Pacu help please

Question
I have a Pacu that i love, but my boyfriend doesnt want to keep because of how fast he is growing.. but recently he has been breathing really hard.. im not sure what to do.. also we found some clams in a lake that he has put in with the Pacu.. is this ok? Any help with our Pacu would be very appreciated...

Answer
Hi Charlene;

He may be too large for his tank and there isn't enough oxygen, or he has a parasite or something from the clams. It's always risky to take things from local waterways and put them into our fish tanks. Add extra air with an airstone hooked to an airpump or add a second filter to the tank. Also, change 25% of the water and vacuum his gravel every week. Big fish make a lot of waste and it needs to be removed weekly. Have the water tested for the levels of ammonia and nitrite to see if they are elevated. If so, the system is unbalanced biologically so continue to make 25% water changes daily until they go down and stay down. If the tank is too small for him it may never stabilize so he needs a bigger tank.

I'm so sorry you are this position but it is going to get worse I'm afraid. Pacu need a tank of over 500 gallons because they get over 2 feet long. We inherited two of them when our family had to repossess the pet store 20 years ago. Those guys were 19 and 20 inches long in a 240 gallon. They were way too cramped and were breaking glass tops and crashing into the sides. They need plenty of room to swim and we were so afraid they were going to kill themselves one day or break the tank glass. It was impossible to find them a new home until another fish store agreed to adopt them. Even zoos and other places that have huge aquarium exhibits don't want them. Too many hobbyists are trying to find new homes for them now. In my opinion, they should not be sold as pets. They just can't be cared for in the average home.

I wish I could help more. I really understand what you are going through...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins