Arowana biting tail help needed URGENT PLEASE !

[fishery]

My Silver Aro is currently at 18 inches and he has been displaying erratic behavior for the past two days.
I had asked one of the LFS guys to check my other tank and in the mean time my friend had mentioned that my Aro tank's motor was making noise, the guy put his hand in my Aro tank and the Aro freaked out and was running all over the tank and has hit a few of my artifacts and lost a few scales.
All this happened when I was preparing my other tank so I wasn't present near my Aro else I would have stopped him from putting his hand in the tank.
My Aro is only used to me as I am the only person who feeds and cleans his tank, he mostly freaks out with strangers.

After the LFS guy left my Aro has been trying to bite his tail relentlessly, I have tried adding another motor to create a strong current and tried quite a few things that I found on the net but none helped.

I also did a 80% water change immediately after the LFS guy left, no use.

I don't think it is a parasitic infection as he has never exhibited this behavior before and he has been with me for more than a year.
But as a precaution I have also added anti-parasitic medicine (Paracidol) for 2 days but no use either.

So is panic induced by my LFS guy causing this behavior, thats the only conclusion I can come up with.

How do I go about the situation.

Any advise would be great.

[Cliff]

I've never kept a aro before, but I have found that turning off the tank lights can help calm down fish. You might want to try that while you figure out what is going on here.

[fishery]

I've never kept a aro before, but I have found that turning off the tank lights can help calm down fish. You might want to try that while you figure out what is going on here.

No the tank lights are always off by default, as a matter of fact I have even turned the main room light off.

[Crispy]

probably a parasite. are you feeding feeder fish? easiest way for aros to get parasites.

this may help:
http://www.trubus-online.com/trubus/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=451:arowana-bites-tail&catid=114:pets-clinic&Itemid=510

[fishery]

probably a parasite. are you feeding feeder fish? easiest way for aros to get parasites.

this may help:
http://www.trubus-online.com/trubus/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=451:arowana-bites-tail&catid=114:pets-clinic&Itemid=510

No he is on Hikari pellets and frozen shrimps, I stopped feeder fish feeding 6 months ago.
Thanks for the link Crispy, Unfortunately there are no visible parasites on his tail as far as I can see, anyway the medicine I am using is an anti-parasitic do I have to keep adding the medicine everyday, it says on the bottle add on 1,2,3,5, and 7 day. Do I also have to do a water change on these days to prevent medicine buildup? Because it is mentioned on the bottle do not overdose. What percentage of water must I replace if I am to do a water change?

Thanks for your help, anymore input would be useful.

[talldutchie]

What medicine is that? How big is the tank? What's the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings?

[fishery]

What medicine is that? How big is the tank? What's the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings?

The contents of the medicine eludes me too, there is no chemical composition written on the bottle, it just says Paracidol - FW, Its says it can be used for Sleeping disease, White spot, Anchor worm and Fish lice. The tank is a 120 Gallon / 8 footer.

But I am still not sure it is a parasite as he was biting his tail within 1/2 hour the LFS guy left us, I don't suppose the LFS guy carried the parasite on his hand and even then it wouldn't make the fish start biting his tail that fast now would it.

Anyway I am going to continue adding medications and will be changing 50% water again tomorrow, lets hope his condition recovers.
Will keep you posted.

[fishery]

This link gives a contradictory explanation that it may be caused when the Aro panics, which seems to be my case.
Well then adding Anti-Parasitic medicines would be pointless isn't it.

Can anyone approve whether the link makes sense.
http://www.indodragon.com/forum/showthread.php?2667-Urgently-need-advice-on-Tail-Biting

[talldutchie]

Give aeonflame a nudge, see if he wants to join this discussion. Arowana are his thing.

[kim92]

What size tank is it in, and what are you keeping with it? Is it a Asian, Australian, or a South American?

Just caught the 120 gallon 8 foot. How wide is it? I would imagine it's pretty narrow if it's 8 feet long and only 120 gallons.

[gamelovers11223]

Is the tank narrower than fish is long? My guess it is and that's what can stress fish out. In addition LFS guy stressed the Aro even more. So:
1: you need a bigger tank for your Aro
2: try to put some Stress Coat+ or Prime Stress Guard, turn off the lights or better yet cover the tank fully.
3: Don't change more than 50% of water, you'll stress fish even more.
4: What else do you have in the tank?

[kim92]

Large water changes won't or should not stress the fish.

[gamelovers11223]

Large water changes won't or should not stress the fish.

Fish other than Aro - should not stress out. Aro will be stressed out especially in a tank this small.

[kim92]

Having owned a few aros, I know they do not mind large water changes. In fact, the cleaner the water, the better for them. They will grow fast if fed well. And keeping the water clean is essential in them developing properly.

Once you have started the whole process of a water change, it really will not hurt to take out 50% of the water, or 80%.

[fishery]

Okay guys I solved the problem by adding a Powerful power head its a Boyu 2500 B and he is no longer biting his tail, though he tries to sometimes but actually can't due to the water current.

I have also done a weekly water change of 40% and added Paracidol again, though I am sure it is not a parasite but anyway just a precaution.

He has caused some damage to his tail fin, well that was on last Sunday, On last Monday first thing I got the power head and observed his behavior for a week he seems fine and his fin seems to be healing.

1. Do I have to get Stress Coat + , I have not heard many great things about it on the net (heard it leaves a slime on the glass and that it is unnatural to have Aloe in the tank - things I don't want :evil:), although it looks promising though. I need to hear from people who have used it and are satisfied with it, I am not sure my LFS would have Prime Stress Guard, I can ask them to order it but that would take another week.
2. Yes I know that a 8 footer is small for an Aro that grows an inch a month, no worries I will be giving him off to my friend who has a 300 Gallon which should hold him for a while, but I need the fins to heal first, so again does SC+ live up to its reputation.
3. His appetite has reduced since the LFS guy spooked him (for those who haven't kindly see my post on the first page), he is now not fulling eating the Hikari pellets, he spits them and then chews and again spits, this is his characteristic behavior that he mostly shows when he is scared, so whats scaring him now, don't tell me he is having an anxiety attack :hmm3grin2orange: , although he is eating frozen shrimps properly without spitting, I never had this problem before he has always been eating 40-50 pellets everyday without spitting for 6 months and all of a sudden he is exhibiting this behavior.

Any help would be great

[Crispy]

if he is eating shrimp, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

with clean water, aros heal very quickly. don't bother with the SC+.