Pacus, Arowanas, and Other Tank Busters. A Discussion

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.

BrianNY

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Messages
4,535
Location
NY
There have been many threads on the proper care and housing of these species. The overwhelming comment is unless you're prepared to have hundreds of gallons don't bother. My thinking is a bit outside the box as I've seen pacus and arowanas kept for years leading perfectly happy lives in aquariums that they will eventually out grow.

I don't think these fish are for the novice or the hobbyist on a budget, but I can think of a few reasons where caring for, and enjoying these fish might be practical. Any thoughts?
 
I'd love to hear the "practical" reasons for raising these fish - the only practical reasons I can think of are food (I've heard that some Pacu owners resort to eating their pets when they just can't find another way to house them) or research.
Personally I don't think these fish should be sold in the likes of Petsmart or an Pet Shops (ie: stores that carry both fish and other pets / pet supplies). It gives the wrong impression that they are "just like any other fish" - which they are not due to their size. I'd say the same for Oscars. I'd like to see them only in specialty shops and would even go so far as to see that they be "special order" only - at least that way you'd know that folks have done their research first and those "impulse purchases" would be eliminated. Of course, that's JMHO.

Perhaps a discussion on the "practical reasons" you meantion could convince me that I'm a bit too rigid here. Would love to hear from you and others.
 
lol, the only person i know of that has a pacu is a museum owner in town. He has it in a 300gal tank which used to house a caiman.

Here is a practical reason to own a pacu. so you can feed your enemies to it, lol

I really cant think of any practical reasons :?
 
Going with the majority on this one. Oscars, pacus and even arrowanas to a certain extent are to often sold as run of the mill when in reality, they are tank busters and should be purchased with this as a priority in mind. Undoubtably, the majority of these sold end up traded back in, killed, neglected, crammed into a tank they cannot turn aournd in and thought of as a dog like pet.

Maybe the mentaility of the store owner is "I know this fish is going to end up huge and this dumby is going to have to purchase a bigger setup of more expensive equipment to house Junior"
 
I love thought provoking discussions. Again, I bring it up just for the sake of discussion.

I didn't mention oscars but knew they would be brought up. Most if not all of the oscars sold are bred in captivity. There have been many varieties developed. If fish spawn what should be done with the fry? Are they not better off with someone who will give them the best possible care for as long as they can?
 
I don't agree with keeping fish like this at all.
Unless you have a HUGE tank your just making the fish's life miserable.
 
BrianNY said:
I love thought provoking discussions. Again, I bring it up just for the sake of discussion ... <snip> ... If fish spawn what should be done with the fry? Are they not better off with someone who will give them the best possible care for as long as they can?

I too like this thought provoking thread, so for that I thank you.

But on the question above .... Um - NO. Spawning should be restricted. Its supply and demand - because the supply is high the price is cheap and the demand is high as a result. I'd bet that the vast majority of people buy these fish without knowing what they are committing (or SHOULD BE committing)to .
If they DO lay eggs those eggs should be culled. PLUS ... what happens after "as long as they can" occurs ?? And how many people are going to give up their "big fish" that they've had for years and years, so it can have a better home ? AND how many of those "better homes" are really available ?
 
But the fish are here and alive now Esra. Won't one or two live a happier healthier life under the caring of someone that wants them? Surely you aren't saying that all of the oscars in all of the pet shops around the world should remain there. Or worse thrown out with the bath water?
 
No i think that's true.
Like i said they shouldn't be kept unless you have a huge system.
In Australia we have the RSPCA.
I always wonder why it is that if i was to try and buy a horse and bring it back to my apartment they would be all over me.
However i could go to any aquarium i wanted and order an enormous wish and noone asks any questions.
It's the age old human problem of the animal not making a noise.

Just think about it, it's always the animals that are silent that people wrongly assume are ok in their current setup.
Same with snakes, lizards and other large animals. The animal moves and eats and people assume they're ok.

Fish like this need to be regulated otherwise it's crue.
Why not make them order only?
That way when you order one you can be informed with a mandatory pack or something.
Just being able to walk in and buy an arowana is wrong.
 
I don't know that I agree with culling eggs Joannde. Certainly a horse and a fish are thought of much differently. We ear fish. We fish for sport. Fish simply aren't thought of as an animal with much of a quality of life in our current society. Therefore they have no animal or pet watch groups looking out for their well being.

I consider an arowana somewhat differently then an oscar only because the arowana is snatched from its' environment. The oscar has been bred here. I checked the endangered species list. Arowanas and Pacus are not listed therefore they are not protected.
 
My personal opinion is that its better to remove eggs as soon as possible for these large tank bred fish and not continue to make them so readily available where there's a good chance they'll end up in situations where they weren't researched first and can't be cared for later. Once the sales levels in a regulated environment are known (ah, if there were only such regulations for these fish) then breeders could breed to the demand at those levels, rather than the current levels (which obviously I feel are too high). However, I understand and respect those that would not cull eggs for religious reasons and to in those cases I hope we can agree to disagree.

I'm not against having these fish as pets, as long as they are properly researched and the new keeper knows what the care requirements and committment levels are / will be.

Ersa - love your analogy of taking a horse home to an apartment - when I was 6 or 7 that was my DREAM - to have a horse in the small "sun room" next to my bedroom. I'd still love to have a horse, but I know I couldn't give it the attention, exercise and care it deserves so I'll settle for visiting with my friends horse and enjoying him as a friend.
 
I guess as long as there is a demand for tank busters, people wont care about the consequences. As long as they can make a quick buck or get that pretty fish for their new 10g(talking about those no research impulse buyers). Personally I think these fish should be special order or just left alone in their natural habitats.
 
My dad had an oscar in a 75 gallon setup for eight years and I truly believe he was happy. He was a great fish- way more personality and intelligence than any fish I have ever owned or my family has ever owned. It was like having a dog in a tank. He took food right from my hand but would't take it from strangers. I don't know about Arowanas and Pacus (they get much bigger than oscars anyway) but these fish make GREAT pets. Of course, the pet store must inform the customer how big they get and what they will need. I don't have an oscar now because I don't have room but if I move to a bigger place and can fit another tank (I will try to get a 120 gallon or so) I will definitely get an oscar. I will make it a priority. Obviously, you shouldn't get one if you dont' have the money, time, or space to take care of it, but if you do, they are terrific.
After all, a dog also takes money, time and space to raise, and sadly, people buy them on impulse too. Yet we don't ban or restrict the sale of dogs.
The answer in the case of ANY pet is education. You don't get a dog lightly, and you don't get an oscar lightly. I agree that they shouldn't be sold as 'just another fish' and any pet store should explain ALL the requirements of this fish before they let anyone take one home. But to people who CAN treat them right- I feel it is fine to have one.
 
I went out after seeing a friends oscars and bought a few... started with like a standard 3 foot tank, that was where the fun started. in the next 12 months i bought like another 6 tanks.... Just to house them. Yes i knew what i was getting myself into. I succeded in what i wanted over the next 31/2 yrs and that was to breed them. out of 13 that i started with, a couple of fatalities along the way(jumpers, damage through fighting) i ended up with 2 pair and 5 odds that i sold.
 
Add in Red Tailed Catfish to this list too. It saddens me to see how many are up for sale because they have "out grown the tank".
I would LOVE a red tailed cat , as they are by far my most favourite fish. I will never buy one though until I have a tank that is big enough for one to thrive in. I currently own a 6 x 2 x 2 but appreciate thats not big enough for one them.

I dont think as many people buy them without knowing their growth potential as people think. Imo a lot of those people purchase the fish knowing its going to get huge but think they will deal with it when the time comes.
 
IMO, I think common plecos should be added to the 'tank buster' list. How often do you see this tiny plecs (as babies) sold in WM, and every other store that sells fish with little warning that they grow up to a foot or more in length.

These fish are almost as commonly sold as anything else in the hobby and very few folks have adequate tanks to house them. How often do we see people on here complainin about these over sized poop machines? I wish they would restrict the sale of these guys.
 
joannde said:
I'd like to see them only in specialty shops and would even go so far as to see that they be "special order" only - at least that way you'd know that folks have done their research first and those "impulse purchases" would be eliminated. Of course, that's JMHO.

I think this is a FANTASTIC idea! In a society obsessed with instant gratification, making the acquisition of something just a TINY bit more difficult will discourage the not-so-serious. People who really, really want that tankbuster will pay a deposit, wait a few days, and then go back to the store to pick it up. Hopefully, a greater percentage of people willing to go through this will actually have the proper housing for these animals.

Most people know that cute little great dane and Irish wolfhound puppies grow into extremely large dogs. If they don't they ask. Few would bring one home to a highrise studio apartment. Unfortunately, people are not as practical when it comes to fish and pet stores really have a responsibility to educate them. Tankbusters should be clearly labeled as such.
 
Hmmm. Interesting. LOL. I can't imagine someone thinking of a chicken egg as something deserving a moral significance let alone a fish egg.

Fish are not accorded the same standards in pet status as other animals. The fact is that this is not likely to change and perhaps it shouldn't. After all, a single pair of fish will produce thousands of eggs per spawn. The likelihood of a fish in the wild reaching maturity is far less than 1%.

Where is the line drawn? I know QTOFFER that you and I have spoken about the ridiculous to the sublime. Do we need a society for the protection of cruelty to mosquitos? Is anyone concerned about how miserable an ant might be in an overcrowded ant farm?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom