not accept *anything* other than live bugs, dropped at the surface near her.  If I stop feeding her for a while, she'll start picking off small fish and invertebrates in the tank at night.  My male, on the other hand,  will eat just about anything, as long as it's at the surface.  I'd recommend that you immediately offer the fish some live crickets (you can get them from most stores that sell reptiles, even chains like Petco and PetSmart).  You can keep the crickets in a container and feed them a high-quality flake food for a couple days to make them more nutritious for the butterfly.  When you feed, turn off your filtration if it makes the surface of the tank very turbulent, or the fish won't be able to feel the insects' movements to tell where the bug is.  I use a straw to hold the bug in one spot near the butterflyfish; sometimes this is not at all necessary, if the fish can tell where the bug is very easily.>
Is it possible that the other fish are in it's way?
<This is entirely possible.  What size tank is it in?  What other fish are there?  Do you have any floating plants for the butterfly to hide in?  If the fish doesn't have sufficient places to feel secure, it will become stressed out and may decline in health.>
I haven't had it that long, is it possible that it isn't established in the tank yet? Do you have any advise, or is it just an odd fish.  
<It *IS* an odd fish, that's for sure.  And one of my absolute favorites, I might add.  Provided the tank is large enough (I wouldn't keep one in any less than a 20g tank - and that's really pushing it), and the tank is not overstocked or have inappropriate tankmates, I think you will find this to be a very interesting animal.  Wishing you and your Pantodon well,  -Sabrina>

Pantodon buchholzi, Behaviour - II - 08/11/2004
I found out the other night that my fish is nocturnal, I was glad to see it move around.
<Ah, glad to hear it.  These are fascinating fish, if you take the time to appreciate them.>
The tank is 55g and the other fish aren't really at the top much so I don't think that was the problem, I think it was me more than the fish. I just had to learn it's habits.
<That you are learning about it is very commendable - thank you for taking the time to research your animals' needs.>
I'm gonna try night feeding tonight, I think it will be successful.
<I feed my butterflies day or night, they don't mind either way.  But really, I would bet that your fish won't accept anything but live floating insects for the time being.  You really must get the fish eating - who knows when its last meal was.  Mosquitoes, houseflies, crickets (store-bought or caught), just about anything live and wigglin' will do to get the fish to realize there is food there.  If for some reason you are unable to feed live insects, at the very least try something high-protein that will float and use a straw to wiggle it as though it were alive.  Alas, even these tricks won't convince my Athena to bite, but my male, Snare, will take even floating prepared foods (flake, pellet, whatever) that I offer to the rest of the tank.  It's hit-or-miss with whether they will take dead food or not.>
I don't have any floating plants either, (what a butterfly amateur I am, the poor fish)
<Hey, you're learning!  That's what counts.>
I'm getting some though.
<Ahh, good to hear it.  The fish will appreciate it immensely.  Some floating plants I use are Riccia fluitans, Hydrocotyle sp., Ceratopteris sp./water sprite....  Oh, who knows what's all in that tank now.  The fish will *definitely* enjoy some cover.>
Thanks for the help.
<And thank you for your interest in this amazing little insectivore.  Wishing you and your Pantodon well,  -Sabrina>

Arowana Problem
Greetings! We have an Arowana.  He has been swimming real low to the bottom of the tank and he is not eating.  We have cleaned out the tank, done water treatments with ick disease medicine.  Some days he is more active than others, but he is still not eating.   What can we do?  Please respond as soon as you can.  Much Appreciation, Lisa
<<Dear Lisa; How long have you had him? I recommend putting the carbon back into your filter to remove any leftover medication for the time being. Because unless he actually has external parasites (which you will see as small white spots that look like salt on his body) you are just stressing him for no reason, meds can be very hard on sensitive fish like Arowanas. Also, you will need to take a sample of your tank water to your local pet store and have them test it for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Make sure they test all three, and make sure they explain what the results mean...your Arowana is probably needing more frequent partial water changes. What are you feeding him? Perhaps you can try an alternate food, like dried bloodworms, Tubifex, or anything else that floats. Some Arows can be trained to take floating pellets. Make sure he gets a varied diet for the best health, but avoid feeder goldfish. -Gwen>>

Arowana Problem
Our Arowana had cotton mouth disease. We got medication for it and followed all instructions.   He always eats feeder fish, but lately since the cotton mouth disease he has stopped eating.  What should we do?  Please respond.
<<Hello. Exactly which medication are you using? What is the name of it? You said you were treating with an ich medication,  this will not cure your fish of cottonmouth disease! You need a good antibiotic for Mouth rot. Go to your local fish store and ask for one. While you are there, is there any way you can get your water tested? Please test your water and email me the results for the following: ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Thank you. Also please note that "cleaning out the tank" can cause more problems than regular PARTIAL water changes done weekly, which is what you should be doing. -Gwen>>

Arowana Problem III
Thank you so much for your immediate response.  The medicine we gave Barnabas, our Arowana, was FURAN 2.  FURAN 2 for the treatment of cotton mouth disease.  Today he is swimming around more and this weekend we will try some dried worms or some of the other foods you suggested.  Thankfully, he is appearing to be more active.  Do you have any more suggestions?  Are they're drops we can put in the water that will give him some nutrients until his appetite comes back?  What about vitamins?  Please respond.  Once again, THANK YOU for all of your help.   Lisa Sanchez
<<Hi Lisa; yes, there are vitamins you can add to the food he is eating, you can find Selcon at your local fish store, also VitaChem will do the trick. Just follow directions on the packaging. The Furan 2 should help as well, just remember to test your water! Sounds like things are looking better! :) Good luck, -Gwen>>

Pantodon buchholzi
Hello -
<Hi.>
I can't find any info on what the "African Butterfly" (Pantodon buchholzi) uses the twin sets of lower, frontal spines for.
<I'm pretty certain I saw a response to this by crewmember Chuck Rambo, but just in case, I'll toss in my $0.02.  Heh, these are one of my favorite fishes, anyway!>
Can you help me figure out what function(s) they serve, and how important they are to the fish? Are they feelers, stabilizers, defenses?
Do you know if they are nerve-rich sensors, or primarily just spines?
<These are the spines of the ventral fins.  They are very elongated, and are specialized to help them know if there's someone below them that poses a threat.  Because they are so flexible, like little threads, they are quite good for this purpose.  I also agree with Chuck's opinion that they are a great camouflage with floating plants.  My two Pantodon are in a tank with a whole lot of floating plants, and I must say, it can be quite a task to find them.  The ventral spines really do look just like dangling roots.>
I've seen African Butterflies with these spines nipped off by aggressive tankmates, and wonder what effects this has on the fish.
<Well, besides being painful, it reduces their ability to tell what's around/below them - kinda like covering up your peripheral vision, in a way.  It will also weaken the fish by opening the door for disease - any site of damage can allow bacterial or fungal infection to set in.  And, as we all know, once one fish is sick, illness is easier to transmit to other tankmates.  It is my opinion that Pantodon should not ever be kept with aggressive or nippy tankmates for these reasons.>
Thanks,  Gabriel
<You betcha.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

African butterfly question
Hello -
I can't find any info on what the "African Butterfly" (Pantodon buchholzi) uses the twin sets of lower, frontal spines for.
Can you help me figure out what function(s) they serve, and how important they are to the fish? Are they feelers, stabilizers, defenses?
Do you know if they are nerve-rich sensors, or primarily just spines?
I've seen African Butterflies with these spines nipped off by aggressive tankmates, and wonder what effects this has on the fish.
< These "Spines" are extended stiff rays from the ventral fins. The fish is a surface feeder and is constantly looking up for a insect to fall into the water. These fish love mealworms or small crickets. So these rays are sensors telling the fish when something is coming up from underneath. If they are getting nipped off then the fishes warning system is being reduced. This would make them more likely to jump. I also think there is bit of camouflage involved too. These rays look just like the roots of some floating plants. If I can find someone who has personally collected these I would love to know myself.-Chuck>
Thanks,
Gabriel

2 more African Butterfly questions
Thanks for the reply.
I've been watching mine a lot (love this fish), and in addition to the other uses those ventral fin spines no doubt have, my butterfly seems to primarily use them to stay in place among the plants floating just beneath the surface, in the slight current from the filter. In this way he stays in a place where bugs might come floating by him, but can do so without wasting energy or drawing attention to himself by swimming in place.
New question - is there any truth at all to the reports of these fish flying or gliding or jumping up to 6 feet above the water? I have my doubts.
< It is so funny that you bring this up because a friend of mine and I were just talking about that last weekend. Apparently the collectors years ago noticed them "flying" out of the water while trying to catch them., I know at the wholesaler that I frequent often that they talk about finding then in other tanks as far as 12 feet away. They may simply jump out of the water and glide some distances away. There may even be some movement of the pectoral fins too. Currently no scientist is working on it but it could be down with all the modern photography technology that exists today.>
I just don't see how they can get up the required speeds with that long flowing tail - I wonder if the appearance of "wings" on the fishes' sides have given credence to tall tales. It seems to me that the fishes' design and behavior are much more consistent with the less glamorous activity of imitating a leaf, than about aerodynamics. Those "wings" don't seem flight worthy, but they sure help conceal that it's a fish!
I don't know if this is common, but my Butterfly is even darker on one side of the body than the other - from above, this rare bilateral asymmetry really enhances the appearance of a dead leaf floating partly in and out of the water - at first, I was totally fooled into thinking that the fish was sticking half out of the water! The dead-leaf illusion is aided by the transparent patches found on the wings and sideways through the body (visible when looking up at the fish with the light above).
Second new question - the African Butterfly is classified as a "bony-tongued fish" - so does it have such a tongue?
< yes it does.>
Are there "teeth" on it?
< Itis more likely used to plug up the mouth of the fish and force water back over the gills.>
Does it use it to chew up live prey before swallowing?
<Not really. It usually uses it's mouth to position the food and swallow it ASAP.>
Mine won't cooperate and chew with his mouth open, and the internet is full of the same old aquarium info, plus a whole lot of scientific papers on their eyesight ... Can't find a thing on their tongues.
< Without people taking an interest in the fish then there will be not serious work done.>-Chuck>
Thanks for the quality info.
Gabriel

Arowana rubbing on things
own jardinei Arowana that is about 10 inches, right now my fish didn't eat anything for a whole week, it's skin begin scratch and all the skin lost its color, can you help me some ways to prevent this problem, thank!
<Arowanas are often times quick to turn off of food.  Usually it's because of declining water conditions or illness.  Since you mentioned it's scratching, then it most likely has a skin infection which will need to be treated immediately.  If you have a large enough tank to separate it and medicate it than please do so.  It most likely has a parasite like Ich, and is rubbing on things to help remove the parasite from it's body.  I would suggest medicating the fish with something like Maracide from Mardel.  That should help the fish.  Good luck. -Magnus>

Arowana problems
Hi, I am wondering if anyone can help me, I have two arowanas. One has started to swim with his head up with his rest of his body vertically down. I waited for a while thinking he had died but realized that he was still alive? He is swimming normally now, but has done this a few times! What is he doing??
Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Hello John. You will need to give us a bit more information. What size tank is he in? What filtration do you use? Do you add any products, and if so, which ones? How often do you do partial water changes? Do you know your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels, and what are you feeding your arowanas? Arowanas are prone to Internal gas bubble disease. Make sure your tank has good circulation and surface movement. Here are some links which may help you understand what gas bubble disease is: http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/GBD.shtml and http://www.thekrib.com/Diseases/gas-bubble.html  -Gwen

Will this work for my Arowana setup?
Hi, I have a few questions I would like to ask today. (again)  First off, I currently have a 75 DAS aquarium <I'm not familiar w/that> for a 9 inch black Arowana to live in for "a while."  I understand that DAS have very poor filtration systems, so I recently purchased a magnum 350 canister filter to aide in the filtration.  But I hear that the magnum 350 doesn't have biological filtration.
<Biological filtration is exactly what a canister filter is for.>(also I have bare bottom tank so no
substrate bacteria)
<Why?  I would definitely put some substrate in there.  In addition to the huge surface area for bacteria, the Arowana will not feel comfortable w/o it & may get freaked out by this.>
So I wonder, will this suffice as far as filtration goes?  Another question regarding equipment setup is....the magnum 350 pumps around 300 gallons per hour back to the tank, (I think) will this be enough for circulation for Arowanas?  Because as of now, I am having the DAS system return the water at 600 gph plus the 300 gph the magnum is returning, is this to much for black Arowanas? <no> is to much circulation bad? <no> should I lower the water return on my DAS? <no>  
<I would add a HOB filter, like an Aquaclear 500 to act as mechanical & extra biological filtration.  I like to stack them: (bottom to top) sponge, 1" filter floss (polishes water) & Bio Blox.  I rinse the sponge & floss at every water change, leaving the Blox & canister to do the biological thing.>
My last question is regarding the black Arowana itself.  At what pH level should I have it live in?
is 7.5-8.0 ok?  <Not really a concern> and are there any special concerns I need to know about keeping them?  Please advise...
<As you know, they need lots of horizontal swimming room & a good sturdy cover, as they are excellent jumpers.  Try not to feed them feeder goldfish, as they are usually starved & very crowded in holding which causes them to be diseased & not very nutritious.>
Thank you
<You're welcome & good luck--Pufferpunk>
Thank you.

Arowana tank: Crushed coral substrate? No substrate? (11/10/03)
Hi crew of WWM, thank you for having so much resources to learn from.
<Hi! Ananda here tonight...I'm going to answer both of your emails in this message.>
No doubt in a year or two the tropical fish business will bloom more than it already has in
part because of you guys.
<Hmmm, likely to keep going, anyway, but not necessarily due to us...>
Well today I just have one quick question that I can't seem to find any where else.  I plan to care for two silver Arowanas in a 100 freshwater tank and I wonder if I can use crush coral substrate because I have a lot left after setting up my 180 gallon marine tank.  
<Two problems with this. One, a 100g tank is too small, long-term, for most Arowanas, some of which can get up to 40" long. Even the "small" ones can reach 28". Either way, they deserve a full-blown indoor pond. The second problem is that these fish prefer slightly acidic conditions, and crushed coral is going to raise the pH to something quite alkaline.>
Will it effect the water hardness to suit the Arowanas' life?  What about other fishes? Can I have other fishes with crush coral substrate?
<While definitely not suitable for Arowanas, there are fish that will happily accept crushed coral as a substrate. African cichlids and most brackish fish come to mind.>
Thank you very much for your assistance
<On to part 2>
Hi, I have a really quick question today.  I plan to have two silver Arowanas in a 180 gallon tank and I wonder if it's best I don't use any substrate?  
<Hmmm... Even in a 180, I wouldn't want to keep one Arowana, let alone two. It's akin to living your entire life in something the size of a jail cell.>
Would having a bare bottom better than having gravel?  
<It might be, and you get a mirror effect from the bottom glass.>
Will that effect that biological filtration of any kind?  
<Maybe, but you're going to need a lot of filtration for Arowanas anyhow... think pond-level filtration for an indoor pond.>
Because I hear that having a deep substrate produce nitrifying bacteria which is beneficial.
<Well, the substrate itself doesn't produce bacteria; rather, it can be a place for bacteria to live.>
But I also hear that having bare bottom will be easier to clean the water.  
<Definitely easier to clean the tank when it has a bare bottom.>
What is the best way to go?  Please advise.  
<I vote for an indoor pond of one to several thousand gallons.>
Thank you very much.
-PHT-
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Clown knife with a bulge
My clown knife looks as though it has swallowed a small rubber ball.. the kind that you get out of a gumball machine...   All of my other fish are still in the tank and still have all of there parts... my clown knife will not eat now but is moving around fine...
<Is the clown producing feces at all?  If so, is it normal and brownish, or white and stringy?>
We have had Mercury for 2 months now and have NEVER seen this before... I understand and have seen the "bulge" after eating, but this is NOT that!! The bulge he has now is huge and very round, again, like he swallowed a rubber ball.. no other way to describe it...
<Sounds very much to be a gut blockage or constipation.  I'd suggest to dose the tank with Epsom salts at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per ten gallons (this *should* help), and if the fish looks like he may accept food tomorrow, offer daphnia or mosquito larvae, or possibly (depending on size of the fish) a small earthworm, if the other items are too small for him.  These foods are high in roughage content and may possibly help to pass the blockage.>
The owner of the local pet store thought maybe it was a bladder infection
<Hmm....  a swim bladder infection is characterized by abnormal swimming (and occasionally accompanied with dropsy) - I do not believe this to be the case.>
and told me to wait until tomorrow and see how he was....
<Go ahead and dose with Epsom salts tonight, it may very well help a great deal.>
I cannot find ANYTHING on the net regarding this.... CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?????
<I do wish to bring up another issue that this may be - there's the possibility that this is a tumor.  That you seem to imply that it happened suddenly and that the fish is not eating lead me to think constipation far more likely.  If it is a tumor, though, there's really nothing to be done, unfortunately.  Hopefully you'll see some improvement soon.>
Thank you in advance....  Heather O
<Wishing your fish a quick recovery,  -Sabrina>

Clown knife with a bulge - II
THANK YOU very much for the speedy reply!!!!!  
<You bet!>
This morning when we checked in on him.. the one side has gone down completely and the other side is much smaller but now , no other way to explain it.... but it looks like a huge zit with a white head... half an inch long by 1/8 of an inch wide...
<Hmm.  That doesn't sound good.  possibly an injury, perhaps infection....>
it definitely looks better than last night at 9:00pm....
<That's certainly a good sign!!>
as for producing feces.. I am not sure...
<Sounds like he passed the most of it.  Still, do try to feed foods with a high roughage content for a few days.>
Mercury is about 7 inches long now... and has been doing wonderful until last night... he gets along great with our other clown knife Neptune, who is about 12 inches.... we also have a convict, a scat, an iridescent shark, and a plecostomus...all live happily together....
<You seem to have a taste for the very, very large....  Ultimately, hope you've got a really big tank!  ;)  >
He still isn't eating... but as I said.... I think that he looks much better....
<Good.>
Again, thank you SOOOO VERY MUCH for the speedy reply... this is a site that I will keep handy in the future!!!
<Excellent.  Pass it along to all your fish friends, too!>
Oh, I almost forgot... I do have aquarium salt in the tank... but will add Epsom salt if you still think that will help!
<I do think it would help, perhaps, especially if Mercury is still a little bloated.  Also, please keep a *close* watch on that strange mark - if it's an infection of some sort, you'll want to quarantine and treat with an antibiotic.  Hope all goes well, and glad to be of service!  -Sabrina>
Heather O

Feeding regime for Pantodon buchholzi
Hello!
<Hi there!>
I must first say how much I love this site and enjoy the forum, there is a wealth of knowledge here. Thanks to all involved with it.
<Thank you for the kind words!!>
Now, on to my question (it can't ever be just a thanks, can it ;) ?).  About four days ago, I added the first one of  three African Butterflyfish to be placed in my 72 gallon plant tank; this one is female, I plan on another female and a male.  I know these fish require meaty, and preferably live, foods.  I have heard / read that crickets and other insects, frozen meaty foods, small earthworms (I'm not sure how to keep 'em from sinking, but I'll find a way!), and beef heart are good food options for these fish.  So far, I've been feeding with only small (1/2 to 3/8 inch) crickets.
<Sounds like you’ve done your research!>
The biggest piece of info I can't find on these guys is how much and how often to feed them.  I know I'll get it through trial and error, but would like more details, if possible.  The first night, I fed her two crickets.  After the second, I could quite clearly see the bulge of her stomach, so I've been feeding only one cricket daily for the other three days I've had her.  She seems to be in great health, and gladly snaps up the little bugs.  Is this a proper amount of food?  Should I be feeding more?  Less?
<I would go with a piece of meaty food every other day and flake food on the days meat isn’t offered. This will provide her with other things she needs besides the meat.>
And a second part to this question (can't get off that easily, eh?).  I have a proliferation of little house spiders in my house.  Some of them are not so little, but smaller than the crickets I've been feeding.  I'm a softie, so my husband, the spiders, and I all live peacefully- unless I can feed them to something ;).
<Ugh! I’m terrified of spiders so you’ve really given me the creeps!>
You see where this is going.  Can I safely feed spiders to my butterfly?  Is there any chance of her getting harmed by them?  I won't do anything to jeopardize her, but it would sure be nice to thin down the spiders.  If I really look, I can probably find a dozen of them.  It would also be nice just to know I have something for her to eat, should I run out of crickets and not have time to run to the store that day. Any thoughts?
<Some websites say houseflies and small spiders are safe foods for these fish but I don’t know for sure. I would assume that in the wild they eat any bug that gets onto the waters surface so you’re probably safe.>
And thanks a million! -Sabrina Fullhart
<You're welcome! Ronni>

Re: freshwater butterfly fish
Hey Bob,
My wife was checking out a freshwater butterfly fish, I looked them up pretty cool its a Pantodon buchholzi .
Would they be compatible with my Bichirs (Polypterus senegalus) they appear to be from the same general regions?
<A great choice... the Bichirs on the bottom, your African Butterflyfish at the surface...>
Oh 1 more thing I found 2 different Ph recommendations for my Bichirs 1 was 7.2-6.8 the other was 7.0-8.0 which is more accurate.
<The former>
They don't seem to be in any danger they re very active and eating like great whites hahaha
Thanks
Dave Siecinski
<Good. Bob Fenner>

African Butterfly
Hello all at WWM,
I recently purchased an African butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) I've had him for 2 days now and have been trying to get him to eat flakes or frozen food. So far nothing. I don't know what else to try to feed this guy. Will it eventually eat the flake or frozen or pellets I feed it?
<Probably, no.>
Or will this guy really starve himself to death?
<Much more likely.>
Thanks for all your help.
<If you had typed Pantodon buchholzi into the Google search engine on www.WetWebMedia.com prior to purchasing, you would have found this, "While we're at mentioning Bony Tongue fishes used by aquarists, let's mention the African or Freshwater Butterflyfish, Pantodon buchholzi, Peters 1877. A great favorite, and fabulous jumper... To four inches in length. Feeds on live crustaceans, insects and fishes." -Steven Pro>

Arowanas?
Hey, I'm trying to help my mom out because she wants to put an Arowana or two into her 400 gallon tank as a show fish for her restaurant. I would like to know if you could give me any links to good breeders or retailers of Arowanas.
<Mmm, I know of some breeders of Scleropages in the orient... but there are none in the U.S. as far as I'm aware... If you have the time, patience, it's better to grow one up yourself... or barring this, make an exhaustive search through local to not-so-local fish stores in your area... leaving your business card for them to call you should someone come in looking to trade theirs>
Please send me an e-mail back soon, she would like to get started as soon as possible. Also, is it possible to keep more than 1 male and 1 female Arowana together in a 400 gallon tank? Thank You.
<They can be kept together... but getting them to do when they're larger... is tough at times. Lastly, for sure do make sure the top is completely covered... great jumpers. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/osteoglossiforms.htm
Bob Fenner>

Arowana and Ray Biotope Tank
Hi,
I'm setting up a 225 gallon Arowana tank with Rays.
<Even though 225 gallons in rather large, it is still a rather small tank in comparison to the fish you selected. I do not think you could safely stock more than two of each.>
I would like to use a few live plants to make them a little more comfortable.
<I think the Rays would wreck any live plants.>
If I am only using a few plants how much fluorite should be used
<I would stick to a sand bottom for the comfort of the Rays.>
and what kind of plants.
<Perhaps you could grow some Java Fern attached to something. There would be little danger in it becoming up rooted.>
Thanks, Dave
<Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Re: Arowana and Ray Biotope Tank
Thanks for the info and the 225 is only for 2 years until we build our dome home where there new tank will be the circumference of 30' by 3' wide 4' tall with a main tank connected at one end 10' x 4' x 4'
<Wow! Truly impressive concept. Do send us pictures when done. -Steven Pro>

Arowana with a Moray Eel
I have recently purchased an Arowana and a Fresh Water Moray Eel( looks just like the one in the picture).
<Not a good choice to mix these two very different fish from very different environments.>
After reading through the articles on the Eel, I understand that it prefers a brackish water more. Right now I have a 55 gallon fresh water tank.
<The 55 is way too small for the Arowana, my friend. Your LFS did you a disservice by selling you a fish that needs a standard 180 as an absolute minimum.>
PH is between 7.6- 8.0, Nitrate is fine and the there is no Ammonia, at a temp. of about 80 degrees. What should I do, will adding some salt water to accommodate the Eel effect the Arowana?
<You are not going to be able to strike a happy balance for these two. My best recommendation is to return the Arowana and turn your 55 into a brackish tank.>
For this tank what would you recommend everything should be at. Thanks for your time.
<Further info can be found here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/osteoglossiforms.htm here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwmorayeels.htm and here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bracsetup.htm -Steven Pro>

STI News: Fish farmers going all out to stop thieves (Arowana Rustling)
This message was forwarded to you from Straits Times Interactive (http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg) by perrychong@hotmail.com
<Thanks Perry. Will post for our Arowana keepers. Bob F>
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Pet fish trade in Singapore
Fish farmers going all out to stop thieves
by Ginnie Teo
SOMETHING fishy's going on in the ornamental fish scene, and fish farmers here are not taking any more chances.
One fish farmer who lost $20,000 worth of arowana recently is installing a $5,000 security system.
Another is putting up a surveillance camera that enables him to keep an eye on his prized fish even while he is at home, via his computer.
Other farmers are also beefing up security by carrying out more patrols of their farms or keeping a closer watch on suspicious characters who enter their shops.
This comes after a recent spate of thefts which saw over $140,000 worth of ornamental fish being stolen.
Arowana specialist Goh Kok Gan was one of the unlucky victims.
He lost seven of his precious charges on March 22 when thieves walked out of his Jalan Bukit Ho Swee shop, Dragon's Home, with them while the attendant was busy talking to customers. The fish were worth close to $20,000.
Mr Goh has since installed surveillance cameras.
He said: 'We already have a security system in place at night to detect intruders, but we didn't have one to watch over shoppers.
'This should help deter thieves. Hopefully, we won't become victims again.'
Mr David How, 50, of D'Koi Universe at Farmart Centre in Choa Chu Kang, has linked his surveillance camera to his home computer.
He couldn't have timed it better. Just last week, he caught a student stealing an expensive guppy from his shop.
He said: 'He took the fish from my shop and was already at another shop trying to steal again. Luckily, my brother caught him.'
The 14-year-old boy was released with a warning.
Over at Qian Hu Fish Farm in Jurong, over $100,000 was spent on hiring security guards, training guard dogs and installing a surveillance system before it opened in 2000.
And it is not a one-time cost. The system costs $2,000 to $3,000 a month to maintain.
Qian Hu has also embedded microchips into its arowanas. These contain electronically-coded information such as the farm producing them.
This means that stolen arowanas can be tracked down.
But some fish sellers say that, sometimes, simple precautions are the best.
Mr Benjamin Wee, 26, who runs PetMart at Serangoon North, suggests keeping expensive fish out of people's reach.
He said: 'Just put the expensive ones higher up so that people can't reach them.
'Or install covers over the tanks. That should keep thieves away.'
On where the stolen fish were ending up, Mr Kenny Yap, executive chairman and managing director of Qian Hu Corporation, believes a black market for ornamental fish has emerged.
He said: 'There are more thefts now because the ornamental-fish business is a booming industry at the moment. There are people out there who will pay for the best fish.
'The thieves know this. They are opportunists cashing in on the times.'
The export of ornamental fish, which includes guppies, goldfish and the iridescent dragon fish, was worth more than $70 million for Singapore last year.
IP Address:192.169.41.36

Freshwater link
Hi,
Would be grateful if you could put a link to us on your freshwater links page... to http://www.arofanatics.com .
It's an Arowana community for Arowana collectors from around the world, with forums, galleries and much more! Useful help and advice on all types of Arowana (from S. American and Australian to highly prized Asian Arowanas).
Your link is already up on the site :)
Thanks.
<Will do. Bob Fenner, back from "the land down under">

Request for bibliographic help on the Featherback Knifes, Notopteridae
Dear sir
This is sathish s v from India working for PhD on induced breeding in fish n notopterus . hence I am in need of your valuable references (reprints) related to the above .kindly send them to the below find address.
<What little I have is mainly pet-fish related and referenced (the intended use) and posted here on our site: http://wetwebmedia.com/bonytong.htm
Bob Fenner>
SATHISH S V
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY
GULBARGA UNIVERSITY
GULBARGA -585106
KARNATAKA, INDIA

Greetings
Halo Mr. Fenner Robert,
<Greetings>
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Dendi Sjafriadi, I live in Jakarta Indonesia.
<Ah, I have been to many parts of your country and am visiting there (the Gilis, Lombok) this May...>
I've been keeping animal mostly fish for about 15 years.
I do this for hobby.
After I seen your writing here I would like to know more about Asiatic Arowana ( Scleropages formosus ).
At the moment I have 3 Asiatic Arowana which in Indonesia we called it Arowana. The colour is still dark gold ( maybe if it is older it will
become red ).
<How nice!>
I raise it hoping I can breed them.
<A worthy goal>
But until know I don't have a writings which tell the different sex.
<A bit hard to judge in Scleropages... but the "dissimilar jaws" measure still holds... go look at some mature individuals with an expert to help you.>
In your writing above I don't get it clear. And for the picture you
put above is the Silver arowana.
<I will check this, thank you>
Thank you for the attention.
Regards, Dendi
<Bob Fenner>

Asian Arowana mouthbrooding
I found a webpage that said that male arowanas mouthbrood. I was not aware of this. 
<This is so.>
Would it be possible for you to send me a couple of references that describe the parental habits of arowanas (scientific journals if possible)?
Thank You
S. Daly
<Hmm, all I have on Bony Tongue fishes is cited (mainly "pet-fish") on the section of that name on the Freshwater part of the site: www.WetWebMedia.com... But there are also works on the site that detail how to "do" computer searches for bibliographic work (like Fishbase.org, BIOSIS, The Zoological Record...). Do read these over and seek help with a Reference Librarian in the Life Science section of a college library.
Bob Fenner>