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what sort of tank size do you need for a piranha because the ones at the pet store a very small and do you feed them feeder fish all the time or some sort of stor bought food and the acasunal feeder

I always kept Red Bellied Piranhas a few years back and found them most fascinating...

A totally carniverous fish, the Piranha must be fed feeder Guppies when young and feeder Goldfish when larger.

For those with a weak stomach who cannot watch the Piranhas chop a Goldfish in half, then bits of beef heart are substituted.

Piranhas grow like there's no tomorrow and must have at least a 90-100 gallon tank, depending on how many are kept.

--garyroland.



Last edited by garyroland at 13-Jan-2005 10:47

what type of piranha r u interested in theres 683 spieces
most r fruit eaters n arent sold but there are several types that r common in the trade
most likely u saw a red bellied piranha
there a shoaling fish but can b kept alone they need hi filtration n a large tank
they grow at bout 1/2" per month for the first 6 months then they slow down eat less n grow at bout 1/2"-1" per year atfer the 6" mark the body shape will change as will the colours
this fish changes its colour contrast n brightness depending on its mood
i have 7 red bellied piranhas rite now 1 large solo n a shoal of 6 they r my fav fish
as to diets they will when young love bloodworms frozen or live they need a meaty diet they will chase n hunt down guppy fry n small worms as they grow the food must also grow as well u will soon b feeding it adult guppies n rosy reds then small goldfish n then large gold fish
fish as a main food source is not the best they need a varied diet
they do get over 10" in the home n r very powerful fish
they r not the violent killers there made out to b
a 90 usg tank is minimun for 5 55g being the the min for a solo piranha

if u have any other questions feel free to pm me

(once u get a piranha everything esle becomes just a feeder lol)

piranha's are very interesting fish, and i wouldn't recommend anyone get them unless you have at least a 100 gallon tank to house a school. Granted, one can be kept in a 55 gallon, how boring would that be? Might as well go all out and get a large school, as well as a large tank.

there r speices of piranha that r incapable of haven tank mates n must b alone in the home aquarium

the minimum tank size would be 75g. which will house 3-4 red belly piranha for life. of course if u can afford a larger tank that would always be better. feeder fish should be kept to a minimum maybe once every 2 weeks to a month. most of their diet should consist of white meat fishes. tilapia, cod, shrimp, etc. anything thats WHITE meat. stay away from the pink n red meats. they have way to much fat and oil in them, theyll mess ur water parameters rather quickly. likewise, DO NOT feed them beef or poultry. like red meat fishes they have way to much fat and oil in them. but they often contain growth hormones that will adversely affect ur piranhas growth and health. while the piranha are small u should feed them brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. as they get a lil bigger they can tackle larger whole foods. i fed my piranha mainly shrimp and scallops. n throwing them some tilapia now and again. and once a month id give them one large feeder fish, usually something 2-3in. larger than my largest piranha. good luck