Inherited large fish & tank, what are they?

23 11:31:45

Question

Mystery Fish I inherited a huge fish tank with 3 big fish. I was told they were gouramis, however the photos online do not look like these fish. They are big, with a large mouth & teeth. I have attached an image of one of them. I want to know so I give them the correct diet! Thank you, Susie

Answer
Hi Susie,
No those are not gouramis. (FYI, gouramis come from Southeast Asia). What you have are called pacus. They come from South America. They are large members of the tetra family, closely related to piranhas. Basically they are vegetarian piranhas. A large one can be over 2 feet long. They are not harmful but I wouldn't put my fingers in their mouth deliberately. In the wild they eat large seeds that fall into the river (e.g., in the Amazon river). You can feed them with what are known as Doromin or "cichlid sticks".

-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>

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Inherited large fish & tank, what are they?

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