How to Feed a Pacu

Pacu's are large omnivorous fish native the the Amazon river in South America. A close relative of the piranha, pacu's have strong jaws and sharp teeth, which they use to crack seeds and shred plant matter. Unlike piranhas', a pacu is primarily herbivorous and only occasionally will it graze on dead animals and occasionally eat other fish in the wild. Pacu's are large fish and many species easily grow over 30 inches in home aquariums. The fish require a high quality diet in order to thrive in captivity.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish flake food
  • Fish tablet food
  • Fresh spinach
  • Zucchini
  • Potato's
  • Raw meat
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed each pacu in your aquarium a pinch of processed fish flakes. Several flake formulas are specifically designed to provide the proper nutrient balance for pacus in captivity. Vary the volume of flake food as the pacu grows -- small fish should get a small pinch, large fish, a larger pinch.

    • 2

      Feed pacus several floating fish pellets every other day, to provide variation in their diet. Floating pellets resemble floating seeds, a staple of the pacu's diet in the wild.

    • 3

      Chop fresh zucchini, spinach and potatoes twice each week and place the foods in the aquarium with your pacu. The fish may not consume the fresh vegetables until they soften in the water. Keep a close eye on what the fish eat and do not eat and remove any uneaten food after two hours, to maintain a clean aquarium.

    • 4

      Feed small chunks of raw meat, no larger than your pacu's mouth, once every two to three weeks. Offer five to six bite-size pieces of meat, such as beef, chicken or fish to your pacu. Feeding meat occasionally helps facilitate healthy pacu development in home aquariums.