My retarded black pacu

[Tallchic1975]

I have two aquariums.... a 55 gallon with African Cichlids, and a 125 gallon with South American Cichlids. My pacu, Godzilla, was a rescue fish that is almost 2 feet in size. Whoever owned it before me kept it in way tooo small of a tank. I found it at the local aquarium store in a 20 gallon tank so I figured it would be much better off in my 125 gallon at least for now. It's gills are curled... and slowly uncurling in our big tank. I think it lacked oxygen for quite a while. It's upper lip and teeth were all pushed in like it was ramming its head into glass. It seems a lot happier now, and eats everything in sight.... and it's lips and teeth are slowly coming around. I would eventually like to buy a 300 gallon aquarium next and would like to keep the pacu as it grows more. But I know I would eventually need something even larger. Does anyone have any more, black pacu specific, advice.... I am open to suggestions. Thanks

Darcy

 

[BODYDUB]

GL with your fish bro............

 

[fishbum]

Build yourself a pond.

 

[Cichla dude]

Pics, and you are going to need a big pond/tank.

 

[kdrun76]

Why put the expense into a 300 gallon tank when in less than 2 years it won't be large enough?

Buy once and buy BIG. Or start building.

Pacu are social, not schooling but social. They really are MUCH healthier and happier in a group of a few of themselves.

My advise, get another one and start building a pond/ monster tank. Put the two of them in something between 600 and 1000 gallons. If you can do 1000+ gallons I would get a third one. If you are stuck at 600 stop at 2 of them.

Keep in mind how cheap small swimming pools are. Intex makes one that is 640 gallons that costs about $50. Filtering will cost another $300, but the pool itself is cheap. For about $130 you can get a much higher quality pool that holds 1100 gallons.


Please get that fish out of the 125 gallon tank ASAP and get it at least one other pacu to live with.

 

[chloe]

aww lovely story, glad u have helped.
gl pacu x

 

[Red_Belly_Pacu]

You provided a better home for the fish which is good.

 

[Red Devil]

does your pacu appear to be different in behavior.. long term i wonder how it will be..Does he eat well and a good variety of food....what does he actually do that makes you think he lacked oxygen.? If anything happened to this one would you consider getting another pacu..because if so.. go with a 500gal... although for this pacu 300gal would feel like the ocean....good job with the rescue..