Am I A Bad Pacu Keeper?

[hervoicewasgray]

Maybe mine are all girls... which would be funny, because they're named Mr. Pacu, Oscar, and Little Pacu (guess LP could be a girl's name). I totally understand what you're saying about putting money toward the pond. I usually tell people who buy a fish who's going to get gigantic not to just plan on upgrading slowly. By the time you've bought and outfitted a 30, a 55, a 125, a 210... etc. Might as well just build the thing. On the other hand, if you really can't build the pond until Spring, a cheap CL setup or a stock tank would work pretty well. Believe me, he'll keep growing (my last Pacu, a 20 inch, lived in a 55 gallon tank for his whole life until I got him... must not have stopped him LOL) but i worry about the other tankmates. They shouldn't have to put up with his crap (literally). Also, most of the people who complain that their Pacu have become mean and aggressive are keeping them in tanks that are too small, so this could be a problem, too. Do you have room in the house to set up a kiddie pool?

Hahaha, yeah, I love irony like that. I still have no idea if my Channel Cat is actually female, but she'd better be, because a- Ms. Moxie Murder is an amazing name, and b- I've no idea what else to call her/him! lol
I love my little bichirs, named General NomNoms and Sergeant NomNommed, but I just found out "Serge" is a girl, so I need a more fem name @.@
Yeah, I've owned reptiles years before getting into the fish scene, and that's like, the golden rule. You don't want to start a baby snake in a giant enclosure, but once you can, just go for the mac-daddy.
The pool wouldn't be in the house (and good god, my dad would kill me for considering that. he's still saying no to it outside, but only because he's convinced that i'll forget about it.), but yeah...I debated the tank idea heavily, and was just going to Spring for it. Bad planning on my part, as I can't find any stores with the right size, and I'm iffy about getting a used one from CL. So it looks like it will be the tank.
Yeah, that's why there's weekly water changes @.@ I mean, I'm not in the best situation, but I do everything I can to make it right.
Spanky's not mean. He often irratates Moxie by hovering too close to her, and she'll chase him away, but that's it. He darts off and hides, and she goes back to her brooding, and then about a minute later he'll try to cozy up with her and she'll be like D:< WTF.
It's a delightful little soap opera in my tank.
With the bichir lovins and stuff. I'm actually surprised they haven't eaten the leaffish, since they were eating live food until recently deciding the pellets are good (thank goodness, because I did NOT want worms in my tank again).

Which reminds me, every now and then I get Moxie a little crayfish. Last time I did, the Pacu divebombed it and snatched it up, folded it in half, and sucked it down. I was like O.O

Crazy. LOL.
But yesh, bigger living arrangements coming soon!

 

[frnchjeep]

I'd say you are doing fine.

 

[pacu mom]

Beautiful pacu! Make sure your water parameters are good. I find it really hard to believe that pacu survived 41 years in a 75 gallon tank. I was a member of a pacu forum (now defunct), and most of the members quit the forum in less than 2 years--when their pacus died. The average life span for a pacu which can live 30+ years, is about two years in a 75 gallon tank.

 

[ericifish]

im gonna be honest, i don't really think pacu can even be stunted. the first one i had was in a 55 and got to about 22 inches before i moved him into the pond. i have seen pictures of huge pacu in 30 gallon tanks with no physical deformities. also, massivore will not hurt your pacu. there was a member on here who used to have a bunch of 2-3 footers in a truely monster tank and all he fed them was hotdogs and they were quite old.

 

[ericifish]

also, pacu are extremely hardy. when my ammonia spiked to a crazy level when a filter died on me, all my fish died except my pacu who seemed to care less.

 

[justonemoretank]

im gonna be honest, i don't really think pacu can even be stunted. the first one i had was in a 55 and got to about 22 inches before i moved him into the pond. i have seen pictures of huge pacu in 30 gallon tanks with no physical deformities. also, massivore will not hurt your pacu. there was a member on here who used to have a bunch of 2-3 footers in a truely monster tank and all he fed them was hotdogs and they were quite old.

Don't feed them hotdogs. Gross. Not saying you did, but just in case anyone gets any ideas. Yuck.

 

[dragonfish]

Your pacu looks fine. The Intex pool is a great idea for a cheap pond and make your own filter. I don't recommend the one with the blowup ring on top as they keep chewing holes in it while feeding.

 

[justonemoretank]

Your pacu looks fine. The Intex pool is a great idea for a cheap pond and make your own filter. I don't recommend the one with the blowup ring on top as they keep chewing holes in it while feeding.

Also, there can be no cords in the pond. Learned this the hard way. Luckily, the fish were not injured, but they ruined thee perfectly good pumps. If you're going to have cords or airline tubing in the water, protect it with PVC pipe. They do like to chew.

 

[armac]

Don't feed them hotdogs. Gross. Not saying you did, but just in case anyone gets any ideas. Yuck.

That is the guy in Washington State with the huge outdoor tank, his fish are VERY healthy.

 

[dragonfish]

Also, there can be no cords in the pond. Learned this the hard way. Luckily, the fish were not injured, but they ruined thee perfectly good pumps. If you're going to have cords or airline tubing in the water, protect it with PVC pipe. They do like to chew.

Lost an 800 watt titanium heater that way.