Red Belly Pacu - Piaractus brachypomus

Species name: Piaractus brachypomus

Synonym: Piaractus brachypomus

Common name: Red Belly Pacu

Family: Serrasalmidae

Order: Characins

Class: Actinopterygii

Maximum size: 60 cm / 24 inches

Environment: Freshwater

Origin: The Red belly Pacu is found in the Amazon basin.

Temperament: Aggressive

Company: Piaractus brachypomus (Red Belly Pacu) is suitable to be kept with other fishes of the same size and with similar demands.

Water parameters: temperature 22-26˚C / 72-79˚F; pH 5.8 – 7.5

Aquarium setup: Piaractus brachypomus (Red Belly Pacu) is best kept in a very large aquarium or even better in a pond. This fish scares easily so it is important that you create a lot of hiding places that are large enough to fit these fishes. Create hiding places among plants as well as among bogwood and rocks. These fishes require planted areas but have a bad tendency to sometimes eat plants. This gives you the options to try and use real plants and risk loosing some or all or just use plastic plants. Piaractus brachypomus (Red Belly Pacu) should never be kept alone but rather in schools of at least 6 individuals even if it unfortunately isn’t unusual to see a Red Belly Pacu kept alone.

Feeding: Piaractus brachypomus (Red Belly Pacu) will accept most foods. Their diet should contain vegetables and the amount of vegetables they are feed can effect their tendency to eat plants.

Breeding: We have no information about breeding Piaractus brachypomus (Red Belly Pacu)

Picture of Red Belly Pacu - Piaractus brachypomus. Copyright www.jjphoto.dk

Piaractus brachypomus - Red Belly Pacu picture. Copyright www.jjphoto.dk

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