red bellied pacu

Question
hey, i have 2 red bellied pacu's that ive had for about 4-5 months and everything so far has went well.i have them in a 55 gallon fish tank and it is only them and 2 jack dempsey's recently one of the pacu's has gotten a growth on its side the growth is internal, and looks to be about a half an inch long going from top to bottom and im just wondering if you possibly know what it is or some resources i could use to find out...i appreciate all the help ahead of time thank you

Answer
Hi Brandon;

There are many possibilities; tumor, abcsess, parasite, infection, injury causing swelling, etc. There really isn't anything you can do but wait though and see what happens. Medicating a fish that large, even when you know what's wrong and there is a treatment for it, is difficult. Sometimes a vet has to be consulted. They can extract tissue samples or fluid from lumps and bumps and look under a microscope or culture them to see what they are. Ask around your area at local vets and see if any are experienced with fish.

You should know that Pacu grow to be very large and very powerful animals. They are almost 2 feet long when mature and will break the top of your tank when startled. They require at least 250 gallons to move about. I had two that I "inherited" when we repossessed the pet store about 20 years ago. They were 19" and 20" long in a 240 gallon. We had to keep iron bars on top of the lid to keep them from flopping out. They were eventually re-homed to another store with more room. It is very difficult to find places for them when your tank is too small and I don't recommend them for sale at all, especially not anyone without a 300 gallon or larger. I hope you have plans for a much larger tank. Good luck!

I do hope your fish gets better soon and doesn't require serious treatment...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins