If you truly love the world of pet fish, I am pretty sure that you heard about the Arowana fish, also known as “dragon fish”. The cost that a dragonfish can reach will impress you and reflect on fast-growing the fish pet market is.
If we compare the cost of a goldfish with the dragon fish, in some case, we can find a multiple of 2000 of the price. Now I am sure that your interest is growing, so it is time to answer the fateful question.
How much does a dragonfish cost? A young dragon fish in the Asia Market can go for $300, while for rare exemplars of Arowana fish, the cost can go up to $70,000 and in some extraordinary case reach $300,000
The question that may arise in your mind could be why the dragon fish so expensive? What makes the Arowana fish one of the most costly species of fish pet present on the earth?
Table of Contents
Why is dragon fish expensive?
The Asian world is passionate about mythology, especially for the dragon, representing power and benevolence, and they are deemed lucky and good.
The dragonfish gets its nickname from the similarity with the traditional dragon as its original name is Asian Arowana. This has brought the price of the dragonfish so high.
What makes the dragon fish so costly?
The dragonfish is a freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia; its high value on the market brought some breeders to protect its stock with protection with layers and high walls to avoid an attack on the fish.
How become the Arowana fish so expensive?
Historically the dragonfish wasn’t an expansive type of pet fish; instead, it was cooked and eaten in the market as a normal fish. Things started to change when an aquarium trader travelling saw the death of an Arowana, and he thinks that it was too crudely to kill such an attractive type of pet fish.
Starting from the 1980s, the dragonfish turned its purpose and became very popular in all the Asia. People from all over the country wanted one, especially the varieties with red and gold colour, that symbolize luck and wealth for the Asian people.
Cost of Dragonfish by Color
There are different breeds of Asian Arowana Fish, each one has unique, and the colours difference makes the dragon fish varying in price.
Chili red Dragonfish cost
The first variation of the colour is the Chili red Asian Arowana. Some of the red chilli dragon fish characteristics are the size, where an adult can reach 90cm.
A chili red dragon fish can be purchased for a price of around $1,400.
Care must be done when the owner set up the tank as the dragon fish are well knower to be a jumper; ensuring the safety of your dragonfish must be your priority after spending a huge amount of money.
Emerald violet fusion super red dragon fish cost
This variation of dragonfish may be considered one of the most expensive among the dragonfish species. The minimum price in which can be found on the market is around $12,000.
What makes the price of emerald violet fusion super red dragon fish so high is the combination of colours and its look that remember the look of the mythological dragon.
Albino Dragonfish the most expensive
The rarest and valuable breed of dragonfish that you may find on the market is the albino dragonfish.
This species of dragonfish has reached 2009 a price of the sell of around $300,000 purchased by an anonymous high ranking official that makes part of the Chinese government.
The purpose of buying such an expensive pet fish is done for rarity and collection only; for that reason, most of the dragonfish are brought by high ranked class.
Where is it legal to buy a dragonfish?
At the beginning of the 90s, dragon fishes started to become very popular, and there was a huge demand for them; until that time, it was legal to buy or commerce the dragon fish worldwide.
Nowadays, it is legal to buy a dragonfish in almost all Asian countries, while you cannot buy it in the USA, except for the black market.
Can I bring a dragonfish bought in Asia in the USA?
If you bought a dragonfish while you were on vacation in some part of Asia and are thinking of bringing it to the USA, you are wrong.
The dragonfish is a banned fish in the USA by the Endangered Specials Acts.
Cost of maintenance for a Dragonfish
The cost of maintenance for a dragonfish is not so high; as for other types of fish, it requires food, a specific tank, and special care to maintain the health of the fish in the best way possible.
Feeding cost for a dragonfish
The dragonfish should be breaded with small fish, tadpoles, live brine sharps, and other live foods, but it can be trained to eat shuck, frozen food, and it will cost you around $30-50 per month.
Tank cost for a dragonfish
Another important thing that you should take care of after spending thousands of dollars is the right setup of the tank.
As mentioned before, the dragonfish could jump over the tank, and it may be brought to the fish’s death.
The dragonfish need many spaces to swim, and the perfect tanker setup may include decoration rock, bogwood and plants.
The recommended aquarium capacity for a dragonfish is around 55 gallon for young species, while for a fully grown dragon fish, you will need an aquarium of a minimum of 250 gallons.
The cost for a 55-gallon fish aquarium is around $400 to $700, while the cost for a 250-gallon fish aquarium is approximately $2,100 up to $2,879
Conclusion
The dragonfish is not for sure a normal pet fish that can be brought in a fish pet store; only Asian people may have the privilege of owning a dragonfish. The cost for that type of pet fish reached an incredible value during the time, and it seems to grow exponentially due to the rarity of this unique type of fish.
