Piranha Question

[pinball-1]

Hello, I just bought 2 RB's yesterday from the LFS. Here's the deal. He only had 2 RB's, and couldnt get anymore 2"-3" ones in because the company that sells them have very bad shipping I guess, and most of them die soon after delivery, so he quit buying from them.
He only had 2 but I wanted to get RB's. He also had a sale going of buy 2 get one free. So because he didnt have any more RB's he gave me what he said was a "sabertooh tetra", for the free fish. I put all 3 fish in my tank yesterday along with about 6 feeders which he put in the RB's bag. And 2 clowd tetras that I bought from Walmart earlier to cycle the tank. They are all doing fine but here are my questions:
First my RB's dont want to eat or even venture around during the day time, they sit in the corner until all the lights are out, than they started to move a bit more, so I covered half the light up to reduce lighting, which helped slightly. They refused to eat pellets, blood worms, and a small fish fillet, that I put in there. This morning I woke up to see that all 6 feeders were GONE (clowd tetras still alive and doing good). So I'm wondering how to get the RB's to eat non-live food.
Second, what really is the "sabertooth tetra" that I have. He said he was feeding it live feeder fish. But it from what I seen online it dosent match any of the sabertooth tetras that I seen online. To describe it, it is silver with 2 large black dots (one in the middle and one at the base of the tail) and it has orange tinted fins, and is about 1-1/2" long. I will try to get pics soon. He has been eating crushed up pellets that I have been putting in there. He is a super fast swimmer and the RB's havent even threatened to chase him.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!

[408smokin]

I really don't recommend putting other fishs with your RBP.. Sooner or later, the RPB will start to take little chunk off the fin or even chuck off the fishs..

[austrian_predator]

your sabertooth tetra is most likely an exodon paradoxus aka bucktooth tetra
also, it will be dead the second you turn off the lights ;)
as for the rest, i can't give you any first-hand advice b/c i'll only be getting my piranhas in about a year's time, hopefully less

ps: buy 2, get 1 free sounds like a deal from a really respectable fish store :ROFL:

[dudey]

just dont offer them any live food until and keep offering them frozen/pellets. At that size it shouldn't be too hard. Eventually they will get hungry enough to eat what you give them.

Two is also a bad number to have, try to get at least two more so one doesnt get picked on.

What size tank?

[pinball-1]

your sabertooth tetra is most likely an exodon paradoxus aka bucktooth tetra
also, it will be dead the second you turn off the lights ;)
as for the rest, i can't give you any first-hand advice b/c i'll only be getting my piranhas in about a year's time, hopefully less

ps: buy 2, get 1 free sounds like a deal from a really respectable fish store :ROFL:

oh he is actually a really respectable fish store, and has the largest selection of saltwater fish in 50-60 miles, my roomate has been buying from him for years. however he is in financial trouble right now and is trying to get rid of fish asap.

[pinball-1]

but your right is it a exodon paradoxus. thanks!

[pinball-1]

just dont offer them any live food until and keep offering them frozen/pellets. At that size it shouldn't be too hard. Eventually they will get hungry enough to eat what you give them.

Two is also a bad number to have, try to get at least two more so one doesnt get picked on.

What size tank?

thanks. oh he only had 2 and cant get anymore in. he had these 2 in a 20gal tank for 3-4 weeks and he had no problems with them. so hopefully they do well for me as well.

[Diogenes]

Hello, I just bought 2 RB's yesterday from the LFS. Here's the deal. He only had 2 RB's, and couldnt get anymore 2"-3" ones in because the company that sells them have very bad shipping I guess, and most of them die soon after delivery, so he quit buying from them.
He only had 2 but I wanted to get RB's. He also had a sale going of buy 2 get one free. So because he didnt have any more RB's he gave me what he said was a "sabertooh tetra", for the free fish. I put all 3 fish in my tank yesterday along with about 6 feeders which he put in the RB's bag. And 2 clowd tetras that I bought from Walmart earlier to cycle the tank. They are all doing fine but here are my questions:
First my RB's dont want to eat or even venture around during the day time, they sit in the corner until all the lights are out, than they started to move a bit more, so I covered half the light up to reduce lighting, which helped slightly. They refused to eat pellets, blood worms, and a small fish fillet, that I put in there. This morning I woke up to see that all 6 feeders were GONE (clowd tetras still alive and doing good). So I'm wondering how to get the RB's to eat non-live food.
Second, what really is the "sabertooth tetra" that I have. He said he was feeding it live feeder fish. But it from what I seen online it dosent match any of the sabertooth tetras that I seen online. To describe it, it is silver with 2 large black dots (one in the middle and one at the base of the tail) and it has orange tinted fins, and is about 1-1/2" long. I will try to get pics soon. He has been eating crushed up pellets that I have been putting in there. He is a super fast swimmer and the RB's havent even threatened to chase him.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!

exodon paradoxus = buck toothed tetra. (sounds like your fish)
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddbal1111.jpg

Hydrolycus scomberoides = saber tooth tetra (aka payara)
http://www.headwatersfishing.com/images/rpeterson197payara.jpg

The RBP's will eat the exodon. In the wild the Payara eats RBP's. Either way your losing at least one fish.

[twin_caleb]

I originally started my rpb tank with two but had a lot of casualties along the way when it came to tank mates...I had four tinfoil barbs that seemed to school with them but then after about six months I woke up to only bits and pieces of them left. Plecos, larger cichlids, koi about twice their size all ended up as food. Luckily i never bought any of the tank mates...mainly just fish outgrowing other ppls tanks. I eventually bought more piranha, but the two original ones are way more skiddish and end up frightening the others when I come into the room...btw when it comes to feeders, my rbps only ate feeders for about 8 months before i finally was able to get them to accept frozen beefheart, brine shrimp, and blood worms. They will also occasionally eat cichlid pellets.

[pinball-1]

I defenatly have an exedon. thanks guys! Now just to get my RB's to eat fish fillets, bloodworms, and cichlid pellets

[pinball-1]

whoo! got my P's to eat cichlid pellets this morning. they dont seem to love em, but there eating them at least. everything in my tank is eating these pellets (or crushed up pellets for the small tetras). Now hopefully the P's dont get hungry and eat the other 3 fish lol.

[Retuks]

whoo! got my P's to eat cichlid pellets this morning. they dont seem to love em, but there eating them at least. everything in my tank is eating these pellets (or crushed up pellets for the small tetras). Now hopefully the P's dont get hungry and eat the other 3 fish lol.

they will get hungry and will eat the other 3 fish... take those 3 out of the tank. they will start attacking eachother too sooner or later.

20 gallon is a prison cell for 2 rbps! they will live a very short life in there, you should get 3 more rbps and at least a 55-75 gallon tank. your keeping foot-long + fish in that tank when they become adults. if you allow them to get stunted they will be dead in a matter of a couple years or less. itd be lucky if they lived one year.

[Diogenes]

they will get hungry and will eat the other 3 fish... take those 3 out of the tank. they will start attacking eachother too sooner or later.

20 gallon is a prison cell for 2 rbps! they will live a very short life in there, you should get 3 more rbps and at least a 55-75 gallon tank. your keeping foot-long + fish in that tank when they become adults. if you allow them to get stunted they will be dead in a matter of a couple years or less. itd be lucky if they lived one year.

6 pygos is a good shoal. They would need at least a 125g for life.

[TazFantastik]

i got 2 RB but everytime i try to put one other fish they eat him in a second.. o dont recommend u

[raeggis]

I want Exodon now

[kevbc03]

Rule of thumb with red belly piranhas....house either 1, or 3+....never 2. When there are only 2 red bellies in a tank, they will most likely fight over dominance/territory and one will end up killing the other.

[captianredbelly]

I used to keep three 6 to 7 inch RBPs in a 55 gal but they fought anyway. I think its just their cranky nature.

[OnceLoyal]

IMO 6 - 7" RBs in a 55 is overcrowded. Thats why they fought.
I hate to say but listen to the others. Your other fish will be gone soon. You can't keep them fed enough. It is a matter of time. COuld be tonight or a month. It will happen though. Also 2 is a bad number as stated.
Good luck man keep us posted.