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8 Best Foods For Silver Arowana Fish 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Brooke Billingsley

By Brooke Billingsley

silver arowana fish in aquarium

The silver arowana is a beautiful fish that often graces large freshwater aquariums. These fish are carnivores that hunt by eating insects, fish, and other animals on or near the surface of the water. Choosing the right food for your arowana is important to maintaining its health, ensuring proper growth, and supporting longevity.

They should be fed a varied diet, so although all the foods in these reviews are nutritionally sound, they should be fed as part of a rotating diet of commercial, frozen, and fresh foods. Just like with people, feeding the same food every day isn’t the ideal way to support all nutritional needs.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
NorthFin Arowana Formula NorthFin Arowana Formula
  • Three bag sizes
  • 44% protein and 5% fat
  • Floating stick form
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Fluker’s Gourmet Style River Shrimp Fluker’s Gourmet Style River Shrimp
  • Best value
  • Single ingredient
  • Provides live food nutrition
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Pellet Predator Fish Food Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Pellet Predator Fish Food
  • Three canister sizes
  • Floating stick form
  • 44% protein and 4.4% fat
  • Fluker’s Gourmet Style Grasshoppers Fluker’s Gourmet Style Grasshoppers
  • Budget friendly
  • Single ingredient
  • Can be fed as a daily treat
  • Exotic Nutrition Fresh Feeders Variety Exotic Nutrition Fresh Feeders Variety
  • Five proteins per pack
  • Protein content up to 80%
  • Plastic tongs are included
  • The 8 Best Foods for Silver Arowana Fish

    1. NorthFin Arowana Formula – Best Overall

    NorthFin Arowana Formula Fish Food

    Check Price on Chewy
    Package Size 250 grams (8.8 oz), 500 grams (17.6 oz), 1 kg (35 oz)
    Primary Protein Whole Antarctic krill meal
    Protein Content 44%
    Fat Content 5%

    For the best overall food for your silver arowana, check out the NorthFin Arowana Formula food. This food is available in three bag sizes. It has a 44% protein content and 5% fat content to support the needs of your carnivorous fish. The first three ingredients are whole Antarctic krill meal, omega-3 DHA herring meal, and whole sardine meal. It is 3 mm floating sticks, making it ideal for your arowana. It’s designed to promote healthy digestion and it doesn’t contain fillers, hormones, or artificial colors. Although it is not the most expensive option of food for your arowana, it does come at a premium price.

    Pros
    • Three bag sizes
    • 44% protein and 5% fat
    • First three ingredients are marine proteins
    • Floating stick form
    • Promotes healthy digestion
    • No fillers, hormones, or artificial colors
    Cons
    • Premium price

    2. Fluker’s Gourmet Style River Shrimp – Best Value

    Fluker's Gourmet-Style River Shrimp Reptile Food

    Package Size 2 oz
    Primary Protein River shrimp
    Protein Content 3%
    Fat Content 3%

    If you’re looking to treat your silver arowana on a budget, the best food for silver arowana fish for the money is the Fluker’s Gourmet Style River Shrimp. This food is 100% river shrimp and contains 83.3% protein. It saves you from having to live feed insects to your arowana, doesn’t require you to thaw food, and is more nutrient dense than freeze-dried foods. These river shrimp are packed full of vitamins and minerals. The package uses a stay-fresh lid to keep the food fresh for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator once opened.

    This food should be fed as a treat and not a dietary staple. It is ideal for adult arowana fish since juveniles may have difficulty digesting the exoskeletons of the shrimp.

    Pros
    • Best value
    • Single ingredient
    • 3% protein
    • Provides live food nutrition without the inconvenience
    • Full of vitamins and minerals
    • Stay-fresh lid keeps food fresh in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks
    Cons
    • Not to be used as a dietary staple
    • Not ideal for juveniles
    • Only available in one can size

    3. Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Pellet Predator Fish Food – Premium Choice

    Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Predator Jumbo Feeder

    Package Size 8 oz, 8.3 oz, 13.8 oz
    Primary Protein Prawns
    Protein Content 44%
    Fat Content 4%

    The premium choice for food for your silver arowana is the Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Pellet Predator Fish Food. This food is available in three canister sizes and has whole prawns as the first ingredient. It features floating pellets that are 10 mm long and 4 mm wide, making them ideal for larger juvenile and adult arowanas. This food is fortified with probiotics and prebiotics to support digestive health and immunity, and it produces less waste than some other foods, helping maintain water quality. It doesn’t cloud the water and is made with 100% natural ingredients. It contains 44% protein and 4.4% fat.

    Pros
    • Three canister sizes
    • Whole prawns are first ingredient
    • Floating stick form
    • Supports digestive health and immunity
    • Leads to less waste production
    • Doesn’t cloud the water
    • 44% protein and 4.4% fat
    Cons
    • Premium price

    4. Fluker’s Gourmet Style Grasshoppers

    Fluker's Gourmet-Style Grasshoppers Reptile Food

    Package Size 2 oz
    Primary Protein Grasshoppers
    Protein Content 5%
    Fat Content 5%

    The Fluker’s Gourmet Style Grasshoppers are 100% grasshoppers and contain 92.5% protein, making them a great treat for carnivores. They’re budget friendly and have a stay-fresh lid, keeping them fresh for approximately 1 week after opening. They’re packed with vitamins and allow you to provide your silver arowana with the nutrition of live food without the inconvenience. They can be fed as a daily food item, but they are not nutritionally sound enough to serve as the primary diet. It’s a good idea to feed these only as a treat for juveniles to prevent issues with digesting the exoskeletons of the insects. These are only available in one can size.

    Pros
    • Budget friendly
    • Single ingredient
    • 5% protein
    • Stay-fresh lid keeps food fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator
    • Can be fed as a daily treat
    • Provides live food nutrition without the inconvenience
    Cons
    • Not to be used as a dietary staple
    • Feed to juveniles only as a treat
    • Only available in one can size

    5. Exotic Nutrition Fresh Feeders Variety

    Exotic Nutrition Fresh Feeders Variety Reptile Food

    Package Size 5 oz
    Primary Protein Crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, superworms
    Protein Content 7–80%
    Fat Content 5–20%

    The Exotic Nutrition Fresh Feeders Variety is a variety pack of five different cooked proteins with each pack weighing 0.71 oz. This pack includes crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, superworms, and gut loaded mealworms. It includes plastic tongs to keep you from having to handle the cooked insects by hand. All the insects are farm-raised, and each pack is resealable, allowing you to keep it fresh in the refrigerator for 7 days. This is a good option for treating your silver arowana, but none of these insects are appropriate as a sole dietary source for your fish. Be cautious feeding insects to juveniles, especially mealworms and other worms with hard exoskeletons that are difficult to digest.

    Pros
    • Five proteins per pack
    • Protein content up to 80% and fat content up to 20%
    • Plastic tongs are included
    • Farm-raised insects are cooked to preserve nutrients
    • Resealable packs are good for up to 7 days in the refrigerator
    Cons
    • Not to be used as a dietary staple
    • Use caution with feeding these insects to juveniles
    • Only available in one package size

    6. Fluval Multi Protein Formula Cichlid Pellets

    Fluval Multi Protein Formula Cichlid Pellets Fish Food

    Package Size 17 oz, 5.29 oz, 12 oz
    Primary Protein Herring meal
    Protein Content 35%
    Fat Content 6%

    The Fluval Multi Protein Formula Cichlid Pellets are available in three canister sizes and feature herring meal as the first ingredient. The second and third ingredients are krill and shrimp meal. It’s palatable and contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which come from kelp that is harvested in an environmentally friendly way. It also contains all necessary vitamins and minerals, including stabilized vitamin C.

    This food contains less protein than many other carnivore foods, so it’s not ideal as a dietary staple. It is a sinking pellet, so it should not be overfed since your silver arowana is unlikely to eat multiple pieces before they sink.

    Pros
    • Three canister sizes
    • First three ingredients are marine proteins
    • Highly palatable
    • Contains environmentally sourced kelp for omega-3 fatty acids
    • High in vitamins and minerals
    Cons
    • Less protein than most carnivore foods
    • Not to be used as a dietary staple
    • Sinking pellet form

    7. Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Turtle Sticks Floating Fish Food

    Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Turtle Sticks Floating Fish Food

    Package Size 8 oz, 6.9 oz, 11.9 oz
    Primary Protein Prawns
    Protein Content 38%
    Fat Content 2%

    The Cobalt Aquatics Ultra Turtle Sticks Floating Fish Food are available in three canister sizes. They are formulated for turtles and other aquatic carnivores and omnivores. They contain 38% protein and have prawns as the first ingredient. These are not an ideal pick due to their lower protein content, but they are nutritionally appropriate for your silver arowana in a pinch. These sticks won’t cloud the water and they contain prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive and immune health. They are 4 mm wide and 10mm long, making them a great size for many arowanas. Since they are formulated for aquatic turtles, they do contain foods that aren’t necessary to your silver arowana’s health, like corn and soybean paste.

    Pros
    • Three canister sizes
    • First ingredient is prawns
    • Won’t cloud water
    • Supports digestive health and immunity
    Cons
    • Less protein than many carnivore foods
    • Formulated primarily for aquatic turtles
    • Not made to replace a silver arowana’s regular diet
    • Contains food that isn’t necessary for silver arowana health

    8. Tetra Cichlid Jumbo Sticks

    Tetra Cichlid Jumbo Sticks Fish Food

    Package Size 4 oz
    Primary Protein Shrimp meal
    Protein Content 47%
    Fat Content 7%

    The Tetra Cichlid Jumbo Sticks are floating carnivore sticks that contain 47% protein and 7% fat. They are appropriate for growing silver arowanas, as well as those recovering from an illness or injury. They can be fed as a dietary staple, but they are richer than most other foods, so it’s a good idea to rotate them. They are fortified with many nutrients, like vitamin C, and contain an attractant that helps your fish find the food. This food is only available in one canister size, and this food is prone to discoloration the tank water to an orange color. It contains fillers, like wheat gluten and wheat starch.

    Pros
    • 47% protein and 7% fat
    • Good option for young and recovering silver arowanas
    • Fortified with nutrients
    • Contains an attractant
    Cons
    • May be too rich for daily feeding
    • Only available in one canister size
    • May discolor tank water
    • Contains fillers

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    Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Food for Silver Arowanas

    Why Is the Right Diet Important for Silver Arowanas?

    Silver arowanas are true carnivores, which means that essentially all of their diet should consist of animal proteins. They need to eat more than just meat to meet all their nutritional needs, though, so finding a food that contains whole proteins is important.

    Choosing a diet that is high in protein and contains few plant-based foods, if any, is necessary to maintaining your fish’s health. Many varieties of freshwater predator foods are appropriate for silver arowanas, but it’s necessary to find foods that focus on the needs of carnivores. Your fish isn’t able to hunt in its natural environment, so it relies on you to provide it with a complete, varied, healthy diet.

    Choosing the Right Silver Arowana Food for Your Needs

    • Age: Silver arowanas have very different nutritional needs at various points in their life. This means that a juvenile needs a diet that supports growth and development, while an adult needs a diet that supports overall health. Choose foods that are appropriate for the life stage your silver arowana is in.
    • Size: If you have a small juvenile silver arowana, your fish may not be able to eat some types of food due to the size of the pellets or sticks. Large fish may have difficulty finding small types of foods. Choose a food that matches what your fish will be able to eat.
    • Tank Mates: If you’re feeding a whole tank, you’ll need to choose a food or variety of foods that meet the nutritional needs of all the inhabitants in the tank. If you have fish that have different nutritional needs from your silver arowana, then you need to determine a feeding regime that will work best to ensure everyone gets fed and eats appropriate foods.

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    Conclusion

    If you need a new food for your silver arowana or you’re looking into getting one, use these reviews to help start you off on the search of finding the perfect food for your fish. The best overall food option is the NorthFin Arowana Formula, which is nutrient dense and formulated specifically for arowanas. For tighter budgets, though, your fish will appreciate the Fluker’s Gourmet Style River Shrimp, which makes a fantastic treat that is packed with nutrients. Just remember that it doesn’t cover all nutritional needs and should be fed as a treat, not a primary diet.

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    Featured Image Credit: Grigvovan, Shutterstock

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