can pacu fish break tank

AR1

Redtail Catfish
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so my cousin has a pacu in a three foot tank for three months. it has grown a uge size of about 12 inches. recently it has stopped taking its meal and often swims very fast, knocking against the tank, hurting itself and splashing a LOT of water. is it fine or is it unhappy. will it break the tank. my cousin is worried
 

Deadeye

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It would have to ram the glass really hard to actually damage it, but the potential is there. Regardless, keeping a fish that big (which will only get bigger) in a tank that small will only further hurt the pacu.
 

Deadeye

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How big was the pond? How often was it being cleaned?
 
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neutrino

Goliath Tigerfish
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So it sounds like the pond was filtered? How much sun does it get? There are a lot of possible factors to water quality, but a UV sterilizer would help control algae.
 

jjohnwm

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A foot-long fish, fast-swimming to boot, in a three foot tank for three months. :jaw-dropp

"...is it unhappy..." ????

Gee, I dunno...what do you think? Even ignoring the horribly cramped conditions, that fish produces so much waste just by breathing that it would likely require a 100% water change at least daily to hope to maintain water quality at halfway healthy levels. The thing is probably trying to break the tank just to end its own suffering.
 

AR1

Redtail Catfish
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A foot-long fish, fast-swimming to boot, in a three foot tank for three months. :jaw-dropp

"...is it unhappy..." ????

Gee, I dunno...what do you think? Even ignoring the horribly cramped conditions, that fish produces so much waste just by breathing that it would likely require a 100% water change at least daily to hope to maintain water quality at halfway healthy levels. The thing is probably trying to break the tank just to end its own suffering.
i will tell my cousin to do something immediately
 
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