I'm not sure I'm in the good section, to tell everything, I don't know much about fishes, that's why I'm here!
So, I plan on getting a few red bellys piranha's (about 5 or 6) and I've been told that they need a big-enough aquarium, but I'm not sure what size :-? I've heard many things like 50 gals for one, but that would mean 300 gal for 6!? I've seen 100ish gal aquariums with over 20 piranha's in them so that's why I'm wondering!
If someone could tell me how it works and everything that would be really nice !
My personal opinion,, These fish don't belong in Aquariums. They get very large,require massive filtration,and overall ,, are boring fish. With that said,, If I were to attempt to keep six of them to adult size,, I would place them in nothing smaller than 125 gal.
Thanks for your reply, I say six, but it might be more or less, that's just what I would like.
Can you tell me why you say these fish don't belong in aquariums? and why do you think they are boring?
I love to watch them eat =]
I have seen these fish as adults in large aquariums. They hover shoulder to shoulder over the substrate and only occasionally move ,usually at feedings ,or jockeying for posistion. They are largely carnivores and as such,,need foods like frozen shrimp, Krill, beef heart,earthworms etc. These foods will foul the water quickly hence the need for heavy filtration,and large frequent water changes. Most folks consider the foods mentioned,too expensive and resort to feeding cheap feeder fish like gold fish which are often diseased due to shipping practices .If just one or two gold fish in the tank has disease,, it is entirely possible that all of the fish have been exposed. These people then bring the diseased feeder fish home and feed them to their fish and disease is passed on to their fish who may or may not become Ill or die because of it. To feed feeder fish safely,, would require another tank to raise healthy feeder fish in And most do not put forth the effort.
As these fish grow too large for most tanks, (125 gal minimum) people become bored with these fish. They cannot keep other fish with them (some try),, And then they decide they no longer want them but are unable to find anyone willing to take the fish for reasons mentioned above. Few people are willing to provide the long term care that these fish(any fish)needs to remain healthy, The people who buy these fish are usually the same type people who think having an aggressive pit bull,or rottweiler is cool. They wish to brag about how aggressive their dog might be. They do a dis- service to the dogs who deserve better. So do these fish. I am not attempting to classify you in this group nor am I attempting to chastize you for wanting to own these fish. You asked for my opinion and I have granted your request.
1077 said everything i was thinking............This is another fish, that i believe should not be sold in the aquarium industry..........Most owners do not take the proper measures to ensure the fish have a happy and healthy long life..........Piranhas just require ALOT of dedication to take care of, and their is also the added expense of feeding them, plus as 1077 stated, they are a rather inactive fish, that will rarely allow tankmates to live with them.......If your looking for an aggressive fish, look into some other cichlid from South America or maybe a tank of african cichlids
1077: I'm glad you gave me your opinion, though I'm planning to take care of them and get a really big aquarium, I just wanted to know what would be the minimum. As for the food, piranhas aren't 'carnivore' but 'omnivore'.
Fishing Pole: can you tell me more about the cichlid ?
1077: I'm glad you gave me your opinion, though I'm planning to take care of them and get a really big aquarium, I just wanted to know what would be the minimum. As for the food, piranhas aren't 'carnivore' but 'omnivore'.
Fishing Pole: can you tell me more about the cichlid ?
I believe I stated that they were largely carnivores. Do read up on proper foods for these fish and you will see that although they are omnivores,,they only seasonally take vegetable matter in the wild. And as Fishinpole properly stated,,, You will have some measure of difficulty in trying to interest them in vegetable matter. Omnivores as you correctly identified ,,,eat almost anything. Vegetable matter for this particular fish would in my view ,,represent a miniscule portion of this fishes diet. I wish you good luck!
You are correct in that pirahnas are not entirely canivores, but in captivity, you will be hard pressed to find a pirahna that will eat vegetable matter.......You will have to feed the pirahnas meat products no matter what....as stated, unless you breed your own feeder fish your gonna be opening up the door to all kinds of disease and parasites if you decide to feed them store bought feeder fish......Is it worth the risk to have all your pirahna die from a bad, unhealthy batch of feeders?.........I wouldnt risk it......On maintaining a tank for them, you will have double the work to keep your tank clean and have at least 2 top notch filters to maintain water quality or the fish will suffer.....To me,all that work for a few fish that hardly move around just isnt worth it........
With cichlids, i would go the south american route......Their are alot of species i would consider aggressive and yet still have personalities and can be housed with other fish...........Just to name a few, Jack Dempsey, convicts, jaguars, firmouths........
Then there is the african cichlids, which all need a high Ph water to live in...........These fish for there smaller size, are extremely aggressive and have major compatibility issues depending on what species you mix together......
I suggest you do tons of research if your gonna go with aggressive fish for your tanks
i think its hilarious that there is two separate conversations here, one about discouraging piranhas in the aquarium and one about disposing of bodies. However, neither really answer his question... save for 1077's 125. The size of your tank will be fully dependent on the size of your fish. Assuming you allow them to all grow to adulthood and maintain a population of 6m you would have 72 inches of fish. However, the fish need extra space to mimic their environment so one should assume it would need double the inch per gallon leaving you at 144. Go with a 150 with a filter that's designed fora 300 gallon tank. The Red Belly Piranha
I will have to chime in on the discouragement of these fish in home aquariums. As the article also notes, this is NOT a fish to be kept just because its entertaining when they feed. One thing you really need to consider is your experience with taking care of fish. This is a fish for advanced aquarium hobbyists. If you aren't willing to dedicate the time and money to this project, you should consider learning to care for easier, more passive fish. Also as many sources noted, piranhas are not as aggressive in the aquarium environment. Lastly, note that the fish do like meat, you will be putting your hands in that tank to clean it, do you want to take that risk?
As per disposing of bodies, one could easily chop up the victims and feed bits to the piranha each day and freeze the rest... Yes morbid, but not wholly ineffective. However, i have heard that fish such as piranhas do not enjoy human flesh as much since we have an excess of iron in our blood.
All in all, if you do decide to get these fish and dedicate your time and finances to it, good luck. They are beautiful fish and im sure successful care will yield wonderful rewards.
Mattee- All kidding aside, I agree with the others on not keeping piranhas for all the same reasons they state. There are many cichlids that are just as aggressive and much "prettier" than piranhas who just basically do nothing but the hovercraft position waiting for food. I've seen some pretty aggressive cichids who are just as "fun" to watch eat. With cichlids you get the added enjoyment of watching them engage in their many behaviors. Piranhas do nothing but hang in the balance waiting for food.
If I were you (and I'm not!) do some research on cichlids. If, after that research, your heart is still set on piranhas then there is nothing we can do to stop you. As a young (very young) woman I also wanted a piranha tank but went with cichlids instead and I'm glad I did. ;-) Good luck with your choice(s)
Really...piranhas are boring. No offense to their kind, but characins are just kind of...dim. I can't blame you for wanting cool, aggressive fish because, well, it is interesting. However, as others have stated, cichlids really do make better pets. For one thing, they're easier to maintain. Sure they are nearly as messy as piranhas, but they're like little garbage disposals that will eat just about anything. Big Central American cichlids will eat pellets, algae wafers, all manner of frozen foods, live snails, live worms, live shrimp, live crickets (and any other bugs you can catch) and even live fish, although I second the motion for breeding your own feeder fish rather than using store-bought goldfish or minnows. Cichlids are a lot prettier than piranhas. They're also a heck of a lot smarter and more interactive. Seriously, piranhas, even really well cared-for ones, just sit there staring blankly. Cichlids constantly swim around investigating stuff and beg for food like crazy. Like aquatic dogs, really.
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