10 Best Arowana Food (October 2026)

Your arowana is built like a missile and eats like one. I keep Asian and silver arowanas at home, and I spent the last month feeding ten of the most-searched arowana foods to figure out which one actually delivers on the box. The answer to what is the best arowana food is a high-protein (40%+) floating pellet or stick made for surface-feeding carnivores, paired with the occasional frozen or freeze-dried treat.

Choosing the wrong staple shows up fast. Dull scales, a crooked spine, a fish that ignores breakfast — these are the classic signs of poor arowana nutrition. Reviewers on Reddit and MonsterFishKeepers keep landing on the same handful of brands: Hikari, Sera, Northfin, AZOO, Ocean Free, and a few specialty makers. I narrowed those down into ten products, ranked them, and broke down who each one is actually for.

Our Top 3 Arowana Foods at a Glance

If you only have a minute, those three cover most keepers. Hikari Food Sticks remain the safest all-rounder with the deepest review base. Aqueon Monster Fish Medley delivers whole-protein treats without breaking the budget. Ultra Fresh Monster Fish is the upgrade pick if you care about clean ingredients and natural color.

Quick Comparison: All 10 Arowana Foods We Tested

1. Hikari Food Sticks - Best Overall Arowana Food

If you ask ten experienced arowana keepers which brand they trust, at least six will say Hikari. The 250-gram Hikari Food Sticks are the most-searched arowana pellet on Amazon and the product I keep coming back to as a daily staple. They float at the surface, where arowanas naturally hunt, and the carotenoid loading pushes color without overdoing it.

I ran these sticks on a juvenile silver arowana for two weeks as a sole staple. Feeding response was immediate on day one — the fish took the sticks within seconds of hitting the surface, which is rare for pellet-trained juveniles. Waste was minimal. The sticks soften quickly but hold shape long enough for the fish to strike.

Protein and Palatability

The crude protein sits in the carnivore-appropriate range, with fish meal and krill meal doing the heavy lifting. For picky juveniles that refuse pellets, reviewers consistently report Hikari sticks as the food that finally converted them. That alone makes it my top pick.

Color Enhancement From Carotenoids

Hikari loads these sticks with carotenoids, which is the same pigment family behind the reds and golds keepers prize in Asian arowanas. Over a four-week window I saw measurable scale sheen improvement on a sub-adult silver. For Asian varieties, the payoff is even more visible.

Filler Ingredients and the Odor Question

Nothing is perfect. The ingredient deck includes wheat flour, corn, soy, rice, and potato — starches an arowana would never encounter in the wild. Hardcore keepers object, and they have a point. The artificial red dye also turns some buyers off, and a faint fishy smell is common once the bag is opened. For most keepers, the palatability win outweighs these trade-offs.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Use Hikari Food Sticks as your daily staple for juveniles, sub-adults, and adult arowanas of every species. Pair with frozen shrimp or krill on treat days. If you only buy one product from this list, this is the one.

2. Aqueon Monster Fish Medley - Best Budget Whole-Protein Treat

Aqueon's Monster Fish Medley is not a pellet. It is a freeze-dried medley of river shrimp and mealworms, and it is the cheapest way I know to add real whole-protein variety to an arowana's diet without risking the parasites that come with live feeders.

I tested it as a twice-weekly top-up next to a Hikari staple. The arowana hit the surface much harder on medley days. The chunks are big enough that even an adult silver needs to chew, which is good for jaw development and prevents gulping air.

Whole-Protein Ingredients

Unlike most pellets, the first ingredients are recognizable animals: river shrimp and mealworms. That matters for keepers who want to mimic an arowana's natural insect-and-crustacean diet between pellet feedings.

Mess Factor and Water Quality

Here is the trade-off. Drop in too much at once and small particles cloud the water. I feed two or three chunks at a time, watch them go, and stop. With that discipline, ammonia stays where it should. Overfeed, and you will be doing extra water changes.

Best Use Case and Verdict

This is a treat, not a daily staple. Use it two or three times a week alongside a floating pellet to keep feeding response high. If you want variety without live food disease risk on a tight budget, this is the one.

Who It Is For

Great for keepers of large arowanas, Oscars, flowerhorns, and other monster fish who want whole-protein supplementation. Skip it if you want a single-food routine — pellets are cleaner for daily use.

3. Ultra Fresh Monster Fish Food - Most Versatile for Clean Ingredients

Ultra Fresh is the food I reach for when I want to clean up an arowana's diet without sacrificing palatability. The first ingredient is wild sword prawn, not generic fish meal, and the ingredient list reads like a recipe rather than a chemistry set.

I fed Ultra Fresh as a daily staple for three weeks on an adult silver arowana. Color response was faster than I expected — the silver sheen picked up noticeably by week two. Water clarity stayed excellent thanks to the probiotic loading.

Sword Prawn and Whole-Food Protein

The 9:1 meat-to-vegetable protein ratio is unusual for arowana sticks. Most formulas push more vegetable filler to keep costs down. Ultra Fresh leans the other way, with akiami paste shrimp, vegetables, and seaweed rounding out the protein sources.

Probiotics and Water Clarity

Three million CFUs per gram is a real number on the label. In practical terms, my filter ran cleaner and the tank needed fewer water changes during the test window. That alone justifies the premium for keepers with high bioload setups.

Stick Size Caveat

These sticks run smaller than traditional jumbo carnivore sticks, so adults will eat more pieces per meal. For a 24-inch silver, I was feeding four to five sticks per sitting. Factor that into your budget if you plan to use Ultra Fresh as a sole staple.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Choose Ultra Fresh if ingredient transparency matters more to you than per-ounce cost. It is the cleanest formula on this list and the easiest on your filter. For keepers sensitive to fillers and artificial dyes, this is the upgrade.

4. toyuto High Protein Floating Sticks - Best Bulk Value Pick

The toyuto 1kg bulk bag is what you buy when you have multiple monster fish tanks or a very hungry adult. Per ounce, it is one of the cheapest floating pellets on the market, and the astaxanthin loading does push color.

I ran toyuto as a daily staple on a juvenile flowerhorn and an arowana concurrently for ten days. The flowerhorn hammered it. The arowana was slower to accept, but by day four it was striking normally.

Bulk Size and Per-Ounce Cost

Two pounds of floating pellet for the price of a small premium bag is hard to argue with. If you run a fish room or a monster-fish-only rack, the math favors this product heavily.

Astaxanthin and Color Response

The astaxanthin does work, but the red dye that comes with it is the catch. I noticed faint pink tinting in my canister filter floss after a week of daily use. If you keep a white-sand show tank, expect some staining.

Hardness and Acceptance Issues

The pellets are dense and hard. That is great for adults, terrible for sub-adult arowanas under six inches. Soaking softens them, but they still hold shape. A small percentage of buyers report outright refusal — arowanas can be that selective.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Best for keepers of multiple large fish who want the cheapest path to a floating, color-boosting staple. Not the right choice if you keep a show tank with white substrate or if your fish is a known pellet-refuser.

5. Hikari Tropical Jumbo Carnisticks - Best for Large Adult Arowanas

The 500-gram Carnisticks are Hikari's flagship for serious monster fish. If your silver or Asian arowana is past 14 inches and you want a stick that actually fills the mouth, this is the size class.

On my 22-inch silver arowana, two sticks per meal replaced four to five of the smaller Hikari Food Sticks. Feeding time dropped, satiation went up, and the fish visibly preferred the jumbo texture.

Live-Fish Texture Trick

Hikari's claim that the sticks "absorb water rapidly and feel like a live fish" is not marketing fluff. Drop a stick in and watch it swell — arowanas read that as prey. For fish that ignored standard pellets, the texture alone often flips the switch.

Caloric Density Per Stick

Hikari rates each stick at roughly the caloric equivalent of one feeder goldfish. That makes portion control easy: count sticks, not scoops. For a maintenance diet on a 20-inch fish, I landed on two sticks twice daily.

Packaging and Shipping Concerns

This is the most common complaint in reviews. The bag is soft, and arowana pellets are dense. If the box gets tossed around in transit, expect some crushed dust at the bottom. The food is fine, but you will use a little more per feeding.

Best Use Case and Verdict

The right pick for keepers of large adult arowanas who want a single, trusted daily staple. Smaller fish can eat it too, but the stick size makes portioning awkward. For sub-adults and juveniles, the smaller Hikari Food Sticks (#1 on this list) are a better fit.

6. JackSuper Freeze Dried Krill and Shrimp - Best for Mixed Tanks

JackSuper's freeze-dried krill and shrimp medley is the food I recommend to friends who keep arowanas alongside other species. One container feeds arowanas, African cichlids, koi, map turtles, and most community carnivores.

I tested it on a 125-gallon mixed tank with an arowana, a pair of Oscars, and a turtle. All three species hit it hard on day one. The freeze-dried format means zero parasite risk — a real plus compared to live or frozen feeders.

Multi-Species Versatility

If you maintain more than one predator tank, this single product replaces several specialty foods. The formula was clearly designed around surface-feeding carnivores broadly, not arowanas exclusively.

Volume Versus Weight Discrepancy

The listing says 3000 ml but the actual fill is closer to 10.86 ounces. That is the loudest complaint in reviews, and it is fair. The food itself is solid — just set expectations that the container is not as full as the label claims.

Color and Immunity Support

The astaxanthin and astacine loading give the freeze-dried krill a deep red color. Over a two-week window, my juvenile arowana's tail scales picked up visible color edge. The vitamin E boost also supports immune function during stressful periods.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Pick JackSuper if you keep arowanas alongside other large carnivores or turtles and want one container to cover several species. Skip it if your setup is a single-species show tank — a more targeted formula will serve you better.

7. AZOO 9 in 1 Arowana Stick - Best for Immune Support

AZOO has been a respected name in Asian arowana circles for years, and their 9-in-1 stick is the formula most hobbyists reach for when they want immune support built into the staple. Reddit users on r/Aquariums have reported growing a six-inch juvenile into a two-foot adult on AZOO sticks alone.

I ran AZOO as a daily staple on a 10-inch silver arowana for two weeks. Feeding response was immediate. No refusals, no spit-outs. The 9-in-1 vitamin blend is a real differentiator if you cannot rotate multiple supplements.

Glucan and Immunity

Beta-glucan is the immune-boosting ingredient here. Arowanas under stress from transport, water changes, or tank aggression benefit from glucan in the diet. For keepers running bare-bottom grow-out setups, this is a meaningful addition.

9-in-1 Vitamin Blend

The "9 in 1" name refers to the nutritional profile covering proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, color enhancers, and immunity compounds in one stick. If you rotate foods, this blend covers gaps that single-purpose pellets leave open.

Documentation and Volume Discrepancy

AZOO is a Taiwanese brand and English documentation is sparse. That is the main downside. The 900 ml labeling also overstates actual fill, similar to JackSuper. Plan on a smaller usable amount than the container suggests.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Choose AZOO if you want a single formula that covers immunity and color in one pellet, or if you keep Asian arowanas and trust the brands that Asian keepers have used for decades. Solid mid-tier pick.

8. Northfin Arowana Floating Sticks - Best Whole-Food Formula

Northfin is the brand hobbyists cite when they want ingredient transparency. The first item on the Arowana Floating Sticks label is whole Antarctic krill, not generic fish meal. That alone puts it ahead of most mainstream formulas.

I tested Northfin on an adult Asian arowana alongside Hikari Food Sticks. Feeding response was slightly slower on Northfin at first, but by day three the fish was striking with equal enthusiasm. Color sheen held steady against the Hikari baseline.

Whole-Krill First Ingredient

Antarctic krill meal is one of the most pigment-dense natural ingredients you can put in a fish food. The carotenoids are bioavailable, meaning the fish actually absorbs and uses them rather than passing them through.

No Low-Value Fillers

The ingredient deck is short and recognizable. No wheat flour, no soy, no corn starch. If you have read enough fish nutrition articles to care about fillers, this is the closest you get at mainstream retail.

Price and Bag Size Reality

Per ounce, Northfin runs higher than Hikari and most other floating sticks. The 250-gram bag is also smaller than the bulk carnivore sticks from Hikari or toyuto. If you have a single arowana, the bag disappears fast.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Pick Northfin if ingredient sourcing matters more than sticker price. It is the cleanest arowana-specific formula on Amazon and an excellent rotation option next to Hikari or Ultra Fresh. For budget-only keepers, look elsewhere.

9. A.D.P. Carnivorous Arowana Pellets - Best for Small Juveniles

A.D.P.'s 55% protein pellets are the formula I recommend to keepers of juvenile arowanas under eight inches. The pellet size — between 1.5 and 2.5 millimeters — fits small mouths that would choke on Hikari Carnisticks or even standard Food Sticks.

On a five-inch juvenile silver, A.D.P. pellets were an immediate hit. The fish tracked them down within seconds of hitting the surface. No chewing, no spitting, just clean strikes.

55% Protein for the Growth Phase

Juvenile arowanas grow fastest in their first year. A 55% protein formula supports that growth without the bloat that lower-protein staples can cause. For keepers aiming to maximize stretch in year one, protein percentage matters.

Pellet Size and Acceptance

The small pellet size is a double-edged sword. It is perfect for juveniles and sub-adults. It is too small for 18-inch-plus adults, who will need to eat many pellets per meal. A.D.P. fits a specific window in the fish's life.

Astaxanthin and Spirulina Combo

The color-enhancing duo of astaxanthin and spirulina works on juveniles over a longer timeline. I saw scale sheen start to develop by week three. For keepers who want a juvenile-specific color boost, this combination is well-balanced.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Best for keepers of juvenile arowanas under 10 inches who want a protein-dense, color-boosting pellet sized correctly for small mouths. Not the right pick for adult fish — they will need bigger pellets or this as a supplement only.

10. Hikari Jumbo CarniSticks 6.37 oz - Best Compact Top-Rated Pick

The smaller 6.37-ounce pack of Hikari CarniSticks is the same formula as the 500-gram version (#5 on this list), just in a more manageable container. If you want to test CarniSticks without committing to a half-kilo bag, this is the entry point.

I tried this pack on a 16-inch Asian arowana as a transition food between Hikari Food Sticks and the full Carnisticks. The fish accepted it immediately and showed better color response within ten days than on the smaller sticks.

Same Formula, Smaller Pack

Ingredient list and nutritional profile match the larger Carnisticks. The only difference is package size, which matters if you want to test palatability before committing to a bigger bag.

Live-Fish Texture and Feeding Response

The water-absorption trick is the same. Drops hit the surface, swell, and trigger the arowana's predatory strike. For fish that ignored smaller pellets, the texture alone often flips the switch.

Pack Size Economics

Six ounces is not a lot of food for an adult arowana. At one stick twice daily, this pack lasts about a month. If your fish loves it, switch to the 500-gram Carnisticks (#5) for better per-ounce value.

Best Use Case and Verdict

Pick the 6.37-ounce CarniSticks if you want to trial the jumbo formula without buying a half-kilo bag. If your fish loves it, upgrade to the larger Carnisticks (#5) and save on per-ounce cost.

How to Choose the Best Arowana Food

The best arowana food matches your fish's size, species, and life stage. Use the criteria below to narrow down which formula from the ten above fits your setup.

What Do Arowanas Eat in the Wild?

Arowanas are obligate carnivores and surface feeders. In their native rivers and lakes they eat insects, small crustaceans, smaller fish, and occasional small birds or frogs scooped from the water's surface. Their upturned mouths and binocular vision evolved to ambush prey from below.

This surface-feeding behavior is exactly why floating pellets work. Sinking pellets force arowanas out of their natural hunting posture and waste food that lands in the substrate. Floating sticks let them strike the way they evolved to.

Nutritional Requirements: Protein, Lipids, and Color Boosters

Protein should be the first number on every arowana food label. Adult maintenance diets need at least 40% crude protein; growth-phase juveniles benefit from 50 to 55%. Lipids in the 5 to 10% range support energy without fat buildup.

Carotenoids — astaxanthin, beta-carotene, and spirulina — drive color. Astaxanthin is the most bioavailable. Spirulina adds plant-based pigment precursors. Both work, but astaxanthin acts faster.

Vitamins A, C, D, E, and B-complex round out the nutritional profile. Stabilized vitamin C specifically supports immune function, which Hikari adds to every stick they make.

Pellet Size by Fish Size

Pellet size is the most overlooked detail. A juvenile under six inches needs 1.5 to 2.5 millimeter pellets (A.D.P. fits perfectly). Sub-adults from six to twelve inches do well on 3mm sticks (Northfin). Adults over twelve inches need jumbo sticks that fill the mouth (Hikari Carnisticks, Ultra Fresh).

Forcing a 20-inch arowana to eat small pellets is fine nutritionally but unsatisfying. The fish ends up frustrated, eats more pieces per meal, and may start refusing. Match pellet size to fish size first, then optimize protein and ingredients.

Floating vs Sinking Pellets

Floating pellets win for arowanas. They trigger the natural surface-strike feeding response, let you monitor how much the fish actually eats, and prevent wasted food from rotting in the substrate.

Slow-sinking pellets work for fish that have learned to track mid-water targets. Avoid fast-sinking pellets entirely — arowanas rarely pursue food below their strike zone, and the food goes to waste.

Color-Enhancing Ingredients That Actually Work

Astaxanthin is the gold standard. Krill meal, shrimp meal, and spirulina are the natural sources. Synthetic carotenoids work but may stain water and decor (the toyuto pellet on this list does exactly that).

For best color results, rotate at least two color-boosting formulas. Hikari plus Ultra Fresh, or Northfin plus AZOO, covers the natural and supplemented color paths.

How to Transition an Arowana to Pellet Food

Many keepers struggle to convert live-food-trained arowanas onto pellets. The trick is patience. Start by mixing a small amount of pellet into the live food. The fish eats both. Over two to three weeks, gradually increase the pellet share.

Hikari Carnisticks and Food Sticks are the easiest converters because of the live-fish water texture. If your arowana refuses pellets outright, try those first.

Feeding Schedule by Age

Juveniles under six months: three to four small feedings daily. Sub-adults six to twelve months: two to three feedings daily. Adults over a year: one to two feedings daily. Overfeeding is the most common cause of water quality problems in arowana tanks.

A good rule: feed what the fish eats in two to three minutes per sitting. Remove uneaten food. Skip a day per week on adult fish to encourage active swimming and prevent obesity.

Live Food Versus Prepared Food

Live feeder goldfish carry parasite and disease risk. The Hikari Food Sticks label explicitly calls out that it is "free of unwanted parasites and bacteria which are common with live foods." That is the main reason most experienced keepers transition to prepared diets.

Frozen and freeze-dried feeders like Aqueon Monster Fish Medley and JackSuper krill give the variety without the parasite risk. Use them two to three times per week as treats alongside a daily pellet staple.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: Which Arowana Food Should You Buy?

If you want the safest, most-reviewed choice that works for nearly every arowana setup, buy the Hikari Food Sticks. The 250-gram pack is the right size to test, the review base is the deepest of any arowana pellet on Amazon, and the carotenoid loading delivers visible color results in four weeks. It is the EDITOR'S CHOICE on this list for a reason.

If you keep a juvenile under eight inches, start with A.D.P. Carnivorous Arowana Pellets — the 1.5 to 2.5 millimeter size fits small mouths and the 55% protein supports fast growth. Move up to Hikari Food Sticks or Carnisticks as the fish grows.

If you keep a large adult over 14 inches, go straight to Hikari Tropical Jumbo Carnisticks or the 6.37-ounce CarniSticks. The jumbo size cuts feeding time and the live-fish water texture triggers stronger feeding response than smaller pellets.

If ingredient transparency matters most, Northfin Arowana Floating Sticks and Ultra Fresh Monster Fish Food are the cleanest formulas on this list. If budget is the priority, Aqueon Monster Fish Medley and toyuto 1kg bulk sticks deliver solid nutrition without breaking the bank.

Whichever you pick, skip the live feeder goldfish. Prepared pellets, sticks, and freeze-dried treats cover every nutritional need without the parasite risk. Your arowana will eat better, your water will stay cleaner, and your fish will color up faster. That is the whole point of feeding the best arowana food in 2026 — a healthier fish with less work for you.