Looking for good plants to have with a Silver Arowana?

Question

Looking for a good plant(s) to have with an Arowana. I just don't want to poison the poor fellow or something.

Answer 1

Most any aquatic plant will work very well, but avoid things that will clog the surface like Duckweed or Water Sprite.  If you do use these, keep them in a selected area.  Try planting the back and sides of the tank, as this will allow it to feel considerably more secure.  Tall plants like lilies, Aponogetons, Rotala, some Swords, some Crypts, Hygro, Anacharis, Bacopa, and similar plants will do very well in low light, and things like Chain Sword, Dwarf Sag, Marsilea, and shorter Crypt species will do well in the foreground.  Make sure your light is of a usable spectrum for plants (5,500-6,700K) or all you'll grow is algae.  For larger tanks, T-5 light strips are ideal and don't take up much space.

EDIT: The very last thing you want to do is take a very active surface dweller and cover up the surface with plants!  Also, feeder fish are a TERRIBLE choice for Arowanas, not only because of the potential parasites, but training them to go after fish will force them to look down, which can lead to droop eye.

Answer 2

I use jungle vallis which I grow in pots to keep the tank base nearly bare for cleaning. It grows up and along the surface but doesn't clog the filter overflows like floating plants do.

Answer 3

....some floating plants are a good idea, to keep them in the tank! and th plants aid in water quality and floating plants enalbe the tank to have more swimming room

....some corner grasses like vallsneria spiralis and sagittaria subulata make nice border/corner plants to cover some hoses and piping

...and they are ALL 'jumpers' so the top plants plus a tight lid are good ideas

...the Arawana typicaly enjoys eating centipedes, feeder fish, and some suppimental pellets for in between meal snacking

....are you keeping a siler, black, Red-Tail Golden, or the Red Arawana(s)?

....they are 'top dwellers' and will eat anything live that fits in their mouth....but, if they are browsing for example, for snails, plants are not poisonous to them....all aquatic plants we use typically wil be comaptible with Arawanas too