Pirahnah's

[SlowSwim]

Hey all,

Im not sure this is in the right forum but im interested in getting pirahnah's.

in my local fish shop they are selling baby red belly's.
i was just wondering if i could try and give them some tank mates..

Ive been doing a little gooleing and one site suggested that larger species of tetras would be a good bet. If i keep the pirahnah's well fed.
Cardi's was the first i thought of because i understand that they come from the amazon river too. Although they are not all that big.

Any suggestions would be great.

cheers

- matt

 

[pica_nuttalli]

yep, you guessed right! pirahanas are characins.

first question is: what size tank do you intend to put your pirahana(s) in?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Piranhas need a very large tank for a small group of them, like 100gallons for a group of 5- tetras would be snacks though for piranhas, i wouldn't risk putting anything with them that were smaller than the piranhas themselves.

 

[andywg]

To echo the above, piranhas have many tank mates, usually for not very long...

Some people have had luck with plecs, most have enough trouble stopping them eating each other, let alone other fish.

 

[jfrancho]

Red belly Piranha don't make the best aquarium pets. They are nervous, skittish, and sensitive to changes in water conditions. They get quite large, and their preference for soft water challenges normal nitrogen cycle management. The fact that they are much more comfortable in large groups amplifies this challange. That said, they are fascinating. They truly do not desrve the viscious reputation for which they are known. I'd recommend 7+ specimens in at least 125 US gal.

 

[SlowSwim]

Ah im glad i asked first then.. well im getting a est 40 gallon tank might be bigger
i'll tell you the dimentions when i get it.

I was interested in buying them but with carefull thinking i would much prefer a community tank.
I'll think about getting them again when i move out.

Thanks for the responses.

- matt

 

[CFC]

Some people have had success keeping schools of Exodon paradoxus with pirahna, Exodons are usually fast enough to keep out of the way and share the same dietry requirements as pirahna, some people have even had problems with their Exodons picking on the pirahnas

 

[Kopix Nation]

Hey put some neons in there with them and see what happens!!!!

claire

 

[dwarfgourami]

Wouldn't try a capybara anyway. Just watched Living Planet, and it didn't take many seconds to clear it up. Would come very expensive.

 

[jfrancho]

Some people have had success keeping schools of Exodon paradoxus with pirahna:

[snapback]919698[/snapback]​

I like the idea of Exodon paradoxes as an alternative to the pirhana. Much more interesting and colorful.

 

[CFC]

Me too, theyre much more outgoing than pirahna and a good sized school can be kept in tanks from 30" long upwards without much of a problem with canabalism.

 

[imouse]

I had a pair of Red Bellies (small) that i initially kept in a spare 2x2x2 (Planted).
I fed them live food (neons etc) and was amazed to watch them team up and hunt the neons. one would 'herd' a neon towards the other that was hidden yet ready to strike. they would take it in turns to stalk.
Yes, they are very skittish fish and are prone to body damage due to the speed they will attain when scared, they crash into every thing in an attempt to cause a distraction while they escape.
Oh, and they do bite in pairs, trust me


Cheers
Mouse

 

[Dangerousdan]

Hey put some neons in there with them and see what happens!!!!

claire

[snapback]919787[/snapback]​

I have 2x 6" - 7" Red bellied piranhas, 1x 4" - 5" large toothed piranha living with 3 common plecs and shoal of neons (pics to show). Once the piranhas get over a certain size its beleved they have no interest in smaller fish. From keeping mine i can only second this theory as to be true.

So there you can see what happens, not alot....

 

[Matty]

what do you feed your piranhas so that they dont eat the smaller tetras?

 

[Dangerousdan]

what do you feed your piranhas so that they dont eat the smaller tetras?

They have a white fish fillet with 5 mussels and 2 jumbo prawns. Normal every other night but at the moment they are eatin every night and stuffing it down fast.