With its remarkable size and distinctive features, the Arapaima, a true giant of the aquarium world, captivates the attention of onlookers. This fish is one of the biggest freshwater species and a fascinating aquarium subject. It is native to the Amazon Basin in South America. A focal point of any large tank setup, the Arapaima is distinguished by its striking scales and sleek, elongated body.
The Arapaima’s size is among its most fascinating features. While they are a little smaller in captivity, these fish can reach lengths of up to eight feet in the wild. They are a difficult but rewarding species to care for because of their sheer size. More than just a large tank is needed to set up an Arapaima’s ideal habitat; tank mates and water quality must be carefully considered in order to guarantee their wellbeing.
Arapaimas are distinguished from many other fish by their distinctive breathing system in addition to their remarkable size. They are able to breathe at the surface thanks to a unique organ resembling a lung, which is essential for their survival in the Amazon’s low-oxygen waters. Their requirement for a tank configuration that meets their need for surface access gives an intriguing new dimension to their care.
Arapaima ownership is not for the timid. It necessitates a large investment of time, money, and expertise. But for those who are prepared to meet these requirements, this remarkable fish can provide a fulfilling and breathtaking experience, turning any aquarium into a veritable waterworld spectacle.
Aspect | Detail |
Common Name | Arapaima |
Scientific Name | Arapaima gigas |
Origin | Amazon Basin, South America |
Size | Up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) |
Appearance | Large, elongated body with armor-like scales |
Lifespan | Up to 15 years in captivity |
Diet | Carnivorous, feeds on fish, insects, and small animals |
Tank Size | Requires a very large tank or pond due to its size |
Water Conditions | Warm water, prefers a temperature range of 75-82°F (24-28°C) |
Behavior | Generally solitary, can be aggressive towards other fish |
Special Features | Has a lung-like structure for breathing air, can gulp air at the surface |
- Keeping arapaima in captivity
- Feeding the arapaima
- Breeding of arapaima
- Video on the topic
- How the largest fish in the Amazon breathes – pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) ?
- Arapaima fish attack 🤯 in real life #shortsfeed #arapaima #monsterfish #shorts #viralshorts #ytshort
- World Largest Freshwater Skip Fish Arapaima Feeding Time in Singapore Zoo
- Giant Arapaima or Pirarucu
- How Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) hunt in a flooded forest during a flood in the Amazon ?
- Top 10 BIGGEST FISH
- DEADLY "MONSTERS" OF THE AMAZON
- This UNIQUE fish is MORE THAN 135 MILLION YEARS OLD – Giant Arapaima
Keeping arapaima in captivity
Arapaima image
Finally, from the boring prologue, we move on to the main part of this article. If above we talked about the life of arapaima in the wild nature of the Amazon, about the uniqueness and extreme attractiveness of this unusual fish, then in this section we will talk about keeping pirarucu in captivity. And let"s start, perhaps, with the fact that before getting such a pet, you should prepare at least minimally comfortable housing for it. If the volumes of aquariums for medium and sometimes even large fish are measured in tens, hundreds of liters and a proud one or two meters of free length, then for arapaima the volume of the reservoir should start counting from two to three tons and three to five meters in length!
Very young specimens of pirarucu can be relatively comfortably accommodated in a modest 700-800 liters, but these fish grow at an unimaginable rate – up to seven centimeters per month, adding 100-150 grams of weight, and they will outgrow this aquarium very quickly. The average lifespan of a pirarucu in captivity is 10-12 years, of which the first two or three years it will actively grow and gain weight. Imagine such a pool in the conditions of an ordinary, albeit spacious city apartment – not to say that this is unrealistic, but bringing such an idea to life will not be at all easy and certainly not cheap. Of course, in captivity, arapaima reaches more modest sizes than in its natural habitat – up to one and a half meters in conditions of comfortable maintenance in public demonstration aquariums, but this, believe me, is not small at all. In addition, arapaima is in constant motion, often at considerable speed and at the same time – in a straight line, which is why it is often seriously injured on the glass walls of aquariums, up to a fatal outcome.
Arapaima image
In order to avoid such undesirable accidents, it is advisable to create a pond for pirarucu with rounded sides-walls or add large mobile neighbors to arapaima, for example, adult high-finned pangasius, eye knife, red-tailed catfish, arowana – natural prey of arapaima, large black pacu, large stingrays. Pirarucu will hunt for them and is forced to maneuver, pursuing. When choosing neighbors for this predator, do not forget that everything that fits into the large mouth of the arapaima and could not hide will certainly be eaten. Do not forget about the ability of arapaima to jump out of the water and quite high, so the aquarium or pool with these fish should be covered with a thick and heavy cover glass, allowing the pirarucu to float to the surface for a breath of air. It is better to place lighting fixtures above the cover glass. Although in the wild this giant is accustomed to a lack of oxygen in the water, aeration should not be neglected. Filtration is also necessary and very powerful – pirarucu does not tolerate dirty water, and pollutes it extremely quickly. Weekly water change up to 30% of the total far from small volume of the aquarium can be carried out by organizing a flow-through system. The parameters of the water in the pond with arapaima are best maintained within the following limits: Gh – up to 10 degrees, Ph – 6.5-7.0, temperature 26-30 degrees Celsius. Arapaima is extremely sensitive to changes in water temperature, a sharp jump of 2-3 degrees can lead to unpleasant consequences. Light for pirarucu should be diffused, soft. Soil – coarse sand or small pebbles. It makes sense to launch only floating plants, since everything that is planted in the ground will be mercilessly torn out or dug up. Shelters in the form of stone grottoes and massive snags are needed rather for neighbors, since arapaima will not sit still or hide from something, it will constantly move in all layers of its water area, you will have to take care of sufficient space for this giant to swim freely.
Feeding the arapaima
Arapaima image
Again, we will say it: the enormous arapaima is a predator! Adult individuals in their natural habitat are picky eaters, favoring fish and invertebrates, though they occasionally eat the meat of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Favorite treat: arowana, a distant relative of pirarucu.
Due to their increased appetite, juveniles will try to consume anything that comes their way, including carrion, fish, insects, frogs, snakes, and larvae.
The only food given to Arapaima kept in captivity is protein, which includes lean chicken, low-fat freshwater or marine fish, mollusks, frogs, and beef heart. Live food, such as weed or forage fish, should be a required part of the diet. When feeding adult pirarucu, it is best to do so once a day in the evening before the lights go out. If the food is not live fish, then portion sizes should be chosen so that everything is consumed in three to five minutes. Feeding the young at least three times a day is necessary to prevent the adolescent arapaimas from aggressively hunting their neighbors.
Plant-based frozen and pelleted foods are not recommended for arapaima. They are only used in pirarucu-only aquariums to draw food fish to one location so that the public can witness a demonstration of the giant arapaima’s hunting technique.
Breeding of arapaima
Arapaima image
Breeding of the giant arapaima in captivity is associated with a number of difficulties, but it is possible. Pirarucu spawning in nature occurs at the end of February – beginning of March. A pair of pirarucu, ready for spawning, finds a shallow, clean and warm lake with almost stagnant water. The female prepares the nest in advance, back in February – digs a depression in the bottom, about half a meter deep, where she will later lay eggs. The eggs are guarded by both parents, and when the fry hatch, the female patrols the territory – about 15-20 meters around the nest. The male is with the fry, guarding the nest itself. It is noteworthy that the fry is also fed by the father – on his muzzle, just above the eyes, a special white nutrient substance is secreted, which is the starter food for the arapaima fry. This same substance serves as a kind of beacon for the fry, the young always follow their father by a unique smell. Such touching care, rare for freshwater fish species, lasts about three months, after which the young arapaima become independent and begin hunting, leaving the nest and parents.
Arapaima image
We’ve included more content from Hogwarts biology master Viktor Trubitsyn below. Article: "Arapaima baby."
Arapaima have lived on Earth since the time of dinosaurs, which is why they are called living fossils. Now they inhabit the tributaries of the Amazon. Arapaima have been actively consumed by locals for at least a thousand years. Brazilian aborigines call arapaima "pirarucu", which translates as "red fish". The body of the arapaima is covered with large, strong scales, comparable in density to bone. Some of the scales are colored red and form a pattern – it is individual for each fish. Arapaima meat also has a reddish tint and is highly valued for its taste.
Now, the problems of wild arapaima have been supplemented by deforestation, tourist fishing, water pollution and other "delights" of the modern world. For some regions of South America, arapaima remains the main commercial fish, for others it is already close to extinction and is listed in the Red Book. In any case, it is very problematic to officially export a live arapaima from South America.
Arapaima image
Arapaima image
Arapaima image
But arapaima has long been noticed by the smart residents of Thailand and Malaysia, they have acclimatized the Amazonian giants in their artificial reservoirs. They are bred there, including for food. It is from there that arapaima fry are most often brought to us for keeping in public aquariums.
And who do you think loves to eat arapaimas? Well, of course, the main gourmets of the world are the French! Frozen arapaima fillet can be freely purchased in grocery supermarkets in France. In terms of cost, it will cost no more than sturgeon. Surely, French scientists are all gourmets, since they decided to take care of the process of breeding arapaima in artificial conditions. For arapaima breeders from Asia and South America, the French have created a method of field blood analysis that allows you to determine the sex of the arapaima.
So what"s so special about this, a real discovery, skeptics will say. But in fact, it is indeed a very important thing! Arapaimas do not have external sexual characteristics – looking at them it is impossible to understand whether it is a female or a male. The same with behavior – they can swim in pairs, but these are not necessarily individuals of different sexes! Arapaimas can form schools, at least in captivity, and gender does not play any role in these schools. In general, complete gender equality and complete confusion in matters of breeding.
Previously, breeders would plant arapaimas in a rearing pond at random – suddenly a couple would form. And when the eggs are marked – you can mark them or transplant them. The method is not very effective, and sometimes dangerous. Imagine transplanting a two-meter monster with a deadly blow force!
And it is not necessary that the breeder"s workers can suffer from injuries inflicted by the fish, a more common option is that the fish dies during or after transportation. And the worker gets a punch in the neck from an angry owner, and this is much more dangerous than arapaima, if you live in Peru.
Arapaima is often called the largest freshwater fish, but this is not certain. There are constant debates on this issue among scientists and especially non-scientists. I don"t care who is the largest, but I know for sure who is the strongest. Of course, among freshwater fish it is arapaima. The structure of this fish is ideal for hunting from an ambush – a powerful, blocky body and a short tail – everything is ready for one extremely sharp and deadly throw. Of the familiar ambush predators, we can recall the pike – it has a similar external structure. But the pike hunts only underwater, while the arapaima can bite a gaping bird or even a monkey from a branch of a tree hanging over the water!
Arapaima image
If you are ever lucky enough to visit the technical room of an aquarium with arapaima, and you climb onto the bridge for feeding, then after you stop shaking with fear, you will hear the sound of a sharp swing of a thin stick. Many did this in childhood – you take a stick, better bamboo from a fishing rod, and begin to fight with an invisible enemy. Sharp blows to the air create the sounds "whoosh". And what does the arapaima have to do with it? And besides, the power of the body of this fish allows it to turn so sharply underwater – that above the water you will hear the sound "whoosh". And then you will shake again) But do not worry, when the time comes to feed the arapaima, you will forget about the jitters. Because by this point you"ve already "put bricks".
The thing is that feeding arapaimas is a pretty spectacular event. Usually arapaimas in oceanariums are fed precisely at the very surface of the water, this happens in a technical zone inaccessible to visitors, so as not to traumatize their psyche.
The arapaimas very carefully and slowly approach the food, simulating hunting from an ambush. The fish farmer with the food fish in a manipulator (a special hand-like thing, so as not to lose a real hand) sits above the water and patiently waits until the arapaimas make a few circles around the aquarium and sneak up on the food. All this time, the fish farmer imitates the movement of the food fish – moving the manipulator back and forth. Other fish, such as black pacu, are usually kept in an aquarium with arapaimas to dilute the exposition. Arapaimas do not pay attention to large fish that do not fit in their mouths attention. But these neighbors are much more nimble and impudent – they can quickly gobble up all the food thrown into the aquarium. What they don"t gobble up will drown. And arapaima won"t collect food from the bottom – they"re not fit to eat from the ground like royalty. Hence this approach – each arapaima needs to have the food dangled in front of its nose individually.
And finally, my favorite moment comes – the culmination of the entire feeding process – the arapaima grabs the food! Grabs is putting it mildly. This is a powerful lightning-fast throw! It"s scary, but you won"t be afraid of this. You will be panicked by the dull and booming sound of the blow. of the tongue. "Definitely the tongue, not the jaws, the author doesn"t confuse anything?", – you ask. I"ll just smile skeptically.
Arapaimas belong to the ancient family of arowanas, or as they were previously called bone-tongued. Because they have, surprise, a bone tongue! Every time an arapaima grabs prey with its mouth – its the bony tongue hits the food with such force that it turns into a flat cake. That"s why arapaima doesn"t have small teeth, like pike, which prevent the victim from escaping from its mouth. The arapaima catch instantly becomes a ready meal, and it doesn’t need any teeth.
Well, did you get scared?? I remember the story when the film crew of “In the Animal World” came to us, to make a story about arapaima. They expressed a desire to film the feeding, and I, naturally, agreed – I gave the manipulator with food into the hands of the presenter (a young guy whom I nicknamed “Drozdov’s grandson”). Further, you can already imagine the development of events. After a sharp jerk and a deafening blow with the tongue (in the technical room of the aquarium, limited by walls, the sound is amplified to a terrifying effect), the presenter and the cameraman rushed as fast as they could, dropping everything. The guy then couldn’t get himself together for a long time. Well, I laughed a little) Such professional humor, forgive me, guy!
Arapaima image
And now, when you already know about the incredible strength of the arapaima, it"s time to talk about its character. Arapaimas are very modest, gentle giants and one of the most stressful fish kept in captivity. Arapaimas react extremely negatively to various attempts to change the environment. When they reach a length of more than a meter, arapaima becomes extremely difficult to move. In a new place, arapaima can crash with all its might into the first obstacle it encounters and die. Or hit the wall of the transport container with all its might and get a spinal fracture. And in rare cases – break the spine of a diver or fish farmer who happens to be in the way.
The death of arapaima during catching, transportation or transplantation often happens in oceanariums. There have been cases when arapaima, just released into a multi-ton aquarium, began to rush about in stress and broke reinforced concrete decorations! Naturally, they themselves received wounds incompatible with life. Aquariums with arapaima are covered with a strong thread net so that they cannot jump out of the aquarium, but do not get hurt themselves.
Arapaimas do not eat as much as it seems when looking at this fish. A smaller reef shark eats 10 times more per day. Because it spends a lot of energy on active swimming. Arapaima, on the other hand, are slow giants, they conserve energy as much as possible and spend most of their time just lying on the bottom. An adult arapaima 180 cm long and weighing about 50 kg eats less than 1 kg of fish per day. A young arapaima 60-70 cm long eats the same! Because it needs to grow.
Arapaima periodically float to the surface for a breath of air. And here it is not without unique features! Arapaima breathe both with gills and atmospheric air. They have an organ very similar to a lung. Moreover, without access to air, arapaima quickly die. But in water poor in oxygen, they can feel great.
Arapaima reproduce in captivity only in open waters – there are no officially recorded cases of reproduction in an aquarium. Therefore, breeding arapaimas in an aquarium is the dream of any fish farmer who deals with these wonderful fish. I was no exception. When I came to work at the oceanarium, three arapaima lived in a 60-ton freshwater aquarium together with black pacu and Indian knives. Two of them were adults, seasoned old ladies, they were raised by one Russian enthusiast in his mini-oceanarium and sold to a large oceanarium. Here Dud"s questions will begin – how much money did he ask for. Well, I, not breaking the tradition of his guests, will try to avoid answering. The cost of any large exotic fish is individual – it is set by the owner himself. The price of a 30-40 cm arapaima fry in Moscow will vary from 40 to 100 thousand rubles, depending on the supplier"s conditions. You can only buy them by order, and even then, they are not always in stock. We put a tick – not all will survive. Next, imagine the cost of at least a 20-ton pool with life support systems. Add the cost of 365 herring per year for each individual, the cost of water and electricity. Now we take into account that the arapaima will reach the size of 160 cm in at least 3 years. We estimated the volume of expenses? And now add a 90% risk of death during capture and transportation. So, an adult arapaima 160 cm long, grown in Russia, will be offered to you for at least 1.5 million rubles. I would set the price at 5 million and keep it for myself.
Let"s return to our arapaima. Judging by the stories of the employees, the old ladies were brought in sedated under anesthesia, placed in an aquarium, where they gradually woke up and got used to it. This can be called a huge success. Then several arapaima fry were placed in the aquarium, about 30-40 cm in size. I don"t know how many there were initially, but when I appeared at the oceanarium, there was only one small arapaima left, which I nicknamed "Baby". I usually don"t name fish, I think it"s nonsense. Fish nicknames are needed"Fat Lady", ""Cheeky Face", ""Glutton" and so on. Each nickname allows you to focus on a feature that will help distinguish one individual from another. Especially in conversation with colleagues. That"s why the little arapaima became Baby.
The old ladies – one slightly larger than the other, were accordingly named "Big" and "Medium". Sometimes they could be mistaken for a formed couple, they rubbed against each other very reverently. Since they were already quite old, and there was no talk of any spawning, it is logical to assume that this is a same-sex couple. But the growing baby gave me hope – suddenly she will turn out to be of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, I could not get a French blood test, as well as daredevils who would try to take blood from an adult arapaima. But first of all, I did not want to risk the lives of the fish and cause them wild stress. That"s why there was only one thing left – to raise Baby until maturity and wait.
Unfortunately, the earliest photos of Baby have not survived. What I managed to find – March 2013 years. And here it is already about 55 cm long, it is about 1.5 years old. Photos on the phone of those years – so the quality is similar.
Arapayma image
Arapayma image
As you can see, the baby, after reaching the size of 50 cm, suddenly liked Big Arapime. But the average situation did not like this situation. You can recall the famous meme, with a young man who turned to a girl passing by and his indignant girlfriend. Since we do not know the floor of fish, everyone can assess the situation to the best of their resentment of life troubles. Siddlely women can say that men are always looking for younger. Young guys that they just need an older lady, more experienced. Representatives of non -traditional orientation that here it is – real same -sex love. And I just worked and hoped for a miracle.
Arapayma image
26 March 2014. To be precise, that is in a year. The infant has already grown a lot. grew closer to the average size. and with the large even closer.
Arapayma image
My observations, which have never been published before, will be shared. When an arapaima feels tender, they will typically swim up from below and press their noses against the region beneath their pectoral fins. This, incidentally, is the location of the arapaimas’ heart.
Arapaima image
And naturally, a jealousy-filled scene involving Srednyaya.
Arapaima image
Now let"s move on to the relationship of arapaimas with a person who is in constant contact with the fish, feeds and cares for them. In oceanariums, the inhabitants get used to the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of people a day approach the aquariums. And the inhabitants are not at all interested in them. Until a person in oceanarium special clothing (we had dark blue T-shirts) flashes among the crowd. When an employee in the same uniform feeds the fish every day, the latter develop a stable food reflex. As soon as any person puts on a uniform and approaches an aquarium – be it with guppies or aquals – the fish immediately become active and fall asleep from side to side in anticipation of feeding. But this won"t work with arapaimas! These fish have excellent eyesight and a good memory, so they can easily distinguish human facial features. Perhaps even better than many people. I conducted experiments – I dressed up in whatever I wanted – arapaimas always recognized me.
Arapaimas" favorite pastime is to lie on the bottom and do nothing. Moreover, a corner is chosen so that no one bothers them or sees them. Therefore, many visitors walked through the entire aquarium and could not even imagine what giants they missed. But as soon as I approached the aquarium in any clothes – they immediately got out of hiding and swam up to me. This is more like a dog happily greeting its owner who returned from work than a goldfish flying up to the glass when someone knocked on it.
Further – more, I began to do the following trick. There is a crowd of visitors in the aquarium. A huge number of people hang around the aquarium with arapaima, but the fish themselves are not there – they hid. Here I appear from the crowd, dressed like the visitors in casual clothes, no one knows me. And then – oh miracle! One arapaima rises from the far corner, and then suddenly two more appear! The visitors are delighted, I pretend that I don’t understand what’s going on. And I smirk quietly to myself. Well, you get the idea, this professional humor again.
Arapaima image
As time went on and the Baby grew older, the relationships between the fish got more intricate. Sadly, I was unable to locate even a single picture of her in 2015; I was too busy to schedule photo shoots. The arapaima started to act envious of me. They started fighting for a spot next to the owner as soon as I got close to the aquarium, with the Big One always coming out on top. drove them all away from the glass that I was standing in. There were occasionally fights among the fish, particularly at night. We saw missing scales and ripped fins in the morning.
By the spring of 2016, the Baby should have become sexually mature, and I was hoping for spawning. But life is such a thing – something can always happen that we do not expect at all. January 6, 2016, I came to work, began to do my morning rounds. But this time, no one swam up to me in the aquarium with arapaima. In the far corner, I noticed Baby lying on the bottom. She was alive and apparently completely healthy. And tears welled up in my eyes. After all, the look of a professional allowed me to immediately understand that her spine was broken. She lived for another day, and on the morning of January 7, she died.
In addition to the functions of the head of the biological service, I performed the duties of a bunch of specialists at the oceanarium (in our country, this is customary). Including an ichthyopathologist, someone who treats fish, performs operations and does autopsies. That"s why I had to be sad about the death of the animal I raised during the autopsy of its corpse. It is very difficult mentally, but what can you do. But it is useful for science – each autopsy of an exotic fish carries a lot of information on the further successful maintenance of this species in captivity. The autopsy confirmed my diagnosis – a spinal fracture.
It was not possible to find out how and why this happened. Perhaps, the Little One was killed by a large arapaima. But most likely, it was a fatal accident – during the skirmish, the fish could have jumped out exactly in the place where the iron beam passes over the aquarium. The protective net was torn. As were my dreams of breeding arapaima for the first time in an aquarium.
Arapaima image
I made the decision to display a single image from the Little One’s autopsy. The arapaima breathe atmospheric air through this organ.
What happened next? Oddly enough, the Big and the Middle began to live again as if nothing had happened and in appearance they looked like a couple with their courtship. I managed to agree on the purchase of as many as 6 arapaima fry for the oceanarium! A new 30-ton aquarium was launched for them. But after half a year I had to leave the oceanarium due to serious disagreements with the management. You probably know that we do not value people who know a lot, have their own opinion, do a lot and love their work. Our employers need silent slaves who can beautifully imitate work activity. A few months after I left, a terrible fire broke out in the shopping center where the oceanarium is located. I don’t know for sure, but they say the old arapaimas died. Most likely, the fatal ability to breathe atmospheric air played a cruel joke – they were poisoned by smoke. I recently went with my child to this oceanarium as an ordinary visitor and saw that in that 60-ton tank where Baby lived, Big and Middle are now swimming grown fry, which I mentioned above! There are three of them left, and they are no longer babies! My soul felt warm, because my business is alive. And I will definitely return to breeding arapaimas.
Arapaima image
Arapaima image
This is the tale. No matter how severe the setbacks in life may be, I hope you never give up on your dreams.
The Arapaima is a fish that is incredibly fascinating due to its remarkable size and distinct features. This enormous fish, which is native to the Amazon Basin, has adapted well to its surroundings. It can reach a length of 10 feet and has remarkable characteristics like armored scales and a broad, large body. It is especially fascinating because of its capacity for breathing air and for surviving in low oxygen environments, which highlights the amazing diversity of life found in the Amazon.
Because of its size and unique maintenance requirements, maintaining an Arapaima in an aquarium can be difficult. For them to thrive, a large tank with plenty of swimming room and a carefully regulated environment are necessary. In the wild, their diet consists primarily of live prey, so it must be carefully controlled in captivity to guarantee they get the right nutrients. Anyone thinking about putting an Arapaima in their aquarium should be aware of these requirements.
For committed aquarists, caring for an Arapaima can be a fulfilling experience despite the difficulties. A close-up look at these magnificent fish provides a window into the colorful aquatic ecosystem of the Amazon. For those who can afford it, the Arapaima serves as a reminder of the amazing biodiversity found in the freshwater ecosystems of our planet as well as adding grandeur to aquariums.
Aquarium enthusiasts find the Arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, to be an intriguing creature because of its remarkable size and distinct behavior. This ancient fish, which is native to the Amazon River Basin, is fascinating to add to any large tank because of its ability to breathe air and grow up to 10 feet in length. This post will discuss the basic maintenance needed to keep an Arapaima in an aquarium, including the fish’s dietary requirements, habitat requirements, and the difficulties in creating a home that suits this remarkable fish.