Keeping black pacu's

I originally posted this on another forum but id like more input if possible. (read like a conversation...)

tank size for black pacus?

what would be a good tank size for keeping about 3 black pacu's? and what else would go well with them in that tank of that size?

p.s. I'm speaking of keeping 3 when they are at full adult size.



I read the other night randomly they said 300Gal for one Pacu, and 200Gal for each additional there after... Not sure how right that may be... but its a start.

I read somewhere that its 1000L per pacu. I know the tank would have to be acrylic too. but its something id like to do when I get the chance to do it, keep 3 black pacu's. almost like very large oscars in personality, but I find them much more fascinating than an arowana myself.



Could be anything I guess. There is so much information all over the place that says one thing more or less than the other does.. You never know what to beleive.


I was thinking that it would take about an 800 USG rectangle tank to fit three until adulthood. know what else could go with them?

wow, looked online. a 630 gallon rectangle acrylic tank is approaching 10k USD. and that's not including hood and filters.


I've seen Black pacu at around 1m in length at fish markets, so personally I'd say they were suitable only for public aquariums. Here's a picture of a big one.


ive seen that picture before. but I think that the ones in aquariums only get to 3ft, so close to a meter id say. maybe 2 would fit ok in 800 gallons?

some of the dimensions I'm lookin at for these tanks are quite large though.

one is 96in. x 30in. x 60in. (so taller)

the other is 120in. x 30in. by 48in. (longer)

both are around 630 us gallons.

I don't see why both would not work, they are the largest acrylic tanks ive found online that aren't custom made, however there price is quite substantial, around 14,000 USD, or close to 9,000 euros.

 

first off, lemme say congrats for asking opinions before buying them !! great job...I have oscars, and they are great fish as you say..I grew up with pacu's and they are amazing also...I'm not familiar with the correct size for the pacu's but IMO and what my dad had, was a 700 gal homeade tank with 2 pacu's and 3 oscars...I hope some of the big fish experts help out here and again, great job asking before buying

 

well I am interested in keeping 3 pacu's until they reach adulthood and even farther than that. would oscars be good tank mates for them? I told my gf that if she let me get that, that would be the only tank I would ever need, an 800 gallon acrylic one lol, she said maybe. but do you think 800 gallons would be large enough for 3 fully grown pacu's (if you read the dimensions), I would figure that they would like the longer tank more than the taller one. (a stocking density calculator said that I could fit 592" of fish in that tank, wowzerz, that would be malawI heaven for some, but big fish is almost like a conquest, and a sign of prowess really. that tank with the dimensions 120in by 30in. by 48in. is aorund 630 gallons.

 

WOW!!! I'm sorry, but that fish is ugly!!!

No offense or anything, they're just so BIG!!!

I would say the bigger the better. And make sure the tank is STRONG!! Can you imagine a 3 foot long fish scared running into the side of a tank? talk about SHATTER!!!

When I look at those I would say AT LEAST 1000 gallons for three. I've never kept them though, I'm just saying with the size and girth.

 

lol, if you read one of my inputs I find them quite fascinating actually. the tank would be of acrylic. the guy I talked to who makes them custom made, stand, filter and all, said that with length and height makes the acryclic have to be thicker so it does not bow. he said that some of the tanks he makes the acrylic can be about 2 inches thick, making it quite expensive. but I don't think they make a glass aquarium that big, unless you went to an actual aquarium, but there it would prolly be pretty thick as well, prolly thicker due that its not as strong. I don't think a pacu would charge thru 2 inches of plastic.

 

Yeah, I was reading, and it sounds like they are a very nice fish, but the pics of them just look ugly. Of course that is what I thought of plecos too, until I bought one.

But definitely AT LEAST 1000 gallons for 1 let alone 3.

 

I wish that I had the $$ and resources to have a tank that big. Good luck with everything! I hope that you're able to get the tank.

 

That is one BIG!!! tank I had a hard enough time trying to get my 30 gal. I wouldn't even bother asking for a 1000 gal. and I think that getting pacu would be kinda cool because you don't see them in regular aquariums great idea

 

see I wanted to get an arowana one day but then I saw these fish and I always pass the red bellied ones at petsmart and want one. if I had a tank like that, I wouldnt need anything else. just one tank..... id pass like 55 gallon tanks and be like nope got 1000 lol. I see fish like that in tanks and I'm like wow..... plus, they are said to have personalities like an oscar, maybe not as intelligent, but some like to be petted.

 

lol nice

 

wouldnt you?

 

what would be a good size for one pacu and a few friends?

 

wouldnt you?

Yea I would but that's a little big for me lol

 

moved thread on black pacu's, input please!

keeping black pacu's

I originally posted this on another forum but id like more input if possible. (read like a conversation...)

tank size for black pacus?

what would be a good tank size for keeping about 3 black pacu's? and what else would go well with them in that tank of that size?

p.s. I'm speaking of keeping 3 when they are at full adult size.



I read the other night randomly they said 300Gal for one Pacu, and 200Gal for each additional there after... Not sure how right that may be... but its a start.

I read somewhere that its 1000L per pacu. I know the tank would have to be acrylic too. but its something id like to do when I get the chance to do it, keep 3 black pacu's. almost like very large oscars in personality, but I find them much more fascinating than an arowana myself.



Could be anything I guess. There is so much information all over the place that says one thing more or less than the other does.. You never know what to beleive.


I was thinking that it would take about an 800 USG rectangle tank to fit three until adulthood. know what else could go with them?

wow, looked online. a 630 gallon rectangle acrylic tank is approaching 10k USD. and that's not including hood and filters.


I've seen Black pacu at around 1m in length at fish markets, so personally I'd say they were suitable only for public aquariums. Here's a picture of a big one.


ive seen that picture before. but I think that the ones in aquariums only get to 3ft, so close to a meter id say. maybe 2 would fit ok in 800 gallons?

some of the dimensions I'm lookin at for these tanks are quite large though.

one is 96in. x 30in. x 60in. (so taller)

the other is 120in. x 30in. by 48in. (longer)

both are around 630 us gallons.

I don't see why both would not work, they are the largest acrylic tanks ive found online that aren't custom made, however there price is quite substantial, around 14,000 USD, or close to 9,000 euros.

 

wait, didnt I already answer this post somewhere else?

You already have this post in oddball fish!

 

I know I do. but since I found that there is a pacu forum on here I thought that my question may be further answered here.

 

Oohhh, you might want to ask a mod to merge that thread into this one.

 

I moved the thread to here.

 

I moved the thread to here.

So if you moved the thread where is her answer?
Carol

 

3 adult Back Pacu? Well, I am glad to see someone can recognize the difference between Black Pacu and Red Belly Pacu. Black Pacu can get to 48 inches long. Yes, that is FOUR FEET. They can live as long as 15 years. Most fish stores won't carry Black Pacu because most people try to return them when they get too big. If you want a tank to handle 3 adults, as a minimum, I would go with one about 8 foot long by 3 foot tall by 4 foot deep. That is about a 720 gallon tank. Otherwise, you are asking for problems. I kept a Black Pacu for 4 years in a 100 gallon tank. She got to just over 2 feet long before she died of stress in a moving process. That 100 gallon tank was just barely big enough for her to turn around in and she could not move well. Good luck.

 

I merged the two threads.