A maternal mouthbrooder: the female, not the male, carries the eggs and later recalls the free-swimming fry into her mouth when danger threatens. Spawns before the wet season as surface water nears 30 °C. Rarely bred in aquaria but produced in large numbers in outdoor earth ponds on Far-Eastern fish farms.
Group of juveniles grown together; pairs form over several years.
A very large pond or tank with a lid and strong filtration.
A warm-season rise in water temperature.
About 30-130 eggs per female. The female carries them; they hatch in 1-2 weeks and the larvae stay in or near her mouth for another 4-5 weeks, feeding from 2-3 cm and becoming independent at 3.5-4 cm.
Fry are fed live foods then pellets.
One breeding tank for the jardini arowana, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 24–29 °C · pH 6.8–7.5
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 100 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A row of tanks on their own stands for breeding the jardini arowana in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 3,240 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
Typical for mouthbrooders
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
The female takes the eggs into her mouth and stops eating.
After about 3 weeks the female releases fully formed fry. Many breeders move her to a quiet tank first.
Fry eat crushed flake and baby brine shrimp straight away.
Fry are a few centimetres long after about 3 months.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.