this brings us back to the old story
if you buy a xback and it doesn't cross are you being ripped off and should you be refunded
if you buy a super red and it doesn't turn red are you being ripped off
well yes you are in a way if the cert states xback or super red thats what you should be getting right
if everyone is looking for a aro like they see posted on the net chances are you wont get one as nice
are we getting ripped of yes i think we are in away
the farms have a good way out of this they tell us we must give the aro more time to develop with reds this is a long time maybe even 5-7yrs how many people will demand a refund for a fish they have cared for for 5-7yrs by this time the aro is part of the family
even if you buy a xback with full crossing at a size of 7inch their is no guarantee the shine level will stay when the aro is put into your tank as most xback now are put into white tanks to ingress the shine level which fades after 2 months of being in non white tank
aros also display great color and shine as they are not fed like they are when we get them home less food = more color of gold intercity
are we getting ripped of yes we are in a way as the farms have made the aros better than they are before sale BUT don't most shops dress things up to look great so we buy them
Hi folks, Haven been around in a while. Just happened to browse around saw this interesting thread.
It has always been my interest in understanding the hobbyist point of view when it comes to arowana selection and care. As a hobbyist turned breeder of arowanas, I have managed to sit on both sides of the fence, one as newbie hobbyist and the other as good friends, customer and even supplier of arowanas to the farms.
My knowledge only lies with gold arowanas so I will not comment on the reds as i think most of you will laugh at me after you see my reds which grew so big and fat but ddn't develop any color.
I would say that, now compeition is becoming more keen in the arowana industry and as export customers, its quite rare that you will be recieving fishes which are of substandard quality. (after all you guys are gonna pay more for the fish unlike most bargain hunting singaporeans who are always looking for the cheap deal). However, considering that your arowana market is not tightly regulated in like Singapore(Only Fish shops and registered arowana fars in Singapore with valid licenses pending inspections by our local authority are allowed to import dragonfish). Many inspiring hobbyist turned entreprenuers (not sure with how much fish knowledge) will look for the best deal they can get on the Net and import the fishes from any cities registered farm with a website. So there is very little quality control as some farms are known to mix fishes in a order, like for 100 reds u buy at much lower price, they will throw in some RTGs to make up the 100 pieces.
Most of the farms at least locally have been doing business with your Canadian counterparts for as much as a decade. Hence, with the long term business relationships, there will be minimum risk of such incidents occuring where the Cross back doesn't have pearlies (crossing is another thing all together) and Reds which don't turn red (A large portion of it depends on external variables coz not all red arowanas will turn blood red). Although in return these importers many of whom will actually fly down to Singapore to select their fishes will charge much higher prices to the Canadian consumer. But then again, keeping this fishes is considered a luxury Item, like most people who are willing to buy 40 K USD koi won't compliant about the price. In return for value for money or a bargain, that is the trade off you pay.
