Extreme Red Beellied Piranha Aggression Please Advise?

[ParrotCichlid]

Bought 3 large red bellied piranhas about 2 days ago. They are large about 7-12" in length.

The transport was rough and one of the fish was prett6ly weak after adding them to the tank. Within one day the other 2 piranhas attacked him to the point of near death.

So i returned the half dead piranha to the shop. Then the other two piranhas started getting aggressive with each other. So i gone out to buy another Red Belly yesterday and added him to the tank.

Today I've noticed parts of the tail and fins missing on all three piranhas. So they are still fighting!

What is concerning me is that if they can do this much damage to each other overnight then whats it going to turn into in a week or month?

They wont eat yet. Ive tried putting feeders in the tank to displace the aggression but they aren't interested in them.

Here is a video of them fighting. Please remove the spaces from the link.

https :// youtu.be/ DbWyQJ0m6S8

 

[Fat Homer]

First off what size is that tank coz it looks a bit small?

 

[ParrotCichlid]

First off what size is that tank coz it looks a bit small?

Its 48" long, 18" wide and 30" tall.

12" was a little over estimation the piranhas vary from 7 inches to about 10 inches from head to tail.

 

[Fat Homer]

I would say small tank + lack of decor to break up lines of sight + need more P’s to break aggression are the main problems imho...

 

[Gourami Swami]

Tank is too small for big piranhas like those. You won't get them to coexist in that tank. You would need a tank twice that size, and a bigger group of piranha. Two or three almost never works out, they need more of their own kind to distribute their aggression, like homer said.

 

[jstevenz]

First off, something has to be wrong with your measurements. Either of the fish or of the tank. It is clear in that video that the P's are more than half the width of the tank. Probably more on the 3/4 range. At 7 inches they would be less than half the tank's width of the 18 inches you stated.

I believe the biggest factor is exactly what was stated above. Lack of hiding places/cover and tank size. RBP's are quite shy and do need to have cover to feel safe and comfortable. They are probably very stressed in that small open tank.

Add some cover (fake plants, caves, driftwood...anything) Also try to keep the lights dim and stay away from the front of the tank for a couple of days to let them get adjusted to the decoration and establish a pack order amongst themselves. After a couple of days they should be adjusted and will be ready to eat.

Also- you will need a bigger tank. I'd look at a 125 gallon.

hope this helps

 

[ParrotCichlid]

Uploading a full tank picture because the fish sizes are just estimates.

Do you guys still think this tank is too small for them currently? I know it will be to small for them when they grow further but i mean now.

For decorations what do you recommend? I've been recommended not to put fake plants in as apparently they can ingest the plastic?

I'm more experienced in large cichlids hence the bare tank look still learning about piranhas in general.

Btw i know that the internal filter wont be enough to adequately handle the waste produced for these fish. Just waiting on a new powerhead for the over tank filter built into the hood.

 

[ParrotCichlid]

Just measured the tank and its justt over 14.5 inches wide.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Yes, I think the tank is too small. It is mostly height, which doesn't provide additional territory.
Groups of more than 4 are recommended, with 3 fish the aggression won't be dispersed and the subdominant individual(s) will be bullied, possibly until death. You are starting to see this happen already. But in this tank, if you added more, I think it would just be a bloodbath, as nobody has any room to run away.
I would recommend at minimum a 6' tank, like a 150 gallon, and add a few more at the same time. As far as décor, large amazon sword plants and similar are good choices. This will provide sight-breaks, so the subdominant fish can escape the dominant fish's gaze. This is true with large cichlids as well, bare tanks are not recommended when trying to keep aggressive individuals together. Some people say that bare tanks are good because there is no territory to establish; I have not found this to be true. The dominant fish still knows that he is in a tank, and the tank is his territory. With no décor, the victims have nowhere to hide.

 

[piranhaman00]

I figured that LOVE decor would help them get along.

Need a bigger tank