Red bellied pacu not doing so well need help asap!!!!

I recently introduced a red bellied pacu into my tank which is 2 1/2' length wise, 2' tall, and 1 1/2 wide. He is not eating, not moving a lot, but he spontaneously bursts and bashes his head into the side of the tank. All aspects of the tank are normal such as pH, nitrates, and nitrites. I know this is stress related, so I placed him into a quarintine tank so the other fish couldnt bother him. I have lots of filtration, a high amount of O2, and the temps @ 75. His tank mates in the bigger tank were a 3 in. giant danio, 2 2 1/2 in. rosy barbs, 3 in. tin foil barb, 3 penguin tetras, and a 3 in. pleco. Plz give advice on how I can keep him alive and how to re introduce him into the larger tank. ( the quarintine tank is 10 gallons f.y.i.) The red bellied pacu is about 4 in. Thank you for your advice in advance. :;br

 

Pacu will need 400 gallons by the time it is full grown.
They get in excess of 3 feet long.
Also, they are schooling fish, so they do best in groups.

I wish this fish was not available for people to buy.

 

do u think buying more would help it then? The fact sheet on this website says that they grow to an excess of 24". I didn't ask for your opinion towards red bellied pacus, but I would much value your advice and opinion about how to treat this fish. Thank you

 

No, buying more would not help.

If possible, take the fish back.

Or buy a much larger tank.

 

Thank You very much. What other species fish would you recommend for my larger tank? They must be semI aggresive and over 3 inches. My danio is very territorial and in the past has eaten all my neon tetras(

 

Your tank figures out to about 55G. Your Pacu will outgrow it in a matter of months. When they get bigger than the cute 4inches it is now nobody will want it because they won't have space for a big fish. Fish stores won't take it back at that point. now is the time to return it. buying more Pacu will not make it happier if they are going to be crammed into a tank too small for them in a matter of months.
They are very gentle fish and get to be gentle giants, They also need a lot of vegetation in their diet. I would think your other fish may be picking on it.
There are articles all over various aquarium related boards about Euthanizing Pacu because they got too big for their owner to house. Forgive us if we seem adamant about "take it back' if you can't supply it at least the size recommended tank above.
Carol

 

the 55 gallon tank he is in now is about 30+ years old my dad gave it to me I would like to buy a new tank but would 150-200 be OK I don't think I have the money for a 400 gallon tank. and roughly how much is a 200 gallon tank. I am willing to put the time and effort but I can't afford that large of tank.

 

your pleco will also get to around 18" or so.. and your barbs and danio would benefit from being in minimum sized schools. although even just doing that is more than a 55 gallon tank would support so you'll want to consider returning the common pleco with the Pacu and getting a BN pleco.

 

what is a BN pleco

 

my pacu is new and it has been acting the same way since day one bad. so I have it quarantined for the last fem days and its sulking and not moving much and hiding. it sits in a corner kinda at a 30 degree angle. it is not eating flakes what kind off vegies should I give it

 

It's good that you have it quarantined.
The 200 gallon will do for awhile but it will even out grow that
Carol

 

BN pleco, if I am not mistaken is a Bristle-nose pleco, also called bushy-nose, by some people.

 

for the time being what can I feed it besides flake food that I would have laying around the house and how much does a 250 gallon go for. I think it may also be stress related what can I do to help releave that

 

BN pleco, if I am not mistaken is a Bristle-nose pleco, also called bushy-nose, by some people.

yep your correct. they get 4-5 inches and have a very unique appearance.
Carol

 

are the BN pleco inadspensive and do places like petco and pet smart sell themcheap +less then 5$$

 

for the time being what can I feed it besides flake food that I would have laying around the house and how much does a 250 gallon go for. I think it may also be stress related what can I do to help releave that

Leaving it quarantined will releave its stress but it can't stay in the 10G over a couple of days. see if it will eat any green peas (you know canned-rinse with water and MASH to split skin)
carol

 

I have 2 filters running at the same time to help increase oxygen

 

lol by the way... I LOVE your name!! lol genius.

 

see if one of the stores will let you trade your plec in on a Bristlenose or even otos . If you don't have algae you really don't need a pleco
carol

 

lol by the way... I LOVE your name!! lol genius.

:;smthank you thankyou very much

 

you're welcome very much!

 

you're welcome very much!

what do u think is cooler ottos or BN plecos?

 

Well, the BN pleco can get to be 5inches... while an oto is only 1.

I personally don't have any room for a pleco of any size! lol I do think BN plecos are cool... but I think getting a little shoal of oto's would be wicked awesome. I have three in my 10 gallon and that would be the smallest amount of them I would put together.

 

I personally don't have any room for a pleco of any size! lol I do think BN plecos are cool... but I think getting a little shoal of oto's would be wicked awesome. I have three in my 10 gallon and that would be the smallest amount of them I would put together.
[/quote]
I will have plenty of room if, if ,if I get rid of the pleco and the pacu which I don't want to do

 

geoff, as others have said, the right thing to do is return the Pacu....The stress he is under right now may very well kill him and I don't think that is what you want.

As for your comment about not being able to fit any sort of pleco - a bushy nose will only get to about 5"....slightly smaller than a shoal of 5 otos.....But the Pacu really should go back....

The current pleco you have will eventually stress as well and have problems of his own. You may like the fish you have but under their conditions - especially the Pacu as he is already showing signs of intense stress - they clearly aren't the best.

Not criticizing, blaming or saying you did this is intentionally - just being honest and trying to offer advice.

 

As for your comment about not being able to fit any sort of pleco - a bushy nose will only get to about 5"....slightly smaller than a shoal of 5 otos.....But the Pacu really should go back....

lol he wasn't saying that... he just incorrectly quoted ME saying that.

 

:-[ oops...

 

lol that's alright!!!

 

8)

 

part (if not all) of the pacu's problems are that he's extremely unhappy. A fish like him will feel trapped and confined without a LOT of area to swim in, on top of which he's feeling lonely and in danger being by himself. Those are beautiful fish and if he's returned to a tank with other pacu's, it will help him. he comes from a great family of fish and you could choose an entire school of another fish that's similiar but not so large, like serpae tetra, and still not need the room that the pacu would need.

 

thank yo all for your advice do you know if pet smart takes returns on alive fish that is where I got him and do you think chiclids would be good for my tank? does petco or petsmaret sell BN plecos? none of your quotes are offensive by tthe way that was my sister

 

Amnagrla is your sister? cool!
Most of the time Petsmart will take returns it just depends on the individual store.
Carol

 

lol WHAT?!

geoff isn't my brother... and does that mean you think I said something offensive?


hahaha wow... Lucy! You got some s'plainin' to do!

 

no sorry for the misunder standing my sister is not her, but was typing the night I put this out and so she had some imput and evryone was saying like don't take this as criticism and stuff like that and I'm just sayin I'm not an thnx for the advice nono some one elso said don't take this as an offense and I didnt. LOL forem drama.Fish forum90210

 

lol WHAT?!

geoff isn't my brother... and does that mean you think I said something offensive?


hahaha wow... Lucy! You got some s'plainin' to do!

Names not Lucy but now I understand who he was talking about. sorry for the mis-understanding on my part
carol

 

hahaha I know your name isn't Lucy. I was doing the DesI Arnes thing....

I think we need Dr. Phil as a Forum Mediator!!

 

Dr. Phil couldn't handle us (I knew you knew was just teasing) See Dr. Phil couldn't handle that
Carol

 

or Jerry springer JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!JERRY!

 

hahaha I don't want to go to work now!!! :'(

 

hahaha I don't want to go to work now!!! :'(

I'm to young 2 work 14 haha