The Asian variety Arowana fish is a large aquarium fish that most everyday-type aquarium hobbyists (like you and me) just couldn’t afford to purchase and take care of. The price of an Asian Arowana, if you can get one, could run you the same amount as a new car or even a home!
Why is Arowana so expensive? The Arowana, specifically the Asian Arowana, can cost you thousands of dollars to purchase. The main reasons why the Arowana is so expensive is because the fish is on the endangered species list and in high demand. In Asian culture, the Arowana is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. Arowana is also difficult to breed in captivity.
With the Asian Arowana being so expensive, this is driving up the prices of the silver Arowana as well. The problem with that is the silver Arowana is not native to Asia, it originates from South America.
This really isn’t a problem for you and me unless you purchase fish at a local fish store and they either aren’t aware of the difference or they are taking advantage of potential customers who also don’t have a clue as to which fish is which. So basically, they are over charging by mistake or on purpose. Let’s dive into this a bit deeper.
Why is the Asian arowana so expensive?
The Asian Arowana is an endangered species. It has been this way for decades now. There are some CITES approved Arowana farms where the fish can be sourced from, however, there just isn’t enough of them population-wise to satisfy the demand. This is probably the biggest reason Arowana are so expensive, although not the only reason.
Asian Arowana, also known as the dragon fish in Asian culture, are a symbol of good fortune and success as previously mentioned. If you consider the millions upon millions of Asian people there are in the world, this alone would help drive up the price of anything significantly important to the culture. The high demand on top of it is enough of a reason to boost the purchase price of this fish.
Can you buy aquarium fish on the black market? Well sure, why not? Especially when it is an endangered species. The black market is a well-known driver for the pricing of something being charged at a ridiculous amount above the true market value.
When dealing with the black market in endangered species of fish, it is no exception in boosting prices. If you have a connection to this underground world, you can expect to pay a very high premium for Arowana fish.
Just my two cents, but it’s definitely not worth the risk or price you will pay for the fish if you get caught.
How Much Does Silver Arowana Cost?
Native to South America, the silver Arowana is a beautiful fish to own.
When talking about what price they are to purchase, it will always depend on the size of the fish and where in the world you are located.
If you are located in North America, the price will be fairly reasonable coming in around $40 USD for a Silver Arowana that is approximately 8” long.
This information comes from looking around the internet at pricing so wherever you live could differ. This is just a guideline as to what you can expect to pay. If you purchase a smaller or much larger fish, you could pay less or more. It all depends on retailer markups as well.
I think $30 to $40 USD is a decent price for an 8” Silver Arowana.
What is the Most Expensive Arowana
Floating around the internet, there are reports that Asian Arowana can fetch as much as $400,000! This is an incredible amount of money for a pet. It is safe to say they are the most expensive pet fish. Again, this all goes back to the fact that these fish are an endangered species and sometimes sold illegally.
Another reason they are so expensive is Arowana are not an easy fish to have or reproduce in captivity.
You can, of course, purchase them through fish farms, if you go through the proper channels.
Why are Arowana Fish Lucky?
Another reason these fascinating fish are so expensive is that Arowana’s are yang when it comes to feng shui. Also known as the dragon fish, these yang creatures are believed to attract luck as well as success, prosperity and an abundance of money.
To top it off, Asian people believe any negative influences will be neutralized when one owns this fish.
Alternatively, many homes rich in Asian culture can be found with many different types of fish decorations to help bring that good luck and get rid of any negativity.
If you purchase an Arowana decoration, make sure you place it in the dedicated wealth area of your home to maximize your chances of accumulating great wealth. In feng shui, this is called the bagua area which means feng shui wealth and abundance.
The Cost of Feeding and Housing an Arowana
The purchase price is enough of a cost to deal with but then you have to pay for housing and feeding your Arowana.
Considering an Arowana will grow to three feet or larger in length, you can only imagine how expensive it will be to feed this fish every month. Of course, you will want to treat the fish with some live food once in a while along with frozen shrimp and pellets. Add all of those up and your spending quite a bit of money every year. Don’t forget that the fish will live 10 to 15 years so that feeding expense will continue throughout that time.
The minimum size of aquarium for an Arowana is 250 gallons. At least that is what you are going to be told in aquarium hobby circles. I think with a young fish you can definitely get away with a 150 gallon for quite a while. This 150 gallon on Amazon.com is a beauty.
A 250 gallon tank is not cheap nor is the filtration and lighting required for that size of aquarium. So you will have to shell out the cash for the very large tank and accessories plus, don’t forget, the stand required to hold this size of a tank.
Then, once you have your fish and tank, you will need to do water changes every week or so. Now, it’s not overly expensive for the extra water each week it’s just a minimal cost you have to consider. Saying that, when performing a water change on a 250 gallon tank VS a 10 gallon tank, there will be a large difference in the amount of water needed for the larger tanks water change.
- Even if you only did a 10% water change every week, your 10 gallon will only be 1 gallon of water changed.
- The 250 gallon tank will then be 25 gallons of water needed and changed for just a 10% water change.
So, you can see the huge difference in water required to maintain the bigger tank.
Want to see my choice in large aquariums? Check out my recommended aquariums page or check out this monster of an aquarium I recommend that is being sold on Amazon. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t carry an aquarium as big as 250 gallons from what I could find. This 150 gallon will do just fine for your Arowanas until they get to about 12” in length. At this point, you should consider getting an even larger tank.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I really hope this information has helped you in determining why Arowanas are so expensive.
The cost of the fish alone is not the only factor when considering the cost.
The purchase and set-up of a huge tank, like a 250 gallon, along with tank maintenance and then feeding the fish of 10 to 15 years contribute.
Another popular question that pops up regarding Arowanas are if they are legal to own. I have a very informative article on the subject right here. ARE AROWANAS ILLEGAL?
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