If it's a red belly pacu they max out at about 36" if it's a black pacu closer to 4ft in the wild. Either way I wouldn't put a red belly(the smaller pacu) in less than a 500g.
Tank Mates For Pacus
- Thread starter fyrefyter
- Start date
I had one for a about 4 years they do get huge but they are great fish. mine had a great personality. ill tell you this a 125g isnt really big enough for one. one of these days i plan to build a big tank and get a couple more...
I totally agree! A friend of mine bought a Redbelly Pacu from walmart when it was about dime size and stuck it in a 10gallon...the fish lived in sludge for a month or two until said friend got tired of it because it was so skitish, I saved him from being flushed still alive. Ive had this Pacu for a bit over a year, got him when he was around quarter body size...hes around about 12-14" Id say...never really measured the fish. Growth has slowed yes...but it is still steady. The fish is in a 150G 72X20X24....and will definatly outgrow this in the next year or two. Fortunatly Im moving out of my parents house in the next year-year and a half and will be able to get the fish a much more suitable home since there is no way in hell I can get my 150 out of their house 
i belive red belly pacu should not be sold in local pet stores. i belive you show have to provide proof you have a very large tank in order to buy one. also they should be left alone in nature. they are just to massive for home aquriums for the most part. i belive there should be one website that sells them and like i said they showuld only be sold to people who can provide proof as to a huge tank to house one. they are amazing fish with amazing personalitys, but they just get to big for most people to house them.
Totally agree! Even the largest of home aquariums cant really house them as they should be. I know Ill never be able to house my Pacu as it really ought to be...as in a shoal of its own kind, and chances are it probably wont reach its natural maximum size simply because its house in an aquarium. But its good that some of us atleast make an attempt to provide a decent home for these fish, sadly tho they will be sold regardless. I keep seeing them sold smaller and smaller, and cheaper....newbies to the hobby are no doubt going to be even more attracted to them without a single clue as to how large they get. I saw a tag in walmart that said a RBPacu maxes out at 14"
I did the same thing, save a pacu from a friend... I had him in a 125 until he died... broke my heart. i put so much money into the medicine... he kept catching stuff. i was in the plans of building a massive! floor tank... i had a huge filtration system in the 125 too... but yeah, i agree that they should be banned from sale at mass stores. there's no need for people to purchase them there! I saw a store that said they max at 6". i went up and complained. made me soo mad...
