Piranha, Help? Please

[evilchild]

My girlfriend wants Piranha, which is fine by me , I was wondering if some one can answer a few question i have.
What’s the best way to clean them out? I do plan to get an external filter that it bigger than the tank requires, I just don’t want to stick my hand in the tank to clean the glass or whilst I’m cleaning the gravel and spook a fish and have it take a nibble on my hand, in fright or something

(Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan on sticking my hand in to see if it dose bite )

how often do they need to be fed? twice daly? or would this make them fat and unhealth?

If any one else can give me any tips on keeping these and maintaining a healthy environment for them, that would be most helpfully.

P.S
i don't plan feeding them on live food very often, may be once a month as a treat?

 

[cowbla1]

Dont get a pacu

 

[FeroX]

Get a pacu they are nearly the same except they won't eat your hand they are still aggressive and can be fed once a day with dry food preferably algae discs once a month is good for pacus you just need a big tank but they don't really need a lot like everyone says

Please someone delete this post. Good Lord.

You could try one of those long algae scraper things, I'm sure your LFS has one. Ask what else they have that can be used to avoid fish bites will doing maintenance in your tank.

 

[Gatorbait]

In time you'll learn by the way they move if it's safe to put your hand in there or not but even then it's never 100%.

Like mentioned above, just get a loong scraper.

Feeding live foods is a personal preferance by the owner and most species of piranhas don't need live food and some need it at first but can be weaned from it.

get at least a 75g tank with 4-5 if you are able to take 1-2 back when bigger. You'll want 3 in there and 25g per fish after that. I've sometimes had luck with 4 in a 75 but not usually.

When babies, 3-4 feedings a day is good and when juvie I feed 2 times a day. When they reach 5" or so I feed once a day and 6-7" once a day/every other day. It all depends on how eager they seem to be as to how often I feed. I let them tell me tbh and dont go by no set rule. Every couple months I let them go 3-5 days without food also. Makes them more aggressive but turn the water down a couple degrees. I keep my Serra at 84F and my rbp's at 81F.

Clean the tank as often as possible as piranhas are very messy eaters.

 

[PRW1988]

Get a pacu LOL this coming from the gent that has two pacu in a 55gallon tank, 1 pacu cant' fit in that full grown!

 

[evilchild]

Get a pacu LOL this coming from the gent that has two pacu in a 55gallon tank, 1 pacu cant' fit in that full grown!

i've seen pic of the pacu they grow massive! i'll be much happy with the smaller rbp. i do plan on getting them young that way gives us both a chance to get used to each other. as FeroX said a long scrapper would be a good idea, hopefully that will reduce the stress for the fish instead of a big hand being shoved in.? (my hand are normaly full of cuts any way, which wont go down to well either)

 

[cowbla1]

Yeah your right thats why i'm getting rid of mine