Richmond VA Pacu

[bigpapaboots]

I got help in the forum about a Pacu going through new tank syndrome and told everybody I'd post pics when things calmed down a bit, so here ya go. The tank is a Deep Dimension 250 with a 75 gal sump.

I think (fingers crossed) that I'm on the downslope of the bio process. Problem is the PH has bottomed out and wanna raise it slowly to minimize the dangerous affects of ammonia as PH rises. Gonna try a bag of crushed coral in the sump and add to it slowly... I have very little free ammonia but total ammonia is around .25 to .5. No carbonate hardness at all and PH is 6.0.

Any suggestions on how to best tacke this so the bound ammonia isn't transformed into toxic free ammonia with the addition of coral???

Curt

 

[Owens]

He makes your 250 look so small!

 

[KAWAMIKIE]

What is the ph of your tap water? Also does your tap water contain Nitrite or Nitrate? If your tap water is higher than your tanks ph just do some partial WC's.
Did you see a Nitrite spike and are you showing Nitrate?
What are the rest of your water parameters?
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

 

[bigpapaboots]

I know, I've had him for decades and his size still intimidates me. AND these photos don't really capture the true size of the tank or the beast within. I really hope this is his last stop... I don't want the old boy to go thru new tank syndrome again.

 

[bigpapaboots]

My tap PH is high... and I've tried that... curiously enough, after I do a water change, it goes up and a few hours later it's bottomed out again. I'm guessing that's because there's no buffer at all via zero carbonate hardness in the tank.

No nitrite and minimal nitrate in the tap, ammonia is around 1.0 in the tap... as for the tank, no nitrite, and it hovers aroud 20 to 40 on nitrate and around .25 to .5 on bound ammonia, little or no free ammonia.

I know I have to raise the PH a bit to encourage good bacteria growth, but Amazon fish like acidic water and a higher PH makes for more toxic ammonia...

I'm shooting for around 6.4 or a bit more one the water is buffered a bit with the coral. I just don't know what I'm inviting as the ammonia becomes more toxic with higher PH.

Curt

 

[rwellbaum]

wow awesome pacu more pictures!

 

[Redearsunfish]

That is one giant fish. Love it. Love the tank too. It is only a dream of mine to own Pacu, but I cant house them properly. But how do you keep it from injuring itself on the glass top or the glass wall itself? I always see these fish missing lips because of constant rubbing.

 

[bigpapaboots]

when he goes off, he goes off, so there's only so much you can do. I've removed anything jagged he can hurt himself on... no jagged ends on the driftwood, no jagged ceramics. as for the glass, he can't really hurst himself on that... now breaking it is another story.

 

[bigpapaboots]

OK, here ya go on the pics request... you can see my old boy has lost weight, he quit eating for a time during the new tank syndrome and I've had to cut back until the water settles out. I'll have to take him to Golden Coral once all this is through... LOL.

 

[oscaroo]

i always wanted a pacu... If i ever get something thats at least 60x30x24 I might get one with my Oscar but my biggest tank is only a 120 48x24x24...