What Small Fish To Put With Red Belly Piranhas

[CthulhuReborn]

Ok by small fish I mean something my 8" rbps won't eat lol and it needs to be like a shrimp or something I feed my rbps fresh salmon and freeze dried shrimp ( buying normal frozen shrimp soon) and also what other food is recommended? I'm still working on the set up for their tank because I was told it was bad and I need more hiding places for them also as long as they don't eat the shrimp or fish right away I'm fine with it

 

[Goggy]

nothing.

 

[benthyer]

I'm not aware of what you can and can't put with them but perhaps look at compatability charts. From what I have researched you can't really keep anything with them. It's a risk that you will have to take if you wanted to add anything to the tank but just be aware that they could very well become dinner.
 
If you are having issues with excess food on the bottom of the tank you either need to reduce the amount you are feeding or siphon it out. This will also prevent any spikes in ammonia.
 
Also just be aware of the load on your tank and what effects adding more fish to it could have. I would say your best bet is probably to fill the tank with plants etc to make it look more like their natural habitat. Here's an example.

 

[blueacara]

if you want you can try a striped raphael catfish i have one that Ive had with oscars clown knife fish and a few others . i think he will be ok if you can get a full grown one because of their body armour 

 

[Bubbelzzz]

I guess, the only real option would be a larger pleco.

 

[Vethian]

do you live feed?  If you do, this may lead to issues.  But, I would expect anything you put in the tank to be food.  One day you may be late feeding and they will find a snack.  

 

[Jenste]

The list of answers is a rather short one unfortunately.... 
 
How big is the tank and how many piranhas do you have? They will help us know what type of fish could "fit" into your tank

 

[CthulhuReborn]

do you live feed?  If you do, this may lead to issues.  But, I would expect anything you put in the tank to be food.  One day you may be late feeding and they will find a snack.  

no I don't live feed.....yet lol
I think I worded it wrong I was trying to ask something small I don't want to over cloud them even more I was mostly looking for a small 1-2" bottom feeding fish or invert that they won't eat for a while (fine if it lasts more then 3 weeks lol)

 

[Vethian]

  Hoplosternum catfish would be my choice. although, they are not so small.  small fish will be eaten.

 

[CthulhuReborn]

Hoplosternum catfish would be my choice. although, they are not so small.  small fish will be eaten.

I'm fine with small fish being eaten as long as they do their job and clean up after my rbps

 

[TallTree01]

Hoplosternum catfish would be my choice. although, they are not so small.  small fish will be eaten.

I'm fine with small fish being eaten as long as they do their job and clean up after my rbps

Can't you clean up after your own fish and not sacrifice some poor little fish to do it for you?

 

[CthulhuReborn]

Hoplosternum catfish would be my choice. although, they are not so small.  small fish will be eaten.

I'm fine with small fish being eaten as long as they do their job and clean up after my rbps

Can't you clean up after your own fish and not sacrifice some poor little fish to do it for you? I do weekly water changes but there getting really messy and I would just like something that would clean up the bottom some like some kind of small shrimp

 

[Vethian]

It will take more then a bottom feeder.  They generate their own waste.  Manually cleaning is the only way to keep a healthy tank. If sticking your hand in the tank bothers you, use a divider and clean half at a time. 

 

[Baccus]

From memory because piranhas generally have a protien heavy diet and meats etc will foul the water quickly you are better off doing a tank clean after each feeding, removing (usually via a siphon) any uneaten food. This is on top of your weekly water changes.
Also you need heavy filteration to take care of the large amount of waste these fish produce, a good rule of thumb is double the filteration that other fish their size might otherwise need.
Please also keep in mind that Piranhas will also eat some vegetable matter, there for also offer occasionally greens such as zucchini, spinach and peas.
I would not consider adding any "clean up" fish since there really is no real creature that cleans up totally after another species. Snails may work with some cleaning and not become food for the RBP., however generally snails are going to be mostly interested in vegetable type foods over lots of meaty left overs.

 

[CthulhuReborn]

It will take more then a bottom feeder.  They generate their own waste.  Manually cleaning is the only way to keep a healthy tank. If sticking your hand in the tank bothers you, use a divider and clean half at a time.

it doesn't bother me it bothers my fish lol

From memory because piranhas generally have a protien heavy diet and meats etc will foul the water quickly you are better off doing a tank clean after each feeding, removing (usually via a siphon) any uneaten food. This is on top of your weekly water changes.
Also you need heavy filteration to take care of the large amount of waste these fish produce, a good rule of thumb is double the filteration that other fish their size might otherwise need.
Please also keep in mind that Piranhas will also eat some vegetable matter, there for also offer occasionally greens such as zucchini, spinach and peas.
I would not consider adding any "clean up" fish since there really is no real creature that cleans up totally after another species. Snails may work with some cleaning and not become food for the RBP., however generally snails are going to be mostly interested in vegetable type foods over lots of meaty left overs.

hmmm snails sound interesting so I wasn't really looking for fish but I feed them frozen organic shrimp and salmon right now with the occasional freeze dried krill