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Finally got a 125 gallon fish tank for my pacu!

Hello,
my Pacu has been in need of a new tank for some time now, I went to petsmart, and found a glass 125 gallon fish tank!
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came with some accsessories too!  I have the gravel in now,(about 1 1/2 inches) and I'm going to add water tonight. The only problem is, how do I get biological bacteria in the water in 2 weeks? I got a bottle of PROQUATICS bateria starter, is that enough to get started, without my pacu getting stunned when moved in his new home? Also, one big problem, how in the world do I move the big guy in the new tank?!?!?  He's 14 inches long, also, there is another pacu that's 7-9 inches long, do I move the little one in first, to allow him time to get his territory established, or vice-versa? And what fish are good tank mates for pacus? I know silver dollars are, but what else? ALSO, what live plants are good for him, and grow fast enough and propagate easily (shooters, cuttings, etc) enough so that the pacu doesn't eat all of it? lol.

-Spec

oh, and don't worry, I don't think they're going to break the tank, but they might eat all of the plants and outgrow the tank quickly though. when he does, I'm gonna make a pond for him.
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cause H they'll get up to 4 feet long

EDIT: how much lighting should there be in there for a large amount of plants?
EDIT: maybe I could put a Utric in there too!
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j/k, it would just get eaten!  
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EDIT: and how much airation should there be in the tank for the plants AND the pacus?
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LOL, so many edits!
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oh, and would that special plant fertilizer made so it doesn't hurt fish be okay to put in later? and would one of those nitrogen reactor things hurt the pacus?
 
Who moved the topic? I posted it on the general discussions cause I thought I'd get more replys there...
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"The only problem is, how do I get biological bacteria in the water in 2 weeks? I got a bottle of PROQUATICS bateria starter, is that enough to get started, without my pacu getting stunned when moved in his new home?"

As long as your monitoring the water quality via test kits during the cycling of your tank you should be fine, always monitor water qualtiy during a cycling of a new tank.

"how in the world do I move the big guy in the new tank?!?!?  He's 14 inches long, also, there is another pacu that's 7-9 inches long, do I move the little one in first, to allow him time to get his territory established, or vice-versa?"

You use the biggest net you can find and support his body when you move him, you can also use a large garbage bag and coax him into it then lift the bag out of the tank and float him in the new tank as you would if he came from the store.(Id recommend using at least 3 bags one in side the other for added strength.)
The latter would be preferable.
Before you even think about moving the large one Id advise moving the smaller one first (provided the tank has fully cycled and there is no detectable Ammonia or Nitrite.) and let him establish his territory, he will aslo increase the bio-load of the tank and help to further mature the filter. I would allow the smaller pacu to reside in the new tank for at least 3 weeks before you add the big guy. This will be sufficient time for the filter to mature and will assure the long term stability of optimal water quality perameters.

"And what fish are good tank mates for pacus?"

Id highly recommend bosemanii Red Rainbowfish, as long as you can find them of sufficient size that they wouldnt
fit in the pacus mouth, inother words dont buy tiny fish.

"ALSO, what live plants are good for him, and grow fast enough and propagate easily (shooters, cuttings, etc) enough so that the pacu doesn't eat all of it? lol.

how much lighting should there be in there for a large amount of plants?

and how much airation should there be in the tank for the plants AND the pacus?"

All I can say is dont bother trying to grow live plants with Black pacu or any pacu for that matter they will eat all of the plants this I can assure you.
If your thinking about growing plants id advise growing them in a tank set up just for that.
On another note what are you planning on using for a filter in that 125?
FWIW
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I know they'll eat the plants, but I think they would like to eat some live plants as a treat.
as with all pacus, they need to be heavily overfiltered. I am moving the aquaclear 500 (pumps 500 gallons of water per hour! ) from the 30 gallon to the new tank, and I am installing a canister filter, and I know this won't help, but just to grow bacteria, my old bio wheel made for 10 gallons of water as well, lol!
I am putting 650 watts of heating in, that will keep up the temps at about 75-78. (I hope! )
I've already tried looking for nets, not a single pet store has one big enough!
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I don't know about the trash bag, may not be too healthy for him to catch him in that way, he let's me stoke him, maybe he would let me grab him and carry him to the new tank?
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Well, that was a good post by Khai. Let me add that you should transfere a couple gallons from your old tank into the new, and that will help with the microflora and fauna.

Monotor the temperatures of the two tanks, and as long as they're the same, and you're sure the water's OK, then I'd simply lift it out with a large net, and transfer both over immediately, just dump them in. Warm to cool is the biggest problem.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Khai @ Mar. 05 2003,3:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">"And what fish are good tank mates for pacus?"

Id highly recommend bosemanii Red Rainbowfish, as long as you can find them of sufficient size that they wouldnt
fit in the pacus mouth, inother words dont buy tiny fish.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
It's alright, he wouldn't hurt a fly, doesn't even bother the 1 inch tetra
 
Khai may be worried about a fish that "smells" new. Putting in a new tetra of the same size could be informative!
 
Tell me what makes you think a bag will hurt your fish?
A net and your hand by the way will do more damage to a fishs' slime coat than a bag ever will.
Ive been working in the fish keeping industry for nine years,
It is infact a prefered method to catch marine fish utilizing a bag at my work place. Ive grown nearly all commercially available aquatic plant stock on the market, Ive flowered many of them in the tank as well.
I am thoroughly familier with marinefish, invertebrates, tropical fish, freshwater plants.

I would also seriously suggest you think about adding a second canister filter. And get started on designing that pond.

I will also add Ive got an old friend that had a pacu that was about 2 ft long in a 135 with a blue eyed pleco and a trio of Satanoperca leucosticta.
They are a 12" long south american Cichlid. Well my friend went into his old store one morning to find all three cichlids had been mutilated. The pacu had actually ripped thier faces off, wild animals behave unpredictably.

If you really want to feed your fish live plants grow them in a seperate tank and then feed them the trimmings, you could also just buy a "bunch" of whatever once a week or so and then just feed them that. Dark leafy greens that have been par-boiled are aslo very healthy, just remember NO lettuce, its most water with very little nutrient content. Mostly good aquarium stores also sell dried algae sheets, these are very healthy.

FWIW
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  • #10
I'm thinking of catching the pacu with a pillow case, the pacu might rip apart the bag in seconds, then I'll have a pcau on the floor. I've tried those algea sheets, he doesn't like them, but he gobbels up the live plants. right now he's even not accepting the algea discs, and I have to feed him algea cichlid pellets. and, I have to feed him by hand, he's such a baby, doesn't eat anything unless it comes from my hand! lol
 
  • #11
Yes one bag will rip, that is why i suggested several layers of bags, a pillow case is not impermeable to water the fabric is also cabable of doing the same thing as the net.

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  • #12
thanks so much for your help! The pacus are now swimming happily around in their new home/tank
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