Pacu

Lee Crossley · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

I was in walmart and was looking at the fish when I saw these big (6")
long fish all silver except there bellies which were red.

The sign sad they are red belly pacu.
They look just like Piranhas!!!

They had them in a tank with some small fish like hatchet fish and
some algae eaters ! so I asked the so called fish expert if the pacu
would eat my small fish like my moleys and my sword fish and he said no
as long as I keep the pacu feed! well that was 2 days and one molly
ago!!!! Any one ever had any pacu? If so what is the best way to keep
them in my community tank. or In there own tank ? any experience in
breeding them ?

They are a very interesting fish ! very kool looking an BIG BIG
BIG !!!!

PS: I paid $6.50 for it is this a fair price for for a 6"
pacu ??

Tanks in advance for any insight on this most interesting
Tropical Fish!!!
Lee

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>freshwater>cichlids

Flash Wilson · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 84

On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 10:51:05 +0200, Cam
wrote:
>A Pacu is a Piranha is'nt it?
>I would watch my hands if I were you, they might become a light snack.
>Finger dips Smile

My understanding is a true Pacu is a herbivore, and you can spot
the difference looking at the jaw - but hey, anything hungry with
a big mouth is a risk...

--
Flash Wilson flash@gorge.org
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bother. Must not drink tequila before midnight on a weeknight.

Cam · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 30

A Pacu is a Piranha is'nt it?
I would watch my hands if I were you, they might become a light snack.
Finger dips Smile

"Lee Crossley" wrote in message@storefull-2278.public.lawson.webtv.net...
> I was in walmart and was looking at the fish when I saw these big (6")
> long fish all silver except there bellies which were red.
>
> The sign sad they are red belly pacu.
> They look just like Piranhas!!!
>
> They had them in a tank with some small fish like hatchet fish and
> some algae eaters ! so I asked the so called fish expert if the pacu
> would eat my small fish like my moleys and my sword fish and he said no
> as long as I keep the pacu feed! well that was 2 days and one molly
> ago!!!! Any one ever had any pacu? If so what is the best way to keep
> them in my community tank. or In there own tank ? any experience in
> breeding them ?
>
> They are a very interesting fish ! very kool looking an BIG BIG
> BIG !!!!
>
> PS: I paid $6.50 for it is this a fair price for for a 6"
> pacu ??
>
> Tanks in advance for any insight on this most interesting
> Tropical Fish!!!
> Lee
>

NetMax · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 614

"Flash Wilson" wrote in message@localhost.gorge.org...
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 10:51:05 +0200, Cam
> wrote:
> >A Pacu is a Piranha is'nt it?

Pacu come from the same Characidae family as the Piranha (but then so
does the Neon Tetra ;~). Genus & species are different.

Pacu
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Colossoma&sp
eciesname=macropomum
Piranha
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Pygocentrus&
speciesname=nattereri
(watch the word wrap)

They have many things in common (appearance, water requirements etc) but
one is a carnivore and the other a herbivore. Pacus are not really
suitable for most aquariums. They can be fearful & hyper when small, but
mellow out later (generally when you are wondering what to do with them,
as they have gotten so large). I feed mine slices of zuchinni, which
they demolish in large bite-fulls, very similarly to what a piranha would
do with meat. Like Piranhas, they grow incredibly quickly if fed a good
diet. I trained a 6" Pacu to come for his twice daily algae wafer (which
he would munch for a few minutes like a hamburger, rotating it around in
his mouth).

- but hey, anything hungry with
> a big mouth is a risk...

Well said. A hungry pacu is opportunistic, and a meat snack will go down
fine. Small specimens (3") are more aggresive and are not trustworthy
(IMO). I lost a gold nugget Pleco to an overly curious Pacu.

NetMax

>
> --
> Flash Wilson flash@gorge.org

bengrimm99 · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

"Lee Crossley" wrote in message@storefull-2278.public.lawson.webtv.net...
> I was in walmart and was looking at the fish when I saw these big (6")
> long fish all silver except there bellies which were red.
>
> The sign sad they are red belly pacu.
> They look just like Piranhas!!!
>
> They had them in a tank with some small fish like hatchet fish and
> some algae eaters ! so I asked the so called fish expert if the pacu
> would eat my small fish like my moleys and my sword fish and he said no
> as long as I keep the pacu feed! well that was 2 days and one molly
> ago!!!! Any one ever had any pacu? If so what is the best way to keep
> them in my community tank. or In there own tank ? any experience in
> breeding them ?
>
> They are a very interesting fish ! very kool looking an BIG BIG
> BIG !!!!
>
> PS: I paid $6.50 for it is this a fair price for for a 6"
> pacu ??
>
> Tanks in advance for any insight on this most interesting
> Tropical Fish!!!
> Lee
>

Pacus will get along OK with some cichlids, but same rule of thumb applies
to them as the cichilds: if something will fit in their mouth, they'll eat
it. Make sure whatever you put in with them is at least bigger than the
Pacu's mouth. Also, beware...Pacus get dinnerplate sized.

spidey_webb · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 16

"Lee Crossley" wrote in message@storefull-2278.public.lawson.webtv.net...
> I was in walmart and was looking at the fish when I saw these big (6")
> long fish all silver except there bellies which were red.
>
> The sign sad they are red belly pacu.
> They look just like Piranhas!!!
>
> They had them in a tank with some small fish like hatchet fish and
> some algae eaters ! so I asked the so called fish expert if the pacu
> would eat my small fish like my moleys and my sword fish and he said no
> as long as I keep the pacu feed! well that was 2 days and one molly
> ago!!!! Any one ever had any pacu? If so what is the best way to keep
> them in my community tank. or In there own tank ? any experience in
> breeding them ?
>
> They are a very interesting fish ! very kool looking an BIG BIG
> BIG !!!!
>
> PS: I paid $6.50 for it is this a fair price for for a 6"
> pacu ??
>
> Tanks in advance for any insight on this most interesting
> Tropical Fish!!!
> Lee

Lee,

I have seen red bellied pacus in LFS in my area and these fish are very
aggresive and will grow to be quite large. If you go back to Wal-Mart look
at the sign (they should Have) and it will tell you that appropiate tank
mates are Oscars (should tell you something) and if I remember correctly
black fin sharks.

Check out this page for some more info I think you will find it useful

Spidey

Jeremy Carroll · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

> how the heck did you get smacked in the head by a pacu...

Were I work we dive in the exhibit with them and made the mistake of getting
too close to one when checking part of the filter system and it startled and
hit me in the head.

--
Jeremy Carroll
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Propagation and Conservation
http://www.onet.net/~eagle/Reptile/index.htm

Jeremy Carroll · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

> how the heck did you get smacked in the head by a pacu...

Were I work we dive in the exhibit with them and made the mistake of getting
too close to one when checking part of the filter system and it startled and
hit me in the head.

--
Jeremy Carroll
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Propagation and Conservation
http://www.onet.net/~eagle/Reptile/index.htm