Tetras and Characids
Red-bellied Pacu
Piaractus brachypomus
Photo: Omnitarian · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature23–28 °C
- pH6–7.5
- Minimum tank3000 l
- Adult size80 cm
- Difficulty★★★★☆
- TemperamentPeaceful
- WaterFresh
Full profile
- Family
- Serrasalmidae
- Origin
- Amazon and Orinoco Basins
- Size
- 80 cm
- Temperature
- 23 – 28°C
- pH
- 6.0 – 7.5
- GH
- 4 – 18 °dGH
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
- Water type
- tropical freshwater
- Swimming level
- medium
- Behavior
- Peaceful (but destroys the decor and equipment)
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1
- Minimum aquarium size
- 3000 L
- Diet
- Omnivore (fruit, vegetables, pellets)
- Reproduction
- oviparous; does not reproduce in the aquarium
Notes: It is sold as a “vegetarian piranha” measuring just a few centimeters, but it can grow to over 80 cm and weigh more than 20 kg. Unsuitable for a home aquarium; it should never be released into rivers.
