How do I feed pellets?
I have realised where people are going wrong. Fish generally won't eat anything unless they are used to eating it. This is why it is always good practise to try and get your arowana accustomed to lots of different foods at an early age. Do so will give you an arowana which is not picky or fussy when it comes to feeding time and will see your fish get many of the different vitamins and minerals contained in different foods, essential for a healthy life. Some fish will just eat anything, while others won't and starving won't make a difference in most cases. Fish can go without eating for long periods and starving is not the answer, especially for small growing fish in the "growth spurt" phase. As an example, my leichardti didn't eat pellets at first, then one day it did. I believe this is because it lived with Oscars that I fed pellets to. The saratoga would just grab the pellets then spit them out, then after it got used to the pellets it just ate them and now it loves pellets. I would suggest feeding a few pellets at a time and if it doesn't eat then take them out. Do this until it accepts the pellets. Pellets are good as a source of food, but do feed them in conjunction with other foods as well.

Can I do water changes with the garden hose?
This is possible, but it is preferable to have pre-treated water for water changes. By pre-treated I mean: let water sit for 24hrs, add dechlorinators etc and pre-warmed to tank temperature. This make water changes very fast. If you are going to do water changes with the garden hose, then try and use an old one. New ones may have algaecides and fungicides inside the hose. You can tell by the smell and if you suck on the hose to siphon water, it will smell like chemicals. Add half the dechlorinator to the tank and VERY slowly trickle the water back in adding the remainder of the dechlorinator as you go. I usually add 200 litres (50g) of water back over a period of 10-12 hours depending on if it's summer or winter.

My fish lost a scale, will it grow back?
Yes. Younger fish will grow the scale back in a few days, while older fish usually take longer.

My fish has split fins, what should I do?
Split fins usually means stress. Has the tank been properly cycled? The best thing to do would be to do a water change, preferably with pre-treated water.

Why does my fish hide in the corner and doesn't eat when I'm around?
Again it may be that the tank has not properly cycled or that the fish is just new and is getting accustomed to its new home. Your fish is just wary of new people and the new environment around it. Younger fish will settle in quite fast, while older fish may take months. Try to move slowly around the tank as a sudden movement may cause it to jump, even when it has settle in.

How much and how often should I feed?
Saratoga have a fast growing period up to about 45cm (18in), after which growth is quite slow. I personally give them alot of food in this period, with lots of accompanying water changes. You may stunt your fish if it is not given enough food. It is better to feed your fish less food but more times, rather than alot of food all at once. The amount to give would be different for everyone because of different tank sizes. A smaller tank will have a higher nitrate build-up in between water changes, than will a larger tank. A nitrate test kit is a good investment to find out how much to feed and it also lets you know when a water change is needed. Remember it's not how much you can feed... it's how many water changes you are able to do.

Can I feed garden insects and cockroaches?
Although Arowanas love insects, I don't think that it is worth the risk to feed insects colleted from around your house. Cockroaches and other insects may carry insecticide residues from the spraying of these chemicals around the house. You can buy crickets, mealworms and cockroaches which are grown as food for pets.

Can I feed feeder fish?
The majority of views is that feeder fish often carry diseases which are then transferred into your tank. Goldfish are said to be fatty and can cause drop-eye in Arowanas. There are many other live disease free foods which you can feed to your fish such as earthworms. If you are going to feed feeder fish then maybe you could breed your own livebearers, convicts or any other easily to breed fish.

Should I have a bare tank or have gravel?
Bare bottom tanks make cleaning the tank a whole lot easier and more thorough. This means excellent water quality which will mean a healthy fast growing fish. Water needs to be pre-treated (see "Can I do water changes with the garden hose?") because I have experienced the water going cloudly when changing water with the garden hose and adding gravel fixed this. A bare bottom is also said to cause drop eye because the fish looks down at it's own reflection.

How can I tell the difference between a jardini and a leichardti?
Easiest way is by looking for patterns on the gill plate. If they're present then it's a jardini if not then it's a leichardti. When they're really small it's often quite hard to distinguish between the two. Read the "Species" section for a better understanding.

Species	Gill Plate	Scales	Fins & Tail	Head	Barbels
Jardini	Patterns	Cresent	Spots variety of colours	Sloping down	Point out and up
Leichardti	No patterns	2-3 red spots	Numerous red spots in rows	Not sloping down	Point down

Which saratoga species do you think I should buy?
I think jardini saratoga would be easier to keep than a leichardti because the latter tend to be a little bit finicky/jumpy. My leichardti has jumped out on quite a few occasions while the jardini never has. Both fish have attractive patterns and colours and it comes down to personal choice. Leichardti are generally more expensive outside of Australia while it is the reverse here in Australia.

Where can I buy a saratoga?
The best place to start would be ask your LFS. Saratoga should be available worldwide as they are not considered an endangered species and are bred in Australia and Asia. If you still cannot find one then try posting a message on the discussion boards to see if anyone else in your area knows how to get hold of them.

What tankmates can I keep with a saratoga?
Generally you can keep fish that are large enough not to fit into a Saratoga's mouth. Avoid fish that are overly aggressive or are easily bullied. Many people have kept oscars, other large cichlids, plecos and crayfish with them without too many problems. Keep in mind that all individual fish (Saratoga and other species) will show varying levels of aggression. One fish may be quite passive, while another will kill everything.

Can I keep two saratogas together?
It is rarely possible to keep two saratogas together. Although people have keep saratoga with silver arowanas, however this was only when they were young. If you do intend to try and keep two in the same tank, you should try when they are very small and grow them up together. You must keep a close watch for fighting and separate them if necessary. I have seen in the wild that S. leichardti does form groups and as such you may try and keep a group (6 or more) in a very large tank or pond. I'm not quite sure if the jardini saratoga does this though.