Asian Arowanas are a carnivorous freshwater fish. They are normally a calm and placid tropical fish but don’t let this fool you. They love nothing more than eating meat. In the wild the Arowana has been known to jump out of the water over 2 metres so not only is it a meat eater, it is a powerful one.

In this post I want to give you a few tips on what type of food the Asian Arowana can eat. It is important that you feed your Arowana correctly to insure that they stay healthy and happy.

Feed rate

Arowanas up to 6 inches – three times a day

Arowanas from 6 to 14inches-  twice a day

Arowanas above 15 inches –  once a day or alternate day.

Do not overfeed

If you over-feed your Arowana over a prolonged period it can affect their lifespan and also the potential for breeding. Try and stick to the timings above.

Food Variety

It is important to vary the type of food you feed your Asian Arowana because it will help your fish get the different nutrients it needs to grow healthily. If you stick to one type of food your fish may end up being deficient in any nutrient that does not exist in your chosen food type.

Live food v dead food

People say that Live food is better than dead food for your Asian Arowana. Now in general Live food does provide a more nutrition (and your Arowana gets some exercise trying to catch it) but there are some things to consider. If you use Live food then there is an increase in the risk of disease being introduced to the tank. I would recommend a mixture of Live and Dead food, which will not only lower the risk but will also give a well rounded diet.

Arowana food types

Live Prawn or shrimps – Great food which are rich in Vitamin A which will help give your Arowana a rich vibrant color. Very nutritious but don’t leave live prawns or shrimps in the tank too long as they encourage your fish to search downward constantly for them and hence may precipitate drop eye.

Prawn Meat – Use only fresh prawns and avoid frozen ones. I always remove the head and the hard shell body for any age Arowana as they are quite hard to digest.

Krill – Another great food if you can get hold of it. Don’t forget to crush the shell and then soak them to soften them up a bit before you feed them to a baby Arowana.

Crickets – Make sure you use a correct size of crickets for the size of you Arowana. Not too big for younger Arowanas and remove the hard shell cases for them. Try not to use wild crickets as they may have been contaminated. Try and get them from a good pet store that sell farm bred crickets.

Centipedes – A great food for your Arowana either frozen or live.

Live Fish – There is a higher risk of contamination with Live fish but the Arowanas love them. Make sure the fish are bite size and that they are not poisonous. You can use most small fish but i suggest not using goldfish. Goldfish are rich in fat and fatty foods may cause drop eye.

Fish Meat – You can use dead fish meat cubes as long as you trim away all the fatty tissue and you cut them into small size pieces. Avoid frozen fish meat as the removal of the protein could cause  liver and internal organ trouble if used over a long period.

Bloodworms – Used in the main for baby Arowana you can use them freeze dried or live but avoid frozen ones as they can upset the intestines.

Tubifex Worms – Try not to use these. Tubiflex normally congregate around sewage systems and as such have many contaminations. If you must use them try and get commercially bred Tubiflex worms.

Earthworms – Earthworms are probably one of the best foods for Asian Arowana. They are very rich in nutrients and  the risk of disease is minimal. Make sure you squeeze the soil out before feeding.

Pellets – I would not use pellets alone for Arownana food. They should be used as a supplement but not as its only food.  Some Aquariums will tell you it is OK and it may be for some fish but in the main they need the nutrient provided by the above food types. Try and buy pellets that are specifically for Arowana.

I hope you enjoyed this post and find it informative. I will be back soon with more tips on Asian Arowana care.