Piranhas

[mooga]

i don't think it really has to do with enviromental issues. i live in massachusetts and they are illegal, but they are legal in newhampshire. but then again mass. is just like calif. i think i have a brochure how to take a wizz the proper way.

 

[juanveldez]

I kept my pirhanas here in MI but unfortuantly they died but they did eat every fish that I ever fed them. the only fish that they didnt eat was my pelc of course he didn't let them get to him.

 

[smb]

Howdy, y'all. Does anybody know in what states it is legal to have a piranha, or have a website that says? Also, what do you feed them? There was a guy in the lfs today who bought some feeder guppies for his piranha, but I thought that they mostly ate stuff that falls into the water in the wild, not other fish.

Legal and Illegal States for Piranhas.



There are so many different types of piranhas out there and they all have different tendencies.

The most common-

Pygocentrus nattereri- (Red Belly Piranha)

Like to shoal and the larger the pack the better. They are very shy and reserved fish but the pack makes them bold because they have to compete for food and want to be the first to get there. They will eat anything in their tank eventually. It might take a day or months, but they will eventually. The only rule of thumb is to never have just 2 red bellies. One will kill the other. They'll grow to about 12" andwill grow to around 8" their first year.

Serrasalmus rhombeus- (Black Piranha)

My favorite. It is all black with red eyes. They are big fin nippers when young (like most p's are) but are 100% predators when they mature. Very slow growers. Might take 5 years to get 6-7" but will attain an average of 18" when full grown. NEVER have more than 1 of these in a tank. This is a solitary fish and will kill everything put in with it. I assume that there has to be a way since they are being bred, but in my 17 years of having piranhas I've never had any luck. Maybe a divider is used in smaller aquariums or it's ok if you have a huge tank. Either way, it's hard to keep anything with this guy.

Serrasalmus spilopleura- (Diamond Piranha)

I've never had one and don't know much about them. They are a popular p in the industry tho. They get about 8".

Serrasalmus Irritans- (Irritans)

Another great fish. My second fav. VERY aggressive also. Can only be kept alone. Get's about 6-7".

Serrasalmus brandti-(brandti)

Never owned. Can be kept in shoals. Get's around 10"

Serrasalmus geryi-(geryi)

Never owned but are another breed to be kept in shoals. Get's around 9"

Serrasalmus elongatus-(elongatus)

Never owned..yet. Grows to about 12" but have heard people claim bigger. Needs to be kept alone from what I've heard from reading about them.


This is just my experience and the data I've gathered or experienced having them. Anything mentioned here is definately up for debate and not meant to be an "as-is" dialogue, but I tried to characterize the main piranha's seen in the hobby today.

 

[wainsy]

hello, i live in middlesbrough in the uk, and i have 5 red-bellied piranhas, they are not illegal to keep here! they are only baby ones, but at the moment they eat frozen food: bloodworm and brine shrimp, they havent developed their teeth yet, but are starting to develop their large bottom jaw, but cant eat food that they would have to chew on! they are great fish to keep and are quite viscious when they are hungry, they try for your fingers! And they do eat other fish, any fish they find, also eat insects and rodents! if u wanna email me, [email protected]

 

[semper fi]

the pacu is a cousin to the piranha but does get to be quite large. as big as 3'. the teeth are different on the pacu. they are blunter while the prianha are more spikier. the pacu will eat meat though. does not hunt for live food like the piranha but will eat dead fish, brine shrimp, bloodworms, etc... they do prefer the plants and will wreak havoc on them. they are also like a bull in a china shop. when they are startled will swim frantically around the tank.

semper fi