red bellied pacu

justme · 01-25-2005, 12:33 PM

Good afternoon fellow fish lovers....

I have one question I hope can be answered...

I want to purchase a red bellied pacu for my husbands tank (its a 30gal) and i was wondering if the tank is too small for a red bellied pacu?

I not sure how big they get...

many thanks in advance...

gail

Damon · 01-25-2005, 12:43 PM

Hello and welcome to the forums..........
The red bellied pacu is not suitable for a tank that size. They get really big (2 feet) and really should be kept in nothing smaller than 200 gallons.

Hope this helps.

justme · 01-25-2005, 01:51 PM

thank you thank you thank you

well now my delema is what to get him for his tank?

all he has in there is a bala shark, crawfish, pleco, and a betta...

any suggestions?

(he likes unique fish.....)

Damon · 01-25-2005, 02:36 PM

Well if its a common pleco in there you may want to think about taking him back to the lfs. they need 55 gallons as they get big also and are huge poop machines. If he likes schooling fish, rummynosed tetras are peaceful and neat to watch as they swim. Maybe a small group of spiketail paradise fish or other paradise fish. Killies are interesting fish also.

justme · 01-25-2005, 02:56 PM

if the pleco becomes too big I can always put him in my 55 gal...

now I use the pleco to clean up the bottom of the tank, and since he is a "poop machine" what else could I use?

I'll let the hubby know the others you suggested, and I think he'll be pleased with those...

shev · 01-25-2005, 05:59 PM

plecos arent clean up fish, and balas will also become too large for a 20 gallon. hard to find a unique fish that'd fit in that tank and not kill/eat or get eaten/killed by the other fish. killies are great, but the craw fish will probably eat it. the crawdad may also kill and eat the betta, and the bala depending on its size and the other fish's size. i would suggest corydoras, they may be common, but there are so many different kinds, and they could be the cleanup crew, but they'd get eaten aswell. i dont know...

leck85 · 01-26-2005, 01:32 AM

could try rams... rams stay small and are interesting fish.. not sure if the betta will like them and vice versa but you could try it...

rummy nose arent the most hardy fish.. i donno i just dont like them really

i think they miiight nip the bettas fins.. they swim fast and would freak the betta out i would think..

bala sharks do grow large and will eventually outgrow your 20g.. they are also schooling fish and dont feel comfortable being alone really..

gouramis are interesting but they dont get along well with bettas..

could always put in some good ol tetras i guess ... like maybe silver tip tetras

i donno

cories are more of a clean up fish.. they will eat excess food on the bottom of the tank

Fish n chips · 01-28-2005, 11:20 AM

Silver Dollars are cool.

Cichlid Man · 01-29-2005, 11:47 AM

Anything that grows to more than 5 inches isn't really suitable for your tank.

Lexus · 01-29-2005, 12:06 PM

ya a red bellied pacu is not a good choice. I got one and put it in a 10G when I was a newbie back in the day and it grew sooooo big in less than 2 months... poor thing used to smack into the wall and jump and hit the hood, he also up-rooted plants like a maniac... I also was feeding him wrong, they like to have a lot of vegetable matter. I gave him to a friend and he killed him on accident

for your 30G why dont you do a community or a small aggressive chiclid tank?

01-25-2005, 12:33 PM	#1
justme Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	red bellied pacu Good afternoon fellow fish lovers.... I have one question I hope can be answered... I want to purchase a red bellied pacu for my husbands tank (its a 30gal) and i was wondering if the tank is too small for a red bellied pacu? I not sure how big they get... many thanks in advance... gail

01-25-2005, 12:43 PM	#2
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,971	Re: red bellied pacu Hello and welcome to the forums.......... The red bellied pacu is not suitable for a tank that size. They get really big (2 feet) and really should be kept in nothing smaller than 200 gallons. Hope this helps. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

01-25-2005, 01:51 PM	#3
justme Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	Re: red bellied pacu thank you thank you thank you well now my delema is what to get him for his tank? all he has in there is a bala shark, crawfish, pleco, and a betta... any suggestions? (he likes unique fish.....)

01-25-2005, 02:36 PM	#4
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,971	Re: red bellied pacu Well if its a common pleco in there you may want to think about taking him back to the lfs. they need 55 gallons as they get big also and are huge poop machines. If he likes schooling fish, rummynosed tetras are peaceful and neat to watch as they swim. Maybe a small group of spiketail paradise fish or other paradise fish. Killies are interesting fish also. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

01-25-2005, 02:56 PM	#5
justme Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	Re: red bellied pacu if the pleco becomes too big I can always put him in my 55 gal... now I use the pleco to clean up the bottom of the tank, and since he is a "poop machine" what else could I use? I'll let the hubby know the others you suggested, and I think he'll be pleased with those...

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01-25-2005, 05:59 PM	#6
shev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montana Age: 20 Posts: 1,620	Re: red bellied pacu plecos arent clean up fish, and balas will also become too large for a 20 gallon. hard to find a unique fish that'd fit in that tank and not kill/eat or get eaten/killed by the other fish. killies are great, but the craw fish will probably eat it. the crawdad may also kill and eat the betta, and the bala depending on its size and the other fish's size. i would suggest corydoras, they may be common, but there are so many different kinds, and they could be the cleanup crew, but they'd get eaten aswell. i dont know...

01-26-2005, 01:32 AM	#7
leck85 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7	Re: red bellied pacu could try rams... rams stay small and are interesting fish.. not sure if the betta will like them and vice versa but you could try it... rummy nose arent the most hardy fish.. i donno i just dont like them really i think they miiight nip the bettas fins.. they swim fast and would freak the betta out i would think.. bala sharks do grow large and will eventually outgrow your 20g.. they are also schooling fish and dont feel comfortable being alone really.. gouramis are interesting but they dont get along well with bettas.. could always put in some good ol tetras i guess ... like maybe silver tip tetras i donno cories are more of a clean up fish.. they will eat excess food on the bottom of the tank

01-29-2005, 11:47 AM	#9
Cichlid Man Super moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,093	Re: red bellied pacu Anything that grows to more than 5 inches isn't really suitable for your tank. __________________ If you have a big enough tank with enough hiding places, pH of around 7, you can keep virtually any fish together as long as all the fish are around the same size and these two groups of fish are avioded: Serrasalmus Tetradon(figure eights and dwarfs are the exception). I keep a successful community of fish in a 4 foot tank including the following families: Cichlids, tetras, loaches, gouramis, barbs, rainbows, livebearers, killiefish, catfish, puffers.

01-29-2005, 12:06 PM	#10
Lexus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 2,407	Re: red bellied pacu ya a red bellied pacu is not a good choice. I got one and put it in a 10G when I was a newbie back in the day and it grew sooooo big in less than 2 months... poor thing used to smack into the wall and jump and hit the hood, he also up-rooted plants like a maniac... I also was feeding him wrong, they like to have a lot of vegetable matter. I gave him to a friend and he killed him on accident for your 30G why dont you do a community or a small aggressive chiclid tank? __________________ 55 Gallon 1 Fantail Goldfish 1 Albino Bristlenose 4 African Dwarf Frogs 4 Black Skirt Tetras 4 Angelfish 3 Zebra Danios 14? Assorted Corys 46 Gallon 8 Tiger Barbs 8 Pulcher/Brichardi Cichlids 29 Gallon 1 Snail 1 Betta 8 Pulcher/Brichardi Fry

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