Hi. I'm New And Need Help With My Pirahanas

[Delaneia]

Hi. I'm glad I found this forum and hopefully someone can help me.
I purchased 2 RB's from a pet store a month ago or so. Most of the people there were clueless as to what they needed, so I guessed 30 gallon would be large enough for 2 Pirahana..
Well last night I noticed the smaller of the 2 had suffered damage to his/her tailfin..assumingly it was from the larger more aggressive one.
Is this because the tank is too small..eek! Spent $200 on the tank and don't want to get another unless I have to.
Thanks if anyone can help *whimper*
Dee

 

[Castellop123]

Cheers...

 

[Delaneia]

allright
will take a look at the links you gave me..
thank you very much

allright
will take a look at the links you gave me..
thank you very much

I guess I should answer your question as well lol
They are juveniles..about 2-2 1/2 inches long

 

[mlawson]

I think a 30 gallon is enough for 1 Piranha, but 2, definitely not.

 

[Gatorbait]

55g will be good for them.

You shouldn't get 1 or 2. Those are bad numbers.

If you only had 1, chances are good that he'll hide all the time and you won't enjoy him.

If you had 2 the larger will almost always kill the smaller and you end up with 1, which will always hide...etc

3 is the smallest number I would go with for them.

If you have no choice now and are stuck with 1, it will have to be a minimum of 55g tank.

 

[AR15 guy]

I have noticed this also. Seems like young RB's will do fine alone. However, once they become adults they tend to be very skidish and hide most of the time. But I have had some alone that were not skidish. It really depends on the fish.

55g will be good for them.

You shouldn't get 1 or 2. Those are bad numbers.

If you only had 1, chances are good that he'll hide all the time and you won't enjoy him.

If you had 2 the larger will almost always kill the smaller and you end up with 1, which will always hide...etc

3 is the smallest number I would go with for them.

If you have no choice now and are stuck with 1, it will have to be a minimum of 55g tank.

 

[Gatorbait]

I have noticed this also. Seems like young RB's will do fine alone. However, once they become adults they tend to be very skidish and hide most of the time. But I have had some alone that were not skidish. It really depends on the fish.

55g will be good for them.

You shouldn't get 1 or 2. Those are bad numbers.

If you only had 1, chances are good that he'll hide all the time and you won't enjoy him.

If you had 2 the larger will almost always kill the smaller and you end up with 1, which will always hide...etc

3 is the smallest number I would go with for them.

If you have no choice now and are stuck with 1, it will have to be a minimum of 55g tank.

Thanks for posting and letting us know.

I've heard of a couple cases when people have single redbellys and they aren't as skittish but few and far between. I'm glad yours wasn't. Is there anything different that you did to calm him?

Whenever I was down to 1 rbp, he was always skittish so I had to give him away and start over.

 

[AR15 guy]

I have had a bunch of singles. I raised them all the same. Rarely if ever give them feeder fish. Always feed commercial foods. I am in and out of the room they are in frequently so that may come into play. The one I have now will actually sit there and wait for me to feed him. Isn't skidish at all right now.

There were 4 of them in the bunch I got him from. All had probably grown up together. Seemed to be a rowdy bunch also. He was the biggest and the other 3 had bites out of their backs and abdomens. One was ate up badly. It had no fins, chunks of its body missing and it was still kicking strong somehow. It was still swimming around and eating. Didn't even act like it was in pain.

 

[Gatorbait]

That's awesome! I'm glad you've had success with a single one.

Piranha's have freaky healing powers...I've heard of piranha that had a bite in them so bad they've had their innards hanging partially out and in a month you wouldn't have ever known it.

Another guy had one with a bite in him so bad that whenever he ate, it would fall out of that hole and he lived and is doing great now with just a scar to show for it.

 

[AR15 guy]

I went back today and saw that fish again. It is healing pretty well. Seems to be alive as ever. LFS also has a ton of babies in. Tempted to get a school for the 55 I have.

 

[Gatorbait]

I went back today and saw that fish again. It is healing pretty well. Seems to be alive as ever. LFS also has a ton of babies in. Tempted to get a school for the 55 I have.

You change your mind about the lone piranha?

Glad to hear that he's doing well.

 

[AR15 guy]

I have an empty 38 gallon I will probably stick that loner in. That should last him a long while. Maybe forever.

 

[kudv4yn3]

yeah, i have no idea how piranha manage to repair themselves and heal so quickly.....at a fish store i worked at a while back, they had a 100 gallon with about 20 7-12 inch red bellies....and one day i noticed one that was LITERALLY half eaten....i was about to take him out, whe my boss told me LEAVE IT...and i was like...are you joking me? surely enough, 2 weeks later, it was almost completely healed....no idea how they do it.
very interesthing though.

 

[Delaneia]

lol
wow this was kind of an old thread ^.^
As an update I sperated the 2 into 30 gallon tanks and they are now about 5 inches long, neither are skittish as a lone fish. (I handle them with Kevlar riding gloves) The smaller one had a huge hole in his side and when he was placed alone he/she grew back his/her side and fins and is very healthy now
I have noticed them exhibiting breeding behaviour through the glass of their seperated tanks so I will be rehoming them both (with a divider) into a 55 gallon.
So I could possibly be a piranha grandma soon! lol
Thanks for all the help

 

[weston]

Hi. I'm glad I found this forum and hopefully someone can help me.
I purchased 2 RB's from a pet store a month ago or so. Most of the people there were clueless as to what they needed, so I guessed 30 gallon would be large enough for 2 Pirahana..
Well last night I noticed the smaller of the 2 had suffered damage to his/her tailfin..assumingly it was from the larger more aggressive one.
Is this because the tank is too small..eek! Spent $200 on the tank and don't want to get another unless I have to.
Thanks if anyone can help *whimper*
Dee

Im sorry to tell you this but that is way too small!!!! Are they young or adult fish?