Scientific Name: Formerly Colossoma bidens but now Colossoma brachypomum

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The Pacu, shown above, is a very large Pacu about 30" total length and heavy. It's probably not a Red Bellied Pacu; more likely it's a Black Pacu. All Pacus grow very fast to very large sizes. They can eat almost any food, and are now being raised in huge fish farms throughout the world as a food fish.

Pacus are relatives of the Piranha, and Pacus look like Piranhas. But Pacus are mainly vegetarians that will adapt to eat almost anything. In the wild they eat very hard nut-like vegetation that they crush in their powerful mouths. Pacus are not recommended for most aquariums because, when given proper care, they will quickly grow to a very large size.

Several years ago the government of Brazil set-up a fish farm to spawn and release Red Pacu. This fish farm was very successful at spawning the Red Pacu, and the Red Pacus spread to many other fish farms all over the World. A consequence of this flood of Red Pacus is that other Pacus, such as the Black Pacu, are very difficult to find now.

Appropriate Home
A Pacu will soon need an aquarium with at least 50 gallons of water, an exterior power filter with a BIO-Wheel, a maximum of 1/4 inch of gravel, and an aquarium heater adjusted so the water is between 78 and 82 degrees F. In an appropriate home Pacus will grow fast to become very large. Eventually a Pacu will need a much bigger aquarium. Click here to read more about what that means. Click here for more about warm water aquariums.

Recommended Diet
Pacus are vegetarians that will do well on floating flake food, when they are small. But very soon they'll need pellet food. Pacus should get some green leaf vegetables, but be careful to remove uneaten food after a few minutes, so it won't spoil and pollute the water. Click here for more about feeding fish. I don't feed Pacus any live Black Worms. It would just be a waste of money. Pacus will eat practically anything, and do fine on the foods listed above. Click here, if you want to read more about Black Worms.

Compatibility
Pacus seem to prefer the company of other Pacus, when they are small. But as they mature a group of Pacus would require a huge aquarium. So they are usually seen alone or with a few other very large fish. Other fish that are often seen in the same aquariums with Pacus are: Oscars about the same size, White Tip Shark Catfish, Plecostomus Catfish, and Neotropical Cichlids such as Firemouths and Jack Dempseys. Sometimes Pacus are kept with Arowanas. Pacus are also often seen in aquariums with Tinfoil Barbs, Clown Knifefish, Snowflake Eels, and Siamese Tiger Fish. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

Size and Lifespan
Pacus can grow to 24" and even bigger, but they usually do not grow bigger than 12" in an aquarium. They can live for several years and perhaps many years in a huge aquarium.