tiny pacu doubled in size and quadrupled in weight in 2 weeks

[kdrun76]

yep thats the main problem with them.

Even the somewhat responsible person gets them thinking they can live in a 2-300 gallon tank for life. Only to have a big problem in a year or so.

Just wait till it starts eating its tank mates.

Gulp.....

Last Feb I adopted a pacu off of Craig's list. (It had been in a 20 gallon tank!!!!) Its in a 210 now and I swear I can just pour food down its throat. My husband has offered over and over to make me a tank big enough for him. How big should it be? We were thinking 350-500 gallons. Is 500 enough?

 

[bakerheadx]

My black pacu is already 27" and still growing. Right now, he is housed in 250 gallons aquarium and still... I need a bigger tank! 300 to 500 is big enough for maybe one Black Pacu or perhap 2 or 3 red belly pacu. I do know this much, the pacu I got, he will grow up to 3 ft and weight possible up to 70 lbs. I'm guessing mine is about 40 lbs. Good luck with your Pacu. They are awesome fish.

 

[Tri-Fisher]

I have 5 Pacu, from 9 inches to 2feet! They eat the heck out of shrimp, and veggies! I had to build a 350 gallon pond in my basement. When I stop at petsmart I always tell the girl to tell people these fish reach 2feet! People should know what their getting into, and those shops should not be able to sell those fish! Pacu are my favorite!

 

[IKeepPacu]

I have 5 Pacu, from 9 inches to 2feet! They eat the heck out of shrimp, and veggies! I had to build a 350 gallon pond in my basement. When I stop at petsmart I always tell the girl to tell people these fish reach 2feet! People should know what their getting into, and those shops should not be able to sell those fish! Pacu are my favorite!

boasting that you have 5 pacu in a small 350g is absolutely nothing to be proud of. im guessing your tank is somewhere around 8ft long and around 2.5 wide. i honest to god hope you dont think thats appropriate for a fish that can reach almost 3ft and be 30-40 lbs.

your fish actually have LESS water than a pacu stuffed into a 75g by themselves. your giving fish that are supposedly 2 feet long, only 70g of water, minus the water lost by their own body masses.

good job to you, im sure your water quality must be amazing as well, unless your doing giant water changes each and everyday, and feeding your fish scarcely.

 

[IKeepPacu]

did you say nearly 2 feet in ONE year?
are you sure?

im positive. they hit a growth spurt maybe around 6-8" and will grow so quickly, you can literally see the difference one day to the next. they generally seem to stop between 16 and 20" or so. and yes, this has happened to 4 of the 5 pacu ive raised recently from juvies.

i got one of my pacu in the start of 2007, and he was the size of a silver dollar coin. he's now maybe an inch or so shy of 24", and has been growing extremely slowly for the last year or so.

 

[brcacti]

now at 3 weeks ive had him he is 6 times bigger (heavier)than when I got him

 

[Davey_8313]

And I keep posting my Pacu-at -full-size-video.
Yours are gonna grow some more.....soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agaLw4yTBB4

I'll make it easier, [YT]<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/agaLw4yTBB4&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/agaLw4yTBB4&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>[/YT]

 

[Tri-Fisher]

Oh hes had a Pacu since 2007 and look he an expert! You raise you fish and I'll raise mine!

 

[CichlidFiend]

And you're suprised? Jk get ready for some monster tanks if you really are going to keep this pacu.

 

[kdrun76]

Oh hes had a Pacu since 2007 and look he an expert! You raise you fish and I'll raise mine!

At least his are being raised in an appropriate environment.