Pacu question

[PunkRock050]

I just got a new Red Bellied Pacu a couple days ago and I cant seem to coax him out of the corner. He seems to come out just fine when its dark, but hes either 1.scared of me still, or 2. needs another fish like it

Should I just keep 1, or get another? I have a 29 gallon right now but im getting another55 in a couple of weeks.

 

[StiX]

Pacu's do like their own kind, but can be kept alone, a 29gal is way to small, and even a 55gal will be too small IMO, especially if u get more than 1!

 

[cichlidmaster]

Hi PunkRock,

First...WELCOME to the board...

Depending on the Pacu's size right now......

29...will be fine for the next few weeks

55...will be fine for maybe 6-8 months.

90...will be fine for the next 6-8 months.......then your looking at a minimum of 180 gallon to house these giants.

Pacu's can and do get up to 3 ft in size. When considering tank size it is wise to give enough room for the fish to turn around in without having to bend or twist.

So you see...even with a 180 gallon tank this would be a problem for an adult pacu.

 

[semper fi]

i've got a red bellied pacu. you can see his pic under member's tank pics. he was so cute and small when i first got him about 6 months ago. they do have a tendency to be shy unlike their cousin the pirannha. they will eat literally everything in the tank if given the chance though. they grow very fast! you do have to watch what you put in with them though. when they do get bigger, they can and will kill and eat other fish if they get hungry enough. mine is the pig of the tank.

like cm said the 180 will not be enough to keep him when he grows up to be full size. quite a few of the zoo aquariums we have gone to lately have pacus in their displays cause of their enourmous size. mine is getting ready to go to the detroit zoo soon. just not enough tank for him and he is in a 180, not by himself though. they get whacky though and will thrash around in the tank alot. mine is always splashing water on the floor.

cool fish though. very wide bodied like a tuna.

maggie

 

[Great Lakes]

Maybe if I got a Pacu it would be a good excuse for a 500 gallon tank.....

 

[semper fi]

better think bigger. can get up to 3-3.5 feet in length and abou just as tall.

maggie

 

[Great Lakes]

He'd be dinner by then....

Heeyy, A trout aquarium would be cool........

 

[semper fi]

actually down in south america they eat the pacu just like tuna and they are supposed to be quite tasty.



maggie

 

[PunkRock050]

In a week or so I plan on building my own new aquarium. Its going to be pretty big and take up most of one of my walls. Not sure exactly on volume yet but I will figure that out later this week.

Right now I just got a buncha Blue Gouramis (beautiful!), some red swords, and a buncha small platys from one of my teachers who raises them. My tank is chocked full of fry right now, so Im going to have to get a secondary tank quick.

 

[PunkRock050]

i've got a red bellied pacu. you can see his pic under member's tank pics. he was so cute and small when i first got him about 6 months ago. they do have a tendency to be shy unlike their cousin the pirannha. they will eat literally everything in the tank if given the chance though. they grow very fast! you do have to watch what you put in with them though. when they do get bigger, they can and will kill and eat other fish if they get hungry enough. mine is the pig of the tank.

Did yours finally get over being shy? How long did it take? Every time I get around the tank he hides behind a rock in the corner of the tank.

Im not used to this, considering I have 6 tiger barbs who are playing around ALL THE TIME!! I love these things.

 

[semper fi]

considering he is about a year old and 16"+ he is not shy anymore. hard to find a hiding spot when you are that big. i got him and he was the size of a quarter and he was really shy. now he is the biggest but not the kindg of the tank.

maggie