Pacu and Giant gourami in 2ft tank

mattybecks

Aimara
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2012
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Dubai, UAE
Hi guys,
So one of the other groups I am on in my country is offering a pacu for adoption.
He knows I just got a larger tank and messaged me some asking I would take it.
I have never felt so bad for fish before. I am honestly surprised he has lived this long.

Tank size: he says 60cm (2ft). Only info given. Doesn't know what his filtration is and seems confused when I ask for how often he changes the water.

Diet: Anything. Amoungst some flake food and pellets, they get the scraps from the dinner table. Which is a variety of food including animals proteins.

Current size of fish: pacu approx 20cm (8inches).
The fish have lived in there for about a year now.

He wants to get rid of the pacu because the gourami is getting seriously beaten up.

Now when I first got into the hobby years ago, and still didn't know anything I was sold a pacu unknowingly (thinking it was a piranha). After a few months is when I realized this was not the case and discovered what I had. Lucky my tank was not small. 240gal (6ft x 3ft), so I had some time and eventually found him another home in a pond. One of the best, most personable fish I have owned.

back to now : It's been two weeks and no one has come foreward with a pond or bigger tank.

My question: this poor fish is most likely stunted it would seem. Do you think rehoming him now into better conditions would be beneficial to him at all? I mean would he ever reach his natural size ? Maybe if he is stunted and won't grow as large, a smaller aquarium would suit his needs? Like a 180gal - 240gal. Then I may have more luck finding him a home. It's still not ideal, not at all. But maybe would improve his quality of life. Being in those conditions for a year maybe he would max out at 15 - 17inches?...

There is a large public aquarium here, you will most likely have heard of the massive one inside dubai mall, the fresh water section in it is already maxed out with pacu and they won't take anymore, neither will the pet shops with large enough tanks.
The big pet shops here and aquatic stores here are responsible. They don't sell pacu, and I don't think I have ever seen pangasius or red tail catfish. However the Chinese area (dragon mart), and some other areas have loads of little fish stores (the "cheap" ones) is where these fish come over in. You can walk down the strip in a place called satwa here and see tanks with pacu, gar, snake heads ID sharks etc... In tanks never larger than 1.2m, and everything always cheap. This is the problem. I don't support these shops, and also feel sorry for the monster fish in them, but this is the first time here someone has asked me directly to help with his pacu.

Sorry for poor quality images, this is all he sent me
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tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
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Ohio
I think the damage may have been done as far as growth but if you could gradually suggest doing proper water changes . Hopefully someone will rescue both fish with proper room and care.
 

mattybecks

Aimara
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2012
745
726
130
34
Dubai, UAE
He wants to continue keeping the gourmai sadly. I discovered today that the 60cm is his large tank. The pacu actually spent most of his life in a 50cm tank. Only moved to 60cm recently.
85% of the population are foreigners here, so its
a bit of struggle explaining, not everyone has the same language or best English, their is the cultural differences, and their are vastly different types of accommodation (space they have to live/keep tanks in).
I am explaining the best way I can, whilst showing him my tanks and explaining this way. Some of it seems to be hitting home at least...
 
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