Richard Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 I am looking at buyine one of these to put in my tank... just wondering... are they much different from red belly pacu? Can anyone tell me more about them? I heard that pacu are the closest fish you can get to piranha... is this the case with red hook pacu? or is it just only red belly pacu? how big do they grow? feeding habits...etc... they also have a black line pacu or something for sale.... about $75 for the pacu's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 I have actually done some searching on the net and it seems as if red hook pacu is not a pacu...but red hook sliver dollar... can anyone tell me more about this? the one I am talking about would be red bellied pacu which would be different i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 There is a huge difference between these two fih. What one are you aiming at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 I really want a red belly pacu... but the fish i saw for sale is a red hook pacu or as i found in the internet red hook silver dollar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Don't go near the Pacus. In MHO, they are a fish that should not, due to their size be on the market. I should know, ask Warren how big they get, and I have seven of them. If it is the proper Red-hook myttenus (spp) go for it. There aren't many around and they command a high price. Living Waters of Tauranga, have them in at the moment,but I don't think the ones he has there are for sale. I think they will go a bit over 150mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Try this for a picture and some information. This was the fish I was told I was getting when I had the Pacus hoisted onto me. http://freshaquarium.about.com/library/ ... fw0016.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Speaking of Pacus, I clean a tank for a guy who has one in his shop front. He is 'baby sitting' a Pacu for a friend. He was supposed to have it for 2 weeks, it has been 2 months! :evil: As if the Pacu wasn't bad enough, he has 1 large Oscar, 2 G jurapari, 1 HUGE Pleco and 2 convicts to boot. (all in a 400L sqaure tank) Today I gave him an ultimatum...get rid of the fish, or find someone else to clean your tank. These fish should definately not be on the market. I like them, and would love to own a tank large enough to accommodate one, but thats not going to happen in the too near future. [/grumble] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 27, 2003 Report Share Posted September 27, 2003 Sounds like a classic case of someone calling a fish a 'Common Name' when they haven't the faintest idea what it really is. There are several types: Colossoma bidens, Piaractus brachypomus and Colossoma macropomum. Piaractus brachypomus is the smallest of the three growing to only about 450mm in large aquariums (200-300mm normally). As the name Colossoma indicates the other two grow very large (up to 2000mm in the wild). The name in itself is a warning, Colossoma and Macropomum both indicate 'very big'. I had 4 of these fish that I purchased as Red Pacu with the scientific name displayed on the label also, - a credit to the pet shop. It turned out however that the importer or overseas distributor sent the wrong fish as was soon discovered. Six months after purchasing the fish they were 300mm long - they grow very fast. They have huge appetites too. Both a friend and myself had very bad experiences with Pacu. They are supposed to be very peaceful, but our fish attacked other fish and ate them. I lost 2 adult Nicaraguan's (170mm and 180mm size). I didn't see the first one disappear, it was just gone when I got home (no trace at all). The next day I lost a Surinamensis and all I found was a small piece of fin. The following day I was sitting watching TV when I heard a thumping in the tank. The 4 Pacu were attacking the other Nicaraguan. I didn't even get the chance to get a net to try to save it. In less than 30 seconds the 4 Pacu ate the whole Nicaraguan (bar a few little bits and pieces). Luckily I had a spare 400L tank. The Pacu were transferred to it. Now my Oscars and Surinamensis were safe. I rang Rob at the aquarium and told him, 'I have 4 Pacu about 300mm long, do you want them? If you don't we're having barbecued Pacu for dinner'. Lucky for the Pacu Rob wanted them. They are now happy residents of the National Aquarium of NZ. They're in with the two Pacu they already had. Now, they are peaceful and get on really well with the other fish in their tank, so a happy ending. The biggest warning I have for you about these fish is their size. You will need 750L per adult fish. So, if you want more than one you will need quite a big tank. I purchased 4 originally because the reading I'd done about the fish I thought I'd purchased said they would grow 200-300mm max. The tank I had for them was 1200L, big enough for the small Pacu species but far too small for the larger ones. This all happened over 2 years ago. The 4 Pacu are now approx. 500mm long and are fast catching up in size to the ones the aquarium already had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 27, 2003 Report Share Posted September 27, 2003 I'd have definitely had BBQ'd pacu if they'd eaten my Surinamensis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spent Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Sure pacus are the closest thing to a piranha visually, but if you're talking aggression wise, maybe you'de be interested in some of the larger species of cichlid, like Red Devil, Midas, or Jaguar. They're fairly nasty customers. Besides, piranhas are pussies anyway. If it's aggressive fish your interested in, check out www.aquatiqterrors.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Yes I am quite interested in the Red Devil and Midas.... dont know much about the jaguars... do you think they would be able to live along my silver arowana, oscar and borneo tiger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 From what I've heard of Jaguars, no they wouldn't live alongside them, they'd beat up and maybe kill your arowana, oscar and borneo tiger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 GOOD NEWS!! The Pacu from the tank I clean has gone. Dunno where, but as least its gone. The threats must have done their job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Barbecue anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerminalAddict Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Warren ... thats very interesting reading that I did not know. Since you seem to have some expertise in this area ... I have 2 "Red belly" Pacus. They spent 3 months growing from the size of a five cent coins to about 200mm (about the size of a hand) they have not grown at all in 4 months, and are far from being aggressive, infact they are "picked on" by my giant gourami, and a gold severum that is only 60mm (ish) http://trinity.loudas.com/download_gall ... 010001.JPG here's a pic ... I'd be interested to know what "type" of pacu I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted October 1, 2003 Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 It seems they have all sorts of temperaments. I know someone with a few of a similar size that are very placid. Most articles you read about Pacu state they grow to compliment the tank size. Once they hit 200mm+ they do slow down in growth rate. Maybe because they are normally not aggressive they have evolved to grow fast to maximise their survival rate in the wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman98 Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 information-it would not taste very good to eat a pacu because they have been swimming in there waste all their life. they should never be allowed to sell fish that get really large fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 Not in my tanks, at the time I had 7% continuous water change a day. Less than 50ppm TDS at any time and most of that was the salts I'd added to the RO water to buffer it. Probably would have been great to munch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 Warrens tap water is worse than his tank water, or should I say Napiers water. not just Warrens tap. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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