agressive pacu

[triniyute]

ok heres my stock(400gal):
14 inch RB pacu
3 albino oscars (8,9,11 inch)
3 tiger oscars (6,12,13inch)
3 SA cichlids approx. 3-4 inch
1 6inch leporinus
1 5-6 inch red hook tinfoil barb
2 spotty catfish (3-4 inch)
2 fully grown cascadura (6 inch)
3 baby common pleco


ok only real problem is that the pacu previously shy and passive rarely came up for feeding (every few days) is now chasing O's agressively eating majority of food i put in tank and i think he is beating up the smallest tiger O
what should i do ??

i have two 8 inch PVC elbows about all the cover i have

An afterthought:
i want to make some caves in the form of ... lie picture cardboard boxes fully cubes. cut two sides out to make a tunnel. then stack about 4-5 of those facing different directionsbaby some side by side etc. Obviously i will not use cardboard that is my actual question is what material to use?? and is hot glue toxic to fish ? i was thinking to cut out rectangles of some kind of plastic sheeting and hotglueing my contraption together

 

[frnchjeep]

I have a 300 rubbermaid that I keep rescues in. Currently has 4 pacus in it. One pacu was rescued from a 30 gallon at 12 inches. It was living peacefully with a whole assortment of fish that were much smaller than him in the 30. When he hit the 300, he immediately wiped out most of the stock including 3 marble pims at 24", 18", and 12". Killed an oscar, a pike cichlid, and an asian upside down cat. However, he is living fine with the other pacus, an aro, and a jag. He seemed to just kill the ones that he didn't like and left the others alone.

Don't know if my experience helps or not, but I figured I would share. I would keep an eye on him, because they can be vicious. For example, Tinfoil barbs won't hide in caves, so if you have a mean pacu, he will probably constantly chase them.

 

[triniyute]

I have a 300 rubbermaid that I keep rescues in. Currently has 4 pacus in it. One pacu was rescued from a 30 gallon at 12 inches. It was living peacefully with a whole assortment of fish that were much smaller than him in the 30. When he hit the 300, he immediately wiped out most of the stock including 3 marble pims at 24", 18", and 12". Killed an oscar, a pike cichlid, and an asian upside down cat. However, he is living fine with the other pacus, an aro, and a jag. He seemed to just kill the ones that he didn't like and left the others alone.

Don't know if my experience helps or not, but I figured I would share. I would keep an eye on him, because they can be vicious. For example, Tinfoil barbs won't hide in caves, so if you have a mean pacu, he will probably constantly chase them.

thanks but i shuld probably ask is there much that can be done to "tone down" agression ?? or just isolation

 

[ISteedman]

My likes plecos, FOR SNACKS! lol hes fine with bala sharks and cichlids, angels. But cant resist that pleco tail (eats them tail first).

Mine was always a food hog when he got bigger. They need to eat quite a bit to be almost stratified. mine used to chase goldfish around as a game when he was smaller, then the goldfish would chase him, maybe its a game? or is he trying to use those chompers on the other fish?

How long has it been going on, My large pearlscale cichlid and my pacu didnt get along at first, locking lips and all, but after a week they were best buds.

 

[triniyute]

ummm well all of the fish save the tinfoil have been in the tank for 3 months plus save again the two 3 tiger O's that were introduced about 1 month apart over a 3 month period. (1 was a rescue**living in a 15 gal at 10 inches**, 1 **smallest was a present that came from a place with simply pathetic water quality and overstocking, and one was in a petshop skinny and unable to to turn around due to the size of the tnk)got em all as juvies introduced the pacu at 8-9 inches as a rescue when my O's were 6-7 inches they have been together for a long time pacu was previously shy and always at the bottom (my 400 gal is a cylindrical plastic water tank**4 feet tall & 4 feet in circumference) didn't even eat everyday now i am noticing the smallest tiger O with bitten up dorsal and som min scrapes. however the pacu is chasing fish constantly.
(the tank is outdoors so it is not monitored constantly basically only at feeding time)

i know its a bit confusing but i don't wanna type an entire novel. im 14 yrs old tired and have a life

 

[triniyute]

My likes plecos, FOR SNACKS! lol hes fine with bala sharks and cichlids, angels. But cant resist that pleco tail (eats them tail first).

Mine was always a food hog when he got bigger. They need to eat quite a bit to be almost stratified. mine used to chase goldfish around as a game when he was smaller, then the goldfish would chase him, maybe its a game? or is he trying to use those chompers on the other fish?

How long has it been going on, My large pearlscale cichlid and my pacu didnt get along at first, locking lips and all, but after a week they were best buds.

i would say it is definitely more of a territorial fighting type behaviour or maybe a deadly game or am i simply overstocked ???? some1 please help i really like the pacu but think i may have to sell him to a pet shop as i am running out of options anddont want to see my other fish killed

 

[kdrun76]

Pacu are not a good solitary fish. They are at least social and probably schooling.

My recommendation would be to go get a second (and maybe a third) pacu.

FYI: they eat a LOT more when they are about to grow. Expect a sudden growth spurt.

 

[Aquamojo]

ok heres my stock(400gal):
14 inch RB pacu
3 albino oscars (8,9,11 inch)
3 tiger oscars (6,12,13inch)
3 SA cichlids approx. 3-4 inch
1 6inch leporinus
1 5-6 inch red hook tinfoil barb
2 spotty catfish (3-4 inch)
2 fully grown cascadura (6 inch)
3 baby common pleco


ok only real problem is that the pacu previously shy and passive rarely came up for feeding (every few days) is now chasing O's agressively eating majority of food i put in tank and i think he is beating up the smallest tiger O
what should i do ??

i have two 8 inch PVC elbows about all the cover i have

An afterthought:
i want to make some caves in the form of ... lie picture cardboard boxes fully cubes. cut two sides out to make a tunnel. then stack about 4-5 of those facing different directionsbaby some side by side etc. Obviously i will not use cardboard that is my actual question is what material to use?? and is hot glue toxic to fish ? i was thinking to cut out rectangles of some kind of plastic sheeting and hotglueing my contraption together

What sized tank are all of these fish? That's a list of potential bruisers...let alone the Pacu. When mine died he was 36" long and 22 pounds. He was in the pond with blue gourami, managuense, Metynsis and a laundry list of other cichlids. As a characin they can be nippy. The species itself cracks and eats nuts that fall in the water in the wild. Powerful jaws. Keeping all of those fish in a tight environment would naturally lead to aggression. Picture me you and three of your friends stuffed in a closet together. Someone is gonna get hurt.

thanks but i shuld probably ask is there much that can be done to "tone down" agression ?? or just isolation

Bigger tank Regardless of what you have now...bigger is always better for leveling out aggression. This will give you an idea...shot of my pond...four unlikely tankmates.

My recommendation would be to go get a second (and maybe a third) pacu.

36"...22 pounds...PLUS, they can live a VERY long time. I heard 20 years isn't a stretch...and don't stop growing. One is really crazy. Very few can house one. Two or more would be irresponsible. My two cents...

 

[triniyute]

What sized tank are all of these fish? That's a list of potential bruisers...let alone the Pacu. When mine died he was 36" long and 22 pounds. He was in the pond with blue gourami, managuense, Metynsis and a laundry list of other cichlids. As a characin they can be nippy. The species itself cracks and eats nuts that fall in the water in the wild. Powerful jaws. Keeping all of those fish in a tight environment would naturally lead to aggression. Picture me you and three of your friends stuffed in a closet together. Someone is gonna get hurt.



Bigger tank Regardless of what you have now...bigger is always better for leveling out aggression. This will give you an idea...shot of my pond...four unlikely tankmates.

36"...22 pounds...PLUS, they can live a VERY long time. I heard 20 years isn't a stretch...and don't stop growing. One is really crazy. Very few can house one. Two or more would be irresponsible. My two cents...

i agree that they are schooling fish when juvies simply for protection in the wld they become solitary as adults as i said above they are in a 400 gal water tank outdoors (4ft tall 4 1/2 ft wide/circumference) it is cylindrical
and as aquamojo said i have not enough space for a second farless a third pacu

i have a friend that has a 2 1/2 acre pond "wild ecosysytem" stocked with a kind of snakehead locally called "mountain wabeen" a native fish and carp and other native species they manage to coexist he said that he would be happy for the pacu but i like him and am not giving him up unless need be

oh if anyone is familar with the local fish or climate i live in trinidad (an island of the coast of venezuela)

 

[triniyute]

2 other thing im working on

in the same tank i have some "moss" that grows from the wall of the tank at 4-5 inches in length horizontally from the wall it look very "stringy" ill post pics if need be but the question is would anyone be able to identify it and tell me if it produces or uses up oxygen (good or bad) and how to take it off it is ver hard to scrub off (the tank is outdoors 400 gal water tank ) the moss only grows where it receives sunlight


i want to make some caves in the form of ... lie picture cardboard boxes fully cubes. cut two sides out to make a tunnel. then stack about 4-5 of those facing different directionsbaby some side by side etc. Obviously i will not use cardboard that is my actual question is what material to use?? and is hot glue toxic to fish ? i was thinking to cut out rectangles of some kind of plastic sheeting and hotglueing my contraption together