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i was just looking for some basic info about them.i am not planning on getting them i just think they are cool.also why is there no characins link i.e. such as cichlid central, or ivebearers lane?

thats what tetra talk is... they just used the common name rather than the scientific...

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oh ok thanks brandeeno.maybe someone, or one of the moderators could just move this post there?

Piranhas aren't all that hard to keep, all you need is a big tank. Those baby captive-bred red bellies might look cute, but when they get over a foot long you'll be needing an aquarium of hundreds of gallons! Red belly piranhas (Pygocentrus nattereri) are a schooling fish so you need to have a few. Though red bellies are the "traditional" idea of a piranha, you have to drive them to starvation for them to aggressively attack food as in stories. Generally they're actually quite sedate when well-fed, and I've heard they may even shy away from their owner.

Although red bellies are the most common piranha species, there are other species as well. The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) is the second-most common species I see, but that still means I only see one every now and then. It better fits what people might think of when you say you have a piranha in your home. They're big and aggressive, and won't generally tolerate other fish in the aquarium, even others of their own species!

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

so about how many would you need for a school?i know someone who has 6 in what i think to be a 55g based on sight .?

With 6 piranhas, I'd upgrade the tank from a 55 gallon when they reach maybe 4-5". People that keep large predatory and aggressive fish are also notorious for keeping fish in aquaria that are way too small.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

yea, they look pretty cool.the thing is its the next door neighbor in my apartment complex who i have breifly talk to a few times. i get the idc attitude so i was just wondering since i feel bad for the fish, though there is mostly nothing i can do.

yeah quite true,despite there reputation,the red bellies are very timid,even shy if they are kept alone,they really should be kept in a school to get them to feel at home as shini said,plus the huge tank size you would need for a school,the tank would take up half your loungeroom.also because of the diet this fish must have,chunky meats,larger feeders,etc,ect when they get bigger,water changes and a extremely good filtration system is a must,you think oscars are messy,wait untill you see 6 red bellies tearing into big peaces of beef heart,it gets quite messy!also shini hit the nail rite on the head,you pretty much have to starve them heaps to get them to have that killing spree that peolpe talk about,and then if they get frantic enuff,its not uncommon for them to sustain bites from each other in there hast!anyway i think they are way over rated

personally, hokese me too. i cant see why anyone would want them, and the neighbors party alot so i think its for show to enterrtain people.

All I know about piranhas is that if you are caught with them here it's a $200,000 fine.

sounds brutal

yeah,they dont impress me much

i dont think they impress anyone too much.the best part about having a fish is watching them be active,take food from your hand,and well eat.everyone loves feeeding them thats why alot of new people to the hobby over feed.they dont realize what tere doing and they like the fact the fish are so active.the joy of piranhas would be watching the feeding frenzy but if it is only once a month or less, well thats boring.plus who wants to suck out scraps of all the flesh and such.too much work with little joy.

i wouldnt even be hand feeding them devils,even if i had the steel mesh feeding glove

well actually, though i dont know from first hand experience, my klnowledge is that they only get the "fierce killer" persona if they have not been fed for a severly long time and are almost starved. if you were starved you would compete for your food, and be aggressive on whatever moved to. ive also heard that they are extremely shy when fed moderately(few times a week, not necessarily wioth live food but with pellets)from their ownerds and will even swim to the back of the tank to get away from the owners hand. i know the kid next door feeds his earth worms and things reguraly and is always sticking his hand in the tank to move his live plants and the just shy away from him.

You don't need your tetras in a feeding frenzy every time you feed them, and likewise you're piranhas don't need to be in a feeding frenzy either to be fun to watch when eating. Red bellies have a diamond-flecking on their skin (like a diamond tetra) and a bright red belly, so its not like they're completely unattractive either. That's my opinion, anyway.

Of course, IMO, if I had a tank big enough for a piranha school I'd go for Flagtail Prochilodus, Datnoids, or something else instead...

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Tiger Datnoids FTW...

oh dont get me wrong theyd be cool but i think they are overrated

i rather something like a gar!but as the biggest tank i own is only 208gallons,its not a longterm home,so i can only ponder

Yeah, I suppose piranhas are a little overrated, but I don't think people should underrate them because of that!

Oh, and definitely agreed there, Mez. /:'

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.