# Red Bellied Pacu Profile



## Pacuguy (Apr 10, 2004)

I collected this info and it is very informative so i thought i'd share. Also from years of keeping large pacu I found this info very accurate and helped me when i started keeping Pacu.

Size:

Pacus can grow up to over 3 feet in length! The fish is very round and thick. Wild specimens have been weighed in at around 70 lbs! A quarter sized baby will quickly grow to over 6 inches within a year. Because of the eventual size of this fish I recommend at least a 300 gallon for just one! Do not buy this fish if you don't plan on following through. They are a huge investment, but it's worth every penny. It's very sad when I see an ignorant person buy one because they think it's cute and then put it in a 10 gallon. The poor fish is doomed to die at an early age or is cast aside and abandoned in a pet store. We have to stop this foolish impulse buying. Please, take the time to know what you are getting into before you buy.









My Female Red Bellied Pacu at 22"

Water Requirements:

Since they are Amazonian fish, Pacus do best in softer, slightly acidic water. Anything 6.5 to 7 is fine. They tolerate a temperature of 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pacus are very messy eaters and make a mess out of any tank. Because of this the tank must be heavily overfiltered. I recommend strong power filters such as Emperors to do the job. Canister filters are great for smaller fish but they jam up too quick and don't move as much water. They are not very effective when it comes to taking care of large, messy fish. Water changes must be faithfully performed every few days. This will ensure that the fish have a clean, clear environment.

Feeding Requirements:

Even though they may look like Piranhas, Pacu are supposedly herbivores. Aside from risking disease, owners that feed their Pacu feeder goldfish are also not giving them a balanced diet. They should get some vegetable matter as well, like lettuce, peas, chopped carrots, and raisins.

General Appearance:

Red Bellied Pacu look very similar to the Red Bellied Piranha. In fact, to the unwary eye, they look almost identical. I have seen may pet stores selling baby Piranha as Pacu. The only difference at a young age is that the Piranha's lower jaw will jut out much more than that of the Pacu. As time goes by, however, the differences become more obvious.









Young Red Bellied Pacu
Temperament:

Pacu are not outright aggressive but they do like to play rough, though juveniles can be nasty at times. This results in some fin nipping. Since they are schooling, if you keep more then one together they will usually play with each other and leave other fish pretty much alone. Still, because of their playfulness, don't keep them with anything that may have long fins as targets.

As a downside, Pacus can be easy to freak out. They don't like fast movement around their tank. If one gets scared it will smash into the side of the tank and may hurt itself. If it hits the glass hard enough, it could even break the glass. Pacus have been known to be tank breakers.

Remember, even though they aren't Piranhas, they are close enough relatives. They do have some sharp teeth that could cause extensive damage if they decide to bite. I have never been bitten by one of mine, and I hope I never am. In fact, they are quite docile when it comes to me handling them. It is a good idea to get your Pacu used to you moving about the tank. This will minimize the chances of startling them and you getting bitten by accident.

Breeding:

Pacus are fairly difficult to breed. Their natural Amazonian water conditions must be provided to be successful. Peat filtration will help to make the water more to their liking. A temperature spike of 84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit is also needed to start the breeding cycle.

The male's red coloration is much brighter than that of the female and his dorsal fin has much more of point.

Hope this helps


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## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

Great information and this can help other people who want to start with pacu's a lot








I have said it before, but your pacu looks awesome









Btw: the Latin name of the redbellied pacu is Piaractus brachypomus and the black pacu is called Colossoma macropomum.


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## Pacuguy (Apr 10, 2004)

Thanx, my mistake.


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## The Predator (Sep 28, 2005)

Have you bred pacus?


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## furious piranha (Mar 22, 2005)

ya i was thinkn bout gettin one of htem for my spare 20 gal....they look pretty cool

lol.....nice profile


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

here is a good pic if you would like to use it feel free my 13 inch pacu.


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## Pacuguy (Apr 10, 2004)

nice pacu, still a young fellow. the red will fade as he gets bigger.
what size tank is he in?


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Pacuguy said:


> nice pacu, still a young fellow. the red will fade as he gets bigger.
> what size tank is he in?


thanks,this guy is at 13 inch in that photo and now he is somewhere around the 15 to 16 inch rang and the only thing that has changed is he is now starting to turn alot darker,the red i dont think will ever fade due to the amounts of freeze dried krill this guy eats even the very tips of his tail is a bright orange now.


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