recently built a 650 gal tank for my catfish.36 inch tsn , 12 inch tsn , 14 inch marble cat, 8 inch goby & 4 12-14 inch asian cats . 2 weeks ago my buddy @ the pond center called me & I rescued 3 pacu's . 1 18-20 inch, 2 14 inch . they are in my 180 gal at this time. do I need to put them in something bigger or will they be ok in the 180 ? if I put them in the 650 ,i'm concerned about the ammonia load if they all go in the same tank.
help ! new pacu's
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I wouldn't leave them in the 180 for too long. The largest one is the biggest worry.
What is the 180 made out of? Is it glass or plastic? The larger fish would easily be able to break 1/2 inch glass. (Which is what my old 210 was made out of)
The nitrogen load of putting that many pacu into an already heavily stocked tank is not minor, but the pacu will in the end all need that larger tank. For the sake of allowing your biological filter tile to play catch up.... I would move them in by fist adding the large one and then waiting at least 2 weeks before adding the smaller pair.
The smaller pair can stay in that 180 until they are 16-17 inches, but about they time they get to be that big, they will be able to break the tank and obviously that is bad ju ju. If its a plastic tank, they fish probably can't break it, but they will need a larger tank.
In the interest of distributing the biomass for the sake of water quality for long-term care, you are going to have to figure out which fish can live for life in a 180. Sorry, but the pacu can't. Are they red bellied or black pacu? Its rare for a red bellied to get over 27" long in captivity, but the black pacu will get closer to 36". They both grow larger in the wild.
Growth rates: Your big guy has hit the part of his life where growth slows down. It will take him another year to add another 4 inches, the smaller ones will add the next four inches in the next 6 months and will probably catch up with the big one in the next 10 months. Learn their distinguishing characteristics now, as you won't be able to use size to tell them apart for long.
What is the 180 made out of? Is it glass or plastic? The larger fish would easily be able to break 1/2 inch glass. (Which is what my old 210 was made out of)
The nitrogen load of putting that many pacu into an already heavily stocked tank is not minor, but the pacu will in the end all need that larger tank. For the sake of allowing your biological filter tile to play catch up.... I would move them in by fist adding the large one and then waiting at least 2 weeks before adding the smaller pair.
The smaller pair can stay in that 180 until they are 16-17 inches, but about they time they get to be that big, they will be able to break the tank and obviously that is bad ju ju. If its a plastic tank, they fish probably can't break it, but they will need a larger tank.
In the interest of distributing the biomass for the sake of water quality for long-term care, you are going to have to figure out which fish can live for life in a 180. Sorry, but the pacu can't. Are they red bellied or black pacu? Its rare for a red bellied to get over 27" long in captivity, but the black pacu will get closer to 36". They both grow larger in the wild.
Growth rates: Your big guy has hit the part of his life where growth slows down. It will take him another year to add another 4 inches, the smaller ones will add the next four inches in the next 6 months and will probably catch up with the big one in the next 10 months. Learn their distinguishing characteristics now, as you won't be able to use size to tell them apart for long.
thanks for the info. middle sized ond died.larger one is a bright silver color,smaller one is dark,possibly black.tank is glass but they are very calm and I hand feed them daily.are theypossibly playing possum? i'll look for marks or any other colors .
I probably don't need to say this, but just in case you didn't think of it.... check you water parameters. Any time a fish dies, that should be a knee jerk reaction. I am sorry for the loss though.
They will be calm most of the time, and then at random for 0.009 seconds they will spaz out and be calm by the time you turn to look at them again. Those spastic behaviors are very normal and typical of pacu, and have broken a LOT of fish tanks.
I had mine in a 210 with 1/2" thick glass. The lids were 3/8 of an inch. Mighty thick and heavy lids!!! An 18" pacu managed to hit a lid hard enough to break it and move it over such that the fish hit the floor!!!!!! I was able to get the damn fool back into his tank, but then I kept looking at the broken lid. The difference between 3/8 and 4/8" is mighty small and the 4/8" sides of the tank were pressurized which would make them easier to break. I had those guys out of that tank in less than a week. I didn't not want 210 gallons on my hard wood floors.
They are now in a 450 with 3/4 inch glass walls. I hear them hit the walls, and I know the walls can take the hits.
They will be calm most of the time, and then at random for 0.009 seconds they will spaz out and be calm by the time you turn to look at them again. Those spastic behaviors are very normal and typical of pacu, and have broken a LOT of fish tanks.
I had mine in a 210 with 1/2" thick glass. The lids were 3/8 of an inch. Mighty thick and heavy lids!!! An 18" pacu managed to hit a lid hard enough to break it and move it over such that the fish hit the floor!!!!!! I was able to get the damn fool back into his tank, but then I kept looking at the broken lid. The difference between 3/8 and 4/8" is mighty small and the 4/8" sides of the tank were pressurized which would make them easier to break. I had those guys out of that tank in less than a week. I didn't not want 210 gallons on my hard wood floors.
They are now in a 450 with 3/4 inch glass walls. I hear them hit the walls, and I know the walls can take the hits.
ammonia spiked a couple of times so I moved a few fish into the 650. now its fine . 7.2, 0 amm. I'm gonna have to put them in the 650. It's plywood with rubber liner with a 6 ft by 3 ft plate glass window, 3/4 thick. But I wont put all of my cats in it . probably just the 2 tsn with the pacu's. gonna leave the smaller cats in the 180 .
they're eating baby carrots,cucumbers,shrimp,minnows,gold fish,dont like apples.I can hand feed them the carrotts & cucumbers. i'm just getting back to them on wed. I had a small heart attack on sunday & had a stent put in. got them transfered to the 650 and theyre doing fine so far.at least I have something relaxing to look at.
i set this up to be as easy on myself as possible. i open one valve to drain water , open another to fill back up. the wife wont let me do anything strenuous , so thats a good thing. the fish seem happy in the bigger aq.