whetu Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 I've just bought a 4-ft tank off trademe and the guy couldn't sell his fish so I said I'd buy them all off him as a job lot and re-sell them to get my money back. (They're all big fish and not at all compatible with my littlies.) The real problem is that he has two red-bellied pacus. I've been reading up about them and they're apparently really unsuitable to keep in a home tank - they get far too big and may one day break the glass of the tank in a panic! I have no desire to keep pacus, so please nobody suggest that I build a room-size acrylic tank to keep them in. :lol: I need to sell them just to cover what I spent on them, but I don't want to just sell them to any random kid who won't know how to look after them and it will all end in tears. Yesterday I was grumbling to myself about pet shops which sell fish that are so obviously unsuitable and doomed to a life of misery - then I realised I'm doing the same thing so I must be just as bad... :oops: What to do?! By the way, the other fish are an arowana, a lung-fish (he doesn't know any other name for it) and a common pleco (will I have the same problem here?) I've listed them in the "private trade & exchange" forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishboi Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 the lung fish would be a bichir of some sort. these are very desirable and harder and harder to get so u'll get a good price for it. as for the pacu u would be having a hard time just given them away to a suitable home so selling them would be very very hard unless sold to a novice. u will just need to wait for the right buyer for an arowana, although their desirable not everyone has that sort of size tank to house them. good luck on finding them all a good home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 many people will refuse to take pacu even if you pay them :lol: most people dont like the idea of using their massive tank for an 'ugly pacu' (i happen to love them though). you could try the national aquarium but im not sure if they would take them or not. if you cant find a home it may be better to euthanaise them then have them in a tank that is too small, they require alot of room to be happy. best of luck rehoming them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northland chic Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 What a hard one! Like Sharn said you normally have to pay people to take them. The last one I sold, sold for $1 on trade me and even then I saw it for auction again a week later. They are worth nothing really because their so big they're hard to get rid of. We had 2 and they grew to a foot long from a old 50cent size in a year. Was just watching them a couple of weeks ago and saw them fight(our tank is 7ft) then one of them grabbed my bala shark by the tail and wouldn't let go. So when my partner came home he put one down (sounds mean but was quick stab hes a fisherman so did it properly). We knew when we got them they couldn't both stay otherwise they'd fight when they're big and break the tank. The other one is alot calmer by itself. They are only worth $12 as little tiny fish and even less as they get older. I hope you didnt pay much for them. It's dum when you see them on trade me for $30-$60 people think just coz they're big and friendly/got a personality they should be worth heaps but they're just too big and they never sell. The food bill alone can be huge and trying to feed other fish in the tank can be a mission when they eat everything! If you can't find a suitable home I agree with Sharn it may be better to put them down. They should stop selling them otherwise people think they're so cute and piranha like, even if you tell them what they're going to grow into they never fully understand. It's like buying a house plant at pak n save then finding out it grows to a giant tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTam22 Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 I just read they grown to 100cms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I bought all the fish at once, so I didn't pay too much for the pacus (but how much is too much for a pacu?!) I'm hoping I'll get my money back on the rest of the fish and be able to give the pacus away pretty much free. I did consider putting them on Trademe with a $1 reserve after BlueandKim told me they weren't worth anything. But then I thought I really don't want to encourage some kid to just spend their pocket money on them. They currently have a $10 reserve. Please, if you know anyone who wants a couple of pet pacus do send them my way! I really don't like the idea of having to kill them (although there's a pretty yummy recipe for them on wikipedia...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharronpaul Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Please, if you know anyone who wants a couple of pet pacus do send them my way! I really don't like the idea of having to kill them (although there's a pretty yummy recipe for them on wikipedia...) Was going to say that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 timtam- thats around their wild size, they can hit 60cm easily in home aquaria but i have seen 80cm specimins grown in insanely large tanks so they can still get alot bigger than most people think if housed properly. they really shouldnt be sold, and heaps more people are educated about them now but you will always get those going 'oh, pirahna!', if they are still for sale there will always be someone buying them. the hard thing is stopping them being bought, if there is no market they wont be bought in. if we educate as many people as possible we are saving at least a few from an insanely uncomfortable life and possible untimely death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anakin-zena Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Wow guys. I can't believe I just found this on google. We bought a pacu off trademe earlier this year. He is just the coolest dude. Everyone is fascinated by him, even the own of wetpets pnorth asked where did I get him from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 how big is your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutOfAfrica Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Wow guys. I can't believe I just found this on google. We bought a pacu off trademe earlier this year. He is just the coolest dude. Everyone is fascinated by him, even the own of wetpets pnorth asked where did I get him from. Wet Pets PNorth - thats where one of my Shovelnose Cats ended up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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