Red Bellied Piranhas

[AMS]

Be sure to post some pics

 

[fish-r-fancy]

Sorry I can't because I have a really cheap camera and whenever i go to take a picture it always gets a glare and you can't see anything. If only my dog haden't gotten my good camera! My moms dog ate my camera so my mom gave me hers but it's not a good 1.

 

[cane76]

the tank is cycled allready??congrats on the new fishies you need a new camera now to show them off

 

[fish-r-fancy]

Mybe for Christmas I'll have a new camera but for now I can only describe them. I didn't know that their were different kinds od discus but hey u learn something new everyday

 

[Griz]

You can usually reduce glare by taking the picture ata bit of an angle to the front glass, rather than straight on.

Congrats on the discus, glad everything worked out.

 

[The Fish Importer]

A single red belly can't be hosued in a 55 gallon tank, its simply too small, not to mention it will be miserable without some other reds to keep it company. Simply, if you want piranhas in a 55 gallon tank, red bellies are NOT the species to pick.

For information 1 RBP would be ok in a 55 gallon, as the rule of thumb is 50gallons for 1st and 20gallons for each addition. (Although 75+ is much more apt)
Im not a expert of fish social warefare, but Im sure 1 wouldnt be "miserable", true you wouldnt see the true behaviour of the RBP and would be very skittish, but ultimatly would do fine.

Piranha's live in large groups by nature, its how they survive, if you keep one by itself it would be miserable- for example, i'm sure you could bring up a human being in complete social issolation, but that person would live a miserable existance, and as you put it you wouldn't see the true natural/normal behavior of the individual.

There is a difference to just being alive and actually enjoying life and thriving.

The problem with keeping piranha's in crampt quarters as far as i am aware is that they have been known to cannibalise each other when they cannot cope with living with the lack of space anymore. This doesn't happen with all piranha's kept in overstocked tanks, as it mostly depends on the individual, but it does happen a lot none the less when this is so.

I would personally go with AMS's minimum amount of gallons estimate at 75gallons, it sounds a lot more reasonable for the fish involved .

You cant give fish human thoughts and feelings. Fish do not have the advance and complex thoughts and mind of that of a human. At the end of the day what you need to remember is you will never see the TRUE behaviour as the enviroment is never going to be "wild". No one comes along every other day and throws the fish their dinner for them, they have to work for it. Same way as they would work off the extra energy in the natural current of a river.
Also you say "Piranha's live in large groups by nature" which is untrue of all piranhas.

Piranha's live in large groups by nature, its how they survive, if you keep one by itself it would be miserable- for example, i'm sure you could bring up a human being in complete social issolation, but that person would live a miserable existance, and as you put it you wouldn't see the true natural/normal behavior of the individual.

There is a difference to just being alive and actually enjoying life and thriving.

The problem with keeping piranha's in crampt quarters as far as i am aware is that they have been known to cannibalise each other when they cannot cope with living with the lack of space anymore. This doesn't happen with all piranha's kept in overstocked tanks, as it mostly depends on the individual, but it does happen a lot none the less when this is so.

I would personally go with AMS's minimum amount of gallons estimate at 75gallons, it sounds a lot more reasonable for the fish involved good.gif

Thank you Tokis. I just don't see why people want to put Reds in a 55 gallon tank, you wouldn't put in an oscar in one, why put a red belly that grows just a large in one?

I beleve from my readings that a oscar can reach sizes of 15"+ Its very rare in captivity for a wild Red bellied Piranha to reach 10" let alone a inbred captive bred one.

 

[AMS]

I beleve from my readings that a oscar can reach sizes of 15"+ Its very rare in captivity for a wild Red bellied Piranha to reach 10" let alone a inbred captive bred one.

A oscar growing over 12 inches is very rare in the home aquarium. True it is unlikely for captive Reds to grow past ten inches but I have 3 that are almost 11 inches, and 1 that is just about 12 inches. Even if Reds usually grow to ten inches, a 55 gallon tank is still too small. And Reds DO grow past ten inches in the wild, up to 18 inches in fact, but closer to 16 inches.

At the end of the day what you need to remember is you will never see the TRUE behaviour as the enviroment is never going to be "wild". No one comes along every other day and throws the fish their dinner for them, they have to work for it. Same way as they would work off the extra energy in the natural current of a river.

Correct, with no fish you will ever see their true, natural behavior, but as fish keepers we should strive to replicate their natural environment as close as possible. Such is this the case with schooling, Pygocentrus do live in large groups in the wild, that should be replicated in our home aquariums (or at least a small school). Just because the fish are no longer in the wild doesn't mean we have to take all of their natural instincts away.

 

[The Fish Importer]

I beleve from my readings that a oscar can reach sizes of 15"+ Its very rare in captivity for a wild Red bellied Piranha to reach 10" let alone a inbred captive bred one.

A oscar growing over 12 inches is very rare in the home aquarium. True it is unlikely for captive Reds to grow past ten inches but I have 3 that are almost 11 inches, and 1 that is just about 12 inches. Even if Reds usually grow to ten inches, a 55 gallon tank is still too small. And Reds DO grow past ten inches in the wild, up to 18 inches in fact, but closer to 16 inches.

At the end of the day what you need to remember is you will never see the TRUE behaviour as the enviroment is never going to be "wild". No one comes along every other day and throws the fish their dinner for them, they have to work for it. Same way as they would work off the extra energy in the natural current of a river.

Correct, with no fish you will ever see their true, natural behavior, but as fish keepers we should strive to replicate their natural environment as close as possible. Such is this the case with schooling, Pygocentrus do live in large groups in the wild, that should be replicated in our home aquariums (or at least a small school). Just because the fish are no longer in the wild doesn't mean we have to take all of their natural instincts away.

Very untrue
Im also aware of wild size of the RBP but that isnt the topic.
They dont actually live in large groups but small groups of only around 20 fish per group, a single specimin(spelling) kept alone from 50p size is not going to know any different and will not swim around looking for his buddys thinkin "I should be in a group", it will just live its life knowing no different. As long as filtration, water quality, feeding etc is done correctly 55uk gallons is fine for 1 RBP

 

[AMS]

Im also aware of wild size of the RBP but that isnt the topic.
They dont actually live in large groups but small groups of only around 20 fish per group, a single specimin(spelling) kept alone from 50p size is not going to know any different and will not swim around looking for his buddys thinkin "I should be in a group", it will just live its life knowing no different. As long as filtration, water quality, feeding etc is done correctly 55uk gallons is fine for 1 RBP

Many people consider 20 a large school, as do I. That's a matter of opinion though. But the fact is they do need at least 4 in a school to feel comfortable. Sure you could put a single RBP in a 55 gallon tank, you could also put a single neon in a ten gallon tank. Would anyone that cares about their fish do this? No. I would like to see a single RBP, neon, or any other schooling fish in a tank beside a tank with a school of the same species. I will guarantee you the single specimen will look more nervous, skittish, and inactive than the tank with the school. Sure the single specimen is still alive, but their quality of life is much less. As fish keepers, is that what you really want to see?

 

[Nevergone815]

ok why are peopel arguing with ams about piranhas?

not to put him up on a pedistool (sp), but i actually checked what he told me a while ago (no offence ams- comparing sources and info is all that was about) and what he said to me was everything that a lot of sites had said. i even checked a piranha forum for info and they said the same as he did. so i would take his info as credible.

i agree with him, a schoal/school (whatever you wish to call it) of 20 is HUGE! a small one to me is 5, which is the minimum for like every type of fish known to man that is a schooling fish. and i agree, the fish kept alone will be more "nervous, skittish, and inactive than the tank with the school".

but that aside, fish-r-fancy, i envy you lol. you got what sound liek the prettiest fish around (discus), a cheap tank and plenty of knowledge of a fish that you "technically owned" at one point. but it's ok, i wish you the best of luck, andwhen you get a good camera or figure out how to get your camera to not be stupid, you have ot get us pics.

 

[KiLLeReDs]

im newb to this forum but before this i was on anothe that has not been workin called pirahna fury it is possible to have 2-3 pirahnas in a 55 gal i have a friends on that site that kept them in one for around 3yrs and as long as u have good filtering and keep them well fed they will do just fine and when they do get around 8-9'' u will want to upgrade tank size but if u have had them since they were small they will do fine for quite a while im not arguing(spelling)with anyone im just sayin that it has been done

im newb to this forum but before this i was on anothe that has not been workin called pirahna fury it is possible to have 2-3 pirahnas in a 55 gal i have a friends on that site that kept them in one for around 3yrs and as long as u have good filtering and keep them well fed they will do just fine and when they do get around 8-9'' u will want to upgrade tank size but if u have had them since they were small they will do fine for quite a while im not arguing(spelling)with anyone im just sayin that it has been done

 

[fish-r-fancy]

Yes everybody when I get a camera for Christmas I will get some pics up. I'm just glad to see that the piranhas are going to a better home than I think I could ever ever give them. Well hey now I can say that i owned a piranha even though it was only for a couple of hours but I did. My discs are so pretty! I can't wait until they grow 8 inches. Didn't think they got that big.