My Pacus are freaked out...

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nero6370

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 5, 2006
269
2
18
Medina, Ohio
I moved my pair of pacus to a makeshift tank until I can build my monster tank for them; they were sharing a 75 with 2 oscars and it was way crowded. All my boys (girls?) are juveniles, no one over 4-5 inches; nonetheless it was a heavy load for my wet/dry and ac 110. My makeshift tank is a converted cast iron tub (don't laugh), which I have used to house my o's before I got the 75 gallon. They have been in the tub for over a week now and are still very skittish, plus I don't think they are eating. They were excellent eaters before and very calm, so I am a bit worried. Their new home is definitely adequate for the time being; approximately 70 gallons, temp around 75 degrees, water quality is superb. I am hoping they will adjust soon. If there are any good suggestions, I would definitely welcome them. Thanks, Tom:confused:
 
nero6370;573834; said:
I moved my pair of pacus to a makeshift tank until I can build my monster tank for them; they were sharing a 75 with 2 oscars and it was way crowded. All my boys (girls?) are juveniles, no one over 4-5 inches; nonetheless it was a heavy load for my wet/dry and ac 110. My makeshift tank is a converted cast iron tub (don't laugh), which I have used to house my o's before I got the 75 gallon. They have been in the tub for over a week now and are still very skittish, plus I don't think they are eating. They were excellent eaters before and very calm, so I am a bit worried. Their new home is definitely adequate for the time being; approximately 70 gallons, temp around 75 degrees, water quality is superb. I am hoping they will adjust soon. If there are any good suggestions, I would definitely welcome them. Thanks, Tom:confused:
Click to expand...
pacus are really shy/skittish more when young.my pacu was like that for about the first 6-8 months.now shes about a year old. and not shy or skittish at all.now when i moved mine from the 65 to the 220 she was skittish for about a week and then settled down.I'm thinking you moved them from a tank they could see out of now they cant.thats probably making them more skittish?and you probably already know they don't like bright light.at a year old mine is easily 16 inches and in a 220 gallon tank with 6 silver dollars.and it will soon be to small.they need a lot of space to feel unconfined. GOOD LUCK....
 
Hope you have a liner or coating on the cast iron tub as that metal is not good for fish. Also iron rusts fairly easily and might be releasing stuff into the water. Also try to bring the temp up to atleast 78 if not 80. Pacus don't do well in cooler water. My pacus only eat every 3rd day in water below 78.
 
we moved our pacus into a big plastic water trough that was 200 gal ... and they were so upset and would not eat ..finally after two weeks took them out when our 320 gal tank was ready.. we believe they would have died.. they shut down because they cannot see out of the sides anymore.. as soon as we put them in the 320 they were perfectly fine and ate right away..they just couldn't stand it in there..
 
Thanks for all the replies; I am going to start on my big tank asap. The tub is enamel on top of the cast iron; sorry I left that out. Good tip on the temp too, I will turn up the heater a bit. I believe the biggest factor is the lack of view; I would'nt want to be stuck in a white walled room either!!!
 
I am not calling anyone a liar here, but that has to be nonsense.
No fish (to my recollection or knowledge) should be freaked solely by not having anything to view on the outside. How do you think they cope in the wild in the Amazon river-ways? The shear shock of the move would upset most fish for a short period of time.
 
Id have to say WILD animals are different then tank bred DOMESTICATED animals... everythin has animal insticnts in them, just how much instincts do they have is the question, i agree fish are freaked out by what they see on the outside!! unless you somehow are a fish psychologist i dont think you really know!
 
I would think they would be more freaked uot by seeing stuff outside of the tank than by not seeing. it is probably just the move that freaked them out. If there aren't any decorations in the tank, maybe they freaked by lack of hiding places??
 
Mine were used to seeing out.. they would play and look at you and know when you were going to feed them etc..then you suddenly stick them in a no see anything sided thing.. mine did not freak ..just shut down, would not eat.. i gave it a chance to work..because i figured they would have a whole lot more room in the big pond.. two weeks went by..they would not eat, would not swim.. just layed there..totally depressed.. put them back in the 220 gal and right away.. they were back to themselves. and so happy and they ate everything.. i never want to do that to them again.. .believe me they know the difference.. and they want what they are used too..
 
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