Hey damion, sorry to say I cant help you with the lfs in New York, I am living in Boston now (need to change my profile) - I do know of some places in Western Long Island if that would help? Probably not though, kind of far.
I think it is the same as the flagtail, i posted something on here about a week (?) ago that has its real name. It is somewhere in the Aquaria central species database too.
In Southeast Asia the Feng Shui relevance of the Arowana is significant. There are a multitude of combinations that one could keep to maintain good fortune. You are dead on about the phoenix, tiger, and arowana. When kept with each other, the trio symbolizes a variety of things- The phoenix represents Success, usually financial; The tiger represents Energy or Spirit, and the Arowana (The centerpiece) ususally signifies Longevity, but this can be extended to a sense of stability, tranquility, and prosperity as well. The meanings change depending on the combination of fish (i.e. you could have an arowana and just a tiger and the significance will change)
There are so many elements to it and it is very interesting. For example, the number of arowanas can be varied to accord with your personal lucky numbers, and the colors of the fish can be chosen to suit your character (the body structure comes into play here as well).
The main foundation of it all is the Arowana's resemblance to the Dragon (it is sometimes called dragon fish or heavenly/celestial dragon). In Asian beliefs (particularly Chinese) the Dragon protects its keeper from evil spirits and brings power and wealth into the family. It is a very Romantic idea in one sense, a lot of spirituality involved.
I am so glad you brought it up, I love this stuff! I am American but I moved to Asia when I was young and totally fell in love with the hobby. I am sure there is a wealth of info. out there if you are still interested, maybe even on the net. Sorry to write a novel here.
I think it is the same as the flagtail, i posted something on here about a week (?) ago that has its real name. It is somewhere in the Aquaria central species database too.
In Southeast Asia the Feng Shui relevance of the Arowana is significant. There are a multitude of combinations that one could keep to maintain good fortune. You are dead on about the phoenix, tiger, and arowana. When kept with each other, the trio symbolizes a variety of things- The phoenix represents Success, usually financial; The tiger represents Energy or Spirit, and the Arowana (The centerpiece) ususally signifies Longevity, but this can be extended to a sense of stability, tranquility, and prosperity as well. The meanings change depending on the combination of fish (i.e. you could have an arowana and just a tiger and the significance will change)
There are so many elements to it and it is very interesting. For example, the number of arowanas can be varied to accord with your personal lucky numbers, and the colors of the fish can be chosen to suit your character (the body structure comes into play here as well).
The main foundation of it all is the Arowana's resemblance to the Dragon (it is sometimes called dragon fish or heavenly/celestial dragon). In Asian beliefs (particularly Chinese) the Dragon protects its keeper from evil spirits and brings power and wealth into the family. It is a very Romantic idea in one sense, a lot of spirituality involved.
I am so glad you brought it up, I love this stuff! I am American but I moved to Asia when I was young and totally fell in love with the hobby. I am sure there is a wealth of info. out there if you are still interested, maybe even on the net. Sorry to write a novel here.
