Pacu personality question

kdrun76

Piranha
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Mar 4, 2009
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I have had a pacu since last Feb, (Pacu 1). He eats like a horse, greets me at the glass, waves his little tail in all sorts of glee just because I looked at him...etc. This guy is full of super happy enthusiasm and personality. He is currently in a 210 gallon tank and about 13" long. He gets a larger tank this Spring.

So knowing I had a larger tank coming anyhow, I answered an add on craig's list for a pacu free to a big tank. (Pacu 2)

Pacu 2 came from a 70 gallon tank that had 20% monthly water changes! He is also 13" long and lived with a large pleco and a large oscar! As you can imagine the nitrates are off the charts, and I couldn't measure the GH.

I put all the fish from that abused 70 gallon tank into a cycled 125 to quarantine them. I have had them now for 5 days. Nitrates are down to 40-60ppm and the GH is now 7 degrees. (I know I need to lower these slowly, so that is what I am doing.)

Pacu1 and Pacu 2 will eventually be roommates in the 210 and move together to the new tank that is getting built. My question is about personality. Pacu2 just sits in the corner and stares straight forward. He has poked at a few algae wafers, and occasionally does a lap around the tank, but not much else.

Is he still in shock from the move, or do I really have the "eyeore" of Pacu's? How different are the personalities of Pacu's? The two of them are as different as night and day! Pacu1 will eat 25-30 algae wafers before they hit the ground and then begs for more. Pacu2 hasn't eaten 15 wafers since he moved in!
 

pacu mom

Goliath Tigerfish
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Jun 8, 2006
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Congratulations on the rescue! The average life span of a pacu is about two years in a 70 gallon tank with uncontrolled nitrates. I was a member of a pacu forum (now defunct), and the majority of the members including the moderators were gone in about two years after their pacus died. Hopefully with good water parameters your pacu will survive. Our rescued pacu were about 15" when they were rescued in a 55 gallon tank along with four adult oscars and two 12"+ plecos.




Our pacu are jolly jovial giants who love watching everything going on outside their tank. They both interact with us, although one makes more eye contact than the other.

I thought that all pacu were friendly and interactive like ours, but that's not true. I came across a restaurant tank full of yellow water that held several skinny pacu. They would not look at me or acknowledge my presence. I tried to question the staff in the restaurant, but they acted as if they couldn't speak English.

I hope your new pacu recovers from the ill effects he suffered in his first home. We've had our pacu for four years and three months now, and they are getting taller and broader. (We lost the last oscar last week--all of them had been stunted from the poor water conditions of their first home). We have begun the process of upgrading from their current 300 gallon tank.

Here's a clip from several years ago of our two pacu getting a treat

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/pacumom/Pacu/?action=view&current=MVI_0309.flvhttp://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/pacumom/Pacu/?action=view¤t=MVI_0309.flv
 

Red Devil

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I agree with Pacu Mom .. it will take time for this guy to be happy like the one you raised... he has had a life in a box.. does not know happiness like pacu #1.. they have such a happy sweet personality if raised right.. don't give up on him... he just needs TLC ..
 

KNH

Redtail Catfish
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Jun 12, 2005
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I agree with the ladies above. He should come around if given good living conditions. Pacu have some of the best personalities you'll find. My two, especially my larger one was all personality. I would even say he was comparable to my mbu.
 

kdrun76

Piranha
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Mar 4, 2009
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I hope you guys are right. I swear this one has all the personality of wet newspaper. I keep checking the ammonia and nitrites thinking that maybe the tank wasn't cycled for THAT much biomass, but they keep coming up zero.

Tomorrow is the last 20% water change before I start doing 50's. I will be taking 12 days to get them from nitrates of 80 to nitrates of <20. The other three fish that came in from that 70 gallon are fine and all sorts of happy, but the pacu is just not living up to expectations. He is about 24 hours short of getting named Eeyore.
 

IKeepPacu

Jack Dempsey
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Jan 2, 2008
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pacu are some of the most moody fish, next to oscars

when i first moved my oldest one into my 250, he sat and sulked in the corner for a good week atleast if i remember right. he was even letting himself get pushed around and scared off by little 2" convicts at the time.

its going to take some time, but he should come into himself. many pacu will always be fairly reclusive and will spook easily, but he should become more active and interested in food soon enough.
 

Noddy

Feeder Fish
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Nov 7, 2008
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That's what you get for keeping fish with a personality!
Make him feel at home, he'll come around.
I hate to move homes myself!lol
 
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