pacus

[jprx7]

i currently have two pacus in a 30 gallon. i've had them for about a year now and they are about 3 inches long. i inherited a 55 gallon and was wondering if there was a way to slow down their growth, and if my filter is good for the 55. my filter is a penguin 330. also i was thinking of adding a powerhead but wasn't sure of what brand or flow. any advice would be appreciated.

 

[DaPony87]

I use the penguin for my 55 and it gets the job done...I hate to say it but you might want to return those pacus unless you have the resources to get a really BIG tank. Pacus become very large fish and would be very unhappy in such a small tank.

 

[patryuji]

If you lower the temps to the lower end of their "safe" range it will slow down their growth but might lead to less happy fish. Also you could feed the bare minimum that they need.

From what I have read Pacus will get to a good 20" at full size...you would want to have a 150gallon tank to house those two. I believe it is also a schooling fish...

 

[Andydg]

We had Red Pacus in our display tank at work, it was a 175 gallon tank and I thought that was a little small for the poor guys. Anyways 55 is way way WAY to small for 2 Pacus they can reach 24" in length and get a little angry when in confined spaces. I'm also not a believer in stunting a fish's growth so that they are more managable...seems a little wrong to me.

 

[QTOFFER]

You really can't stunt any fish's growth by keeping it in a certain-sized tank - it's a myth!

I would try to find another home for the pacus before they get much bigger. Consider getting a firemouth cichlid - similar coloration and way more interesting to watch.

I saw a pacu on display in my lfs in a 225 gal tank. It was at least 24 in long and 5 inches thick!
I wish fish shops wouldn't sell these fish because nobody except the municipal aquarium has the means to properly house them.

 

[patryuji]

I saw a pacu on display in my lfs in a 225 gal tank. It was at least 24 in long and 5 inches thick!
I wish fish shops wouldn't sell these fish because nobody except the municipal aquarium has the means to properly house them.

I could list atleast 10 freshwater fish at the lfs around here that I don't think should be sold...

 

[wilson]

if you scroll down a bit on this page you can see how big some pacus can get an idea of how big they can get, there are som good pics.
http://www.oscarfish.com/viewtopic.php?t=27352

 

[patryuji]

if you scroll down a bit on this page you can see how big some pacus can get an idea of how big they can get, there are som good pics.
http://www.oscarfish.com/viewtopic.php?t=27352

One of the guys there on that other message board ate one of his Oscars cause it was too mean! 8O That'll teach it!

 

[Mr Burns]

i saw a ton of pacus at the newport aquarium the other day. average size was about 18" +/- 6". in all seriousness, you'd need about 1000-1500 gallons to keep a pacu happy its whole life.