# Piranha Or Pacu?



## NKatsaras

I bought this fish at a local fish store, it's supposed to be a "Pacu" (according to the store), but it looks like a Piranha to me. He's very aggressive and has killed a couple of tiger barbs, a tinfoil barb, and two large gouramis. He's fine with my cichlids though. I had him with a green spotted puffer fish, but the puffer kept attacking him! This fish (photo) is growing incredibly fast and I'd like to know how large he will get. He eats as much as we feed him. Thanks!


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## I Can Mate

that is defintly a pacu


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## FEEFA

Definately a pacu and you will definately need to upgrade.
Some say a 300gal tank isnt enough for these monster fish

What sized tank is he currently in?


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## CLUSTER ONE

NKatsaras said:


> I bought this fish at a local fish store, it's supposed to be a "Pacu" (according to the store), but it looks like a Piranha to me. He's very aggressive and has killed a couple of tiger barbs, a tinfoil barb, and two large gouramis. He's fine with my cichlids though. I had him with a green spotted puffer fish, but the puffer kept attacking him! This fish (photo) is growing incredibly fast and I'd like to know how large he will get. He eats as much as we feed him. Thanks!


Its deffinitly a PACU. You should also not have it with a puffer as puffers do best in species tanks and GSP are low end brackish fish and pacus are freshwater.

Pacus grow incredibly fast and can reach around 3ft. It will get at least 24" in captivity, but with good care it should get much more. Please reasearch before you buy fish as i highly dobut you have or are planning a 500g aquarium or pond for it. Most pacu keepers will use some type of pond.


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## memento

Pacu and indeed... return it if possible because you'll end up with a fish of over 70cm in no time...


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## xeloR

pacu.


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## Blue Flame

That is a piranha if you work for the DNR or the press, but for those of us who know better, it is definitely a pacu. It's a cool fish, but you'll need a big tank in no time.


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## NKatsaras

Thank you all for helping me to identify this fish. I still don't know how you all can identify this as a Pacu.. I would love to learn how to tell the difference. It seems there must be something very subtle that I'm missing.

To answer the question of how big the tank is, it's in a 15 gallon (approximate) hex, see photo included. I have an AquaClear 50 filter and also an under gravel filter as well. There is plenty of aeration and I do regular water changes.

The other fish are mostly cichlids, (several african and s. american), one oscar, along with a neon cory, pleco, golden algae eater, a few tiger barbs and a small rainbow shark. I know, it's a lot of fish for this size tank, but they all seem to be thriving and very healthy.

I am going to be getting a 65 gallon tank very soon that I will be moving all of these fish into and once the Pacu gets too big for that I have a friend who has a pond with some 2-3 ft koi who will take him (unless I get a lot of advice against putting a pacu in with the koi). There are also a lot of ponds and lakes nearby that are full of little fish (and plants) that he can munch on (ha ha).

I plan to fill this tank with tropical fish and glofish once I get the bigger tank.

My green spotted puffer is in a smaller 5 gal hex along with a small pleco to help keep his tank clean.


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## Dolphinswin

just take him back and get that 65 and start your piranha keeping lol! Who cares about damn pacus lol


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## NKatsaras

Dolphinswin said:


> just take him back and get that 65 and start your piranha keeping lol! Who cares about damn pacus lol


I can't "take him back". I like him, he's got a lot of personality and he's a beautiful fish. I like how everybody says cichlids are so aggressive, meanwhile this pacu chases them around all day long, hahaha.


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## CLUSTER ONE

NKatsaras said:


> just take him back and get that 65 and start your piranha keeping lol! Who cares about damn pacus lol


I can't "take him back". I like him, he's got a lot of personality and he's a beautiful fish. I like how everybody says cichlids are so aggressive, meanwhile this pacu chases them around all day long, hahaha.
[/quote]

Some cichlids are aggressive, The pacu is also alot larger then them. African cichlids also arnt aggressive. The cichlids people say are agressive are the large south american ones like grren terror, festae, dovii, red devil, jaguar cichlid....


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## Da' Manster!

yes, 100% Pacu!...Former Moderator and member AKSkirmish is the man to ask on how to raise these guys properly...He has a HUGE monster Pacu that he is growing out and has good experience in the Pacu field.


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## AKSkirmish

My pacu after 5 years of growth is now a monster at 23 inch length-everybit of 4 inch thick and everybit of 12 inch high. he currently lives in my 500 gallon tank...he has already outgrew it and needs a bigger tank......

Be prepared to have a 1000 gal tank/pond or better to even think about houseing one......Even if you have someone to house the fish down the road...Make sure you can move a fish of this size...it's no easy task.....The feeding bill of a pacu can break the bank......especially if given a proper diet...

Feel free to contact me on any info you need for the Pacu......


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## Genesis8

That is a Piranha. Jk...


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## Dolphinswin

hmm you cant take him back huh? Well sorry to say my man but hes a dead fish if you dont. You either need a large take soon or bring it back. Its in the best interest for the fish. When i first joined this forum i wanted to put reds in a 55 but the depth is just not large enough so i upgraded and bought caribe for a 75. That fish needs a HUGE tank. Your pocket book isnt going to like you either if you do try this. Anyways good luck, and like i said bring it back or that fish is dead withing a few months.









how big is that pond? Your looking at 300gals for that fish so...


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## motoracer110

Here is a good illustration on how big a pacu will get


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## BRUNER247

motoracer110 said:


> Here is a good illustration on how big a pacu will get


Lmao that's a small pacu! Bass-pro headquarters here has 3 twice that size! Pacu never stop growing.


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## memento

Maximum length recorded of a Colossoma macroponum was 108cm, the biggest Piaractus recorded was 107cm so you'll need a hell of a tank


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## BRUNER247

CombiChrist said:


> Maximum length recorded of a Colossoma macroponum was 108cm, the biggest Piaractus recorded was 107cm so you'll need a hell of a tank


What's that in inches? The 3 here are at the very least 3' long.


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## memento

That'll be a little less then 43 inches...


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## AKSkirmish

BRUNER247 said:


> Maximum length recorded of a Colossoma macroponum was 108cm, the biggest Piaractus recorded was 107cm so you'll need a hell of a tank


What's that in inches? The 3 here are at the very least 3' long.
[/quote]

Can you provide pics of these 3 Pacu?


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## memento

AKSkirmish said:


> Maximum length recorded of a Colossoma macroponum was 108cm, the biggest Piaractus recorded was 107cm so you'll need a hell of a tank


What's that in inches? The 3 here are at the very least 3' long.
[/quote]

Can you provide pics of these 3 Pacu?
[/quote]

3' os three feet ? One foot is about 12 inch if I'm not mistaken, so 3' should be 36 inch together ? That's a little more then 90cm.
So not twice the size of motoracers pic... maybe same size or even smaller.


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## AKSkirmish

CombiChrist said:


> Maximum length recorded of a Colossoma macroponum was 108cm, the biggest Piaractus recorded was 107cm so you'll need a hell of a tank


What's that in inches? The 3 here are at the very least 3' long.
[/quote]

Can you provide pics of these 3 Pacu?
[/quote]

3' os three feet ? One foot is about 12 inch if I'm not mistaken, so 3' should be 36 inch together ? That's a little more then 90cm.
So not twice the size of motoracers pic... maybe same size or even smaller.
[/quote]

You are correct-One foot=12 inch.
I'm just curious the quality......I could care less on the length.....90% of the time-people are not even close on the length.....I can tell one that my Large Pacu looks a hell of alot bigger than he really is......
And that Picture posted with the guy holding it has been debated for years...The picture is misleading as well.....


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## memento

They all are, that's why I always prefer the use of SL instead of TL.
And if possible, with a ruler behind it


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## AKSkirmish

CombiChrist said:


> They all are, that's why I always prefer the use of SL instead of TL.
> And if possible, with a ruler behind it


Cheers


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## CLUSTER ONE

Depends what he means from knowing pacus twice that ones size. I would doubt they would be twice as long, but they could be twice the size by mass and not quite be 2x the length.

Its always hard to tell a fishes size when they are holding it towards the camera with their arms streaching out but id cuess the one in the pic is close to 2ft so i doubt bruners ones would be 2x the length


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## BRUNER247

Yeah they're not twice the size but they're noticeably BIGGER! The fish pictured isn't no 3' not even comparing the fish to the guy, as cluster said pics can be misleading with arms extended, but the guys fingers holding his belly can be used as reference.the three here are at least 3' yes 36" n I'd guess bout 2' tall. Sick of Cichlids has seen these fish I'm sure. I had tons of pics of the 3'+ pacus, the 6'+ gars n the huge tank they're in.its probably 15'-20'x 15'-20' bout 6'-8' deep with a man made beaver damn that the water runs over into lil stream n down to the albino gator pit. Fukn sweet! Anyhow ill get some new pics monday if anyones interested. Unfortunately they don't have a piranha exhibit yet but I'm working on them. I know a piranha tank would draw more people than any pacu,gar, or bass tank. Oh n for the record I always estimate small. I don't see a 2' fish n think its 3', I'm 6'1" n these pacu are easily half my length.


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## CLUSTER ONE

Did you say this was at a zoo or a lfs? Theres some seaworld like place by me called marineland that has a mayby 500g tank with pacus. they have a full wall of tanks (all connected i would assume), but they have terrible stocking choices imo. They have pacus, talapia and a couple other dull coloured fish. if i had tanks like that to worlk with id do:
-arowanas
-stingrays
-peacock bass
-mixed pygo shoal
-african cichlids (though may not be possible if all the tanks are connected)
-large agressive cichlids like dovis...
-mbu puffer....

it sucks to see tanks with such potential set up crappy becasue their "expert' knows nothing. All these tanks are setup with the same substrate and a few rocks so they look pretty boring


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## BRUNER247

Its in the bass-pro headquarters here in springfield Missouri. I think they have 6 tanks. Sic of Cichlids & Me are gonna go over there monday ill take some pics then.


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