# Arrowanna, Oscar, Pacu as tankmates?



## va1 (Jun 23, 2009)

Towards the end of the year I am going to begin my tank build. I want to make it an Amazon tank. I already have the oscar and am definately wanting to add an arrowanna and a red belly pacu to the mix. I would also want to add some other exotic kind of fish. some other cichlids and hopefully some catfish that wont get too huge and maybe a pleco or two. just wanted to know what would be a good addition to this kind of a tank or if anybody forsees a problem with this tank. oh and space wont be too much of an issue, i'm looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 gallons.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach had a group of 6~8 Pacu in their 2000+ gallon freshwater tank... When the Pacu got full grown (3'+) they decided to get rid of them because they were being very skittish and slamming into the walls...

I tried keeping Pacu in a 6' round 300 gal Rubbermaid and by the time they broke 2' they were insanely skittish and slamming into the walls.

I have seen them in 180+ gallon tanks but have always felt sorry for them when I did...

People suggest a 75 gal as a minimum tank for an Oscar because a fish that is long as the tank is wide (front to back) is a bad idea. A 75 gal is 4 times an Oscars length and 1.5 times as wide is an Oscar is long. To offer a Pacu those same considerations the tank would need to be 12' long and 4.5' wide. If this tank were 3' deep it would be over 1,200 gallons.

In conclusion... I suggest against getting a Pacu...


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

id go with Red Hook silver dollars, much better then pacu.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

I agree with the red hooks or any silver dollar for that matter. Silver dolars are basically small pacu. With the smaller size you could do a school of them that would look great. South america is home to thousands of catfish. Check out planet catfish. I would think Pimelodidae species would work well. A couple freashwater rays would be cool if you go with sand. Although I'm not to sure how the get along with cichlids. Personally I would add two more oscars. Red or green terrors could work. It's all a matter of taste and balance.


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## jamesman_1994 (Jun 23, 2009)

oscars are prety hard to find buddies for, if u r going to introduce new fish u will ant to change the tanks tecko around b4 u put them in, normaly a large severums are good with oscars maby some convicts because they can hol their ground with nearly any fish, i would put in maby some flower horns and a green terror they should all b compatible just as long as all but the convicts r the same size or bigger


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Hey *va1*,

As for possible tank mates, *jamesman_1994* made a good suggestion in Severums. Though as you want to go a South American theme, I'd skip on the Convicts as they are a CA cichlid and Flowerhorns are just a plain nasty Franken fish.

I think any of the cichlids from the South America Heroines group would be compatible. I particularly like the idea of a couple Hoplarchus psittacus.

Of course if you want a couple of larger cichlids with attitude, you can't go past one of the Cichla species - peacockbass, or the ultimate SA big n nasty, Caquetaia umbrifera. You'll certainly find the Oscar at the bottom of the pecking order with these guys.


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## klumsyninja (Aug 14, 2008)

I don't think any self respecting aquarium keeper should keep Pacu... regardless of their tank size.. Sharks too but that's another story.

just my $0.02


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## va1 (Jun 23, 2009)

Hmmmm....I am kinda leaning against the pacus now...I'll have to do a little research on the silver dollars...and anything that would put my oscar at the bottom of the pecking order in out of the question. He's my pride and joy.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Well then you really should look at the South American Heroines link above. Severums, Chocolate cichlids and the true parrot cichlid (Hoplarchus psittacus) would all work with an Oscar and Arrowanna.


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## apistomaster (Jun 22, 2006)

Consider collecting a few more Oscars often available as trade-ins at fish shops. A group of 6 Oscars is much more interesting than a solitary specimen. They may fight some until they form pairs but in a large tank no one is going to be hurt. I have obtained many pairs of Oscars using this method because I wasn't willing to take the time to grow a group up. Oscars are actually rather social Cichlids.


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