Pacu Problem

[landonc]

Posted in more specific forum. Sorry if you are seeing this twice.

Hello Everyone,

I have a problem and I want to know if some of you guys can help me. I have always kept 'monster fish' and am a big fan of any tankbuster. A month ago I was in my LFS and saw an amazing looking 12" pacu available for only $30, being a big pacu fan I had to bring this guy home. When I first got him he was badly beaten and bruised, it was obvious to see that he had been through some ruff times. I paid for this guy and brought him home and placed him in a 30g round koi holding container and medicated him, this container was black and made of a hard pond material and I felt safe placing him in it for the time being. After 48 hours I moved him to a 55 gallon aquarium, where he still is today. He shares his aquarium with a 5" Black Shark, 4" Pleco, and four 3" Sun Catfish. I know that this is a small aquarium for this guy but it is only for the time being. I am moving in a couple of month to a location where I will have a 300-500 gallon indoor pond which will house this guy and a few other large fish as well. Though the problem is this; im worried about where he is right now, I want to make him feel comfortable and happy, though is the 55 gallon aquarium he is in right now really that bad?

The aquarium runs on an AquaClear for 70 gallon aquariums, 1 small water pump and an airstone for circulation. I also perform daily %20 water changed on this aquarium and feed him twice daily. I really care about this fish and all of my others and am worried that he is not happy. He can easily turn in the aquarium, though as will all pacus when he 'spooks' I become worried for the aquarium its self. Other than that this pacu is very healthy and 'seems' happy, though im not sure about how he really feels. Is there any way that this guy will be okay in this aquarium for two more months? Ive seen pacus much larger kept in a 55 gallon aquariums but I dont want to be known as one of 'those' pacu keepers. Also; how does his setup look, is there anything else I can do for this guy?

When I first got him home:

Petting him, hes rather friendly:

Today in the fish room:

Your help is very much appreciated!

 

[messiner]

alrighty then, here it goes.......pacus are, im my opinion, an animal that should be kept out of the private fish keeping community. reason being: they got TOO damn big for any normal aquariums. you say he can easily turn around, and by the looks of your pics you are completly wrong. i know you have been posting alot trying to find a soulution and getting your balls busted by alot of users (me included) so this is what i would do. EAT HIM. if you cant do it then go th wal mart and buy a kiddie pool for him, run a big canister or somthing. you will do this until you can get your pond set up, but enevitabaly he will outgrow anything short of 1000 gal. you have fallen victom to the old "eyes bigger that stomach" problem that us fishkeepes (me included) encounter. the kiddie pool is a good temporary option.

ps. im getting sick of seeing that fish

 

[Zoodiver]

Hate to say it Landon, but 55 gallon tanks are only 12" front to back, so there's no way a 12" fish can do well in one. The AquaClear for a 70 is too small with the amount of bio load you have in there.

I'd look into a big pool of some type. Check out this 450 or 750 gallon. It's perfect for him and you can take it down and move it if need be. I've got one of the 750 gallon pools. I housed my baby arapaima in it while the display was finished. I hooked up a sand filter to it and it worked perfectly!

This pool:
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6324/cid/1749

With either of these:
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/4663/cid/1206

 

[landonc]

Thanks guys, in the picture he was looking down he doesnt have to look down to turn. You know the majority of my topics are about this guy, so look away from my member name if you wish! Im actually getting him a pool when I move, its around 300 gallons (looking for larger) and is about 10ft wide and 3ft deep or so. Im not sure if the pool filter would be an option for fish, i seriously doubt it though it comes with the setup. Would you consider housing him in the 55 for now cruel?

 

[guppy]

Stated my opinion in other thread. You can make a great in pond filter for under $100.

 

[tigerfangs]

getting him a pool when I move, its around 300 gallons (looking for larger) and is about 10ft wide and 3ft deep or so. Im not sure if the pool filter would be an option for fish, i seriously doubt it though it comes with the setup. Would you consider housing him in the 55 for now cruel?

How long will it be cramped in that 55g? How long til you move and are settled in to be able to get that pool? You say that it doesn't have to put its head down to turn, OK. That fish is as long as the tank is wide and they are typically active, it is way cramped...

 

[DeLgAdO]

pacus need a wider than body length width so the width is very insufficient for turning

pacus cant turn in a narrow tank as easily as say a silver arowana, they are not that fexible so a width 1 1/2-2 times the length of the fish is needed.

better finish that pond soon

very soon........

 

[landonc]

You guys wont believe what just happened! I was filling up a 80 gallon rubber maid I have at my house because these comments are really making me feel like a cruel person, I was half way with filling it up and heard a loud cracking noise, I ran to see what happened and water was every where! 40 gallon on the tile floor! It brought the worst feeling over me, and took an hour to clean! Im so exhausted right now. I was watching the pacu in his aquarium a little while ago after cleaning, and I dont know why I think this way but he looks fine and happy in the aquarium, maybe its just me trying to make my self feel better, im not sure. Am I really a cruel person for doing this? I do daily water changes for this guy, and gravel clean the tank every three days. I love this fish like I would a dog, and want the best for him.

I dont know why I keep posting these topics, I think im looking for an answer I want to hear maybe. When I was watching him how ever he makes perfect turns and i think hes more like 11 inches, because when hes sitting in the tank he still has room behing and in front of his and has alot of swimming space. I dont know what to say or think though...

 

[messiner]

that sux, get another and try again, cant stay down too long

 

[messiner]

Its really starting to seem like you WANT some one to say "oh......well i guess it would be OK in that tank" now isnt it? bottom line is he needs a bigger home, so dust yourself and try again