Oscar pacu feeding

[mattybecks]

Greetings!
I have a single red belly pacu in with a oscar in a 240 gallon, About 3ft by 6ft. along with a 300litre sump. Is this adequate space? The pacu is about 35 cm maybe more, the oscar about 20 cm, had them for a year now since they were both 5 to 7cm(2 or 3 inches), when they where younger they lived in a 4 foot for a few months. Is this a healthly growth rate?
The pacu used to eat pellets when he was younger, he has since stopped for the last two months. He has always hated any veggies or fruits, but loves nuts, which i dont give him cause it makes a huge mess and pollutes the water. He will only eat heart and chicken now. i do feed him and my oscar one or two crickets occasionally. The oscar always refused to eat pellets or anything other chicken or heart. this diet dosnt seem alright? i do 30/40% water change every week.
Can i add a school of silver dollars? or a jaguar cichlid? maybe both? would there be space?maybe some competition might help these guys eat healthy.

 

[JML1997]

The Pacu will outgrow the 240 gallon. Withouth the Pacu, you could for sure add multiple silver dollars, and a Jaguar Cichlid.

 

[yogurt_21]

Pacus get up to 3ft long and nearly 2ft high, measure that out by your tank and you'll see why the above poster said it will outgrow the tank. Pacu are really more of a pond fish when it comes down to it. They simply get way too big for most tanks, a 500 gallon upwards will work but over 1000 gallon setups would be far more comfortable for a pacu.

The oscar and other fish you want to put in the 240gallon are fine, but the pacu will need to be rehomed or have a larger setup made/built for him.

 

[MN_Rebel]

If you want to stock more fish in a 240, get rid of pacu. I don't know why the lfs still selling these pacus as they are unsuitable for home aquariums.

 

[mattybecks]

Thanks guys I bought two pacu when I was just starting out, the store owner told me they where baby piranha. I am planning on getting rid of this pacu, as my other one I gave to my neighbour to put in their out door koi pond. To see if it would survive outside in our winter, so far the outside temperatures have dropped to minus 2 and he still seems to fine.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Thanks guys I bought two pacu when I was just starting out, the store owner told me they where baby piranha. I am planning on getting rid of this pacu, as my other one I gave to my neighbour to put in their out door koi pond. To see if it would survive outside in our winter, so far the outside temperatures have dropped to minus 2 and he still seems to fine.

Aint pacus are illegal in South Africa?

 

[benmcfadden]

Get rid of the Pacu, it needs spaaaaaaaaaaaacccceee

 

[mattybecks]

Yup they are illegal here, they are a huge amount of illegal fish here, I know some pet stores, have secret little rooms, or other properties they keep tanks of illegals in. Apparently its really cheap and easy to bribe in customs. You must remember how corrupt south africa is.. Anyway as soon as I find someone with an indoor pond who is willing to take him, then ill get rid of him. I've had offers but people who will buy him will insist he will be fine in a 55 gal or 75 gal?!! I cannot subject him to that..

 

[MN_Rebel]

Yup they are illegal here, they are a huge amount of illegal fish here, I know some pet stores, have secret little rooms, or other properties they keep tanks of illegals in. Apparently its really cheap and easy to bribe in customs. You must remember how corrupt south africa is.. Anyway as soon as I find someone with an indoor pond who is willing to take him, then ill get rid of him. I've had offers but people who will buy him will insist he will be fine in a 55 gal or 75 gal?!! I cannot subject him to that..

If it is illegal fish, then I have just one advice for you: kill it. No buts!

 

[mattybecks]

Don't red belly pacu only grow to 65cm in length? I know black pacu get huge, but silver and red bellys stay a little smaller?