Dreamsing;4588390; said:
About 5 1/2 years ago, my husband came across this 55 gallon tank at a moving away yard sale. The pacu were about 15" and smashed their faces and tails on the tank walls to turn around. There were also four large oscars and two large plecos in the tank. The pacus impressive size won my husband over, and he forked his $85 over for the tank and its eight occupants.
We knew nothing about fishkeeping or pacu, but one did not have to be a fishkeeper to know that the living conditions of the fish were extremely BAD. One oscar was already dying of HITH. I went online to learn about pacu, and joined 5 fish forums for info on pacu and setting up big tanks. I learned that pacu can live 30+ years, but barely survive 2 years in a small tank with poor water parameters. The pacu forum I joined five years ago went defunct as the moderators' pacus died in their 75 gallon tanks. It is really sad that the majority of these long-lived fish are doomed to early deaths in horrible water conditions.
Our pacu are beloved pet members of our family. They are extremely personable, and interact with us. They are very curious about the world outside their tank, and are always watching us. They enjoy being petted. They have doglike behavior, pushing each other out of the way and swimming in place to be petted. Interactive is the best way to describe them. They are fun to watch. They have won our hearts.
Here is video from several years ago when they were eating slices of potato. Just by the grins on their faces, you can tell what rascals they are
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/pacumom/Pacu/?action=view¤t=MVI_0309.mp4
They have outgrown their 300 gallon tank, and for the last year we have been in the process of upgrading their home, which involves a major DIY build to house their new tank. We still have a long way to go. This month, the stand (3 1/2" tubular steel) which my husband built last March came home all powder coated and beautiful. It's sitting on a trailer until the floor of the fish room is finished.
At our house, it's all about the pacu
At $5, pacu are disposable fish.
It seems so wrong that so few get to live to their full potential. If they cost $1000 each, pacu owners would house and care for their pacu properly.
