Whoah

[Bottomfeeder]

This is from Wikipedia, figured I'd share it with you guys:

"However, there is some question of whether the fish are a good choice for the typical hobbyist. While they are not aggressive carnivores like the piranha, their crushing jaw system, used primarily for eating seeds and nuts, can be hazardous. One toddler needed surgery after a pacu (misreported as a piranha) bit her finger at Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World in Scotland. Commenting on the incident, Deep Sea World zoological manager Matthew Kane warned, "Pacus will eat anything, even children’s wiggling fingers."
Another such incident occurred when a 60 cm (24-inch) Pacu (named Pacu) jumped out of his tank in Fort Worth, TX and bit the nose off of his owner. The nose was later reattached, sans left nostril."

 

[bushie12]

I could beleive that. They eat nuts so they can chop bones.

 

[SimonL]

I wonder if they had to kill the pacu to get the nose back...

 

[krichardson]

I wonder if they had to kill the pacu to get the nose back...

LOL.

 

[poly-nomial]

They are way to powerful. I say they should be banned unless under special order.

 

[krichardson]

They are way to powerful. I say they should be banned unless under special order.

They are the pit bulls and alligators of fishdom.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

I smell an unfair comparison to Pit Bulls

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

I smell an unfair comparison to Pit Bulls

I would not say unfair.

According to the spca pitbulls are the #1 dog turned into shelters and pounds. And have been since 1996 thru 2008.

From 2002 thru 2008 the chiwawa was a close second.

Wanna guess who's #1 in 2009?

Chiwawa thats who Followed closely by the pitbull.

In breeders monthly the spca said that the chiwawa became the #2 dog abandoned a year after the taco bell advertisment used it as there slogan dog. And blames taco bell corp for this.

 

[pacu mom]

I smell an unfair comparison to Pit Bulls

I agree. Perhaps it's the owner/keepers who are somewhat similar....people who didn't research and study the breed before acquiring their fish/dog. People who were clueless into what they were getting into. I fit into that category (although technically, it's my husband's fault, because he rescued the pacu). How many people who bring home a little pacu know what they will have to do to properly house their fish? How many people know that they made a 30+ year commitment to their pacu, if they plan on being a good fish keeper?

I'm positive that the pacu and oscars we rescued came out of this WalMart tank.

Yes, pacu do grow to 10"..... and then 20" and then.....


As for comparing pacu with dogs, our pacu have a lot of doglike qualities. In fact, I call them our water dogs. Our pacu are more like labs....big, friendly, personable. They are very curious and interested in what's going on outside their tank. They are jolly, jovial giants.

 

[krichardson]

I smell an unfair comparison to Pit Bulls

Not from me,I was only being facetious, in case it went unnoticed.