View Full Version : piranha sexing question
mightykoreanboy
09-02-2005, 11:55 PM
hi! do u know how to sex piranhas? and does their sex affter their maximum size?
sleepyflight
09-03-2005, 12:05 AM
cover your finger in blood and stick it in its mouth....j/k
I would assume vent sexing would work, then again I've never had P's
boredcpl
09-03-2005, 12:32 AM
i was always told the only way to tell is when they pair off and start breeding..
Serygo
09-03-2005, 2:47 AM
no...
The way to sex piranhas is by their anal fin..
I have not figured it out which one is what.. but whenever you see piranhas mating you always see the anal fins are different...
Some are hooked and some are more flat.
I was told this method of sexing them by a old friend that owns one of the canadian fish retailers.
piranha45
09-03-2005, 2:57 AM
I've never heard of them being sexable, personally.
DanDanUK
09-03-2005, 2:59 AM
Sexing Piranhas !
You do sex them by there fins but it's not there anal fin it's the cauldal fin ! On a MALE, The bottom half of it's cauldal fin is a lot more longer and pointed, Where as on a FEMALE the cauldal fin is slightly smaller and the top and bottom half are equal is size they are also more rounded than pointed.
But the best thing i have found is to buy a load of them as young and let them pair off because it's impossible to sex them as they are young.
Serygo
09-03-2005, 3:18 AM
No affence, but thats either wrong, or all my piranhas were female.
which my two red bellies did mate (by your post above, were both females).... :screwy:
almost all of the piranhas are NOT sexually dimorphic. watching them breed can narrow it down as females are usually bigger and have a buldge in the mid section. Pygopristis denticulata
ARE sexually dimorphic males have a biloped anal fin.
mightykoreanboy
09-03-2005, 5:57 AM
do grow to about the same size?
guppy
09-03-2005, 11:38 AM
The ones in high heels and lipstick are the females.
Sorry, I never could tell.
Serygo
09-03-2005, 3:08 PM
LOL!!!
MightyKoreanBoy-
Yes Most piranhas grow to the same size...
The average size of all pygos is around 12", you will see quite a few pygos that drift over that...
mightykoreanboy
09-03-2005, 3:24 PM
how about the elongatus?
piranha45
09-03-2005, 5:47 PM
elongatus get around 8"
I have to disagree with you here P45, I had one almost 12"s and have seen them a little bigger, they don't seem to grow well in tanks though so 8" is probably average. LOL, I just had to stop and wipe blood off the keyboard from a gecko bite, I was feeding it an old neon tetra and it nicked my knuckle.
piranha45
09-03-2005, 8:13 PM
they dont grow well in tanks because people dont give them the tankspace they require, like so many other countless high-activity fish.
mightykoreanboy
09-04-2005, 12:48 AM
but a 75gal would do fine ryt?
guppy
09-04-2005, 11:11 AM
but a 75gal would do fine ryt?
I think you could keep 5-7 hollandi, or 3-5 red bellies, or 1 elongatus in a 75g for life with no problem. I like the elongatus but like P45 says, they need a lot of room and tend to damage each other without it, even kept alone they get scrawny in tanks that are to small, they are quite active for a piranha.
mightykoreanboy
09-05-2005, 4:24 AM
yeah i just have 1 elongatus in a 75gal so dont think ill be having problems with it hehe