Can You Put Pacu In A Decorative Backyard Pond?

[Starfishpower]

i dont mean a pond as in a natural habitat i mean a little one like ppl have in there backyards and stuff for goldfish and whatnot. i know pacu can get big, really big... 4'. and there is the prospect that we will be getting a pond in our backyard soon and i was just wondering what i could put in it. personally i think it would be hilarious to have friends over and walk out back to look at the "goldfish" only to encounter some nice beasties swimming around under the calm of the water... then we feed them and watch the water not be so calm so if this is possible what size dimensions would the pond need to have?

 

[Esfa]

I think pacus like to be in groups.... so it'll be less like a pond and more like a lake..

 

[pica_nuttalli]

the real limit on this idea is where you live. pacu need "tropical" temperatures all year round, so unless you live in Florida, Southern California or somewhere else where it never frosts... no pacu pond for you!

that said, if the outside temperature stays above 50 F all year, then you could try adding a heater. the minimum pond dimensions would need to follow CFC's tankbuster guide (which can be seen at the top of Oddballs)

 

[Starfishpower]

no pacu pond for you!

haha that reminds me of the crazy italian soup kitchen guy on Sienfield... "no soup for you!!!" ya i was afraid a harsh winter might do it in. so my next question is: is there not a heater system for ponds that can ensure that fish survive a winter? im in Georgia so im not far from sunny Florida, the winters arent that bad. iv got an idea, build a green house cover to go over it and have a heater. except it would be more like just the roof of the green house and not a building, weve built green houses before for our vegetable garden so its not improbable to construct it, the problem lies more in would it work... so should it be built at all. i know that even in the dead of winter ours stayed nice and warm (80s if i remember correctly), anybody see any reason why that wouldnt work? it could have a hatch like door on top for feeding purposes; it could be built with easy to remove sections for quick access for any maintenance work that might need doing... idk if ponds even need maintenance. havent really looked into how to take care of one, this is just to see if its even possible before i go off reading about something i dont need to know about right now.