norcal

i have recently got a 120 gallon tank about a month ago and in the tank i have a 8 inch long fin oscar and a small 4 inch oscar. I was at the local pet store gettin some things when someone left a bucket with a 13inch pacu in it, the employees were talking about how to kill it because store policy prevents them from putting it in store tanks. So i offered to take it and keep it till i can find a home for it. A few days after introducing it in the tank i noticed its bottom lip bending downwards , any opinions as to whats the problem. I also dnt see him eat much

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!!!
is your tank fully cycled? as long as his water parimeters are great, he should recover and start to relax after time...being new to the tank, it will take a few days to a week....he could have been injured in his other life or been in too small of a tank...he could have got into a fight with another fish or even banged off a decoration or something..or even been bred that way..id say if he i 13 inches, he has eaten at some point in his life.....add some fresh garlic juice to his food to try and entice his eating...what are you trying to feed him? is he acting normal otherwise? great job with the rescue..would love to see pics of your tank and fish sometime

Tony G.

Welcome to Fishlore!

iloveengl

HI Welcome to FishLore.

I'm not certain what's going on with his lip (maybe a deformity from living in cramped quarters), but if he's not eating that may be a sign of distress or illness, which could potentially harm your other fish. Keep a very close eye on your oscars if you are not able to quarantine the big guy.

I just read that the Red Belly Pacu grow upwards of 42" and need a minimum 1200 gallons.

Unfortunately, many pet stores and chain stores sell these fish as aquarium fish... I suppose your LFS has a policy against this, but I don't know why they had it in the first place. Perhaps your zoo has an aquarium that would fit him?

Poor fishy. I'm glad you were there to save him and I hope you're able to find him a suitable home.

Tony G.

I agree also. Check this out:


Its a zoo( i think) that has a special set up, that has amazon fish which include pacu's, maybe somewhere in your area you could find a place like this...

Shawnie

many have pacu in a home aquarium...large aquariums are certainly needed ..they grow slow after about year 4-5 but eventually, he will need hundreds of gallons ...for the time being, 120 gal is better than death and never know, the op may fall in love and MTS will get him

Tony G.

i totally agree, the fact that he is in a more spacius home, chances are he will be ok for a while...

norcal

he looked fine at first , his lip bent downward after a couple days in the tank. I have fed him carrots and feeder fish and there are live plants he may have fed on in the tank

Shawnie

thats not good then...feeder fish you have raised or got from the petstore that was going to kill him? feeders, unless you raise your self, can cause a ton of diseases and illness's to our fish as they are not raised in very healthy conditions..can you get a pic of him for us? have you seen him fighting with any fish in your tank?

Tony G.

i have changed the video. In it, there are some pacu's that have open mouths with their lips kinda funny looking. Maybe thats what is happening to him

aquarist48

Hello Norcal and Welcome to Fish Lore. What a great rescue! I hope in time you'll be able to find him a "large" permanent home.
Best of luck. Have fun and enjoy the site!
Ken