Red Pacu sizes

[adc-aquatics]

Please post:

1. your red pacu sizes,
2. the tank size,
3. tankmates,
4. and the size biggest red pacu you've seen in the hobby.

And pics if you wish. :D



I am contemplating getting a red pacu for my 535 gal SA/CA cichlid tank.

Advice and thoughts on this are welcome. :grinyes:

(I had a red pacu many years ago but I didn't have the proper tank.)

[rallysman]

I'm not a fan of pacu so dont taint that beautiful tank with that fish!!! (only kidding of course....sortof:) )

[thamunsta]

almost baught one about 6" for my 55 gal haha i was going to put it in with 4 rbp's
that would have been fun :) but i reconsiderd and didnt buy it. twas only 12$ too

[KNH]

1. 7"
2. 750g
3. talapia, rtgg, tinfoils, oscar and many more soon
4. I think Rocky on this board has one ~22"

I personally think redbelly pacus are one of the most underrated fish available. If you have the tank space then go for it.

[adc-aquatics]

Looking good so far. Anyone else?

[Zoodiver]

I've got six 15" red belly pacu and I've got two black black pacu on the way this week (9"and a 13").

[joeytoe]

I used to have acouple Pacu. typically youll find small ones around 2-3". there fast growers an need room to swim, so figure a long tank thats atleast 18-24" wide. For when there bigger theyll need the room to move.

also Id invest in heater guards as I 2-4 heaters broken by a good size pacu.

Biggest pacu ive ever seen (in a home aquarium) was bout 18"

[ice-dragon]

they eat sh1tloads, grow big and fast, and would be a food grabber cum bully at meal times. big specimens can break stuff in your tank when they dash about. unless u are really committed into keeping this huge fish, then u should reconsider. plenty o aquarists in my country kept this fish until they couldn't handle it and put then up for cheap sale or FOC. cheerios mate

[adc-aquatics]

Anyone else....?? :feedback:

[superkimchiman]

3 inch pacu that almost got killed
my friend has one thats 10 inches in his pond

[pacu girl]

i have a 15 inch red bellied pacu named squishy....i love him to death . ive had him since he was a month old and now i can do anything i want ot him and with him. i hand feed him, he comes up out of the tank and kisses me he lets me pet him and touch him and i play with him. theres nothing i cant do to my fish. that said, hes alone in his tank now with the exception of a gibbiceps pleco that hides in the daytime and only emerges at night. pacus eat mostly veggies, i feed mine algae wafers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, grapes,cucumbers, and krill. they eat almost any type of vegetable. their digestive system is really bad though. their waste isnt as solid as other fishes so you need to keep that in mind if you puut him with other fish. chances are you will end up doing more frequent water changes. i do partial water changes on my tank every other day. he used to be housed with other fish and i never had a problem. he was never aggressive towards them and he was the largest fish in the tank. ke was with a tiger striped oscar, a salvini cichlid, an arowana, and 2 geophagus jurupari as well as teh gibbiceps hes still with. your tank is probably big enough for the pacu but keep in mind they are very strong. if you have decorations they might get uprooted, he could brak the heater if its a glass one. (i have an external on that connects to the return valve of hte canister filter) be prepared for water to be displaced in large amounts when he turns really fast theres also a possibility he will eat the plants if your tank is planted. also they grow between two and a half and three feet. so if you still want one go for it. just be prepared to have your tank turned upside down for a bit. that said i wouldnt give up squishy for the world hes the most gentle fish ive ever seen. he takes food out of my mouth. i love him to death people knock pacus because they get so big and theyre not as colorful as other fish but honestly in my experience i know them to be gentle giants i think they are great pets as long as you have the room and are ready to do extra maintenance on the tank. they live for up to 30 yrs so they are a long term commitment. if you have anything else you want to know let me know id be happy to help. :)

[lookyloo]

i currently have 2. mr. big is about 28 inches long and about 10lbs. in weight. tiny is about 13 inches long and 2lbs in weight. i got mr. big when was only 2 inches 6 yrs. ago he is a very docile fish loves to eat pellets he's picture is posted in my personal gallery

[adc-aquatics]

Thank you for the advice.

My tank is 8L x 4W x 2.5H (It is made of acrylic. There is a lip about 8" wide around the top of the aquarium so splashing wouldn't be much of an issue.)

Lookyloo and Pacu Girl, how large are your pacu tanks?

[pacu girl]

so far squishy is in a 125 which is ok for maybe another few months tops. his next home is going to be a tank that im having made special because its not common to have a 3 ft wide tank , but thats what they need to turn comfortably at full grown. so his final home is going to be 8 ft long 3 ft wide and 2 ft high. you posted you dimensions of your tank and that would be fine for a full grown pacu to live in hed be very happy. the question is how many cichlids are in the tank and what types because occasionally the two cichlids and the pacu might get into tiffs. do you have adequate hiding spots for them? and will it bother you if every now and then one of the fish gets a torn fin or missing scale from playing around with the pacu. its not likely that it will happen though I had my pacu with a red oscar and they got along fine if you need anything else i'll gladly help by the way the pic to your left is of my little angel

[ghostknifefandustin]

I dont own any pacus but i have read in a magazine about one that was 24 inches long :WHOA:

[graysilm]

1 2.5" redbellied pacu from walmart
1 4" albino channel cat

20 gallon tank
will be moved to 55 gallon once they grow bigger
will be moved to 200 gallon tank after that

[rottbo]

that tank is freakin awesome i want it awesome habitat

[graysilm]

that tank is freakin awesome i want it awesome habitat
thas right

[aristaw]

I dont own any pacus but i have read in a magazine about one that was 24 inches long :WHOA:
i have 11 inch pacu, eat like pigs. Saw some big pacu at singapore zoo. could be around 1 feet plus.

[santoury]

First of all, I've raised Pacus but did the inevitable - passed them along as they grew up (14 inches or so)

Largest I've seen was a monster 3 1/2 to 4 footer (had about 2 to 2 1/2 foot tall body) in a small store in Newton, Mass (The store is probably gone now) Anybody remember him? No, I am not kidding, or exaggerating. He was a total monster. (This was about 15 years ago)

Third - That means... all of you people with "2 foot high" tanks... Come on. 2 feet is hardly enough space for a Pacu to enjoy swimming up/down as they enjoy doing.

And as for those who state they are mainly vegetarian. They LOVE their meat. Even in nature.

For those who have read the MYTHS thread, I believe I've just taken care of a few myths about Pacus lol.

[Bderick67]

Don't have any Pacus myself, but here are some monsters from our local public aqurium. They are all 24"-30" long.

[nishant_datta]

I've got 3 red belied pacus, which I got at 1.5" each in October, 2005. Now they're all about 12-13" and still growing.

[pophead]

I think red devil has some pacus which are about 27"...:eek:

[ZOO YORK 207]

There are some 3.5 to 4 footers at the National Zoo in DC! Black Pacus

[bolty]

1. your red pacu sizes, 2foot
2. the tank size, 5x2x2
3. tankmates, jag/silver arro/ walking cat/tsc/marbled pim and a con/sajika/fether fin syno/GG/silver D's/green sevrum/and more, NOT all at the same time but all lived and got on with the Pacu apart fron a lima cat
4. and the size biggest red pacu you've seen in the hobby. i dont no! there is some huge pacu in with some full sized red tails and TSN at a public aquarium
i let my pacu go when he got to big/ate my lima cat:WHOA:


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/bolty22/fish/old%20tank/pacu/pacu-angle.jpg

[bryan.olsen]

so yeah, i have one, i believe its a female just because i've been told so. she is about 17" and lives in my 200 gal. with a couple oscars, red devil and a 18" wild caught channel cat(i caught him when he was a we lil' 1"er)
the channel cat loves to pick on the pacu.the oscars did to but the pacu started to inherit the aggressive traits so that stopped.their cool fish but, its gettin way to big and i dont think they ever stop growing, the oregon zoo has some 2 footers.

[MistirE]

I had one about ten inches before I passed it to a friend.

[Red Devil]

Heres my red belly's.. although when they get this big the color of their belly lightens up..go for it.. i love Pacu..

[Dr Joe]

First of all, I've raised Pacus but did the inevitable - passed them along as they grew up (14 inches or so)

Largest I've seen was a monster 3 1/2 to 4 footer (had about 2 to 2 1/2 foot tall body) in a small store in Newton, Mass (The store is probably gone now) Anybody remember him? No, I am not kidding, or exaggerating. He was a total monster. (This was about 15 years ago)

Third - That means... all of you people with "2 foot high" tanks... Come on. 2 feet is hardly enough space for a Pacu to enjoy swimming up/down as they enjoy doing.

And as for those who state they are mainly vegetarian. They LOVE their meat. Even in nature.

For those who have read the MYTHS thread, I believe I've just taken care of a few myths about Pacus lol.

What kind of store? lfs?

How about contacting the chamber of commerce, local newspaper etc. someones got to have a pic of it if it was that big, would make for a great post!

Dr Joe

.

[Zoodiver]

I just added 4 more blacks from Newport Aq to my collection. They are over 40 lbs and roughly 40" right now. The 'big' one weighs close to 60 lbs.

Also added 8 Piaractus mesopotamicus. They are a smaller pacu. All of them are about 15" right now.

Next week sometime I'm getting another 40 lber from National Aq. The week following I'm getting 5 adults from Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha Zoo).

Pics to follow..........

[Red Devil]

I just added 4 more blacks from Newport Aq to my collection. They are over 40 lbs and roughly 40" right now. The 'big' one weighs close to 60 lbs.

Also added 8 Piaractus mesopotamicus. They are a smaller pacu. All of them are about 15" right now.

Next week sometime I'm getting another 40 lber from National Aq. The week following I'm getting 5 adults from Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha Zoo).

Pics to follow..........

wow cannot wait to see them..

[MistirE]

I have a 10 inch pacu

[frnchjeep]

I have 2 18 inchers

[derk dastardlee]

i have 1 14" red belly in a 55 w/
1 common pleco- 11"
1 albino pleco- 6"
1 spiny peacock eel- 7"
1 dinosaur bichir- 8"
2 angelica catfish- 4.5"
1 banjo cat- 4.5"
3 giant danio- 2@3.5", <A href="mailto:1@2"(breed">1@2"(breed from 2 adults)
1 red tiger oscar- 3.5"

[Red Devil]

I just added 4 more blacks from Newport Aq to my collection. They are over 40 lbs and roughly 40" right now. The 'big' one weighs close to 60 lbs.

Also added 8 Piaractus mesopotamicus. They are a smaller pacu. All of them are about 15" right now.

Next week sometime I'm getting another 40 lber from National Aq. The week following I'm getting 5 adults from Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha Zoo).

Pics to follow..........

OMG i cannot wait to see them ... wow talk about MONSTERS..don't let me miss the pictures.. pm me .. :nilly: :nilly:

[ArowanaCichlid]

two 17inchers
240gal
2 12in iridescent sharks, 1 14in albino tiger oscar,2 12in tiger oscars,
1 12in pleco

it was a setup i managed at my community colleges' aquaculture center
and before hurricane Katrina, Aquarium of Americas in New Orleans had four 28inchers, god could those "little" buggers eat, lol

[Red Devil]

two 17inchers
240gal
2 12in iridescent sharks, 1 14in albino tiger oscar,2 12in tiger oscars,
1 12in pleco

it was a setup i managed at my community colleges' aquaculture center
and before hurricane Katrina, Aquarium of Americas in New Orleans had four 28inchers, god could those "little" buggers eat, lol

post some pics if you can.. did you mean columbian sharks {are they the same thing};)

[frnchjeep]

a couple of crappy pics. anyone have any advise on taking pics? they always come out dark.DSCF0010.JPGDSCF0045.JPG

[Rocky32189]

Mine is about 8" in a 150G tank. There are 2 or 3 Pacus at the New England Aquarium in Boston. They are all 3'+.

[Red Devil]

a couple of crappy pics. anyone have any advise on taking pics? they always come out dark.DSCF0010.JPGDSCF0045.JPG

There very pretty !!!:)

[princess]

aw there so cute! this is my kinda monster fishy awww i just wanna kiss it. i know some 1 who bought a pacu ...it was sold as a silver dollar though lol

[frnchjeep]

There very pretty !!!:)

Thank you. I wish I could get some better pics, though. Ive seen the pics of yours, and they are perfectly clear!! how do you do it? I have 4 96 watt lights on my 220 gallon, but the pics still always come out dark. I just don't get it!

[Red Devil]

Thank you. I wish I could get some better pics, though. Ive seen the pics of yours, and they are perfectly clear!! how do you do it? I have 4 96 watt lights on my 220 gallon, but the pics still always come out dark. I just don't get it!
i wish i could tell you... maybe your background is darker then mine.. maybe the room is lighter.. your pics are very nice and do not stop posting pics of those cuties... I will ask my husband what size lights we have on our 220gal.. just in case it has something to do with that:D :D although i doubt it..

[frnchjeep]

i wish i could tell you... maybe your background is darker then mine.. maybe the room is lighter.. your pics are very nice and do not stop posting pics of those cuties... I will ask my husband what size lights we have on our 220gal.. just in case it has something to do with that:D :D although i doubt it..

cool...thanks!!!

[Red Devil]

Hi frnchjeep.. 6ft long reflectors with double bulbs but he does not know what the watt's are.... He is sitting in his lounge... chair watching boxing} haha..so thats about all i could get out of him.. i doubt if it is that.. just keep those beautiful pics coming...:)

[frnchjeep]

haha...ok, thanks!!:)

[Red Devil]

i have a 15 inch red bellied pacu named squishy....i love him to death . ive had him since he was a month old and now i can do anything i want ot him and with him. i hand feed him, he comes up out of the tank and kisses me he lets me pet him and touch him and i play with him. theres nothing i cant do to my fish. that said, hes alone in his tank now with the exception of a gibbiceps pleco that hides in the daytime and only emerges at night. pacus eat mostly veggies, i feed mine algae wafers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, grapes,cucumbers, and krill. they eat almost any type of vegetable. their digestive system is really bad though. their waste isnt as solid as other fishes so you need to keep that in mind if you puut him with other fish. chances are you will end up doing more frequent water changes. i do partial water changes on my tank every other day. he used to be housed with other fish and i never had a problem. he was never aggressive towards them and he was the largest fish in the tank. ke was with a tiger striped oscar, a salvini cichlid, an arowana, and 2 geophagus jurupari as well as teh gibbiceps hes still with. your tank is probably big enough for the pacu but keep in mind they are very strong. if you have decorations they might get uprooted, he could brak the heater if its a glass one. (i have an external on that connects to the return valve of hte canister filter) be prepared for water to be displaced in large amounts when he turns really fast theres also a possibility he will eat the plants if your tank is planted. also they grow between two and a half and three feet. so if you still want one go for it. just be prepared to have your tank turned upside down for a bit. that said i wouldnt give up squishy for the world hes the most gentle fish ive ever seen. he takes food out of my mouth. i love him to death people knock pacus because they get so big and theyre not as colorful as other fish but honestly in my experience i know them to be gentle giants i think they are great pets as long as you have the room and are ready to do extra maintenance on the tank. they live for up to 30 yrs so they are a long term commitment. if you have anything else you want to know let me know id be happy to help. :)
I just noticed that it said westbury, ny ..that is where i grew up..haha.. i lived on the border line of carle place and westbury... and we both have pacus.. ;)

[Red Devil]

haha...ok, thanks!!:)

yours look alot like mine too.. they are so pretty.. :D

[Red Devil]

see how gentle these pacus are ..i have a african cichlid in with them for the past two months.. they protect him like its their baby...:D this cichlid was getting beat up by all its tank mates for some reason and found a haven with the pacu..

[rottbo]

20" tankmates silver aro albino channel pangasius hypothalamusx2 hypostmus pleco gibbiceps pleco mono pbass midas oscarx3 venezuelan green pike 750 gallon pond

4" assorted SA/CA cichlidsx5 african cichlidsx5 plecosx3 120 gallon

the biggest pacu I have ever seen is teds (anythingfish) I believe last time he measured it was 39.5" and close to 50lbs

[Isis_Nebthet]

I had two with an oscar in a 100 gallon. All three were over a foot.

This combination ended up with one dead pacu one dead oscar and one pacu close enough to dying it was euthanized.

I didn't buy any of them I bought the tank they were in. Tried to get the person to find them a new home then tried to find them a home myself for more than 6 months......

[Red Devil]

I had two with an oscar in a 100 gallon. All three were over a foot.

This combination ended up with one dead pacu one dead oscar and one pacu close enough to dying it was euthanized.

I didn't buy any of them I bought the tank they were in. Tried to get the person to find them a new home then tried to find them a home myself for more than 6 months......

what happened???:(

[scooter]

48in. is what i have seen .plus they grow fast

[BadDogsPa]

Had a 20 inch Red Belly Pacu in a 200 gallon a few years back, they grow amazingly fast. It loved large chunks of zucchini and pieces of lettuce. It would eat everything though,Feeders,worms,crickets,cichlid pellets,and even some small dog bisquits i tossed in as a joke at first.

[derk dastardlee]

mine loves dog food as well. plus he alway swoops around after he craps and eats it. not my favorite fish trick.