Pacu Help

[purplecandle]

I recently went to a friend's house and saw she had a 55 gallon tank. I walked up to the tank..and to my surprise I saw a Pacu bigger than my hand. (Thank Goodness Dadof4 had posted that video so I would know what I was looking at)

Poor guy, just sitting in the corner..I asked what she fed him.."Goldfish flakes and a baby goldfish once every two months"...UGGGG...Thank you LFS for advising my friend that a Pacu would be ok in a 55 Gallon with goldfish flakes..

I am now on a campaign to get her to give me the fish so I can re-home it (for free of course)..(thanks to my recent puffer addiction I have earned a few fishy friends LOL)

Unfortunately she has one of those boyfriends whose says stuff like "Yeah, I got a big fish in my tank".."God look at that thing!".."We must be doing something right!"..

Any how...I am trying to get my friend to at least feed the fish a little better (until I win the war)...but..she has VERY little money..can barely afford her kids..

I have tried showing her how to feed some stuff cheap..but she just cannot put it in her budget..so I have started bringing stuff over (sharing my puffer food).

However, I think this fish likes to eat other fish (live)..

So, I want to set up a small tank and have some kind of fish, that he can eat, and breed that fish..so he can eat more...

So...
what kind of fish---
what kind will breed quickly--
what will fit in a small tank--20/30 gallons..I will get the size you guys recommend..

YES! I am painfully aware that this is like slapping on a band-aid to a broken bone...BUT..If I can keep it a bit more well feed...maybe he will last long enough for me to find a better home for him

Any thoughts?

[Pufferpunk]

I believe the best food to feed it it Romaine lettuce.

[J-P]

for a Pacu?

aren't the part of the Piranha family?

Meat meat meat

[purplecandle]

Oh my that is AWESOME..and cheap!!!!

But, part of me wishes it were more expensive..so she would truly realize that this fish is expensive to take care of and really just does not belong with her....

[J-P]

I went fishing for those before ... used raw pork strips and they went crazy for it

[Pufferpunk]

Tetras are from the pirahana family. Pacus are like vegetarian pirahanas.

[J-P]

WOW!! I'm floored!!

I have to re-learn everything now!!

[purplecandle]

Maybe I will tell her that it needs organic lettuce (more money)...but lettuce does worry me...aren't there greener vegies to give (filled with more vits?)

[J-P]

just read that they are omnivors ... eat anything

go this from Pacu care and MFK
http://www.firsttankguide.net/pacu.php
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... p?t=142168
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=pacu

[purplecandle]

oooo..may somebody at monsterfish keepers could take him...even if he is stunted he is still a little big..

heck, maybe I will just buy him from her and give him to that guy with the huge tanks.....it is nice to dream anyway

[Pufferpunk]

Iceberg lettuce has basically no nutrition--mostly water. Must be green lettuce, like Romaine.