How Does This Sound?

[CoolWater]

I have been interested in Piranha’s for quite some time.
But I am the kind of person who has to plan and re-plan every fine detail (sorry if that seems silly). Anyway I have been hunting around the internet, but nothing beats good old fashion comments from people who have hands on experience.

So my basic plans are a 75 gallon built into a nice pine cabinet. Also a 10 gallon below the 75 gallon again built into the cabinet. For the 75 gallon I was swaying towards 4 red belly piranha? I like the idea of a small school rather than one beast of a piranha. And as for the 10 gallon, that would just be used to hold any feeders in quarantine, or if I were to breed guppy’s.

Anyway here comes the long list of questions I was hoping some people could answer..

Would 4 red belly piranhas have adequate room in a 75 gallon? Providing it was a 75 gallon with a big foot print and very good filtration?
While what kind of filtration do you lot use. I understand you need very powerful filtration with piranhas.
While I want the tank to be as natural as possible. I am going to even splash out on a 3d mangrove background. But maybe someone could tell me a little more about the red belly piranha’s natural habitat? What substrate is along the river floors? What kinds of plants are natural to them?
I know that if cost is an issue I should not even be researching piranha’s lol but out of curiosity by how much will the electricity bill rise by roughly?

That’s all the basic questions I can think of right now.
Thanks for your time

 

[demonmagus]

to answer your first question most people keep em in 6ft by 2ft by 2ft tanks

 

[CoolWater]

Wow that is a lot bigger than i expected.
I was planning a 4ftx2ftx1.5ft at the biggest.
Hmm maybe i need to look at smaller Piranha species...or maybe a single piranha that will fit in my tank and does not need to school....
Maybe someone could give me some leads?

Thanks, and my other questions still stand

 

[annka5]

I've fished for pirhana on holiday in Venezuella, a good while ago now and not red bellied, but... for what it's worth: the bottom was made up of silty mud, which probably wouldn't be practical in an aquarium. Perhaps sand /laterite mix would be best? As to plants - there weren't a lot, really, the time of year meant that it was very much flooded plains. The rivers had dense overhanging branches and were v slow moving where we were looking for pirhana, so I'd imagine there would be some minimal amount of wood etc on the bottom.
You might find it more useful to try searching internet under biotope or the like, as this will give you insights as to what particular plants are most likely to be found. I think the answer might be "very few" though a densely planted aquarium might be nicer and better for the fish in the aquarium!

 

[Sheridan]

I don't know much about piranhas, but the London aquarium has a pretty good setup if you can get there to take a look.

 

[CoolWater]

I think i saw that a year or two ago.

This that the huge tank you can stick your head under, into those little indent caves in the tank - with red bellies?