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Red Belly Pacu |
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| Piriactus brachypomum |
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Size: Red Belly Pacu are true giants in the aquarium fish world. Most adults range from 24-30" and weigh between 15-30 lbs. |
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Origin: South America, the Amazon |
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Temperament: For the most part, Red Belly Pacu are well mannered. Although when couped up in a tiny tank you may see some bad behaviour. |
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Several species of Pacu are common food fish in South America and are pond bred at large hatcheries. Nearly all of our aquarium stock comes from these hatcheries. Red Belly Pacus of 2-4" are very common in nearly every LFS in North America. Yet these fish are poorly suited to aquarium life. Red Bellies typically reach 2 to 2.5 feet long in captivity, and over 12" high. They are very strong, powerful swimmers that need to be kept in a group to feel safe and to thrive. Because of this a tank of 400g, is in my opinion, the minimum size for Red Belly Pacu. A tank this size can safely house a couple Red Bellies with a number of other medium growing fish species such as Vieja, Amphilophus, Nandopsis, Disitchodus, Arowannas, Large Catfish or Oscars.
Black Pacu are a huge species often attaining legnths of 4'. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this as an aquarium fish to anyone with less than a 2000g pond. Please research this species thoroughly before you purchase.
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Like most other Pacu, Red Bellies are herbivores requiring large quanities of fruit and vegetables.
In the wild these fish flourish during the flood season when they can easily get access to all their
favorite fruits and seeds. In fact there are trees, whose seeds cannot sprout until they have been
eaten and passed by the Pacu. In captivity young pacu can easily be fed on spirulina cichlid pellets, but as they grow, their diet will need to be switched to Pond Fish Food and fresh fruit and vegetables. some meat should be added to their meals to provide a well rounded diet. Fresh shrimp, clam, mussels, and live crayfish will be greatly relished. |
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I currently have a single Red Pacu in my collection. This fish is atleast 22" long and was rescued from a small 120g aquarium. Like so many Pacu this fish was bought 5 years ago by a beginning aquarist who knew no better. He did the best he could for the fish, and eventually realized that he needed to find a new home. He tried the local public aquarium and eventually resorted to placing adds on the internet, which is how I found him. Life in a small aquarium (by Pacu standards) had kept his nose rubbed raw, and his fins split. He's only been with me for a short while but seems to be enjoying his new aquarium (4x's the size of his last tank) very much. Please research very thoroughly before buying a fish like this. |
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